Expert: Jeanette A - 1/18/2009

Question
Hi Jeanette,

My name is Mark P. and I am currently going to high school in Ohio. I am doing a research paper on Civil Engineering and I was wondering if you could answer a few questions of mine.

-What are some recent trends you've noticed in civil engineering?
-What are some possible pros and cons of being a civil engineer?
-Would you recommend working for the government or a private firm and why?
-Which section has more jobs available?
-Do you need an engineering license to be a civil engineer and how does one earn their license?
-Is it hard to find a job now with the economy where it is?
-Does one aspect of the career have more jobs available (i.e. structures/dams/roads)?

If you could answer any of these questions that would be a huge help to me.

Sincerely,

Mark P.

Answer
Hey Mark,

Apologies for the late response. I will do my best at answering these questions.

-What are some recent trends you've noticed in civil engineering?
Some trends include;
1. Green building design and construction; greening the indoor environment
2. Sustainable distributed power for the built environment
3. Sustainable urban drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater infrastructure
4. Design of more sustainable transportation grids
5. Using principles of sustainability to foster innovation and economic development


-What are some possible pros and cons of being a civil engineer?
PROS:
1. Several very different lines of work (structural, traffic, road, bridge, commericial, industrial, steel mills, power plants, shopping malls) all need civil engineering
2. Very Challenging
3. Extremely Interesting
4. Always something new!

CONS:
1. Intense course study
2. MUST maintain Professional Engineering license to be successful (this is a pro too, cause it protects your job)
3. Undervalued, not as recognised as a Lawyer or Doctor and overworked and underpaid!

-Would you recommend working for the government or a private firm and why?
This is entirely subjective as it depends on what you would like to gain more from. If you want more opportunity to grow in a firm then I suggest going private (pay is better but hours are usually longer and there are tougher deadlines to meet), if what you want is a work and life balance then I suggest you work with the government, there are more benefits however with every pro there is a con and that is there is less room for growth as it depends on rank and also they pay less...then again that's coming from government and private jobs in Australia. Might be different where you reside.

-Which section has more jobs available?
Each section is interlinked. I feel they are all roughly the same amount. For example a highway will have a paved road (design engineers) which might have pedestrian bridges/bridges (structural engineers) which will need drainage (drainage engineers) and also need to protect the environment/animals (environmental engineers). It is just one massive matrix.

-Do you need an engineering license to be a civil engineer and how does one earn their license?
After completing a certified degree the engineer must satisfy a range of requirements (including work experience and exam requirements) before being certified. Once certified, the engineer is designated the title of Professional Engineer (in the United States, Canada and South Africa), Chartered Engineer (in most Commonwealth countries), Chartered Professional Engineer (in Australia and New Zealand), or European Engineer (in much of the European Union).

-Is it hard to find a job now with the economy where it is?
No. Technology is constantly expanding and there is a shortage of engineers as the older generation are retiring and there aren't enough people doing engineering. So wherever you are I presume there is a large array of civil engineering jobs available.

-Does one aspect of the career have more jobs available (i.e. structures/dams/roads)?
As I mentioned earlier, I felt they are all relatively the same, because there is always maintenance to be carried out on jobs which have been constructed. So its like a circle, never ending until the structure collapses or is removed.

Hope that helps. Goodluck with it all.


Warm Regards,
Jeanette