Engineering is a wide field which deals with a number of branches. These branches of disciplines include software engineering, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering, among others.
Given the vastness of these branches, they have a number of subgroups within each of them. So as a civil engineering graduate you may be aware of the various intricacies in your own topic and what sets them apart from the other disciplines of engineering.
Today, we are going to discuss the various aspects of civil engineering in details and figure out the best jobs in the field for its graduates.
What does a Civil Engineer specifically do?
A Civil Engineer is mainly concerned with the designing, construction and maintenance of infrastructures like bridges, canals, buildings and roads.
Their day to day activities revolve around the examination of various blueprints and figuring out their feasibility in the context of the real world. They also engage in the general monitoring and upkeep of existing structures.
One of the other important aspects of being a civil engineer is that they are engaged in the protection of the natural environment.
Environmental Engineering is one of the fields within Civil Engineering. And it is gaining prominence given the present day importance of preserving the natural environment of the Earth.
Top 5 well paid jobs for a Civil Engineering Graduate
Civil Engineering is one of the oldest forms of engineering and continues to gain prominence over the year. And one of the reasons behind its popularity is that it has the most well paid and popular jobs to boast about.
Being a Civil Engineering student you may be anxious about the job you may end up in after graduating. Well, you can relax and concentrate on your books because we have got the job thing covered for you!
Given below is the list of the top five professions for a Civil Engineering graduate:
- Engineering Project Managers
As an Engineering Project Manager you are expected to handle the various day to day requirements of the projects. These requirements include planning, organizing and monitoring the project.
You may also monitor the various transactions, needs and roles of your subordinates and monitor their activities. Ensuring that the project is going along the envisioned path is also another duty of yours.
As an Engineering Project Manager you should have excellent communication skills and expertise when it comes to handling your subordinates. You should also excel in managing your time in an efficient manner.
- Senior Civil Engineer
As a senior Civil Engineer you will be saddled with the responsibility with the blueprint of the infrastructural projects. The blueprint is concerned with the designing, monitoring and planning of the project.
These projects include the construction or maintenance of new buildings, bridges, roads and other similar infrastructure. You are also required to work as a City Engineer and monitor the various roads and traffic status to help you devise better traffic rules and roads to be used.
Your job description would also include a number of other duties like the determination of the criteria to identify the right contracts and resources for future projects and actions to be undertaken.
You will also play a vital role in ensuring that your project has the necessary permits and requisite permissions before commencing with it. You are also required to monitor the compliances with the necessary acts and regulations that you are governed by.
- Engineering Managers
An Engineering Manager is concerned with the planning and designing of a project. Their plans need to be detailed and should integrate the technical aspects of the projects with the other aspects.
The main job of an Engineering Manager is that they are required to handle the installation, testing, operation, maintenance and repair of the equipment. This equipment may be either found in construction sites, factories or similar areas of their work.
Apart from the onsite duties as an Engineering Manager there are a number of administrative duties too. They include reviewing developing, planning and reviewing the policies, standards and performance measures of the department. Reviewing reports, performance and approving expenditure also form a vital part of their daily tasks.
- Structural Engineer
Designing a bridge or building involves considerable study to understand how it will withstand the immense pressure of so many people and things. This is where a knowledgeable Structural Engineer is required.
The main quality of a Structural Engineer is that they are required to oversee the design and construction of the infrastructural project. This is done to ensure that the various pillars, foundations and beams can withstand the stress of staying upright for its entire existence.
Being a Structural Engineer is generally a job of great importance as it deals with structures that in turn deal with a large number of humans. Therefore, even one mistake can result in huge losses and casualties.
- Water Resources Engineer
The job profile of a Water Resources Engineer varies depending on their location. If you are a Water Resources Engineer in a city then most of your tasks would include designing new sewage and drainage systems or improving existing ones, monitoring the groundwater levels in the region and planning on how to access them in a safe manner.
Water Resources Engineer located in areas near waterbodies finds themselves designing flood proof structures, undertaking flood mitigating plans and ensuring that there is no undue erosion taking place. They also play a vital role in the construction and maintenance of dams, canals and ports.
Thus, you can see that the field of civil engineering is a lucrative one which promises a number of perks and a large paycheck too!
5 top professions for civil engineering graduates
Among the various branches of Engineering, Civil Engineering is one of most reputed degrees that have been popular among the literate masses since ages. With modernization on its way to color the entire world’s perspective and lifestyle, the degree has been known among youngsters for a while now.
Previously students pursued the degree in hopes for a secure, reliable and strong future. Now the degree is much more than mere individual futuristic goals. The purpose expands for the greater good of the world’s structure, living style and comfort and one’s societal betterment in terms of infrastructure on a global platform.
After all who wouldn’t like to change his city? Who wouldn’t like to step ahead in terms of the updated trend and design the infrastructure accordingly?
Civil engineering is what a city’s layout speaks about. The profession keeps under control the blueprint of any township or city’s civil structure. It is not only about how strong the bridge is projected to build but how sophisticated will it look and beneficial will it be for the common public for the years to come ahead.
Statistically, the degree of civil engineering was projected to grow by a rough estimate of 20% from the year 2012 to 2022. Now that we are already in the last phase of the estimation, we can easily draw the graph and see for ourselves the gradual increase of demand and supply of civil engineers in the past decade.
Before pursuing for the degree, a student must know what his future would be in case he chooses the same. After all how can one dream of becoming something without even knowing the elements of the dream?
What all is a Civil Engineer expected to do?
His duty revolves around the major task of planning, designing, and building, operating, constructing and supervising the above mentioned tasks. These conceiving, maintaining overseeing the construction work relates to all kinds of civil structure. That may be a road, bridge, dam, harbor, railroad, airport, channels, sewage route, pipeline network, power plants, irrigation projects and water system.
With the long list of scope of work, the career path for a civil engineering student has a bigger scope and gives a lot of opportunity for him to apply his skill and knowledge and turn them real for the civil betterment.
The civil engineering project networks, therefore, fall under both public and private sector industry as governed by government, semi-government and private institutions.
What’s ahead?
If you are a civil engineering student and you are stuck with what all future options you have, let me tell you something. You are now grown up enough to know who you are and at what point of journey career are you presently standing at. Coming back to the question, “what do I want to pursue ahead?”
Well it is simple-you can study more for some advanced course or else put yourself in use and get into a job or service. When it comes to studies, one can pursue for post-graduation course in the same field. With deeper knowledge and advanced degree, one can serve the nation even better.
Let us talk about option number one. Study more.
One can pursue for Masters in different branches of civil engineering and get himself a specific and exclusive knowledge scope thus, detailing his career even accurately.
- Transport engineering
- Environment engineering
- Structural engineering
- Water resource engineering
- Geo-technical engineering, etc.
Other than that, an academically strong and ambitious student must always keep himself updated with the latest developments and ongoing trend with respect to his pursuing subject.
Furthermore, it is never too harmful to obtain a certification of courses that your work field may necessarily demand. The certification will come handy and make your resume look even more attractive.
Internships are yet other necessary to-dos for those who are ambitious. Not only a practical viewpoint of your study course, a good internship will help you grasp your theory and help you see the real world. After all, being pragmatic is never wrong.
Switching on to option number two, a civil engineer graduate may opt one of the many career options and choose to serve his nation.
- Urban planning engineer-
You have to think about planning on building a road, or fencing an area, or building a park in the middle of the city, etc.
- Public health engineer-
You will be responsible for water and sewage system making sure that the supply of water throughout the city takes place without any flaw and difficulty.
- Transportation engineer-
As the name suggests, if you are a transportation engineer, you are responsible for all those connecting tramways, highways and subways.
- Construction manager-
As the name denotes, you have to manage others’ work. The hired labor look up to you on how well you manage responsibilities, delegate them while noting down time management and relative factors such as weather, costs, and team management.
- Environmental engineer-
Keeping your ethics straight, you will also be responsible and duty-bound to keep your environment, both indoor and outdoor safe and healthy.
- Geo-technical engineer-
Basically a technician, you will be responsible with how well and aptly you work on flood damages, waste disposals, bridge and dam construction, etc.
Well, now that you have a gist of where and how the profession leads, you can prepare a chart and plan your short term as well as long term route accordingly. Good luck!
Author Bio:
Nancie L Beckett graduated from the University of Iowa in 1998, and has been residing in Phoenix, Arizona for the past 10 years with her family. Having a degree in Master of Business Administration from Iowa’s deemed university; she also has 6 years of experience from various renowned banks and engineering firms.