driller

field technician

survey technician

party chief

geotechnical engineer

S&ME

Working for Soil and Materials Engineering company I would come in and grab a set of work keys from my manager and he would tell me where I was needed to go. There were many different contractors we worked for. Some were in Clarksville, TN Lynchburg, TN Decatur, AL and even Mobile, AL. We were sent to these construction sites to perform normal tests on the concrete or the dirt making sure that it was at its optimal level so that there would not be any foundation failures due to weak soil or material. At times all we had to do was just go and check rebar or just pick up a few sets of concrete cylinders for testings in the lab. There were rare days where I stayed in the lab breaking the cylinders making sure that they met the PSI requirements because there were two of my coworkers assigned specifically to that. This job was truly a learning experience because i will never look at a construction site or a dirt slab again. I learned many different types of soils and concrete along with some of the properties that go along with them. I learned how to inspect each and knew if they did not met specifications just by checking a couple of things there. My managers told us all that were hired from day one that we would be responsible for our jobs and would be like micro-managers on construction sites. If something was not safe or not safe to use we had the ability to stop the build and then we call our immediate supervisor. My coworkers were all similar to me in the engineering field and were easy to get along with some were. The only things that I did not like was that certain coworkers would not carry his weight and I had to work almost double on certain sites, and at times contractors only gave us three hours notice for certain jobs and our scheduling manager had to run around trying to find an available tech for the specific job. Last moment jobs got us in a bind as a company and had  to quickly adjust. Sometimes it did not go smoothly. That is life.

Lastly, the most enjoyable thing for me was when a project ended and I see what got erected at that specific site it made me feel good to know that without some of my work that would not be there and knowing that all materials met spec it would stay erected and be able to stand strong from the foundation up.

What is the best part of working at the company?
It was nice to learn how things work outside my intended scope and other inspection areas

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I’d say the most stressful part in the inconsistency with hours and scheduling. You never know your weekly schedule because you don’t even know your next day until the evening of the day you work. As for the hours, you might have 15hrs one week and 50 hours the next or none at all.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
I’d say the work environment was nice but management needs work. The awkwardness of your supervisor trying to buddy up to you at times to ask you on a late Friday, to work the weekend. They could do a lot better job at planning ahead and ask earlier in the week. They try to make you seem like your a key role but it’s only in times, when they need you last minute or have a less desirable job for you.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
A topical day is hard to describe because you truly never know what your day will be like. Our Wilmington office didn’t maintain supplies for certain jobs and they don’t like paying you in between jobs. You might have a early morning job and sit for afew hours waiting for your next
Inspection. Every day is different.

A typical day is not very typical here. You never know exactly what you'll be doing as a Field Tech. For the most part, a lot of DCP and hand augers along with several concrete testing jobs during the day. Some days you might perform a concrete test over night depending on the time of the pour. Field density testing as well as some lab work are also possibilities of work that will have to be performed. The work is not very tough or rigorous, but you will be kept busy. The thing I enjoyed most was never really knowing where I might be from one day to the next. It brought an element of excitement to my days.
The management is extremely helpful and guiding and great to talk to. The item stressed the most at S&ME is safety and they pride themselves for it. It does make you feel good to know a company does care about your safety first and not the money you're making them.
I learned a great deal interacting with the Engineers of the company and I picked up a few things that will help me in the long run through my career as a Civil Engineer.

I was with the company for less than 1 year. Prior to coming on board I had several offers from competing firms, but S&ME made several commitments to me to bring me on board.  Before even my first month of employment was complete, the commitments were broken under the auspice of restructuring. Some of the current executives lied to my face and the CEO just gave platitudes. No commitment to keep promises. If you cannot trust the people who are supposedly making decisions for the good of an "employee owned" company then is it truly employee owned. It was not just myself but numerous former employees expressed the same discontent that I did. It appeared Management did not care about employee owners, only ways to boost their stock value and bonus structure. If you were buddies with the CEO then he went out of his way to take care of you even though you left the company . He would send previous company work to you and the people still with the company no longer had jobs.

The pay was decent for starting, as well as the benefits, without any experience, but you will get lied to about hours. I was guaranteed 45 hours a week at the interview but barley even had 20 after each week. I waited about 2 weeks after the interview to actually get offered the job, and was told they were doing "background checks". Most of the job is sitting around watching people do things on construction sites. They will tell you that the more certifications you get, the more jobs you will be sent out on, not true. I was doing the same things you get certified on, without any certifications, and it did not increase my hours at all. Management is poor with much lack of communication.  My co-workers were friendly and fun to work with. I would highly recommend not working for this location or company. It will be a waste of time and money.

Preformed, concrete testing and soil density testing using both nuclear gauge and drive tube method for project specifications for on- site construction sites at both residential and commercial projects.

Prepared and submitted field reports summarizing daily activities/observations and density calculations and results using an I-pad or computer which included pictures, pass or fail results, locations of work being done for that day by sketches done on PDF files and time it took for job to be completed.  Also collected soil, gravel, rock, asphalt, etc. for laboratory inspection. Also completed proof rolls for compaction checks, and performed undercut operations by grading company.

Also monitored work procedures for compliance with project specifications and would interact with clients, representatives, supervisors, foreman, project managers, engineers, etc. at project sites.

Typical company who worries more about being yes men to their clients but in the long run losing really good productive people who make the money for them. The best advice I can give is if you like the person you hire, stick by him or her and make sure you have the guts to say, “This is our person who is qualified to get the job done.” Otherwise you shouldn’t be hiring them at all. That’s why I recommend if an employee is not getting anywhere with that company, it’s time to move on. There are other options. The employee is the most important aspect of the company. Not the owners, not the PM’s, not the engineers. They might know their craft but they don’t know their good people. All they worry about is how much extra bonus they will get when the job gets completed. They cry later when they lose the good ones.

My time spent at S&ME was focused primarily on training. I performed a variety of tasks and learned every day. However, after some management changes my role also changed. I found myself doing more and more of construction materials testing which I was not interested in. I was paid amongst the lowest in the industry but had over 8 important certifications. 
Once I started requesting better pay, I was tricked into salary with my hours increased from about 45 to 60. All in all, I suggest you use them like they use you. Stick around for a year or two, let them pay for all your certifications then move to a company that'll pay you closer to $30/hr.

Ive learned to work with a great group of people in a caring,team playing family oriented environment,I grew spiritually, with people who taught you how to value what and how to help build a company big or small we incorporated together.The most enjoyable part of my job was  coming to work because everyday was an adventure of learning and I knew the what when and how's because of who I worked with and for. The people at that Cmpany taught me how to value the good along with the bad.

I just had to post this to read more reviews. While I'm here, S&ME is a great company for entry level people looking to change fields, expand their knowledge, and gain contacts quickly. It can feel a little repetitive and stagnant at times but in general that's civil consulting. This company has a great reputation and future employers would jump at the opportunity to hire people from this company. 

It's a very competitive environment, filled with 20+ year experience and sharp young talent. You wouldn't regret working here, however, curtain types tend to get burnt out; consulting isn't for the faint of heart. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Driller 1 salary reported	$28.50 per hour
Field technician 2 salaries reported	$23.50 per hour
Survey technician 2 salaries reported	$23.50 per hour
Party chief 1 salary reported	$29.50 per hour
Geotechnical engineer 2 salaries reported	$114,500 per year

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