What is a civil engineer?

Civil engineers manage all elements of construction projects from the planning process right through to managing the actual construction work. There are a wide variety of projects which you may work on in this role from small scale repairs on buildings to constructing entire buildings from scratch.

What types of civil engineering jobs are there?

There’s plenty of variation in civil engineering jobs and projects and many people choose to specialise in a particular area of expertise. Civil structural engineering jobs are among the most common roles with projects including buildings, dams and offshore construction. Other areas of expertise include transportation which covers railways, roads, canals and pipelines and environmental civil engineering which focuses on water networks and drainage. The two most specialised areas of civil engineering jobs in the UK are maritime and geotechnical.

What does a civil engineer job involve?

Duties vary depending on what area of expertise you specialise in, however, many of the core responsibilities are the same. You will need to liaise with the client as well as other people working on the project such as surveyors and builders as you will need their input to design, plan and manage the construction. Computers play a big role in civil engineering jobs as much of the work involves analysing data and using computer based design packages. Risk assessment is also a part of the role as you will need to judge what impact the project will have on the surrounding environment as well as whether the project meets legal requirements in health and safety. The main responsibility for the job is the management, direction and monitoring of the project’s progress.

How do you get a civil engineering job?

Most people get into civil engineering after completing a degree in civil or structural engineering and then joining a graduate scheme. The demand for graduate civil engineering jobs is often high so many graduates opt for doing work experience with a company during their course so they have the added bonus of onsite experience when they graduate. Sometimes this can lead to the company sponsoring you while you complete your university course with a view to offering you employment when you graduate. Many people have the opportunity to work overseas rather than opting for a civil engineering job in the UK so the role can lead to travel opportunities. Many companies also employ civil engineers on a freelance basis and this is a good way to gain experience of working on a variety of different projects.

Civil engineering jobs can be extremely rewarding as you will play a major role in building new structures which will be used by millions of people.

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