What does a civil engineering career look like and what attributes does a person need to possess to become successful in this field?
Civil engineering is a multi-faceted discipline, requiring keen minds to build, maintain and adapt infrastructure, these are the people who quite literally shape our world.
These men and women are tasked with coming up with solutions to complicated problems. They must keep infrastructure working effectively, as well as adapt it to manage with population growth, natural disasters and climate change.
As civil engineering covers a gamut of specialisms, the work is incredibly varied and depends largely upon the engineering path you embark upon.
Fiona Dixon, a graduate site engineer with Costain, a UK engineering solutions provider, is working on the Crossrail project being built in east London (completion is expected in 2030). She enjoys the variety of the work available within the discipline of civil engineering.
"There's no such thing as a typical day. My role basically involves translating designs on to the construction site, so my time is split between the office and the site, where I supervise and check the construction activities. Every project is different: I currently work a 50 hour, 5 day week. In a year's time I could be working nights in another part of the country. But there are options to suit everyone, if I wanted a more traditional job, I could move into engineering design,” she explained.
1. Consultants: This type put their energies into design work and client liaison and so usually much of their time is spent in the office or out meeting clients.
2. Contractors: This type usually spend their time on the work-site overseeing the actual construction of the project.
Innovative and logical mind-set
Creativity
Versatility
Adept at problem solving
Capability to understand the big-picture
Ability to collaborate effectively with numerous other professional
Chief civil engineers
Construction engineers
Municipal engineers
Structural engineers
Transport engineers
Water supply distribution engineers
Civil & Public Health Engineers Can Work In…
The private sector, or a variety of government departments as: consulting engineers, construction contractors, or project managers