The Ins-And-Outs of Civil Engineering

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.

What Is Life Like Working As A Civil Engineer?

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.

2 Types of Civil Engineering Roles Within The Diverse Specialisms

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.

Essential Attributes of Successful Engineers 

• 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

Civil Engineers Can Specialise As: 

• 

  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 

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