Entry Level Civil Engineer

[civileng83]

I wanted to find out where employment opportunities stand for entry level Civil engineers. I will be going into my senior year for a BSCE, but before deciding on a Professional Elective track for either Structural, Water Resources, or Geotechnical I went ahead and looked into job opportunities for those fields.
I've found Geotechnical courses the most enjoyable, however it seems that an overwhelming majority of
Geotechnical jobs available require years of experience, and/or PE. Any thoughts on what track for a
BSCE - Structural, Water Resources, or Geotechnical will be best suited for an entry level engineer over the next five years?

 

[JasonG]

There's no point in working at a job you don't enjoy. I suggest that you make your decision based on your interests, not on the job market. The good thing about a civil degree, as you mentioned, is that you can jump from one concentration to another. This is particularly true for a recent graduate. So worst case, you could take an entry level job as a structural engineer with hopes to work on some geotech projects (for example). Later on, as more jobs become available you could find one that suits you more.

Good luck.

 

[HgTX]

And if you go work for a DOT (state or even city), there are jobs you could take in which you'd be exposed to both structural and geotech, plus construction management, if not water resources. Pay's lousy but it's a good way to get lots of exposure to lots of things in a short time; if you're not hooked on the glamour of the public sector, you could look for a private-sector job instead after a couple of years.

How much longer do you have in school? You could use your summers to try out different jobs.

Hg

 

[InspEngr]

Regardless of your track (we called it our "Major"), there are other venues that folks don't often think about. For instance, Civils are often hired at petrochemical plants as project and/or design engineers. Think of all those foundations and structures holding up all those large vessels, pumps, compressors, pipe, etc. In some of the larger plants, especially those that belong to large corporations, there's lots of room for advancement (on a local and corporate level, via technical or managerial paths) and the pay is pretty good.

I have a BSCE with a structural major and geotechnical minor. I hired into a large facility in a large corporation as a project/design engineer. A few years later I was tired of project work (just didn't suit me) so I put in for a transfer into the Inspection Department (aka Fixed Equipment Reliability, aka Pressure Equipment Integrity, aka ..., aka ...). I have been working in this group for several years now and don't wish to leave. One interesting thing is that I no longer perform Civil Engineering work but mostly work considered "Mechanical" in nature.

Point being, I had (and have) opportunities here that don't exist in other companies.

So... regardless of the track you take, keep your mind open when considering what jobs/companies/locations you apply for.

-InspEngr

 

[RDK]

You found geotechnical most enjoyable. As long as you want to do what the geotech’s do after graduation then take that one.

First look at what geotech’s do. They get to play in the mud a lot; they are in the field a lot and get to see a lot of jobs in the starting phases and manage earthworks portions of projects.

Structural guys are in the office a lot and only manage the structural portion of projects if and when they get let out of the office.

Water types will do a lot of studies and some interesting fieldwork and work on dam construction operation and rehabilitation works.

I know that this is painting in broad strokes but if you like geotech as something to study and like the work after graduation then take that one.

Remember you will be spending the next 40 years doing this stuff. There is always entry level work for someone willing to start at the bottom and learn the profession.

Do not worry about the pay, it will always be enough to live on. If you are in this for the money switch to commerce or law.

Good luck





Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion

http://www.kitsonengineering.com