Young Engineers Learn on the Job
April 15, 2026
Remember your first job out of school? Those first few days where you felt like you were drinking from a fire hose followed by the moment when you finally felt like you understood at least part of the job?
First jobs can be overwhelming for young engineers as they take the theory they learned in the classroom and work to translate that into real-world projects. At MKEC, we make it a goal to nurture our young engineers with a culture that supports them and encourages them to try new things.
We wanted to know more about what it’s like to be a young engineer at MKEC, so we asked four of our newest members to talk about their experiences since they joined us. Meet Grant Eichman, a second-year electrical engineer who works in our power delivery group; Camilla Ahmed, a second-year civil engineer who works in our land development group; Caley Eslick, a fourth-year mechanical engineer, and Derek Bogner, a third-year structural engineer, who both work in our industrial/energy group.
First steps
The transition from school to the engineering profession can be a big leap. From learning software to understanding how your engineering knowledge applies to projects every day can be packed full of new things to learn.
“We don’t get enough exposure in school to software that we’re going to need,” Ahmed says. “I took one eight-week course on AutoCAD. I think MKEC did a really good job of having me focus on plan production, getting handy with the software. Quite a few individuals helped teach me the process. MKEC offered lunch and learns that were CAD specific, which really helped teach us and take what we learned concept wise in the classroom and apply it to what we do here.”
Eslick, who interned with MKEC before joining full-time, agrees.
“I spent most of my time as an intern learning CAD,” she says. “There are people around that are happy to help and guide you through that. I feel like there’s a team that helps you learn on the fly, building on topics that you learn in school and applying that to real-world situations.”
Beyond the concepts, sometimes it’s about finding the right information.
“Something that I didn’t know much about when starting out were all of the industry standards and codes,” Bogner says. “It’s been extremely helpful to be able to go to my supervisors for their help with deciphering some of the codes. Since they’ve worked on every kind of project, they have the answer for just about any question that I have.”
In addition, new grads are also learning to adjust to a new schedule and new responsibilities. “The biggest hurdle for me was the transition from the workload of a full-time student to working full time,” Eichman says. “It gave me a lot of opportunity to see what kind of routine works for me.”
An integral part of the team
It can take several years for new grads to feel like they really have a handle on everything, and even experienced engineers will tell you they still encounter things they’ve never seen before. However, MKEC’s young engineers say they already feel like an important part of the team.
“We did a big diesel emissions fluid expansion project. It was my first large, multi-discipline project and the first time I got into hydraulics,” Eslick says. “That one definitely felt like drinking out of a fire hose, but I used some of those tools on other projects that we’ve done since then.”
“It’s great to see how all the disciplines work together, and seeing the end product of something I helped design was really cool.”
Caley Eslick, mechanical engineer
Eichman’s favorite project gave him a better understanding of how long the timeline can be on some projects.
“It was a substation next to an airport that started when I was an intern at MKEC a few summers ago,” he says. “I did a lot of the preliminary work for it. We did a lot of coordinating with the FAA. Shortly after starting full-time here, we completed that project and got drawings back. It was interesting seeing how the project started and continued on when I was not here, and it gave me a good idea of how it can take projects a long time to be completed.”
Ahmed gained confidence working on a Cheesecake Factory site.
“It was the first project where my project manager let me set up the files, do the site layout, and start the grading,” she says. “He would pop into my files and advise me on what changes were needed and how to address the issues. It was the first one I got to take from start to finish.”
On-the-job learning
Any time a new team member comes on board, we try to find the best role for that person. One that enhances their strengths and challenges them to expand their abilities. For new grads, it can feel a lot like being thrown into the deep end of the pool. Surrounding them with people who can encourage and support them is key to their success.
“I think one of the more challenging parts was finding what my part was to play in the power delivery group,” Eichman says. “I was too new to do the math heavy work, so I was doing less technical work. Now that I’m more knowledgeable in the subject, I’ve been tasked with more challenging engineering responsibilities.”
Being asked to work on small chunks of a project to start often helps new hires to learn the workflow and specific tasks before being asked to take on a whole project, but that doesn’t mean no one ever feels overwhelmed.
“As you start off, everyone does a good job of giving you small pieces,” Ahmed says. “It can still feel daunting sometimes. Still to this day, when I start on something new or transition to a different type of project, I do feel a little overwhelmed.”
But that overwhelm is often offset by having colleagues who are supportive.
“Everybody around us has experience with any and all types of projects,” Eslick says. “Anything that comes up, I’ve felt comfortable asking about.”
An open office layout encourages collaboration and help is always nearby.
“Everyone that is immediately around me is so much more experienced than I am,” Ahmed says. “They have such a variety of backgrounds and things that they do.”
“Everybody’s really willing to help. They’re not afraid to share what they know and walk you through whatever you need help with.”
Camilla Ahmed, civil engineer
“I have an office mate who has been in the industry for quite a bit, and I can easily turn to her when I have a question,” Eichman says. “Questions are very much encouraged here, which is a great culture to have. My supervisor is also always very open to questions. There aren’t too many barriers to cross. I’m encouraged to figure things out, but people are always open to answer questions.”
Looking to the future
At MKEC, we want our young engineers to learn and grow and reach their own career goals. Eslick, Ahmed, Bogner, and Eichman are all planning to get their PE license and are finding help and encouragement from their coworkers.
“Everyone has been encouraging me to study and take my exam,” Ahmed says. “Everyone offers materials and offers help.”
“I passed my PE exam last June, and MKEC was a huge help in this endeavor. I can’t thank my colleagues enough for their encouragement and support as I studied and prepared for it.”
Derek Bogner, structural engineer
And while the exam is key to reaching their professional goals, all four young engineers agree that simply being encouraged to try new things is also helping them develop new skills and take on new roles.
“I’ve been led into a role that I didn’t really see myself being interested in: project management,” Eslick says. “I was exposed to smaller projects with a project manager, and they’re slowly letting me take over more and more on smaller jobs, exposing me to larger engineering projects, more multi-disciplinary projects. I feel like there’s a new thing I’m exposed to every day.”
Eichman also has a PE license and project management on his radar.
“One of my long-term goals for my career is to obtain my professional engineering license,” he says. “On the way to that, I think the shorter-term goal would be for me to be a project manager for a few new projects, learning those project management skills.”
Ahmed is thankful for the opportunities she has already had and hopes to continue improving her skills with all the different software MKEC uses.
“Longer term, I’d like to have an understanding of all the software we use for all the different calculations. Every few months it feels like I have something new on my plate to give me exposure and understanding in these different softwares.”
Looking back
Despite their relatively short time on the job, all four have some advice for new grads entering the engineering field.
“Be a sponge,” Eslick says. “Absorb anything and everything that you can. Hang in there. You’ll figure it out eventually.”
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” Bogner says. “No question is too dumb to ask.”
Eichman encourages new grads to be open to new opportunities.
“Be open to opportunities to do different types of work and things you might not necessarily be skilled in. Be excited to do other things that might not be inside your wheelhouse.”
Grant Eichman, electrical engineer
Ahmed has some practical advice for those graduating and starting their first job: Don’t be hasty to get rid of all your classwork.
“Keep your notes. Please keep your notes.”