choosing the right field (civil) 1

[SHOchris]

I am a recent graduate with a civil bs. I interviewed with many companies and recieved offers from most. I narrowed them down by job type, atmosphere, pay, location, #PEs, hours worked, and the such...it wasnt really until i started my job in the municipal field that i began to wonder if this is the right field for me.. I liked all my classes except transportation...and made about the same grades in all...
i like this job and the oppurtunities that it presents to me right now. Basically i do hydrogoly, hydraulics, construction management, and environmental designs...which were the 4 fields i liked the most, and i get to go out in the field once or twice a week.... my bosses are super nice and pretty cool....
but i am not sure what field i want to do in the long run, so how do i know if this is what is best for me know?



"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia."
---Charles Schulz
"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
---Benjamin Franklin

 

[HgTX]

If you like it, why worry about what else you might be doing?

I'd probably have been very happy as an ethnomusicologist, had I thought of it in time. If I dwell on that, it drives me nuts.

My job is in a CivE niche I had not intended to work in; I had practical reasons for taking the job. But it turns out this job has been a lot more interesting than Plan A would likely have been. If the flow is taking you someplace good, why not go with it?

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[SHOchris]

I was always taught to have the 10 year game plan...it kinda like just floating down the river gets you down the river with no paddle.
And i am not regretting my decision to start here at all, I know i will be with this company for a while.
I guess basically, its just that i know i have so many oppurtunities that i am worried that i may miss out on something i would have liked more cause i never tried it out...

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia."
---Charles Schulz
"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
---Benjamin Franklin

 

[HgTX]

Somewhere out there, there probably is the road not taken. Even if you find that road, there may be another even better road you didn't take. It'll make you crazy if you worry too much about the what-ifs.

Many people get much more pigeon-holed very early on. The job you have sounds like it's giving a pretty broad background, so when you do decide you've had enough of working for that municipality, you should be able to go elsewhere pretty easily. Keep your eyes open, read the journals, go to conferences if you can, and if you stumble across something that really tugs at your heart, pursue it. But don't make a good situation into something unsatisfactory by wondering about hypotheticals.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[IRstuff]

I think that 10-yr plans are broader brush that what you're contemplating. The more important questions are:

> Are you taking full advantage of a 401K plan?
> Are you taking full advantage of any savings match plan?
> Are you saving enough for a down payment on a house?

These will have a bigger impact on your long-term future than any specific choices in CE sub-disciplines.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[JaredS]

10 year game plan!, I barely even know what I'm doing tomorrow night much less next week.

 

[SHOchris]

lol, yeah, i think that i may be one of those people that overanalyzes things. Definitely doing as much 401k as possible, and trying to save up to get a 'newer' SUV....

thanks guys...

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia."
---Charles Schulz
"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
---Benjamin Franklin

 

[RVSWA]

We recently interviewed a fella who had 5 years experience in construction and general civil. We had advertised for an entry level structural position for which he was interested in trying. Everything was going well until he told us how much he expected for a salary; I understand, everyone has a mortgage or lifestyle.
You have some time to figure it out, but with every year comes more experience and you are likely going to get paid accordingly... eventually it will limit your ability to change without cutting your salary. If you like your job, don't sweat it, you'll stay busy just being the best engineer in the office...

 

[Krautso]

If you are a just starting out you should be concerned with building your resume. Regardless of discipline there are core competencies.

Make sure you are going to a job where you will have an opportunity to learn different aspects of the profession. Your academic background is useful but you can't rely on that as an accurate representation of what a job in a particular field will actually entail.

Look for experience in:
Management (Project, Contract & Construction)
Design (functional and detailed)

I think you will find that the actual field where these skills are learned is not as important making sure you have the opportunity to learn them. Eventually location, work environment & compensation will replace technical interest as driving factors in your career.