Civil engineering is a career that plays a vital role in any community, from designing and supervising the construction of infrastructure projects to maintaining and improving existing ones. At Cornerstone, we want to help others understand our field and inspire the younger generation to pursue a CE career, thereby serving their community. If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a civil engineer in the United States, here are some key aspects of this career path to consider.
1. Education and Licensing
A bachelor’s degree from an ABET accredited university in civil engineering or a related field, such as environmental engineering, is typically the minimum requirement for entry-level positions.
After completing your education, you’ll need to become licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE) in your state. This involves passing the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, gaining four years of progressive and relevant work experience, and passing the NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. Once all initial accreditation has been obtained, a civil engineer will also complete continuing education and be committed to updating their best practices based on improvements in technology.
2. Career Paths
Civil engineers generally enter the workforce as a designer or staff engineer. In this stage, a typical day involves project-related design and documentation tasks, including software operation for design and modeling and hand calculations to confirm software outcomes. Soft skills, like thoughtful communication and creating thorough presentations, are a central part of the work, in preparing letters, memorandums, exhibits, opinions of cost, and schedules of workflow. Civil engineering thrives in a strong team setting, and a routine day may include reviewing project submittals from other design team members or contractors. Outside of the office, field observation for construction projects allows CEs to ensure all the preparation has come to fruition. As engineering knowledge and confidence with people increases, more responsibility is shared and supervisory or management opportunities are possible.
Almost every engineering firm allows a varied career path. Some engineers love the challenge of software optimization and design efficiency. Those individuals may remain in the design area, while other engineers enjoy the overall management of a project and may desire to assist with schedules, budgeting, and manpower management. Still other individuals may desire to work more with clients and team members and may be more involved with business development roles. Regardless of which career path is taken, success hinges on the commitment to learning and continual application of engineering knowledge.
As in any industry, there are various levels of sizes and specialization. Independent firms could offer tailored mentorship as CEs gain experience. A larger corporation may offer a wider variety of project types and locations. With hard work, many engineers progress to upper management and executive level positions within all levels of engineering firms and other industry-related businesses.
Whatever area they work in, a civil engineer has a great responsibility to adhere to high standards of safety and integrity. His or her desire to learn more about the field can never be stagnant. Instead, a civil engineer must continue to increase their knowledge, search out ways to improve their practices, and continually adapt to ever-changing environments.
3. Potential Growth
Currently, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the number of civil engineers to be above 300,000, spread across all fifty states. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also projects a 7% job growth rate for the profession from 2021 to 2031. Overall, the job outlook for civil engineers is positive and reflects the need for quality engineers to impact our expanding infrastructure. We remain at the forefront of a developing field, knowing our role is vital to the growth of communities everywhere.
Civil engineering is a rewarding career path that combines technical expertise with the opportunity to make a positive impact on society. Cornerstone’s Principal and Founder Hollis Allen has worked on hundreds of projects that include big box stores, multi-family housing, church buildings, banks, and gas stations, among others – all with different sizes, budgets, and goals. In our twenty-plus years of experience, helping our clients in setting and realizing their goals is still the best part of the Civil Engineering career path.
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