Working for Queformat

What is working at Queformat really like? The testimonials below provide a glimpse…

The recruit
Françoise obtained her bachelor’s degree in geological engineering two years ago. After graduating from Université Laval, she received job offers from three different firms. She chose Queformat because she felt she would have the greatest opportunity for exploring the various aspects of her new profession. The following period bore out her instincts. “At Queformat, I can work in geology, hydrogeology, geotechnics, materials control, environment, waterproofness, and more. Rather than be restricted to any one field, I can go from one to the other. Many of my friends do not have this opportunity.” Queformat also entrusts its new employees with responsibilities that, in other firms, would often only come to them much later. Françoise points out that, at her request, she spent a full year on the Glen Yard site during the decontamination process. Over time, not only did her supervisors put her in charge of overseeing six technicians, they also had her team up with the site engineer to develop the information management system used in the decontamination. “I’m now back at my desk, where I currently manage the budgets for many projects, prepare bids, obtain permits, and so on.” Françoise feels that Queformat makes ample room for young people. “There are more and more of us in the firm: management is open to our ideas, and the technical support we receive is extraordinary. Frankly, I can’t imagine a better place for becoming familiar with the practice of engineering and getting ready for graduation.”

The expert
With a degree in general engineering from the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Paul is regularly called in to assess the soil bearing capacity of a major project site—for example, when constructing a large building with underground parking, erecting a bridge or installing a paper machine in a factory.

“I first started working for Queformat in 1992. In the beginning, I worked mostly in road construction, but with the arrival of a deep foundations specialist, my career took a turn. Yves Robert took me under his wing for six months, taking me from site to site and sharing the benefit of his knowledge with me. 1,100 mandates later, I can say that I am without a doubt one of North America’s top pile driving experts.”

Paul finds his work highly gratifying. “To begin with, very little of what I do is repetitive: I am constantly asked to find solutions as reliable as they are cost-effective. This means being able to extract the most out of the equipment and software used in the field. On another level, it’s extraordinary to be able to walk around, see a building, factory or new ride at La Ronde and say, ‘I worked on that!’”

Paul’s status keeps him constantly in demand. “I’m on the road about 70% of the time, in Quebec, the Maritimes or the northeastern United States. And I regularly receive job offers from the competition.”

Nonetheless, Paul intends to stay with Queformat. “First of all, this company gives me the opportunity to develop professionally, both here and in the United States. Secondly, I have access to geotechnical expertise that’s unmatched anywhere else in Quebec. Lastly, I feel valued for my true worth. I enjoy excellent working conditions and I have carte blanche—or thereabouts—in whatever projects I take on. Being an expert has certain advantages,” he said.

The associate
With a bachelor’s degree in geological engineering and a master’s in civil engineering (specialization in geotechnics), Jean T. began his career in the early 1990s. By 1997, he had risen through the ranks of Queformat.
“It was somewhat smaller when I first joined, but Queformat was already a serious contender,” says Jean T. “I felt that it would do me good to go from a large engineering consulting firm to a company with a few dozen employees. In a smaller firm like Queformat, the atmosphere is much friendlier, the problems are easier to resolve and the challenges are so much more varied!”
An expert both in dam design and the geotechnical aspects to their construction (“engineers usually do one or the other”), Jean T. recently became Queformat’s seventh associate. “I think this is an avenue open to any professional with a strong interest in the company’s development and decision-making processes.”
“While the name Queformat is perhaps less familiar to recent graduates or young engineers than the names of larger firms, any candidate thinking in the long term couldn’t find a better place to work,” says Jean T.