Great Place to Start Career! - Civil Engineer I DOWL Employee Review

5.0
Nov 18, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of freedom and independence. Plenty of chances to speak up for what you want to do. Interesting projects. Fair pay and benefits. Work sharing among offices means you can connect with experts all over the west, and can work with people in other offices. Flexible schedule. DOWL respects that their employees have personal lives.

Cons

Hardly any structure in training-- a good thing if you learn best by doing and being given lots of space, not a good thing if you have trouble speaking up for yourself. Supervisors check in, but you've gotta take initiative here.

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DOWL Response
6y
Thanks for the comments. We try not to have a sink or swim on-boarding and training program. We are committed as a firm to employee development and upward mobility and we will take your comment to heart and bring forward an enhanced program in 2020. That notwithstanding, your advice to take initiative and speak up for yourself is critical in any career. Good advice.

Explore other reviews about DOWL

5.0
Dec 5, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company attracts highly talented and knowledgeable engineers and project managers. The peer mentorship is invaluable. The benefits package is competitive, particularly the 401(k) match and health insurance options. There's a lot of flexibility in working arrangements and hours, which is helpful for personal scheduling. Clear opportunities for career growth and advancement if you demonstrate initiative.

Cons

The company could benefit from more standardized knowledge-sharing protocols between different departments and geographic locations.

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DOWL Response
6mo
I’m so glad to hear you are using some of DOWL’s programs to your advantage and your career is being supported by some of our great people. You’ll be happy to know that we plan to expand on our supervisor/leadership and project manager training in the coming year! We try and keep the whole company apprised of high-level goings on through intranet posts and all-staff meetings, among other things. Our market sectors get a lot of autonomy, which is important for those groups to be able to run their corners of the business, but can sometimes lead to gaps in communication. Be sure to talk with your supervisor or office manager if there are specific things you wish were better communicated between departments or geographies. These dots can sometimes be connected by regular office or market sector meetings where the larger group can discuss what they’re up to.
2.0
May 27, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Met some great people that I am still in contact with - Learned new skills

Cons

- Bad management. When I told my supervisor that I was burnt out, I was told to "Smile through it" and "Be happy that I'm not working 60 hours a week like other departments. - No room to grow at all unless you are an engineer.

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DOWL Response
3w
I agree – we have great people at DOWL! As with most consultancies, our project workload does occasionally necessitate putting in additional hours so we can meet our clients’ needs. I’m sorry you feel your manager did not work with you to take advantage of some our flexible work options or coordinate workshare. The facts do not support your claim that you cannot grow unless you are an engineer. We have many people in leadership roles who do not have PEs, including Practice Area Leaders, Board Members, and most of our C-suite staff.
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