Should I ask for help
Should I ask for help
(OP)
I am a young - first time resident engineer of a small remodel project (2M job). I am alone on the job which means I have to perform all duties - inspection, documentation in the office, resolve RFI's, work on change orders, etc. Since this is my first job, I have been hesitant to ask for help. But, sometimes it gets to a point where I just dont find the time to do everything. Busy phases come and go, but I sometimes I cannot keep up with all the work and find the need for a second person and another set of eyes on the job. Should I ask for help, will this put me in a bad position with my boss? I do not have performance issues so far and my boss has confirmed that.





RE: Should I ask for help
You will look much worse to your boss when he says, "Why are we running late?" and your response is, "I was buried and couldn't get it all done." His likely reply will be, "Why didn't you raise a flag and ask for help?"
What will be your response?
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RE: Should I ask for help
RE: Should I ask for help
RE: Should I ask for help
HVAC68
RE: Should I ask for help
You're almost always better off taking the hit early.
In addition to getting help in bringing the project back on course, the sooner you take your lumps, the sooner people will forget, come review time. All they'll hopefully remember is that your project was successful and on time.
TTFN
RE: Should I ask for help
RE: Should I ask for help
Tell your boss about it when you are not busy. Let him know that there are times when you are starting to feel overwhelmed. You have been keeping up, so this has not a problem, but let him know you think it could be a problem in the future if things get worse. Then, feel him out for what he expects. Is this a normal workload, will you soon be expected to be running 2 of these projects on your own? Perhaps he wants you to handle it regardless of the load, by working 60 hours, or perhaps he will be understanding and tell you to ask for help. He may want you to provide more feedback on the job so that he can monitor it better to help you. By handling the current workload and speculating about the future, you boss should not hold this against you, because you have not failed yet, you are planning for the future.
Keep in mind that your workload may not be that much compared to a seasoned engineer, and depending on the experience of the staff, the boss may be forgetting that new people take some time to get up to speed.
Pay attention to the boss' reaction. You will learn a lot about him and what is expected.
RE: Should I ask for help
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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RE: Should I ask for help
DLauEng