Raising Your Hand for Your Next Opportunity: Nathan Turner’s Story

Each month in 2023, we’re focusing on one of the 10 essentials we all need for success in these fast-changing times. This month, we’re highlighting Curiosity, which is about asking open questions, seeking a range of perspectives and expanding on others’ ideas, pursuing new ways to reframe and solve problems, and never settling for the status quo. 

October is Learning and Development Month. Take some time this month to dig into a skill or application you’re curious about through training, webinars or other ways to upskill.

Dallas-based Nathan Turner, our senior director of integrations solutions, sat down with us to share how curiosity led him to embrace multiple careers – all at Jacobs.

What is your title today?

Senior director, integrated solutions

What year did you start at Jacobs? What was your title then?

I joined Jacobs in 2012 working as a civil engineer in training in our land development group where we designed master planned residential communities across Dallas, Texas. 

Who or what encouraged you to pivot/evolve your career in this way?

My career took a number of exciting turns as I had the opportunity to grow and learn across various roles, but I think what underpinned each transition was a constant exploration to continue learning and raising my hand to take on new challenges. 

What specific steps did you take to get where you are now?

I don’t think I could have ever predicted where my journey was going to take me, but I did have frequent conversations with my mentors along the way. Through these conversations, I learned it was important to not only communicate what areas I found interesting, but also talk about reasons why I thought certain roles wouldn’t be a good fit at that time. It was also through these conversations that I better understood what motivated me, what impact I was trying to make and if there were areas I needed to push outside my comfort zone. Because I was curious about potential opportunities across the business and maintained this open dialogue with members of my network, I was able to envision different paths for myself and build on the learnings and expertise of others.

What’s the highlight of your journey?

I’ve had the opportunity to work on a number of amazing projects, but one that stands out is our brand project. Through my involvement, I was able to better understand our company and execute a project that helped transform Jacobs. It was a rewarding experience to be able to take a project from concept and strategy through to execution and seeing real time the impact it made. 

What tips do you have for others?

• Be constantly curious.
• Ask questions and be open to taking on any task.
• Learn from other's experience.
• Do not be afraid to stretch yourself and take on new engagements.