At its most basic level, civil engineering is a profession that deals mostly with infrastructure and construction projects. Though there are different specialties within the profession, civil engineers most typically work on large scale projects such as:
The civil engineers on these projects can do anything from studying survey reports and working on initial plans to supervising construction and even inspecting finished buildings for regulatory purposes.
At their core, civil engineers are problem solvers who must work closely with teams of people including architects, designers, and contractors, to bring projects to life and do so safely.
Some of the most common specializations for civil engineers, and a brief outline of what those specialties do, follow.
Keep in mind these are not the only specialties available within the discipline of civil engineering, but it should give you a good overview of just how diverse the different profession is.
While many different companies and organizations employ civil engineers, federal and state government jobs are quite common. Civil engineers may work within the department of transportation, for public utilities, or for regulatory agencies as inspectors. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 28% of civil engineers are employed by government agencies.
In terms of private sector employment, civil engineers will frequently work for or with construction firms, with those jobs making up approximately 50% of all civil engineer positions.
Typical job titles for a civil engineer might include:
The day to day tasks for any civil engineer will depend largely on the specialty a civil engineer chooses to pursue, but there are some common tasks that most civil engineers will have to contend with on a daily basis.
Management is often a large component of what civil engineers do on a daily basis. Civil engineers are often responsible for large teams that are involved in the design, planning, and construction process and so must meet and manage these team members on a regular basis in their supervisory role.
In addition to management, civil engineers themselves will spend significant amount of time designing and planning projects to present to clients, as well as engaging in these presentations. From design to budgeting and needs assessment, civil engineers may be involved in all these activities or may supervise others who create the initial plans or proposals. Presentations might involve the presentation of plans in an office setting or consultation with clients on site to ensure that a project’s plans meet client expectations and needs.
Although engineers are certainly expected to do a lot of detail oriented designing and calculations in an office environment, civil engineers usually have a fairly varied environment overall. Supervisors will make frequent trips to construction sites and other outdoor areas for surveying and analysis. Civil engineers also work closely with many other professionals in meetings, design stages, and project execution, making the profession quite interesting and engaging.
Before co-founding Sechel Ventures Partners LLC, Barry Franklin was a VP at a Silicon Valley software company. Barry believes that education and lifelong learning are paramount. Barry met his wife at Carnegie Mellon University and they have two beautiful daughters.
Environmental engineers apply their math, science, and engineering savvy to prevent and solve environmental problems. One might think such a field is too specialized to offer much professional variation, but there is a wealth of career paths in this high-growth area of the discipline.
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While it may be the oldest field of engineering, civil engineering is a field embracing modern approaches and applying them to major problems like urban traffic congestion, water harvesting and purification, and infrastructure deterioration. These professors are helping to lead the way.
Meet 20 professors who teach their students to protect us from environmental threats, and ultimately reduce or eliminate them.
