Kristina Swallow
Director
Nevada Department of Transportation
Las Vegas, NV USA
“Remind yourself that life is all about choices—and you have control over those choices.”
Nevada Department of Transportation
Las Vegas, NV USA
“Remind yourself that life is all about choices—and you have control over those choices.”
Director
I direct the planning, design, construction, and operation of the state's transportation system.
My day includes a lot of meetings and preparation. The issues being discussed are largely big picture policy items and not the tactical day-to-day decisions, though some of those happen too. The focus is on how to best spend the limited resources we have (primarily human and funding) to ensure that the state's transportation system is best meeting the needs of everyone using it.
There is a lot of on the job learning that happens in this field. Additionally, I found that engaging in my community through professional associations and local non-profits helped me to develop additional understanding of how the system is used as well as leadership and communication skills I may not have developed as quickly in the office environment.
Here's the first step for everyone
Meet with an engineer and ask what they do and why. Then meet another and ask the same questions. Our career is very broad so while one area may not be interesting to you, another might exactly line up with your passion.
"You switch jobs too frequently. You're intimidating."
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