Roadgeek jobs for non-engineers

[kphoger]

A friend of mine who is a bridge engineer here in Wichita asked me the other day if I would consider taking a job (hypothetically) at his firm's office a few hours away in a larger city.  He told me firms are now finding that, if a person is able to do the work required even without an engineering degree, it's cheaper to hire such a person rather than an engineer.  Read:  guys like me accept lower wages than engineers.  He even went so far to later ask that other office if they were hiring.

I kind of laughed it off at the time, saying I was nowhere near knowledgeable enough for that kind of work, but he told me not to write it off so fast.  His words:  "You know what the MUTCD is, for example."  Even though his other office isn't hiring, he said the guy actually seemed interested in the idea of hiring someone like me.

My question:
What roadgeek jobs are out there for blokes like me who have nothing more than an Associate's degree?

[Beltway]

A friend of mine who is a bridge engineer here in Wichita asked me the other day if I would consider taking a job (hypothetically) at his firm's office a few hours away in a larger city.  He told me firms are now finding that, if a person is able to do the work required even without an engineering degree, it's cheaper to hire such a person rather than an engineer.  Read:  guys like me accept lower wages than engineers.  He even went so far to later ask that other office if they were hiring.

I kind of laughed it off at the time, saying I was nowhere near knowledgeable enough for that kind of work, but he told me not to write it off so fast.  His words:  "You know what the MUTCD is, for example."  Even though his other office isn't hiring, he said the guy actually seemed interested in the idea of hiring someone like me.

My question:
What roadgeek jobs are out there for blokes like me who have nothing more than an Associate's degree?

Engineering technician jobs in road design, traffic engineering, bridge design, construction inspection, to name a few.

[Alps]

Engineering Assistant is an actual position. You do a lot of the work of an engineer but aren't allowed to manage projects, sign off on plans, etc. That could be up your alley. Another thought is to look into transportation planning or policy. (Like it takes knowledge to be a planner. Hah! )

[corco]

(Like it takes knowledge to be a planner. Hah! )

We know a little about everything and a lot about nothing.

But yeah, transportation planning is where it's at.

[The High Plains Traveler]

I was "Hazardous Waste Coordinator" at MnDOT for a couple of years, ending about 1990. (Hint: never take a job with the title "Coordinator"). I rewrote the job description, got them to post it as a classified Principal position corresponding to positions in the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency whence I came, then I left and got a job in consulting. Still wonder about that. The Road Not Taken.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

16 Road-related employment

16.1

Q: What are some road-related jobs?

A: The list includes but is not limited to planner, construction, engineer, spokesperson, cartographer, historian, driver, teacher, travel agent, and traffic reporter/report producer.
Almost all of those jobs require at least a high school diploma and most require a bachelor's degree from an accredited college. Apr 4, 2002

[Scott5114]

One that we might forget about is being a rest area/state welcome center attendant. (You know, the guy that stands behind a desk and hands out maps.) I've seen them get asked questions by travelers several times that might be of interest to a roadgeek (what's the best route from here to X, do I need to worry about construction on highway Y, what is there to do in Z).

[AsphaltPlanet]

I was an engineering technician for a few years just out of college.  I found that the job was kind of a let down.  I had thought that it would be the perfect job for a roadgeek, but my expectations may have been too high.  Since then I have entered the environmental field, and enjoy that much more.  This way, work is work, home is home.  Others may disagree with me, but that's my take.

[mcdonaat]

Same problem here... in college for a Construction Management job, but I want to pretty much do anything and everything.

My first order of business would be to install Clearview signs along brand-new highways (with FHWA shields), revert to button copy signs on older bridges, and resurface every highway, in order from 1-3290. Rural Interstates would get concrete with asphalt shoulders, and rural two-lane hilly roads would get three-lane sections.

[Alps]

One that we might forget about is being a rest area/state welcome center attendant. (You know, the guy that stands behind a desk and hands out maps.) I've seen them get asked questions by travelers several times that might be of interest to a roadgeek (what's the best route from here to X, do I need to worry about construction on highway Y, what is there to do in Z).

I've tried chatting with them about traffic, exit numbers, road conditions in general. Almost all of them are clueless as to that stuff, and some aren't even local to the rest area they work at. Odd that your experience is different - or did you not stick around for the answer?

[KEK Inc.]

Same problem here... in college for a Construction Management job, but I want to pretty much do anything and everything.

My first order of business would be to install Clearview signs along brand-new highways (with FHWA shields), revert to button copy signs on older bridges, and resurface every highway, in order from 1-3290. Rural Interstates would get concrete with asphalt shoulders, and rural two-lane hilly roads would get three-lane sections.

Unrealistic pipe dreams & minute preferences on changing road sign standards can blow state budgets. 

[golden eagle]

Truck or bus driver.

[AsphaltPlanet]

It's not just that, but when you work for a highway agency or construction company, you just go to work to perform a function.  The fact that you may have grand ambitions to remake the highway system in your image is irrelevant, because your job is quite simply to do the work that gets assigned to you.

[3467]

Logistics(route the trucks instead of drive them) has been hot recently -BA is ususally good enough go to a state school its cheaper .
Geography for planning. I would argue its better than engineer for planning but with the state cutbacks its not promising for a few years. The state cutbacks may make logistics hotter. I was waching a truck driver trying to figure his way around some suprise detours today

[Scott5114]

One that we might forget about is being a rest area/state welcome center attendant. (You know, the guy that stands behind a desk and hands out maps.) I've seen them get asked questions by travelers several times that might be of interest to a roadgeek (what's the best route from here to X, do I need to worry about construction on highway Y, what is there to do in Z).

I've tried chatting with them about traffic, exit numbers, road conditions in general. Almost all of them are clueless as to that stuff, and some aren't even local to the rest area they work at. Odd that your experience is different - or did you not stick around for the answer?

It might vary from state to state. I saw a Mn/DOT guy at their welcome center in Duluth marking up someone's map for them and discussing their route (which based on the snippets I caught sounded as though it wasn't completely in Minnesota). I never personally talk to them myself so it could be that this guy is just that good at his job...or he was full of it.

[bulldog1979]

Another option, but several of MDOT's communications/PR people are former journalists and TV reporters. Dawn Garner worked at WLUC-TV for a while and later at MDOT, and James Lake handles the Superior Region Communications Office after a stint at The Mining Journal in Marquette, Michigan. HB would have first-hand experience with that as well, right?

Another option for those so inclined is photography. I know that MDOT has a photo lab and archives section.

[Alps]

Logistics(route the trucks instead of drive them) has been hot recently -BA is ususally good enough go to a state school its cheaper .
Geography for planning. I would argue its better than engineer for planning but with the state cutbacks its not promising for a few years. The state cutbacks may make logistics hotter. I was waching a truck driver trying to figure his way around some suprise detours today

Planning is a closed door right now due to state budgets. Planning is always the first to go and last to recover because you get more bang for your buck putting projects out the door. Not that it's much better trying to be an engineer right now, but I wouldn't recommend going into planning unless you foresee good times aplenty upon graduation.

[hbelkins]

Another option, but several of MDOT's communications/PR people are former journalists and TV reporters. Dawn Garner worked at WLUC-TV for a while and later at MDOT, and James Lake handles the Superior Region Communications Office after a stint at The Mining Journal in Marquette, Michigan. HB would have first-hand experience with that as well, right?

Yep. More than a dozen years in print journalism. Most of the district PIOs in Kentucky have some type of journalism background. The current director of Public Affairs in Frankfort is a retired AP reporter.

Another thought is a program coordinator for some of the various programs that state DOTs offer. Things like Adopt-A-Highway, highway safety programs (ours was called "Drive Smart" until recently), and education programs such as our Kentucky Engineering Exposure Network (promoting engineering careers to high school kids). There are opportunities from being in inventory and accounts to being a mechanic to being a trainer, a safety coordinator or a human resources specialist.

There are all kinds of people working for state DOTs who aren't engineers.

[Zmapper]

Perhaps you could be the DOT HQ janitor? 

[corco]

Geography for planning. I would argue its better than engineer for planning but with the state cutbacks its not promising for a few years.

Planning is a closed door right now due to state budgets. Planning is always the first to go and last to recover because you get more bang for your buck putting projects out the door. Not that it's much better trying to be an engineer right now, but I wouldn't recommend going into planning unless you foresee good times aplenty upon graduation.

Geography as a planner is my saving grace right now- I did my undergrad in Geography concentrating on GIS and am about to graduate with my master's in planning. The fact that I know GIS and can go be a competent GIS Tech somewhere (and hopefully have a leg up on people with only a bachelor's in Geography) is the only thing that gives me any confidence that I'll find a job right now.

It's ugly right now out there though- an internship is a requirement for graduation in my program, and a lot of folks aren't even able to find unpaid internships. They want to work but there's either no work for them to do or there is nobody to supervise them.

[SP Cook]

My state hires quite a number of people in the ROW office.  Pretty much going out to the landowners, explaining the process, trying to get documents signed and making sure the legal issues are covered.  Associates degree level work.

[Road Hog]

What about the people who drive around and scrape the roadkill off the pavement? I don't know whether that's a DOT job or whether it's contracted out. Probably different in each state.

[NE2]

What about the people who drive around and scrape the roadkill off the pavement? I don't know whether that's a DOT job or whether it's contracted out. Probably different in each state.

I think they call those vultures.

[US71]

I'd love to have a job working for Jacob Brake Co photographing "No Jake Brake" signs that a lot of towns post. 

[Scott5114]

My state hires quite a number of people in the ROW office.  Pretty much going out to the landowners, explaining the process, trying to get documents signed and making sure the legal issues are covered.  Associates degree level work.

Keep in mind though that's a job that has the potential to get dangerous very fast. I'm sure most people are pretty upset the state is taking their land from them (even if they are getting compensated). And when you add the fun of some of the landowners being backwoods WV folk...