We engineers can easily develop “tunnel-vision” with our everyday specialized work and lost the bigger picture.  This can become a setback to our professional growth. ASCE offers a path forward to the bigger picture within the civil engineering industry. ASCE is the largest civil engineering network in the world giving us access to the most comprehensive resources for professional development. Learning about the contributions of the civil engineering society to the region, nation, and world at large is a great source of inspiration for young and senior level engineers alike. There is no better place than ASCE for professionals keen on developing career skills including leadership, communications, volunteering and mentoring, working with teams, organizing and working around initiatives, public speaking, networking, and contributing to community development.

The ASCE Texas Section volunteers in their various committees and roles have done an excellent job over the years being involved across the state to bring us the most up to date knowledge/resources for our professional growth and provide opportunities for leadership development. Even under the tough times due to the recent pandemic, the Section volunteers have stepped up and quickly adapted to the new reality (albeit temporarily). Although our members throughout the state miss the in-person networking due to social distancing restrictions, our professional development activities continued with innovative approaches. The Texas Section membership numbers are expected to rise significantly due to the engagement for retaining and attraction set for the coming year and beyond.  The current initiative is to simply remind our current members and educate potential new ones, to the benefits that ASCE has to offer.  Direct benefits to ASCE Membership include but are not limited to:

• Turbocharging Your Career. We’re using this term to describe how you can build your professional skills with over 250 on-demand webinars at your disposal; including 10 Free PDHs each year.  There is an online portal designated as ‘Career By Design’ that assists our younger members navigate the licensure process, innovation occurring in the industry, and much more.
• Making Connections. The networking that takes place on the global, national, state, and local/branch level is invaluable.  Your connections to peers in civil engineering can arise from the ASCE Mentor Match program, participation in the technical divisions and technical institutes, and just staying connected to news and announcements via Texas Section and Branch social media platforms.
• Finding Insights and Resources. Being an ASCE member provides you access to the Civil Engineering Salary Report, free access to the ‘Access Engineering’ calculator, graphs, tables, and data tools; as well as exclusive self-teaching videos.  You get the Civil Engineering Magazine throughout the year, the new ‘Plot Points Podcast’ series, and Institute eNewsletters.
• Deals and Advantages. Last but not least, there are financial discounts and perks that go along with your membership including but not limited to special rates for auto, home, life, and health insurance; 0.5% student loan refinancing rate discounts, $100 rebates on personal loans, and major discounts on travel, entertainment, technology products, appliances, and more.

We ask you to reach out to us with any questions and visit the https://www.asce.org/member-benefits/ link for much more detail on the benefits of membership.  We look forward to further strengthening our Texas engineering community in the following years with greater participation.  Please sign up for the first time, renew, or tell your friends and colleagues about the fantastic opportunities that come with ASCE Membership!