What can I do with my Civil Engineering Degree?

 

You can work in the construction industry, as well as in business, management, and the financial sectors, by earning a degree in civil engineering.

Career Possibilities:

Following positions are directly connected to your degree

Building Control Surveyor:

When designing and constructing homes, workplaces, and other structures, as well as when modifying, extending, or converting them, you'll make sure that building rules are adhered to. You'll provide advice on finding a solution if it appears that a building won't be able to comply with the building laws. You can be asked to weigh in on design and safety concerns during the pre-application phase of complicated projects, as well as offer other procedures to lower the likelihood of delays and save money.

CAD Technician:

Buildings, machines, goods, and parts are designed by computer-aided design (CAD) specialists using their expertise of engineering, IT, and mathematics. A CAD technician, also known as a draughtsperson, utilises CAD software to make technical drawings and plans, also known as draught person, for goods and parts used in the engineering, building, and manufacturing sectors.

Together with architects and design engineers, you will translate the specifications of their initial concepts into precise and thorough technical drawings in 2D and 3D models. These plans are utilised at every stage of a project, from determining the feasibility and cost to producing the manufacturing blueprints and installation instructions.

Consulting Civil Engineering:

A variety of projects in the built and natural environments are advised on by consulting civil engineers in terms of their design, development, and construction. You'll make sure that various projects are finished safely, quickly, and with adequate resources as a consulting civil engineer. You'll coordinate with clients while planning, managing, designing, and supervising the construction. You'll work in a variety of environments, and with time and expertise, you may manage projects.

Constructor Civil Engineer:

Civil engineers under contract make the designs of civil engineers under consultation a reality. You'll supervise the actual construction on the ground as a contracting civil engineer and collaborate with consulting engineers. All civil engineers must have a solid grasp of the design and construction procedures as well as health and safety concerns.

By managing the on-site people and material resources, you'll make sure that projects are safe to work on, completed on schedule, and within budget. A contracting engineer will occasionally assemble a design and form a team themselves, however this is more frequently done by a consulting engineer.

Design Engineer:

For problem-solving in a variety of sectors, design engineers combine their technical know-how with their mathematical prowess and design abilities. Design engineers work on projects in a variety of industries, including building and the built environment, materials, software, components, machines, and vehicles. They are responsible for the initial concept, design, development, and administration of these projects.

You must have good technical knowledge as well as problem-solving, communication, leadership, and project management abilities if you want to succeed. Design engineers may go by the names of CAD engineers, consulting engineers, or product design engineers, depending on their area of expertise.

Estimator:

Estimators provide estimates of the costs associated with providing clients—or potential clients—with goods or services. It is the estimator's responsibility to weigh all relevant data on each building project and determine how much it would cost to fulfil the client's requirements. Estimators frequently produce a high-quality report that they may have contributed to writing in addition to the budgetary expenses and analyses that they are required to submit.

Estimators are often referred to as cost engineers or construction estimators. Depending on their specialty or area of interest, they can be found in a wide range of various businesses. A school, road, bridge, commercial centre, residential area, or sewage works are just a few of the projects that an estimator could be assigned to.

Nuclear Engineer:

As a nuclear engineer, you will be responsible for planning, constructing, operating, or dismantling nuclear power plants. To develop technological solutions, you'll collaborate in multidisciplinary teams. Your job description may involve maintaining current systems, building entirely new ones, or finding methods to make nuclear power plants more productive, stable, and sustainable.

The design and execution of safety protocols for the shipping, storage, and disposal of the radioactive material used in nuclear reactors, as well as the decommissioning (shutdown) of facilities, are critical tasks as well.

Site Engineer:

As a site engineer, you will contribute technical, organisational, and managerial expertise to building projects. You'll lay out the site, decide where to put the infrastructure installations—above and below ground—and mark off the area with blueprints and plans. The organisation and management of the site's material and human resources, as well as its security, health, and safety, will fall under your joint responsibility.

Civil, road, rail, and other infrastructure projects can range in size from modest scale to multibillion pound undertakings. You'll collaborate with and work with the following people while serving on the site management team: builders' managers, engineers, planners, subcontractors, supervisors, and surveyors.

Structural Engineer:

In order to design and construct a wide variety of structures and buildings, structural engineers collaborate with a group of industry experts. Designing buildings to withstand stresses and forces brought on by the environment and human use is what structural engineers do. Buildings and other structures will be kept stable and safe throughout their usage by your assurance that they won't tilt, spin, vibrate excessively, or collapse.

Additionally, you'll check existing structures and buildings to see if they are still physically sound and appropriate for their intended use. You'll assist in designing most constructions, including homes, hospitals, office buildings, bridges, oil rigs, ships, and aeroplanes, in close collaboration with architects and other qualified engineers. Additionally, it will be your responsibility to select the right supplies, such as concrete, steel, and wood.

Water Engineer:

For the provision of potable water, the removal of wastewater and sewage, and the mitigation of flood damage, water engineers are in charge. As a water engineer, providing clean water will be your primary priority; however, you may also work with a range of other liquids. You'll be involved in the building, upkeep, and repair of facilities that manage water resources, and asset management will play a significant role in your job.

An illustration would include marine defence barriers, pumping stations, and reservoirs. You may get interested with more general concerns relating to water, such climate change, ageing infrastructure, population expansion, and standard of living. Engineers with a focus on water-based projects are referred to as "water engineers" in general.

Experience at Work:

During your education, it seems sense to have some applicable job experience. Experience is highly valued by employers and will provide you with insight into an engineering firm's operational procedures.In the absence of an industrial placement for your course, seek for appropriate summer internships and placements. 

Your ability to develop your awareness of challenges pertaining to the design and execution of projects will be facilitated by any function in a construction or civil engineering context. Make the most of this opportunity to learn more, make contacts, and network. There may be casual, on-the-job positions in administration and construction, but many firms provide organised work experience opportunities.

Common Employers:

As a licenced civil engineer, you can find employment in a variety of fields, notably in the construction industry, working on a variety of huge projects such as bridges, buildings, and communications and transportation infrastructure. Additionally, there are companies where you might work that produce, store, and distribute water, gas, and electricity. There are openings with a variety of contractors and consultants both in the UK and abroad.

Additionally, there are chances to work internally for many national and international organisations, notably in the public sector. Civil engineers are used by local authorities, government agencies, and environmental organisations, for example, to create project requirements and write tender papers. Find more about employers in the property and construction, engineering and manufacturing, and other career areas.

Competencies for Your CV:

You get a variety of technical skills from studying civil engineering that are appreciated by companies in many other industries, including engineering, building, and real estate. You'll learn to design, produce, and construct buildings effectively by having a firm knowledge of science, mathematics, and technology while making the most of the tools and methods at your disposal.

You'll practise using your engineering judgement and collaborating well with others via group projects that are realistically based on construction. A civil engineering course can help students develop transferable skills including a

• Creative problem-solving approach
• Critical thinking abilities
• The capacity to understand data
• Numeracy
•  IT
• Communication abilities
• Skills in analysis and decision-making
• Understanding of moral dilemmas

What do those who graduate in civil engineering do?

Sixty-four percent (64%) of graduates in civil engineering are employed as engineers. Other well-liked professions include architects, chartered architectural technologists, planning officers, surveyors, and construction specialists, as well as production managers and directors, science, engineering, and production technicians, CAD, drawing, and architectural technicians, and professionals in conservation and the environment.

Destination	Percentage
Employed	76.0
Further study	7
Working and studying	7.6
Unemployed	5.4
Other	4

         Graduate destinations for civil engineering

Type of work	Percentage
Engineering	80.9
Business, HR and finance	3.8
Managers	3
Retail, catering and customer service	3
Other	9.3

               Types of work entered in the UK

Conclusion:

If you're looking for a career in an engineering profession that is expanding and has a high earning potential, civil engineering is a fantastic choice. More civil engineers are needed as cities expand to design and oversee public works initiatives and replace deteriorating infrastructure.