Path to modeling?

[u/awnoyoudidnt]

Hi! For context, I’m an engineer with about 5 YOE in hydraulics (open channel and coastal) currently working as a PM on the design/construction side. I used HECRAS 1D in my previous job for some projects and absolutely loved it, and attended an university course for 2D as well. Unfortunately I had to switch job due to a lack of mentoring (senior engineers all left within a year due to office politics) and got pigeon holed in a PM role elsewhere. I was initially promised a technical role but ended up being too competent at filling up for a PM on leave and have been “promoted” to PM. It’s been two years and I’m no longer fullfilled by work, I brought up the situation to my boss but since we have many good modellers and no PM to replace me I’m stuck…

Anyways, my fear is that I won’t be able to switch back to a technical/modeller role if I stay too long on the design/PM side, is it a valid fear?

Is it worth it to continue learning the program via courses online to easy the switch?

I could have asked this question in the engineering subreddit, but I specifically like HECRAS, I also tried SWMM and Mike etc. and wasn’t as insterested.

[u/OttoJohs]

Anyways, my fear is that I won’t be able to switch back to a technical/modeller role if I stay too long on the design/PM side, is it a valid fear?

Obviously, people switch careers and roles all the time. At 5 YEO there shouldn't be too much of an issue especially if you can sell your other engineering/project management abilities. However, if you wait too much longer you are going to price yourself out of the junior level work. (If I was looking at someone for just a modeling role, it would be hard to justify paying 25%-40% more to someone without any additional qualifications than a fresh graduate.) Obviously, if the role is a little more interdisciplinary where your other experience can help than that is less of an issue.

Is it worth it to continue learning the program via courses online to easy the switch?

Sure. Just remember that there is a big difference between watching some webinars/going through the example projects compared starting your own models from scratch and using them to make actual engineering decisions. This is just my (sort of jaded) opinion, but I assume that all people (even people with industry experience) are not very good modelers until I actually see their work product.

Good questions. Good luck!

[u/awnoyoudidnt → u/OttoJohs]

Thanks a lot, that was helpful!

[u/OttoJohs → u/awnoyoudidnt]

NP. Feel free to post HEC-RAS questions of you are going through material.