ASCE's 2023 New Face of Civil Engineering
Since YouTube launched in 2005, it has become a go-to platform for anyone seeking information and instruction on a plethora of topics — everything from installing a smoke alarm and performing automotive maintenance to learning to speak a new language or gaining an understanding of calculus.
But what if you’re considering a career in Civil Engineering or have earned your degree and need help settling into a new job? Daniel Bressler (‘18) noticed a dearth of video content that might have helped him as he entered the professional engineering world and decided to try filling that gap.
He had always enjoyed video editing, and, drawing upon his own experience of feeling out of place and in over his head those first few months after graduation, he began posting the videos he would have benefitted from during that time. YouTube visitors can learn how to write a civil engineering resume, eight must-know tips for their first civil engineering job or internship, study tips for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, and whether to choose a large or small engineering firm, among other practical topics. Among the most popular video he has posted is one titled, “Is Civil Engineering a Hard Major?” “At every beginning of a new semester, it seems to draw a new influx of views, which shows it's reaching the right people at the right time,” he says.
Bressler, who now works as a structural engineer at a New York City-based startup called York Tower Consulting Engineering, is also dedicated to mentorship through the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE): he is an active participant on the organization’s Collaborate platform and in the ASCE Mentor Match program.
ASCE recently named him a 2023 New Face of Civil Engineering — fitting since it’s his friendly and engaging face many aspiring engineers are now seeing when they seek career guidance on-line. “I try not to come off as intimidating. I’m very open and warm,” Bressler — who admits he’s an extrovert in a field known to attract introverts — explained to an ASCE interviewer. “I just want to make engineering tangible for everyone.”
The Brooklyn native understands that forging an engineering career can be a daunting process, but wants people to know that it’s within reach if they put their minds to it. “If this is what you want to do, go for it,” he advises. “I wasn’t a perfect student, yet here I am, and if I can do it, you can too!”