advice on change in career direction 1

[dagis]

I am hoping someone could offer some advice about the civil engineering field. I graduated with an undergrad degree in business management from North Carolina State in Dec 2001 and will be finishing a graduate degree in Resource and Environmental Management from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada this summer. In my graduate degree I focused my courses in urban/regional planning and developing mitigation plans for natural disaster management.

I did a lot of research looking at how buildings were constructed and what measures were taken to mitigate fire, flood, earthquake damage etc. However, I also really enjoy working in the field of planning and developing to mitigate natural or human caused disaster damages. I've also spent some time working with my dad's fireproofing company, costing projects, inspecting and actually spraying the fireproofing. I do enjoy both the research and design aspects of projects and the field work aspects of projects - but I prefer to work in the field doing inspections and costing projects.

Just some more facts that probably don't matter much but might affect how you advise me. I have worked in the construction industry before as mentioned above, though not for an extensive period of time. The rest of my experience has been in either product market research for Nortel and ABB or natural resource research and field work in water quality, GIS and legal issues. Oh I'm also 25 and female, and I like to climb and work outside a lot so industrial rope access would be of interest to me as well (Geez reading over that last sentence sounded like a personal ad! - Just wanting to let people know as much as possible to get good advice back).

So I have a couple of questions:

1) Would it make sense for me to go back to school to get either a bachelor's degree in civil engineering or an associate's civil engineering technology degree?

2) Which of these two degrees would make more sense with the background I already have and with what areas I would like to work in?

Sorry this was so long, but thanks in advance.

 

[pmkPE]

1) do what you enjoy doing.

2) Try to find someone in a profession that has a position that you think you would enjoy doing/having and find out exactly what they do, ask them what credentials they needed to get where they are and what recommendations they have for you to do something similar.

3) an associates degree would only prepare you for working under a civil engineer or municipal beaurocrat and would not lead to a professional position or one of leadership.

4) I would only recommend obtaining a degree in civil engineering if that is what you truly want to do. See 1) above.

5) There are too many engineers, especially civil, in my opinion. Our ranks are swelling and following the economic laws of supply and demand with the competition increasing relative salaries are stagnating and declining. Again, see 1) above. Try to find a career where it is new and that you can be part of its growth.

6) I could go on and on; if you have any more questions just add them to this list and I'll try to respond promtly.

(7) 25 is a good age to be; learn as much as you can and apply it. Knowledge is power ONLY if you use it to achieve your plans/goals. Education in and of its self will not provide for you and your loved ones if you don't put it to use.

8) Enjoy what you do and you will do well; if you're in the right place at the right time and other factors are prime you will make a good living doing what you enjoy!

 

[TexMex]

First, I think youv'e got enough schooling to work in the Construction Industry anywhere you want.
The Majority of Field Engineers I worked with during the past ten years did not have Engineerng degrees. One Engineering Boss I had possessed a degree in FORESTRY. So my advice to you is the same I got 15 years ago, Get some work experience and find your path.
If you know EXACTLY what you want to do then have at it. Be it more schooling to get you there or more work experience to find what you want to do.
There is no school for Field Engineering in Construction, you learn by doing and you learn how to become resourceful and make things happen.
I loved it because of the teamwork involved and all the traveling I did. Now I have a famliy and I don't want the travel anymore and now I work out of an office. But it's my work experience that got me this job, not my degree ( it helped alot though )
A Civil Engineering degree will help you get an ENGINEERING JOB but you already have a degree and seem very level headed. The Construction Industry tends to hire those willing to travel and those willing to WORK. All you have to do is get your foot in the door.
I had some projects from h#ll with bad clients, bad subs, and bad coworkers. They didn't fire me cuz nobody else wanted the job. I rode it out and gladly left when the contract was completed. AMF's !!!
Hope this helps, I was at your crossroads when I came back from a two year stint in the Peace Corps in Africa. I talked my first employer into hiring me after they told me my grades weren't good enough.
You cut your own deal in life and you don't seem like the person who will accept defeat in anything you do.
And I think you will do well in life once you decide what it is you want to do.

 

[damstructural]

Dagis,

If you choose to go back for more ed, consider an MS in Civil instead of a BS. I've seen others make the jump with a BS other than Civil (Environmental, Business). You might have to take extra undergrad classes, but you'd have a better degree in the end. I agree with others that an Associate Degree would not be very helpful in this field and that you will always do best when you do what you enjoy the most (which is usually what you are best at).

Seems like water resources would be a nice fit for your interests.

 

[mmiller36]

1 - Read the professional engineer's act.

http://www.dca.ca.gov/pels/laws.htm

2 - Nobody cares about your degree in this profession. You are only valuable if you are skilled at what you do.

3 - I you are not valuable your only chance is professional licensure which does NOT require a degree. (see #1).

 

[2120airportdr]

Hi I am new to this, I find it very interesting to see that I'm not the only one Like Dagis..I am currently employed with a geotechnical consulting firm in SK, having obtained a diploma in FORESTRY from Selkirk college's Renewable resource management program in 2001. I had little in the way of experience other than the ability to try new things...just because you have never done something doesn't mean you don't know how to do it, Just try and you will be shocked to discover what can happen...I am very sucessful, due to the fact I was in the right place at the right time. My credentials have very little to no weight when it came to this career, you must only be willing to learn, listen and pitch in. "team player" is the cliche I'm talking about..

 

[HgTX]

As others have said, don't go to school unless you're sure you want to.

I disagree that there's a glut of civil engineers--of all the engineering fields, we're the least susceptible to offshoring, market dips, etc. Infrastructure will *always* need to be dealt with. I'm sure this varies by region, though, like anything. It is true that civil engineering salaries aren't that good.

Take a look at the kind of jobs you want. If they require engineering degrees, then get one. You sound like someone who'd like civil engineering. Take a look in a college catalog at civil engineering classes if you haven't already.

I agree with whoever said the associate's degree isn't worthwhile. If you want to do it, do it all the way. Keep in mind that for a second bachelor's degree, you don't need to go through a whole four-year program all over again. Talk to a few schools, find out who's flexible. My CivE degree is a second bachelors (starting at age 24) and I did it in 5 semesters.

Someone else said go for MS instead of BS. My initial reaction was that that isn't really doable, but maybe your environmental background will help. Of the 5 semesters I did in undergraduate civil engineering, there might have been a semester or so worth of material that I took only because it was a degree requirement--that leaves 3 or 4 semesters of coursework I would have had to take just to get ready for the MS. Keep in mind also that some states require an engineering BS for licensure, no matter how many advanced degrees you have. (Though it's possible to go to a more lenient state and then rely on reciprocity.)

You probably don't need the MS if you want the construction management end of things. You definitely don't want to go for MS unless you have a pretty specific idea of what it is you want to do for a living. On the other hand, if you know what it is you want to do, you'd probably get a kick out of a hands-on research project.

If the jobs you like really are engineering jobs, take the licensure question seriously. No, you technically don't need an engineering degree. But many states require many, many years of experience (8 or 12 or so) as a substitute. Also, many states require a BS in engineering. They don't care if you have the MS if you don't have the BS. I guess you could go get licensed in California.

With your background, you'll have gone some way toward environmental engineering (in many universities a specialty within civil). Or, as someone else pointed out, water resources. Sounds like you might enjoy something more structural too. Forensic engineering, seismic-related matters...not all structural engineering work involves sitting at a desk doing design calcs.

This wouldn't be the easiest thing to research, but you probably would be happiest in a program where the faculty tend to have real-world experience--either because they worked as engineers before going to academia, or because they're the experts that get called out to sites, or both.

Hg