Graduation Day is an occasion where the two phases of student life can be seen together–one’s joy of achievements and fulfilling dreams as well as the memories one makes as one bids farewell to everybody who helped in achieving those dreams. Balraj More was as overjoyed as everybody else on this day in May 2017 as he graduated from University of Southern California, completing his M.S. in Civil Engineering (Transportation Engineering). I got an opportunity to talk to him about his journey so far, experience at USC, and future plans.

More completed his B.E. in Civil Engineering from University of Pune in India. During this bachelor’s program he developed a keen interest in transportation and decided to pursue it further. He carefully developed his knowledge to support his passion. He soon realized that in order to pursue this discipline further he would need to polish his skills and he began looking for internships to gain experience in transportation engineering and sought out research projects he could complete to expand his knowledge. He decided to enroll in a master’s program in transportation and was thrilled to receive an acceptance from USC. He explains that a great campus, located in the heart of Los Angeles, exceptional faculty members and research opportunities made USC the perfect fit for him.

  Balraj More celebrating graduation with METRANS Associate Director, Victoria Deguzman  

While at USC, he took up leadership roles in USC Viterbi School of Engineering - Senator for the Civil Engineering Department, Secretary of ITE USC, and a mentor for USC Viterbi undergraduates. These responsibilities aided him in learning how to collaborate, and strengthened his management skills, each enriching his experience at USC. He was also pleased with the wide variety of coursework available.  "USC offers a diverse set of courses in Transportation Engineering and Planning based on current practical needs," he shared. "My classes made me well equipped and really helped me to shine at my various job interviews."

He explained that he found the job search process to be winding and exhausting, but fruitful if we keep basic things in mind. He made perseverance his mantra and quickly learnt the importance of online presence and networking.  He credits one opportunity in particular, participation in WTS, as instrumental in his success, and thanks METRANS and other sponsors for making this opportunity available to him.  "Immediately after joining USC for my Master of Science degree, I started attending the WTS meetings,” he noted, and added that he did not stop with WTS. “Attending seminars, conferences and other such meetings throughout the transportation field exposed me to the networking culture of the industry. I also gained knowledge regarding the market waves. And I used this knowledge and network to land my first internship at Sarakki Associates Inc.” More also learned the important role of online professional networking and used LinkedIn in particular to his advantage. He suggested: "Keep your profile updated and continually look at opportunities available online."

His determination and perseverance landed him the position of Transportation Engineer at North Carolina Department of Transportation, a role which he’s excited about and uses as an example of the wide variety of opportunities which may come your way that you had never imagined. When asked about a final suggestion to other students, More said, "Keep trying and get a good knowledge of the opportunities out there before you choose your courses. The projects you do in the classes play a vital role in your success in job interviews later down the line. Reach out to the network, be active on LinkedIn as well as other professional networking websites. Finally - always be in touch with your professors and staff."

All of us at METRANS congratulate More on his success and wishes him the best for all future endeavors!

About the Author

Prithvi Deore is a second year Master of Planning student at USC’s Price School of Public Policy. She is interested in active transportation and public transit. She loves to do extensive GIS mapping and spatial analysis. She can be reached at [email protected].