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Alumni Career Feature – Kenneth Hauser

We feature alumni with interesting careers from a variety of career areas. To find out more about the alumnus profession contact them via the e-mail provided. Or if you are interested in being featured, e-mail us at alumni@pct.edu.

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Kenneth Hauser

• A.A.S., Civil Engineering Technology, 1987
• Mississippi Department of Transportation
• Employer's Web site
• khauser@mdot.state.ms.us

How did you choose your present career? Please explain how you decided to major in your area of study during college.

When I originally started college in 1977, I decided to go into civil tech because it was a family career - my brother graduated in the program and my grandfather worked for the highway department. I thought it would be a stable job. But I dropped out after one year and entered the work force. My jobs were very labor intensive and required heavy lifting. The job market started getting thin, so I had to work a couple of jobs. One of them was working part-time at the College in the tool room. I saw many students my age and older who were taking classes. So, after almost ten years, I decided to go back to school and complete my degree. I chose to stick with civil engineering because it is a very stable and secure market.

What advice do you have to offer to a student who is struggling with identification of a major/career field in college?

I would pursue the traditional types of studies - ones that have always had a job market and probably always will. Areas where you will find good job prospects usually deal with the basic needs of people and society.

How were you hired at your present position?

I have a structural background in civil engineering. After completing my four-year degree, I went into bridge design. I worked seven years in bridge design - four years at Michael Baker Jr., Inc. and three years at Larson Design Group. Then I moved to my current field of maintenance with Mississippi Department of Transportation.

What would you tell a Penn College graduating student about your career field?

Learn the basics and the fundamentals. You will always use these no matter what you do or how far you progress.

What was the most significant thing you learned on the job during your first year?

I was expected to know what I had learned and if I didn't understand something, I was expected to ask. I thought that was really significant that I was expected to ask if I didn't understand something. It is not a good thing to pretend to know something when you don't.

What was most difficult about your transition to the world of work?

Because I was a non-traditional (older) student, it was difficult to go from physical work to office work. You need to remember that you really need a good diet to stay healthy and exercise regularly. It took me a while to figure that out because I always got my exercise at work in my previous jobs.

What was the greatest strength of your Penn College/Williamsport Area Community College education? (What did you learn at Penn College that helped you a great deal in your career?)

The personalized instruction because of smaller class sizes was very helpful. The teacher had time to talk to you and help you. That's why I would recommend students to start at a two-year college because the classes are generally smaller.

What should students in your field do to prepare themselves for their career?

Learn how to study. This will carry on in the field as you begin working on projects and need to learn background material. It is also helpful for continued career advancement. It is important when you further your education through formal work activities at the masters/doctorate level, or when obtaining different licenses within a field.

What do you find the most enjoyable about your career field and your present position?

It's a very diverse field. There are 101 different ways you can go into civil engineering. Even within each discipline, it's generally diverse work. One day you might be building a highway and the next day repairing a culvert. Each project is different and has its own challenges and rewards.

How do you see your field changing in the next three-five years? Will this change require you to obtain additional training?

I do not expect it to change significantly. The only thing I do expect is that it will still be there and will have grown. Additional training would be dependent upon new areas that I might choose to explore.

What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in three years?

I would really like to stay where I am, but I will keep all my options open.

From your perspective, what are three to five needed skills that your employer was seeking in a new employee?

You need to be willing to work, willing to learn, willing to be a leader, know when to be a follower, and you can't be afraid of challenges.

Have you received any special recognition or awards through your employment or professional organizations to which you belong?

My first year at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ), I was elected president of the UPJ Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. My second year at UPJ, I received an achievement award that is given by a local construction company to one civil engineering technology student per year.

In my first year at Mississippi Department Of Transportation, I received the Outstanding Achievement "District III Employee of the Quarter."