Professional Interview

Andy Maughan
Interviewee: Devin Carroll
Field of Engineering: Mechanical
Engineer
POE Block 4
Date of Interview: 10/28/15
Date of Submission: 10/29/15
Location: Phone

General Information
A: Interviewee Name:
Devin Carroll
B: Interviewee's Specific Degree:
Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering
C: Interviewee's place of employment:
Bury Inc.
D: Email Address:
dcarroll@buryinc.com
E: How did you find and make initial contact with this professional?
I made contact through the internet, finding the website and sending an
email.

Professional Interview
A) Please describe your field of engineering in general.
I work in the field of commercial building Mechanical, Electrical,
Plumbing and Fire Protection Engineering. We are often referred to as MEP
engineers. I like to tell people that I design the guts of the building.
People in my industry design the contents of a building structure that provide
some sort of operation amenity or creature comfort like running water,
power, lighting, air conditioning, etc. Though I am personally more skilled in
the mechanical and plumbing design and am a I mechanical engineer by
training, I can find my way around in electrical and fire protection
engineering as well.
B) What is your current job title?
Project Manager
C) Please describe your particular job and duties.
I have to wear a bunch of hats so to speak. On any given day I
might perform mechanical or plumbing engineering design and analysis in
the morning and then head to a long project meeting in the afternoon with
an architect or client. The next day I may review the financials for our small
group and do some 2D or 3D drafting in AutoCAD or REVIT design software.
My responsibilities vary widely from day to day. Ultimately, I am responsible
for managing our small team and contributing my skills and knowledge to a
variety of different types of MEP engineering projects.
D) What is your average work schedule?
I typically work around 45 hrs a week roughly 8-6 Monday-Friday.
Sometimes I work 60 hrs a week and other times I work a straight 40 hrs. It
just depends on project workload and upcoming deadlines.
E) Starting with high school, please describe your educational
background chronologically.
I embarked on my 4.5 years of college in the fall of 2005 at Texas A&M
University. I was accepted into the Dwight Look College of Engineering at
A&M as a freshman and pursued my Bachelors degree in Mechanical
Engineering from day one. After graduating in December 2008, I
immediately entered the work force with a mechanical

(HVAC or Air Conditioning) contractor in Houston, TX. I spent roughly 3.5 yrs
working there as a project manager for large scale mechanical construction
projects before I moved to Austin to work as a design engineer for Bury, Inc.
I am a firm believer that we are all continually learning on the job every day.
Your education is only just beginning when you graduate high school and or
college.
F) If you had it to do over, related to career and education, would
you do anything differently?
I dont think I would do anything differently if I were to head along the
same trajectory as I did back then. The only remark I would make is to
pursue your dreams while youre young. If you want to be a pro athlete,
astronaut, or musician or anything of that sort and you have shown that you
have the capability and talent (an important reality check here) to do so then
you should give it a shot. No matter whether its work, school, or athletics,
consistent hard work goes a long way in life.
G) What advice would you give to me as someone interested in
pursuing a career path similar to yours?
The only remark I would make is to pursue your dreams while youre
young.

Personal Reflection
A) What surprised you the most about the interview?
The interview was very easy to communicate information in, the professional
was very willing to share his experiences and knowledge he had obtained
over the course of his own life.
B) What was the most important piece of information you learned
from the interview?
From the interview I learned that pursuing dreams while young is important if
you have a shown capability, just go for it.
C) How has this interview influenced your feelings about your future
career?
The interview hasn't really changed my feelings towards my career, however
it has strengthened my idea that I should look into what interests me unless
it isn't a viable career path.
D) How has this interview changed or confirmed your plans
regarding your future career?
The interview has confirmed my plans for the future, following my dreams
and continuing on my chosen path.
E) What is the next step for you to pursue your plans? Who do you
need to talk to? What information do you need?
The next step for me is to get into college and study in engineering school, I
may need to talk to more professionals to get advice and gain experience by
doing jobs related to engineering, or just work in general. For information I
need to pay attention in class so I have the knowledge needed for the
wisdom I will gain.