Few A/E firm hires can be as hit-or-miss as recent college graduates. Sure, good grades in A/E-related courses are a great starting point, but how much do a candidate's personality, communication skills, and out-of-school activities factor into the hiring decision? Find out what A/E firm leaders had to say when The Zweig Letter asked, "What three qualities do you look for in recent college graduates you are thinking of hiring?"

Robert Dietz, president and chief operating officer of Gannett Fleming, Inc. (Harrisburg, PA), a 1,900-person planning, design, and construction management firm:

"In addition to the obvious technical and professional qualifications evidenced by a graduate's academic achievements, we seek candidates with:

• "Superior oral and written communication skills. Our clients expect and deserve a high degree of professionalism in the people assigned to their projects. Even the brightest, most creative people will disappoint our clients if they don't communicate well. The ability to speak and write in a clear, concise, and professional manner is a must."
• "Creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Working in the real world is seldom as straightforward as textbooks often suggest. Arguably, this skill is developed with experience; however, changing project requirements and a variety of uncontrollable variables demand that even our entry-level professionals be able to think on their feet and seek creative, practical solutions."
• "Interpersonal and teamworking skills. More and more, the size and complexity of our projects require our people at all levels to work together with client representatives, public stakeholders, contractors, and co-workers to achieve a common goal. People who cannot work collaboratively will simply not succeed in our business."

David Gockel, president of Langan Engineering & Environmental Services (Elmwood Park, NJ), a 625-person geotechnical, site/civil, environmental, permitting, landscape architecture, and surveying firm:

• "Interpersonal/communication skills. Their ability to work with people at all levels and communicate effectively."
• "Attitude/passion. They must demonstrate a strong commitment to their work and their career opportunities. We're looking for people who want to build a long-term career and become a vital part of the company."
• "Technical knowledge/intellectual capacity. They have to be able to think on a level above the 'norm.' Attitude and communication skills are important, but if they can't get to the right answer, those other attributes are for naught."

John Haussmann, president of T.Y. Lin International (San Francisco, CA), a 1,000-person multi-disciplinary civil and structural engineering firm:

• "The ability to communicate and articulate on a subject in a manner that indicates all parties clearly understand the concerns expressed, conclusions reached, and any points of consensus. This includes listening to others and accepting opinions without needless debate. "
• "The indication of leadership traits that typically are reflected in their participation in school and outside activities, i.e., chair of committees, school officer, and society officer positions."
• "Personal attitude reflected in work ethic, ability to work in a team environment, and manner of dealing with people. "

"T.Y. Lin International's strategy in hiring college graduates is to have them achieve their career goals as a long-term employee through the technical leadership career path, project management leadership path, or business leadership path."

Jan Taniguchi, chief executive officer and managing principal of STR Partners, LLC (Chicago, IL), a 28-person architectural firm:

• "They are interested in the opportunity we offer them to learn."
• "They are dedicated and focused on being or becoming architects."
• "They are bright and have good organizational and communication skills."
• "They look upon architecture not only as a job, but as an avocation and have an interest in architecture outside of the office, i.e., reading architectural journals and looking at buildings."
• "They want to stay with STR for the long-term- we are not interested in teaching and mentoring, then having the person job hop to a higher-paying firm."
• "They are willing to do the 'grunt' work to understand the entire process."
• "They have aspirations to become an STR principal."
• "They are on board with STR's vision. "
• "They are curious and inquisitive and ask a lot of questions."

Gayle Roberts, senior vice president and education, healthcare and industry market leader of Stanley Consultants (Muscatine, IA), a 1,500-person engineering, environmental, and construction services firm:

"Many of Stanley Consultants' employees have dedicated their entire career to the company. This degree of dedication can be attributed to many things, but one critical factor is that these long-time members truly enjoy their work and have found challenging and rewarding opportunities throughout their tenure at Stanley Consultants. That is why we think it's important to select a candidate whose interests and academic preparation will mesh with the type of work they will be performing. When hiring new graduates, we have the attitude that we want them to make a career with Stanley Consultants.

"Secondly, we look at the student's GPA and relevant experience through co-ops or internships. Students with experience in the engineering services industry, utilities, and governmental agencies like the DOT seem to do very well at Stanley Consultants as they are already familiar with the work we do or the clients we serve. We are not necessarily looking for students with a 4.0 GPA. We like graduates who have maintained at least a B average, but more importantly have done especially well in coursework relevant to the position for which we are hiring. We want students who have demonstrated a curiosity for learning new things and taking on assignments that will stretch them.

"The third quality we look for is the student's involvement in extracurricular activities—clubs, organizations, and committees. We have found that students involved in these types of non-academic activities are well-rounded; can communicate better with project team members, contractors, and vendors; and work well in a team environment. We are hiring new graduates that break the stereotypes that engineers are poor communicators!"- RACHEL LEBEAUX (rlebeaux@zweigwhite.com)

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