Civil engineering career

Righty

Can any civil engineers here say what they love or hate about the career? There seems to be a lot of civil engineers in forums saying to stay well away from the career path but was just hoping to hear some fresh thoughts on the sector, thanks

annfield1978

18 yrs as a Civil Engineer, 100% office based. I enjoy it as everyday is different and that ultimately as engineers we are working on something tangiable projects that improve the country's infrastructure. I remember speaking to a neighbour who confided that he hated his analyst job which was with the likes ebay/ paypal/ linkedin/ google, which was pretty depressing, life is too short for that.

Work for a global engineering consultancy so lots of internal procedures/ processes which can be draining and fixed price lump sum jobs are stressful to manage. Theres long hours but thats the same in any industry.

Compared to something like farming which i deem to be real work, civil engineering is a walk in the park

Having gained good experience, have become more involved in bidding for publicly procured work which I enjoy. Quaility Sumissions and Pricing over a short timeframe which is fast moving and allows for creativity.

I think working for Contractors and Public Sector is a completly different animal

Righty

annfield1978 wrote: »

18 yrs as a Civil Engineer, 100% office based. I enjoy it as everyday is different and that ultimately as engineers we are working on something tangiable projects that improve the country's infrastructure. I remember speaking to a neighbour who confided that he hated his analyst job which was with the likes ebay/ paypal/ linkedin/ google, which was pretty depressing, life is too short for that.

Work for a global engineering consultancy so lots of internal procedures/ processes which can be draining and fixed price lump sum jobs are stressful to manage. Theres long hours but thats the same in any industry.

Compared to something like farming which i deem to be real work, civil engineering is a walk in the park

Having gained good experience, have become more involved in bidding for publicly procured work which I enjoy. Quaility Sumissions and Pricing over a short timeframe which is fast moving and allows for creativity.

I think working for Contractors and Public Sector is a completly different animal

Thanks for taking the time to reply I really appreciate it. I'm looking at going back to college to study engineering and I'm just trying to get a feel for which one suits me so again thanks for the info.
I feel like there's some people who love it and some people who really really hate it haha.

Bsharp

Similar experience to annfield working as an engineer. I enjoy it but like with most things there's peaks and troughs. I mainly work in transport which provides an interesting interface between engineering and human behaviour. No amount of designing something 'right' will ensure people use it as intended.

You don't necessarily need to study engineering to work in the transport field as it's only one component. Good few people in my office would have science and geography degrees; provides for a nice mix of background and skills.

Prenderb

Righty wrote: »

Thanks for taking the time to reply I really appreciate it. I'm looking at going back to college to study engineering and I'm just trying to get a feel for which one suits me so again thanks for the info.
I feel like there's some people who love it and some people who really really hate it haha.

Some of the courses have a common 1st and/or 2nd year. Look at one of those.

Civil engineering is the best engineering*. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise*.

But it can be hard to make a living doing the best engineering when some of the others doing an inferior engineering brag about earning more*.

Civil/Structural engineering allows for a lot of diversity - building regulations alone encompasses structure, fire safety, accessibility which all give interesting problems to solve. That's as well as designing roads, bridges, buildings, working on the infrastructure that makes things work for the country as well as civil engineers being the first line of defense against illness (water purification, wastewater treatment).

You'll be putting people in houses.
You'll be putting employees in workplaces.
You'll be creating safe buildings and safe environments.
You'll be enhancing roads and transport infrastructure.
You'll be solving flooding problems.

*This is tongue in cheek. Mostly.

Righty

Thanks for the replies guys, it's nice to hear from people who are actually in the field rather than from people who have opinions about the field which everyone seems to have haha. Much appreciated

shesty

Civil engineer, 16 years since I graduated.



I love the variety. I work in utilities (office based). I spent a few years on site too. The satisfaction of seeing the physical item you have built is great. The option (in my current role) to be at a desk or do a site visit is great. I enjoy dealing with all the different trades, people from different backgrounds and with different roles. I do a lot of cris-crossing between teams and it is equal parts exhausting and enjoyable. (my role is more PM focused). The degree travels well too, if you want to go abroad and it is a qualification that is recognised in other professions as a good starting point.



Downsides - sitework is HARD. I'm female - I wouldn't really view it as a long term role for a female to be honest, if you are trying to balance it with a family. I mean yeah, it would be great if there were more females in that industry, but the reality of the hours and the pressure and the physicality is that it just isn't really compatible with that aspect of things. Money isn't great and probably never will be. Engineers are not appreciated in Ireland - people don't get what we do.



I don't regret it though.:D

godtabh

I graduated in 2004. I’ve worked for some of the worlds biggest firms. Didnt like that. Felt like you were just a number there.

Work for a small practice now. I’m more or less my own boss. I bring in my own work and assist on other projects. I do a lot of my own work (including the donkey work!)

Took 2 years out during the recession but stayed close to the industry.

I’ve gone many directions since graduating. Structural for a year. Civil for 10 years. I now specialise in something else.

I have an MBA which is something that I will lean on in the future.

My career has been interesting to date. Worked on some big projects in interesting places (Manchester, Amsterdam, Norway, Sweden).

Not going to retire rich!

Righty

Thanks once again for the feedback folks, have just applied for civil engineering in September. Hopefully I'll get offered a place.

godtabh

Only piece of advice I would give you is get working experience between years. Will help with finding out what you like and good to have something on the cv

Righty

godtabh wrote: »

Only piece of advice I would give you is get working experience between years. Will help with finding out what you like and good to have something on the cv

Will keep that in mind thanks, one last query, is having a masters degree a requirement for good jobs these days? Or can one work their way up without?

annfield1978

Righty wrote: »

Will keep that in mind thanks, one last query, is having a masters degree a requirement for good jobs these days? Or can one work their way up without?

I came across IAESTE in college ended up in Japan and Croatia over two summers which was fantastic, and looked great on the CV

cgcsb

Poorly paid and recession vulnerable compared to other big professions. If you can, do medical and get into anesthetics, always work available, well paid and appreciated, work finishes when you clock off. If you're set on engineering, structural will pay more but it's a specific skill set that involves a lot of coffee fueled nights and screen time.

Bsharp

I'm hopeful it's less vulnerable to a recession given our need to respond to climate issues. Mostly wishful thinking but hopeful nevertheless.

shesty

You need a Masters to become Chartered with Engineers Ireland these days OP.That might be something to consider further along the line.I don't think having a Masters or not will affect your job prospects (open to correction on that mind you)

cgcsb

shesty wrote: »

You need a Masters to become Chartered with Engineers Ireland these days OP.That might be something to consider further along the line.I don't think having a Masters or not will affect your job prospects (open to correction on that mind you)

You can become chartered through professional experience also.

godtabh

cgcsb wrote: »

You can become chartered through professional experience also.

A lot more complicated this way.

Experience will out way a masters quickly enough

xchancellor

I got chartered with EI last year withough a masters.
The new application is c3600 additional words to demonstrate that through experience you have the educational equivalence of someone graduating with a masters. Any half motivated graduate working for a couple of years, particualrly in design/consultancy, will have this base no problems.

However, in saying that, I would always recommend someone starting out to go for a masters, it will make getting job easier at the end and in terms of the chartered engineer interview you will have (slighly) less to prove.

The Mighty Quinn

shesty wrote: »

You need a Masters to become Chartered with Engineers Ireland these days OP.That might be something to consider further along the line.I don't think having a Masters or not will affect your job prospects (open to correction on that mind you)

Would second this, my place is hiring civil/structural at the moment, and a masters isn't important to them, chiefly because they've hired several with them and the difference wasn't apparent compared to those without.

mikhail

I think your mileage may vary on that, depending on discipline. In electronics, we see a big difference.

Tails142

I'm 14 years out of college this year, I graduated in 2007 with a BEng in Structural Engineering, I have been employed the whole time altough in a civils role, I managed to weather the recession fairly well but saw most of the class I graduated with lose their jobs and emigrate. Bit of a survivor's guilt on that front honestly. Only some came back although those that didn't are living happy lives abroad in US, Aus/NZ, Canada, UK etc. but sacrificed contact with family I'm sure which is particularly difficult at times like this with COVID restricting travel - A lot left engineering and never came back moving into finance and IT.

As a profession, it's very prone to peaks and troughs in employment/unemployment and all sectors, strucutral and civil particularly so but manfacturing, chemical, electronic etc are not without their dangers, I studied for a masters back in 2010 with a manufacturing engineer who had been laid off from HP as an example and with pushes to global tax changes who knows what Ireland's fortunes might be in years ahead.

I couldn't honestly recommend it as a profession to any young person, there are way better paths to take in life especially for someone technically minded. Yes, in civils there is some satisfaction from seeing changes happening to the built environment that you are affecting, but personally there is so much stress and negativity in projects I'm involved with that I no longer take much pride and joy in seeing these things. I still think back fondly to the very first project I was involved which I have visited a number of times since but I was naive to the world then and I guess I've become more cynical and bitter since then!! Now when I see things I just see flaws, compromises or things there were huge arguments and battles over.

I've long been thinking of a move to software dev/IT - although I see plenty of posts saying that is a pit of stress aswell so who knows. Many of the things that attracted me to civils 14 years ago (or almost 20 when I was filling in my CAO) are things that I could now do without, the option to be working outdoors (usually cold, wet and lots of mud), doing something different every day (would prefer less variety now!) etc. etc. I probably should be more thankful than I am as I have a very good job and I am pretty well paid but honestly it's not something I'm up for anymore and would gladly move back to a more junior or technical role for less pay as a colleague of mine has done - my thoughts are a more junior or less stress role in IT would likely pay the equivalent of what I'm earning now. And that's not mentioning the ever present risk of a health and safety incident that will have everyone running to cover their arses leaving the engineer signing the method statements and risk assessments to carry the can and potentially be thrown into a court and made an example of - is there any equivalent risk in a software dev role? Data/security leak I guess, not likely to see a court/sentencing?

Look tread carefully, stay away from built environment as its a race to the bottom - that's my 2 cents...


EDIT: Was reading some other threads on the forum, saw this post which mirrors my feelings and puts things quite clearly and eloquently, worth a read https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=102565099&postcount=94

ingeneer

Hi OP, Structural Engineer here. Graduated about ten years ago, chartered around 4 years ago.

I don't like putting a negative spin on it, but if you are after honest opinions - I would say STRONGLY consider a different path. The construction industry is a mess and structural engineers can often bear the brunt of it. I could give you many examples of how this is so, but my favourite is the fact that when you design a building and sign off on it - you are now responsible for that structure for the rest of your life. If something cracks, waterproofing fails, or god forbid, collapses - your name is on the drawings. If a mechanical engineers air conditioning doesn't work - they replace the unit. If an electrical engineers panel is undersized - they can modify it. If an error is made in structural design the consequences can be unspeakable. Google "Hyatt Regency walkway collapse". Google "Radiohead stage collapse". Google "The Collapse of the Hartford Civic Center". All examples of events where the structural engineer was implicated - if not up in court. Of course insurance is there for a reason, and mistakes are thankfully rare - but why put yourself in the position where you are responsible for huge pieces of infrastructure for your entire life?

Something closer to home - google "Ringsend Stair Collapse". I don't believe the courts found the design company negligent here, but I can only imagine how stressed the engineers would have been in the years that court case took.

That's the design end of things. Apparently site work is even worse!

The money is not good enough to justify the responsibility structural engineers have. We have no union to protect us, or to improve our work conditions. Studying engineering is great as you are taught to think in a way that is helpful in the modern world (analytical, understand constraints etc.) but if I could go back in time, I'd have pivoted into a different industry straight away out of college. Anyone from my class that did this is way better off financially than myself, and I don't think I'm even doing too badly compared to some others in the industry.

Regarding the economy - things are good at the moment - but as mentioned above, once a bust comes you're going to have to emigrate or take a serious pay cut. Ireland doesn't build during downturns. I filled out the CAO during the Celtic Tiger, and graduated a couple of years later with one job interview at the other end of the country, for 12 hr days on site for 20,000 a year. I didn't even get the job as there were so many applicants and had to emigrate for 6 years. If I'd stayed, working in a shop would have been more lucrative per hour. Many people have similar stories from that time.

I don't mean to sound negative, and should probably be encouraging people to consider the industry for my own sake (stuck in it now and could use a hand!) but I could't do that in good conscience. I know of many people who have change careers away from Civil/Structural engineering, but I don't know any that have come the other way. I'm sure there are some examples, but the flow in the opposite direction is higher.

Righty

Wow, thanks for taking the time to write such detailed opinions guys, i appreciate the honesty. Gives me a lot to think about, I have until the end of the month to confirm my choices so time to sleep on it.

Brian CivilEng

There are positives and negatives. My own experience, I worked in a consultants from 2005 until the recession when I was laid off. After a year of trying to get other work I retrained, and got a job in banking. 6 months later a recruitment agent called asking if I'd be interested in interviewing for a civils job, and there was immediately a Brian shaped hole in the door out of the bank.

To put it this way, there have been moments I have absolutely hated my job but nothing compares to the satisfaction of seeing something you worked on get built. It especially feels good when you know it is benefiting the country.

emt16

I'm a Civil Engineer who qualified in 2015. I went straight into site work and have stayed there since. Made my way up from site engineer to site management and I'm now a Project Manager. I've worked in water industry to frames and now in rail. I've always worked with decent sized subbies instead of principal contractor.
I don't have a masters and don't think it's relevant for site based working. Masters would be more relevant for consultancy. The difference from working onsite to consultancy would be do you see yourself in an office environment and getting involved with design or planning, or spending a few months to a few years on one site and then moving to the next one. Personally I like the challenge of site work as there are constantly different problems and I'm not at my desk all day.
My experiences have been positive for the most. I can't see myself doing any other career. I am very well paid for 6 years out of uni and have immense job satisfaction. There are some stressful days but I find it's all down to the individual and how they react. Work doesn't follow me home and I work 10 hours a day.
I definitely recommend Civils as a degree. Pick a degree that has mandatory placement (I went to NUIG). If after the placement you find engineering isn't for you, you are very well placed to do any number of different careers.

Righty

I've also been looking at software and electronic engineering. seriously considering it now.

Righty

emt16 wrote: »

I'm a Civil Engineer who qualified in 2015. I went straight into site work and have stayed there since. Made my way up from site engineer to site management and I'm now a Project Manager. I've worked in water industry to frames and now in rail. I've always worked with decent sized subbies instead of principal contractor.
I don't have a masters and don't think it's relevant for site based working. Masters would be more relevant for consultancy. The difference from working onsite to consultancy would be do you see yourself in an office environment and getting involved with design or planning, or spending a few months to a few years on one site and then moving to the next one. Personally I like the challenge of site work as there are constantly different problems and I'm not at my desk all day.
My experiences have been positive for the most. I can't see myself doing any other career. I am very well paid for 6 years out of uni and have immense job satisfaction. There are some stressful days but I find it's all down to the individual and how they react. Work doesn't follow me home and I work 10 hours a day.
I definitely recommend Civils as a degree. Pick a degree that has mandatory placement (I went to NUIG). If after the placement you find engineering isn't for you, you are very well placed to do any number of different careers.

Nice to hear about site work as I feel like this would be what I would enjoy most, I love working with people and solving problem's on a daily basis, would I be correct in saying this is what site work would be like or is there a lot of red tape and beauracracy for each decision made?

Alkers

Righty wrote: »

Nice to hear about site work as I feel like this would be what I would enjoy most, I love working with people and solving problem's on a daily basis, would I be correct in saying this is what site work would be like or is there a lot of red tape and beauracracy for each decision made?

Site work is great but there's two sides to the coin.

It's varied and interesting and times flies so the days don't feel long and boring like office work can be.

But days are long, often have long varying commutes on top of that, cold & wet weather, terrible toilets, crappy container office etc etc. Options are much less limited for after work socialising or activities (due to the long hours)

emt16

Yes my experience is getting more typical. There isn't red tape as such, just ensuring that H&S standards are followed. In Ireland the amount of paperwork is actually quite low. UK is probable the worst you'll get but it's not that difficult.
Depends on the industry also. The large scale infrastructure projects will always have more eyes on you but at the same time they will have way better facilities onsite, you usually are there for longer spells (sometime years) and they won't allow your company work long hours (typically 10 hour days) so work life balance is better.

I will say I've always envied people who've worked in offices in city centre going out for Thursday and Fri pints.

shesty

Having done it....when you realise you have worked a 40 hour week by Thursday afternoon and there is still another day to go, you do question what you are doing.

I found it to be a bit extreme - either very bad or really good, but on the whole, very satisfying.You'd want a very thick skin to do it mind you but you meet some great characters.The bigger contractors will generally have better physical working conditions, like office setups and toilet/canteen facilities on site.