Expert: Bryan P. Lindsey, P.E. - 9/24/2008

Question
For a project in my high school engineering class, I was instructed to interview an engineer to learn what a career in Engineering would entail.  I would greatly appreciate it if you would answer my questions.

1.  Who are most civil engineers hired by?  Do they work as city planners or do they work for private engineering firms?

2.  Are there any areas of specialization for civil engineering, or would one simply get multiple degrees?

3.  On an average day, what do you spend most of your time doing?

4.  Once a project is planned, do you keep visiting the job site to overlook building, or is that the job of the contractor?

5.  Do civil engineers need some kind of insurance (like malpractice insurance for doctors) in case of a bad design?

Thanks in advance,
    Walt

Answer
1. Most are either hired by Private Engineering some are hired by government entities. City Planners usually graduate with a specialized planning degree which is different than a Bachelors of Civil Engineering - BCE
2.There are several specializations depending on the institution. Structural, General Civil, Transportation, Materials, Environmental.
3.I have advanced in my career to where I manage people doing the engineering, I also Quality Control the work. In early the years I spent I alot time drafting and learning.
4.Some firms specialize in Construction Administration but we do not.
5.Our firm carries errors and omissions insurance which covers my individual Professional Engineering License.