Expert: Jeanette A - 1/20/2009

Question
Hi my name is Binyam and I'm a 7th grader at Mayfield Woods Middle school.  I decided to research civil engineering as my career and i need to know a few thing about your profession. I do realize you have already done an interveiw with someone else and so has Mr.Lindsey but I hope you won't mind doing another
What is your daily routine?
What are some advantages and things you like about your job?
What are some disadvantages
What is the hardest thing you have done?
What education have you gone through to become a civil engineer?
How long is your work day?
What is your work environment like?
What is your salary?
What made you want to become an engineer?
What tools do you you use?
Thank you for answering my questions Ms.Jeanett

Answer
Hello Binyam,

I will do my best at answering, hope you don't mind if I have copied and pasted from some of my previous responses.

1. What is your daily routine?

This is quite a broad question as it depends on which discipline you will want to venture in. It varies it could be sitting at your desk writing memos, to get different memos out. It could be doing design of a certain system. It could be on site. Throughout the day you might get 'emergencies' or rather tasks which need to be tended to asap which will require you to push your current work to a later time. So generally there is no typical day! That is the beauty about civil engineering, everyday is a new day with new challenging problems and their solutions.

2. What are some advantages and things you like about your job?

Constantly being challenged to think outside the box. Every project has its own challenge and being able to think in a logical and efficient manner to solve the task whilst being restricted to the Engineering Trilogy of Cost, Time and Quality.
Very Challenging
Extremely Interesting

3. What are some disadvantages?

Working with people who are very reclusive and those who do not co-operate and function as a team. Makes everyones job more difficult and not as enjoyable.

4. What is the hardest thing you have done?

Given a difficult task on my second day of work, I had no idea how what to do and was not told what I should refer to, so it was like walking through a dark room trying to look for something. Eventually, I managed to do the task without asking, but this also was good for me as it allowed me to depend on my self and a test of my initiative and patience and willing to learn. (This does not mean you shouldn't ask!)

5. What education have you gone through to become a civil engineer?

I am still currently going through my education. I am currently doing my Bachelor of Civil Engineering and Diploma in Engineering Practice at University of Technology Sydney, NSW.

6. How long is your work day?

Typical working hours during a day are roughly 7:30-8am til 5-6pm (this differs if working on site) and this also depends on what jobs you have which might be quite demanding or whether you have a deadline to meet.

7. What is your work environment like?

Work environments as differ depending whether you opt to be in an office or to work on-site. I myself worked in a large design consultancy, a building which consisted of 11 levels with approximately 100 employees on each floor.

8. What is your salary?

I dont! Still a student. Although, civil engineers in Australia are devalued compared to the rest of the world. It is still looked upon as the most hated job and is not recognised as much. Here is some info I found:
According to Engineers Australia's 2007 Salary and Benefits survey, the average base salary for a graduate civil engineer in 2007, across the private and public secotrs, was $49,842. Civil engineers with between 4-10 years experience earned an average of $78,905.
So basically not enough considering the amount of study and responsibility you have to endure :)

9. What made you want to become an engineer?

Initially I wanted to do architecture when I was about 16, and during that year (2000) I did work experience with Lucent Bell Technologies which is a telecommuniation engineering company. This is how I discovered engineering and decided to advance my dream of architecture into something more challenging and satisfying.

10. What tools do you you use?

Sorry I don't quite understand the last question.


Hope this has helped. Goodluck with your project.



Warm Regards,
Jeanette