project engineer

GM BluePlan Engineering

My day starts at 8 am and goes to 5 pm with an hour for lunch.

I am part of a very professional front office team, who greets staff and visitors entering our office.  We work in a fast paced environment taking care of folks to ensure that the company runs smoothly.  

The people who make up this company are intelligent and passionate about what they do.  Employees  work hard, but we also play hard and are encouraged to recharge our batteries when off.

GM BluePlan is constantly growing and everyone works hard to support our clients, consultants and fellow employees.  There is a great vibe of interest in one another and caring within our lunch room.

Everyone is approachable and helpful in working from day to day.  There is opportunity for growth and active learning.  Teambuilding is excellent.  During non covid times, I have participated in many barbeques, special breakfasts/luncheons/dinners, golf tournaments, axe throwing,  Storm Games, skating parties, specialized training, lunch and learns and an excellent annual Christmas party where all offices come together to celebrate.

 Work-life balance is respected and flexibility is key to its success.  Family expansions are celebrated and child care is important and taken into consideration.  The company takes care of it's employees and their families. 

I have also learned a great deal about what Engineering Consulting means and the various teams that work together.  I know that l management cares about everyone's success and actively listens to the employees, when employees communicate their thoughts.

With a recent family difficult time, my company fully supported me throughout.  It was a great feeling to know that my team had my back.

I am proud to work here and plan to stay for many years to come.  There is a great mix of backgrounds:  some here for over 40 years and others fresh out of school who are technology wizards.  Individually we are smart, but collectively we are brilliant.

The hardest part of the job is also the most enjoyable, being part of a fast paced, expanding and interesting company.  You definitely get what you give and if you work hard and remain open to change, you will be rewarded.

I have worked for a few engineering consultants, I have never worked in such a negative work environment as the one at GM BluePlan Engineering.

There is a huge turnover problem at this company. They may offer you a better than average salary or hourly rate and decent benefits, but it comes at a cost. That cost is your happiness. After the first month of working here you quickly realize the mistake you've made.

There are certain managers at the Guelph office that are manipulative and vindictive. Senior management are aware of this behavior and allow it to continue unabated. In my opinion, this is contributing greatly to the loss of staff and the toxic environment.

There are some fantastic people that work at this company but they certainly are not the same people making decisions.
 
It is also possible the experience at GM BluePlan may differ depending on office. However, If you are an EIT or Civil Technician/Technologist, I would never recommend working at their Guelph office, especially if it is in a CAD operator role.
 
Hopefully this is a useful warning to somebody thinking about starting their career here, or moving to this company from their current one.

As a Young Professional I would recommend working at GM BluePlan, specifically our Hamilton office. The collaborative environment is unparalleled in the consulting industry and senior staff are very supportive, helping you grow and develop new skills.  The company has a mentorship program that allows you to have a coach in a senior role to provide you guidance; but overall this is the day-to-day culture in our office. All project managers are always willing to help and provide opportunities for career growth including introductions to others in our industry, ensuring you are developing a name for yourself.  We also have a YP Committee that has fun events for networking.

Is it perfect? NO, that's why it's called work.  If you are open to learning new skills, like variety and a team environment this is the place for you.This job requires you to be flexible. Some days you are the leader and other days you are the person following. There is high expectations, though staff are willinging to help if you ask. There is emphasis to focus on developing your technical skills and obtain your career aspirations if you are willing to put in the work required.  The work can be hard but the team looks for ways to have fun and supportive.

There really isn't anything positive to say about this company. The management doesn't invest anything in the junior staff, you receive extremely low pay compared to other companies, the benefits are a joke and you're bullied. Project Managers demand that staff stay late and mock you in front of clients during meetings. Then they're shocked when staff quit and go somewhere else. The turnover rate is EXTREMELY high.

All that matters is the money at the end of the day for the partners. There's no movement for anyone without a P.Eng. anymore and it's laughable if anyone suggests it.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone waste their time at this place - although the other Technical Specialists and lower level staff were decent to deal with.

Working at the Hamilton office of GM BluePlan has been an excellent experience so far. All the employees and project managers that I've worked with have been extremely kind and helpful. Working here will give you a large variety of work experience and will allow you to choose which types of project you want to work on. As an EIT, senior staff has been great with ensuring I have all the experience required for the P.Eng application. Everyone is so friendly and kind that I look forward to going into work everyday. I would definitely recommend working at the Hamilton office for huge learning opportunities and a fun work environment. 

I was with the company for 3.5 years and had a great experience overall. My time with GMBP provided me with endless learning opportunities and an extremely valuable introduction to the world of civil engineering consulting. I worked on a wide range of projects, varying greatly in scope and complexity. Senior staff were always great to deal with and very willing to help. The company offers great work-life balance and overtime was only necessary when project deadlines demanded it (which rarely happened).

CAD management at the Guelph office is bad and perpetuates negativity for employees within that group. 

Most of the engineers, project managers, inspectors and contract administrators are good to work with but the small amount of time you spend with them does not make up for the horrible management you have to face on a daily basis.




The previous comments spell out exactly what to expect from this company. I cannot speak for all Guelph departments but I wouldn't recommend taking on a CAD role.

As technical specialist expect a negative environment and bad management. This all stems from incredibly poor lower level management. If you have experience in a similar role then you will not want to stay long.

GM Blueplan is good place to work for someone who wants their life to be their job. Management is very professional and provides “Lunch & Learns”. Atmosphere is alright but could be improved, workers are quite judgemental.

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