New thoughts about my career

In my research, I have been exposed to in depth concrete design. In university, I used volumetric methods to determine the dosages of the concrete materials. In AIDICO, I have been working with densities in order to determine the dosages. This was a challenge for me because my frame of reference of what sounds about right is skewed. However, I have gained a new ability to work in a different system. In addition, I learned how to research dosification. I have been working with calcium aluminate cement which is not very common. Because of this, I was not able to find typical dosages of materials as I would have been able to do had I been working with portland cement. The reference books such as the American Concrete Institute were not helpful in my tasks. It was necessary to run experiments to determine the dosages on my own which was a very wonderful experience. I had run some of these tests before in my materials laboratory but I had never seen such high-tech equipment before. In addition to learning new systems for concrete design and how to use high-tech testing equipment, I have also learned something about how the business works. When a company is in need of a special concrete, they seek out a research facility such as AIDICO to fabricate a design for them that meets their parameters. I was under the impression that the civil engineer or the contractor designing or building the structure would need to do this. This was very interesting to me because the external company does not even know if this special concrete design is possible or how long it will take to create it.

A picture of the new standards book I had to use. (It's in Spanish!)

I have learned to be more independent in the way that I learn. During my time her at AIDICO, my mentor was very pressed for time and she gave me books and articles to read. I found out how to look for the information I need within thousands of pages of technical writing. Now that I have this, I feel more comfortable about my senior design course that I will be taking in the fall. I heard many people get to this class do not know how or where to begin. I feel like I now know who to call for help and where to look for the information I need without wasting a lot of time. In addition, I now feel like I have the skills to work with a more diverse group of people in group projects for school. UTA is a very culturally diverse school and even though I come from a different culture myself, I feel like I never appreciated the differences between people as much as I do now. I am going to take advantage of this diversity at my school and really get to know people and where they come from. I will be sure to get to know my group members on a personal level because this is important when working together. In the past, I would just want to meet up to do the work and then leave so that I could do my own things after. Now, I will make the effort to have a little fun while working too because that is what is important.

I have always dreamed about moving to a different country to start a career. However, recently it had seemed as though this would be hard for a civil engineer because the design is based on location specific standards. I saw the challenges of working in a different measuring system and how it can lead to a lot of misunderstanding. And yes, I did experience those things while I was here but I think those challenges are worth taking on because it has forced me to learn the concepts better. So now, I feel as though it is possible to start a civil engineering career in a different country. I feel that I can be a huge asset because of my English. It seems as though that companies see big opportunities in employees who can speak English because conferences and training are often done in English, something I found very surprising. This opportunity has also taught me how important it is to find a company and stick with it for a long time. I have found out that companies are literally investing on you when they hire you as they are spending a lot of time and resources to train you. To leave a company shortly after this would be rude and would force me to start new relationships and prove my work ethic all over again. I have decided that I will now take the time to find the perfect company for me. I am graduating in December and always felt that I need to have a job lined up right away. Now I feel like it is worth taking the time to find the company that suits me well since I want to stay there for a long time. If I am going to leave Texas and my family for a career in a new state or country, I am going to make sure it is with the company of whose mentality I deem moral.

A picture of some of the most tedious thing I had to do,
but with a good group of colleages, it wasn't all that bad! 

The people here at AIDICO really value their family and their relationships. They don’t feel the need to push 60 hours a week even though deadlines are approaching. Now in the summer, they are working 8 – 3 so that they have time to be with their kids since they are out from school. They take sufficient breaks from the workday and form really close personal relationships with one another and I think this contributes to their overall happiness. They have a lot of natural light coming in through the windows and we all share offices and desks. People take walks outside together after work when it’s nice out. I have realized that this is what I want in a company and that it is important that my morals match those of the company or else I will be unhappy. I did feel that the work I was performing here was not really in my interest range since my project changed in the last minute. However, I learned that even if I don’t like the work that I am doing, I can still be happy as long as my work environment is up to par. 

Me and the Ana, the coordinator at AIDICO, at her countryside house.