u/Intelligent_Sign6759

I’m a civil/water resources engineer with ~5 years of experience in water/wastewater consulting. For the past 2.5 years, I’ve focused primarily on sewer hydraulic modeling and master planning, including 2 dry-weather calibrations, 1 wet-weather calibration, 2 model conversions, and 3 model builds. I also have broader experience in biosolids, wastewater treatment, SSMPs, and groundwater/well conveyance projects.

I recently received performance feedback that I’m:

• Requiring more guidance than expected for my experience level
• Still developing independent problem-solving skills
• Struggling with some complex concepts and seeing the bigger picture
• Requiring more supervision on complex tasks

I’m now considering leaving my company, but I’m unsure whether that’s the right move. What makes it more confusing is that I haven’t been given much technical/project work for the past ~2 months and have mainly been doing business development/marketing work.

For civil/water/wastewater engineers and engineering managers:

1. Is this considered a serious performance concern for someone with ~5 years of experience?
2. Does this feedback suggest I’m performing below expectations, or could it be normal development?
3. Would you stay and work through it with the same team, or consider changing companies?
4. How much independence would you realistically expect from a water/wastewater engineer at ~5 years?
5. Can changing companies help someone who mainly needs more experience/confidence with complex work, or do these issues usually follow you?

I’m not looking for reassurance. I’d genuinely appreciate an honest assessment from people who have worked in civil/water/wastewater consulting and management.

I woke up early to sign up for the EET course, but it is still showing as "Out of Stock."

I was wondering how you were able to register for the course. Did you use any particular strategy, or do you know what time registration usually opens (PST)?

I'd really appreciate any advice. Thank you!

I recently started preparing for the PE Civil Water Resources & Environmental exam on my own, and I'm considering purchasing a prep course. I'm trying to decide between EET and School of PE.

If I choose EET, I would likely take the exam in April 2027, which means I'll have to study the updated exam specifications and additional design standards. On the other hand, if I want to take the exam before December 2026 under the current specifications, I would probably go with School of PE.

I graduated about six years ago, so I've been out of school for a while. However, I recently passed the FE exam, so my fundamentals are still relatively fresh.

Given my situation, would it be better to take more time and prepare thoroughly with EET for the April 2027 exam, or aim to take the exam before December with School of PE under the current exam format? Which approach would you recommend?

I'm looking for some honest advice from people in the wastewater/environmental consulting industry because I'm feeling pretty discouraged.

A little about me:

• 5 years of experience in environmental/wastewater engineering.
• M.S. in Environmental Engineering.
• Currently working in California as a planning engineer.
• EIT certified and taking the California PE exam this October.
• On an H-1B visa, so changing jobs isn't as straightforward.

For the past 2 years, I've been focused on sewer master planning, SSMPs, hydraulic modeling, capacity assessments, dry/wet weather flow analysis, and writing technical memoranda. Before that, I spent about 3 years working on a mix of wastewater treatment, biosolids, GW and other municipal engineering projects.

Technically, I enjoy planning work and want to continue growing in this field.

The problem is that I absolutely hate my current job.

The office politics are exhausting. It feels like everyone is constantly trying to earn brownie points with management instead of working as a team. Expectations are unclear, I rarely receive guidance or mentoring, and then I'm criticized for taking longer than budgeted or for not passing the first quality review. Most of the feedback I receive is negative, and very little is constructive.

Over time, it's really affected my confidence. Despite having a master's degree and five years of experience, I sometimes feel like I don't know anything. I constantly question whether I'm actually a competent engineer or if I'm just in a poor work environment.

I've started looking for other opportunities, but the market seems pretty slow. Many California planning positions either require or strongly prefer a PE, and it also feels like recruiters lose interest as soon as they hear I need H-1B sponsorship.

I'm hoping passing the PE this October will open more doors, but until then I'm feeling stuck.

For those of you who have been in the industry longer:

• Is this a normal experience in consulting, or am I just in a particularly unhealthy workplace?
• Did anyone else struggle with confidence around the 5-year mark?
• How much does getting your California PE change your job prospects?
• If you were in my position, would you stick it out until passing the PE or keep actively trying to leave now?
• Any advice for someone looking for sewer master planning or wastewater planning roles while needing H-1B sponsorship?

I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences. Right now it's hard to tell whether I need to improve my skills or whether I've simply ended up in a toxic work environment.

Thanks in advance.

I haven't started preparing for the PE WRE exam yet. I graduated with my bachelor's degree in India about 12 years ago and completed my master's degree about 5 years ago. Because it's been so long since I've studied many of these subjects, I'm honestly feeling overwhelmed and afraid that I'll fail the exam.

I'm not sure where to begin. What would you recommend as the best way to start preparing for the PE Water Resources and Environmental exam? Should I first review the engineering fundamentals before jumping into a prep course, or is there a better study plan for someone in my situation?