Growing Your Social Capital


*Due to the climate of COVID-19, I did not get any responses from the local or state governments in Missouri (obviously warranted) so I reached out to the contacts I have used in the past to see if any of their colleagues were able to pitch in.
1) Civil Engineer (PE) domain expert- Having an added certification of Professional Engineer qualifies as a subject matter expert in areas like concrete which is what levies are mostly made of. I reached out to a friend from college who was working at a Civil Engineering firm in South Florida and asked if he could ask his boss to help. He was able to email me back with some thoughts about my idea. Although this was a fictional idea, he seemed to take to it with interest.
2) Project Manager for Environmental Engineering Company based in South Florida- He focuses on dam and bridge restoration. He would be considered an expert in my market due to the fact that he uses similar techniques to different structures like dams and bridges in the area. I found this person by asking a friend from college to see if his boss could help me. He answered my email and gave me a few pointers about what was needed to get government contracts. This could help me put together a business proposal for a local or state government in the future.
3) Graduate Student focused on City Planning- She would fit as a future decision maker. She is learning about techniques and business proposals and what elements to consider for decision making for government structures. We were in the same organization in college as undergraduates. Since local governments are not open to the public and are only responding to emergency topics, I figured I could interview someone who was being trained to do what I needed. She responded to my email and listed things the business proposal would include. I think when she enters the workforce, it will be helpful to have a contact in whatever form of government she will work in.
Reflection: Since this assignment is something I selected without a lot of knowledge, it helps me understand how important it is to network outside your specific focus. Being heavily involved in organizations in college was the main reason why I could finish this assignment. I believe your success is based off the people you know, knowledge can always be acquired, but your network is what you make it.

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