For Project Engineer Carolina Ortiz, civil engineering shapes the world we live in. Civil engineers help design, plan, and construct the infrastructure we see and use daily. “As a civil engineer I have the opportunity to participate in building sustainable communities as well as providing effective solutions to daily challenges in the construction and engineering world,” shares Carolina.

Finding the Right Fit

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University-Idaho, Carolina found FOCUS through our website. “It looked like a great company in terms of the services they provide and the opportunities they had for a young unexperienced graduate to grow and build a career,” she recalls. Carolina was looking for a company that treated employees with respect and nurtured personal growth. “I came across a FOCUS ad during my relocation to Utah to be closer to family. I was impressed with an engineering company that had multiple services for clients and that was eager to give opportunities to young graduates with little engineering experience,” she notes.

As she went through the hiring process couldn’t help but notice the amount of time and effort put into multiple interviews as well as the time the interview teams took to get to know her. “This approach showed me that FOCUS was 100% invested in creating a great successful team. It was about finding the right individuals who are passionate about becoming better and building a better place.” Carolina recognized that FOCUS puts 100% effort in creating genuine relationships, which was not consistent with other engineering firms. She saw that their focus is to build a better place by finding the right individuals who have passion for what they do. “FOCUS has created an environment that I can thrive in,” she shares. “I am drawn in by the amount of effort FOCUS invests into us as people and I’m enjoying how it affects my personal life for the better.”

The Ins and Outs of Commercial Site Civil Engineering

Carolina was interested in learning site civil design. “Commercial site civil design is very unique,” she explains, “and each project presents different challenges and design approaches.” Since joining FOCUS in August 2021, Carolina has worked on a variety of project types. Her projects include commercial and industrial developments such as townhomes, apartments, retail stores, and car washes. She has also worked on residential multi-family and podiums.

She has learned being a staff engineer requires a great deal of creativity, communication, and coordination with other teams. It also provides opportunities to build great relationships and experiences to grow as design engineers and leaders in the community.

When it comes to tools and technology, Carolina has found the number one tool for the job is AutoCAD Civil 3D. The software facilitates the design of underground utilities, site grading, concept design, creation of construction drawings.

The Commercial Site Civil Engineering Team

Carolina enjoys working with other highly motivated team members of the Site Civil Commercial team. “We’re not afraid of challenges because we believe in constant improvement and growth,” she observes. “We focus on providing solutions and to offer the best customer service to our clients.” She adds that the Site Civil Commercial team is very young and fearless; they face challenges on a daily basis. “We don’t see them as obstacles, but as building blocks to create a momentum of constant improvement and growth in our teams. As we build a stronger foundation, we are committed to making our clients successful and happy, which is, after all, our ultimate goal.”

Working for a firm that is passionate about the success of our clients and internal teams means something to Carolina. “I love the principles that FOCUS is being built upon because they align with my beliefs and values.” It’s pretty evident this alignment is not only good for our clients, but also for our team. And together, we are building a better place to work and live.