Civil Engineer

Civil engineering is one of the more established engineering professions today. It deals with different structures from design, construction, and maintenance. A civil engineer is also involved with the maintenance of naturally built environment and infrastructure projects such as dams, roads, canals, dams, and buildings. The discipline is perhaps the most natural of all engineering domains. Since ancient times, man has pondered the questions that will allow a nation to build reliable, functional, and historic structures. From the Pyramids of Gaza to the great Greek temples, civil engineers played a large role in the development and the identity of civilizations. Thus, it is the oldest engineering discipline next to military engineering.

Until the turn of the 19th century, there was no distinctive line that separated the craft of civil engineers as compared to architects. However, when the demand for bigger infrastructures such as harbors, highways, canals, and lighthouses increased, the philosophy of construction separated design from the structure.

The science and philosophy underlying civil engineering describe the ability and responsibility of man to alter nature for his convenience. The construction of key infrastructures allowed for larger economies and freer trade at the expense of transforming the natural environment. For this reason, there are various engineering schools that seek to appease the power of civil engineers relative to environmental harmony.

The median salary for a fresh graduate in the United States is pegged at $47,000 per annum. After 5-9 years, civil engineers usually receive a 50% increase, compared to the first year at $61,000 per annum. Civil engineers who are in the high end of the experience scale can earn a median annual salary of $83,430.

The highest paying employers for civil engineers come from the federal or state owned companies. With infrastructure projects always expected to roll in, the government has the most pressing need for civil engineers. Usually, civil engineers are employed to maintain critical infrastructure such as state roads, bridges, levees, and dams. Thus, a wide scale of job opportunities is available in the public sector. This is also true for local projects, as evidenced by the need of local government units for highly skilled engineers. A large share of civil engineers work in the private sector such as companies or private practice. Among large cities, there is not much deviation in the salary of civil engineers. Denver, New York, and Seattle pay higher wages to civil engineers followed by Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta.

Civil engineering is one of the broader disciplines of engineering. It also has the largest number of specializations. You have the stock of general civil engineers that manages construction projects. These kinds of engineers tend to work more with specialists. The highest paid civil engineers are those who have the skill to start and conclude a large engineering project, while relying on specialist engineers to do a certain aspect of the project. If you are an aspiring engineer, having a holistic approach to construction on both the technical and the business side will earn you more opportunities. Engineers who are well versed in project management are highly touted and can demand a higher salary.

Civil engineers who are able to use various computer tools for the success of a project are also sought after because of the integration of IT and construction engineering. Intermediate skills in office programs, as well as advanced skills in engineering software such as AutoCad and AutoDesk, should be the staple skills for all competitive civil engineers. Engineers are also advised to take architecture and design courses for a multi-faceted approach to construction.

The most popular sub-field of civil engineering is construction engineering. Construction engineers primarily execute the designs laid out by other engineers such as transportation, environmental, structural, and geotechnical engineers. An effective construction engineer should understand the business risks involved in the execution of a project. Thus, they spend a lot of time drafting and reviewing contracts, estimating project logistics and operations, and monitoring the prices of construction supplies.

On the greed side of the scale, environmental engineers deal with the proper disposal of chemical and biological waste, purification of air and water, and evaluation of contaminated sites. They are specialized on the dynamics of pollutants to the urban space, sewage treatment, and management of hazardous waste. Policy makers employ some environmental engineers as consultants for green engineering and implementation of green laws. With rising environmental awareness, environmental engineering is one gap that budding civil engineers can explore when they plan their careers. Sanitary engineers may be included under environmental engineering, although they do not specialize much on hazardous waste management and conservation. Environmental engineers can also be employed in the public health sector.

The development of the sub-fields of civil engineering is based on the collusion between disciplines in the sciences. For example, environmental engineers are adept with geography, biology, and environmental law. Meanwhile, geotechnical engineering is concerned with rock formations and soils. Strenuous training on geology, materials science, and hydraulics is a prerequisite for geotechnical engineers. While we can say that environmental engineering and geotechnical engineering are related, the latter specializes in soil mechanics and how the natural foundation can support potential construction projects.

Hydraulic engineering is concerned with technicalities of the flow of fluids. They deal with pipelines, water distribution, and drainage facilities. They are also tasked as primary consultants during the construction of dams, channels, and canals. Knowledge in fluid dynamics, statistics, and hydraulics is essential for hydraulic engineers. Since hydraulics is an intermediate discipline, one must fully understand the interplay of environmental science, meteorology, geology, and resource management.

Structural engineering is concerned with the structural analysis of buildings. This involves evaluating the results of different loads and the ability of a structure to resist the stress brought by these loads. Structural engineers are crucial to the safety and risk of major infrastructures. For example, bridges are exposed to various weights and forces such as wind, crowds, and vehicle loads. It is their job to ensure that the designed bridge will outlast these forces and protect the bridge from fracturing. A keen understanding on weight distribution is important for structural engineers.

There is a large demand for civil engineers worldwide, more so since the turn of the century. This continuing trend encouraged more students to consider civil engineering as a serious career option. With the increasing emphasis of the economy on the environment and construction booms from Dubai to Shanghai, the trend is showing no signs of slowing down.

However, the resizing of engineering and construction firms in search of new civil engineers has become more sophisticated. Higher demand for civil engineers does not mean that employers will accept any engineering Joe they can find. Employers are being a lot more careful when they hire - stemming from their experiences of layoffs and downsizing. They do not mind taking extra interview sessions with potential applicants while exploring the applicant's references.

Another factor that influences demand for civil engineers is the increasing competitiveness, not only between U.S. and European graduates, but also for other graduates from Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, India, and the Philippines. The effect of globalization is evident in the construction industry just as much as every other industry. With multi-national construction firms able to outsource engineering talent, it is common for engineers from different headquarters to develop construction projects. In addition, the construction boom evident in Asian cities, as well as the ability of these countries to produce brilliant engineers, allow the streamlining of employment opportunities on a level playing field.

In the United States, the top engineering schools are Texas A&M University, University of Florida, Pennsylvania State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, University of Illinois, Georgia Institute of Technology, and North Carolina State University, to name a few. The mentioned schools represent the highest paid engineering graduates in the country. For graduates who decide to continue their engineering education, University of California Berkeley, University of Illinois, and Stanford University are the top choices.

Of course, the name of your school is not your final pass for a good job in your industry. Employers and engineers believe that graduate education is a given if you want to be competitive. Graduate education will enhance your multi-disciplinary skills at a time when the increased demand for engineers leans toward wide skill sets. While traditional engineering will still prosper in government units and in the private sector, even experienced engineers often consider going back to school. The most common graduate courses preferred by civil engineers are Master of Science in Civil Engineering and Master in Business Administration. A considerable number of engineering graduates go on to study law. This shows that there are a lot of opportunities for civil engineering graduates to extend their education across other disciplines.

In order to land a lucrative job, you must remember that your college education is not enough. Most new graduates quickly learn that they have to explore other disciplines or attend graduate courses to become competitively skilled engineers. Employers are especially interested in young engineers who have multiple academic backgrounds.

The holistic approach in engineering is not new. However, with the advent of technology, more employers prefer engineers with strong backgrounds in information technology. Engineers with holistic backgrounds are more prepared to adjust to the rigors of the profession and cope with the chronic cycle of the industry. It is not enough that you specialize in one sub-field of civil engineering. While being a specialist can be beneficial, a multi-faceted education will allow you to take on and facilitate large infrastructure projects that require multiple fields. More importantly, civil engineers with business degrees are in high demand because of their ability to understand the technical side of a project and the business side of the firm. Management engineers can initiate cost accounting, marketing, and re-engineering to provide more impact and value to a company.

Civil engineers are also encouraged to improve their foreign language skills. Engineers who are multi-lingual have more opportunities in the global market. Learning a language will give you the ability to converse across multiple cultures and become a more attractive prospect to multi-national companies.

The rise of job opportunities for civil engineers can be attributed to several reasons. First, there is always the need to maintain, replace, or upgrade an infrastructure. While economic factors dictate the cost for such endeavors, the need to replace aging infrastructure is always a constant. The transfer of technological benefits to the industry has introduced methods that will allow engineers to do things more efficiently and effectively.

A landmark policy that affected the demand for civil engineers is the deregulation of the power industry. With more start-ups geared toward power provision and infrastructure, demand for all kinds of civil engineers has increased. The growth of the industry is hinged on the initiative of the private sectors. Companies are also becoming more green conscious, paving the way for environmental engineers to get hired as consultants or policy engineers. The need for sanitary engineers to audit a company's energy usage and waste output will be an increasing trend for years to come.

The major driving force for the increase in job opportunities for engineers is the construction boom in several foreign cities. The double-digit growth in China reflects the restructuring of Shanghai, while oil money in the United Arab Emirates fueled the growth of Dubai. Civil engineers with effective skills will find no difficulty translating their expertise in the international market.