Career in Civil Engineering

Civil engineers also must present their findings to the public on topics such as bid proposals, environmental impact statements, or property descriptions.

Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions ranging from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer, public works director, and city manager. As supervisors, they are tasked with ensuring that safe work practices are followed at construction sites.

Other civil engineers work in design, construction, research, and teaching. Civil engineers work with others on projects and may be assisted by civil engineering technicians.

Civil engineers prepare permit documents for work on projects in renewable energy. They verify that the projects will comply with federal, state, and local requirements. These engineers conduct structural analyses for large-scale photovoltaic, or solar energy, projects. They also evaluate the ability of solar array support structures and buildings to tolerate stresses from wind, seismic activity, and other sources. For large-scale wind projects, civil engineers often prepare roadbeds to handle large trucks that haul in the turbines.

Civil engineers work on complex projects, and they can achieve job satisfaction in seeing the project reach completion. They usually specialize in one of several areas.

Advantages:

·         Civil engineers are central figures in community development. Buildings  and roads provide the basis of city infrastructure. Engineers not only  provide them, but they use their skills to optimize performance and  efficiency of community systems. They also develop water and sewer  systems that balance safety standards with delivery of water and sewer  processing, which are key functions in city operation and residents'  health and comfort.

·         There are numerous positive aspects of a job in civil engineering.  First and foremost,  civil engineers, and engineers in general, will always be in high  demand.  Society will always be expanding and demand for the  construction of dams, bridges, buildings, etc. will be infinite. Because of this, engineers generally easily find work when they leave  college. 

·         Excellent Pay Potential: Engineering is an above average employment sector, and civil engineers certainly hold their own among peers.

·         Because of the wide range of the civil engineering field, there are a  number of specialized areas where one can focus based on personal  interest. The main areas of focus for civil engineers include structural  engineering, construction, geotechnical engineering, water resources  and transportation. Civil engineers also often hold supervisory and  administrative positions, and still others might choose to work in design, teaching or research.

·         In the civil  engineering field have the opportunity to work in the macroscopic view.   While many other engineers such as chemical engineers and biological  engineers work on nearly invisible, microscopic scales, civil engineers  work with large structures and apply laws of physics.

·         Engineers have the unique ability to combine strong technical competence  with creative designing. They need to know the ins and outs of building  construction, including electrical and plumbing systems and functional  workings. However, engineers often love the challenge of making plans  that balance functional value with aesthetic appeal.

·         You will get opportunity to work on different sites and travel new places. Much of their work time is spent outdoors at work sites where they  monitor buildings and projects and resolve project issues. The nature of  the work keeps civil engineers active and on the move. It is also  dynamic, which means each project has its own distinct design challenges  and operational issues. Engineers also get to work closely with  contractors, architects and workers.

·         It is a well respected profession. You are considered important part of community.

Disadvantages:

·         At initial part of your career, you will have to work very hard on both field and off-field.

·         Extreme Pressure: With  great importance comes significant job pressure. The buildings and  projects you head up as a civil engineer are sometimes massive in scope  and budget. Significant failures can lead to significant losses for your  company, or a raise in the company's insurance premiums. Faulty  engineering can also lead to calamities in communities from building  degradation, road and bridge problems and water system malfunctions.  Problems with your work can hurt your employer's reputation, or your  own.There are lot of cost & risk involved with the job. Hence, there is lot of pressure as liability can be high on errors. 

·         Work Environment and Hours: It  will not be a tie & suit job, working day in and out  in a well  furnished office. Most of the time you will be seen in field wearing  helmet unless and until you are a designer.Civil  engineers sometimes work a typical full-time week. However, one-fourth  of all civil engineers work more than 40 hours a week.  Additionally, it is typical that you would spend a good amount of time  on the road or remote areas. You spend some of the week in your office planning. Other  work time is spent on site communicating with construction workers,  overseeing projects and monitoring progress.

·         Increased Scrutiny Because a significant number of projects are government-funded or  government-run, civil engineers must work under increased scrutiny of reviewers and auditors overseeing government spending. This type of  review can increase job stress, as an engineer has to regularly explain his thinking and decision-making under criticism of a regulatory third  party.

·         Civil engineers are continuously facing new problems in their fields,  especially in environmental engineering.  Specifically, there are  increasing amounts of pollution with new developments in transportation  within the past century.

·         Exceptional  growth in communities also creates burdens for transportation  engineers.  For example, space becomes very limited and transportation systems become confined.  This also causes various other problems such  as noise pollution and restriction of suitable walking transportation.

·         The construction industry has a high rate of work accidents and a poor reputation for coping with  problems, with many projects failing to meet deadlines, cost and  quality targets.