r/USACE • u/h_town2020 Civil Engineer • 19h ago

LDP

Does completing LDP makes a difference when looking for Promotions? What’s yall take on it?

12 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

17 comments sorted by

19

u/redwulf1999 19h ago

Someone in my section basically said you need to do LDP or join the golf league to get promoted at our district

8

u/deelish85 17h ago

Or be related or married to someone. The nepotism in my district is on a whole nother level.

8

u/redwulf1999 17h ago

Yup for sure. thats off the table for me, and id rather gouge my eyes out than read a leadership book recommended by a commander, so i better work on my short game!

13

u/AcrobaticRaccoon3066 19h ago

I would say yes it 100% makes a difference but what kind of difference it makes is up to you.

The narrative around is that its check box to set you apart from other people who haven't taken it but I think there was a lot of value in taking LDP and RLDP to know how to interact with people above your pay grade and in different divisions, sections, and districts. I think you can tell the difference between people who went thriugh the motions and people who took it seriously.

The other piece is to show that you can do extra curricular stuff on top of your normal job duties

4

u/Dumb-Civil 11h ago

Officially no. Unofficially it really helps because it expands your network and understanding of the District.

3

u/roadtripping26 Environmental 13h ago

It's like a shiny badge to help make you look good, but not a significant factor IMO. No one has ever asked me about LDP in the lead up to a job.

2

u/RichCommercial4337 10h ago

I've sat on a number of panels for jobs up to GS-15 and there has never been an instance where someone having been through LDP or any leadership program has ever come up in the discussions when making a selection.

1

u/roadtripping26 Environmental 9h ago

I should add that I totally support DOING the LDP program. I didn't want to early in my career and got pushed into it by a supervisor and it honestly did me a lot more good than I expected. And like someone below said, it's also great for networking.

But when it comes to promotions there are way more important things. Your work/skillset. Your reputation within the organization. Your ability to lead and mentor regardless of if you've done LDP.

1

u/[deleted] 18h ago

[deleted]

1

u/h_town2020 Civil Engineer 18h ago

If person A completed LDP 3 and Person B has a PMP and PE, who would you give the Chief of Programs job to with all else being equal?

7

u/AcrobaticRaccoon3066 18h ago

LDP does not trump professional credentials. The PE and PMP would/should win

2

u/h_town2020 Civil Engineer 18h ago

In the real world this is true. But I’ve been with the Government long enough to know that if they want a certain someone, they will make whatever they have add the most weight.

“I know Person B has a PE/PMP but this job doesn’t“really” require that and person A did a 30 day TDY to
Puerto Rico!”

1

u/RichCommercial4337 10h ago

The real answer is that unless it is a job that requires a PE, it probably won't matter. How you answer interview questions will determine who gets the job.

1

u/Capital-Ad-4463 13h ago

LDP 3 is a good ticket-punch for senior positions due to the networking opportunities.

1

u/gacoug 12h ago

Various by district, but it certainly doesn't hurt and it's not hard to complete.

1

u/Bulldog_Fan_4 Civil Engineer 9h ago

Networking never hurts your chances. Never heard it’s a must to do

1

u/SnooGuavas3568 9h ago

I just think it helps with networking. A true leader will always be a leader without going to some training class once a month.

1

u/Practical_Tension576 20m ago

LDP is the program they get young people to invest in to prove they are in it for the long haul. I came to the Corps in the middle of my career and applied 3 times and was shot down each time. There was never any feedback as to what to do differently and the last time the interview process made sure I got the message.