For everyone that has an interest in the applied side of science, this article is for you because one of the many jobs that could interest you is civil engineering. In this article, you'll learn the essential information to help you discover this career. Essential information that we always ask ourselves about a job but never seem to know the answers, especially in engineering since there are many types of engineering.
Being a civil engineer is like constantly juggling between outside work on a construction site and inside work in an office. It is also like working on a project with many other professions to achieve a final goal before a certain deadline. It is like constantly having pressure on your shoulders, but it is for the good of the society.
A civil engineer uses his skills to develop, to design and to maintain infrastructures that you see every day. Infrastructures like bridges, roads, sewers, airports and more.
If we were considering a senior engineer, who is the leader of the team of junior engineers, his day would look different compared to if he wasn't the leader of a team responsible for a little part of the big project. Indeed, as a senior engineer, a civil engineer's day would start by cheeking his emails to be prepared for meeting with clients or go on construction site. Then, he would prepare documents to guide and support the junior engineers, that do more technical things, while he organizes and leads the team. He would also exchange with people on site and clients to resolve issues and keep everybody informed of the progress. If he was a junior engineer, it would be the same kind of day but the work itself would be different.
Civil engineers work in office and outside, which is great if you don't want to constantly be sat at a desk. This work environment will approximately be the same wherever you work. Indeed, you can work for a private company, for the gouvernment, at your account and more.
Starting in secondary school, the typical path of a civil engineer is succeeding your secondary 5 in mathematics, chemistry, and physics. After graduating, you will choose a cegep where they offer Science program, Art or Literature program, or in a collegian technical degree program. By the end of your cegep years, you'll need to have passed the 3 classes in mathematics and physics as well as the first chemistry class. Of course, you have to pass all the classes in your program to allow you to be competitive with other aspiring engineers while applying for university. To be an engineer, you have to earn a bachelor's degree in engineering, which is generally 4 years long, and accumulate 24 months of experience during and after graduating from university. Then, you can pass the professional exam and obtain your engineer's permit.
A civil engineer's annual salary is around $127 000. When an engineer starts his career he doesn't have this kind of pay, and it's with experience and hard work that you can earn around this amount or more. Your salary will also change according to where you work and the demand in engineers needed.
To start, there are many types of specializations a civil engineer can choose from after getting his bachelor. The additional training one might need can change depending on the specialization. To specialize, there are short courses engineers can do at home and conference to learn from the best in the specialized field. Also, they might be obligated to constantly learn how new software works since they constantly need to adapt to new technologies and because they need to be the most efficient possible.
One of the dangers, is being unhappy. Indeed, engineers that become team leader might miss doing what they studied for and miss their creativity. Indeed, after around five years of working at a company, engineers often find themselves being people and project managers. Also let's not forget that, since they go on construction sites, there is always risks associated with this environment. Lastly, the pressure of having to respect deadlines and goals can lead to anxiety and stress.
There is no chance that civil engineers will be replaced by robots soon. Indeed, engineers innovate and adapt their designs to make them fit modern issues. This is something that machines can't do. Also, in engineering, teamwork rules and since robots can't create human relationship, teamwork is limited.
They retire around 63 years old and throughout their years of connection with clients and the many projects they have worked on with their team they acquired experience. Throughout their carrier they will have had a meaningful impact on society. Indeed, they would have participated in the conception and construction of essential infrastructures for society. Also, if engineers pass up opportunities along the way, they might regret it since the higher you're ranked in a company, the higher you get paid, but for engineers this sort of thinking applies less. Indeed, engineers studied a specific part of engineering because it fascinated them, so it is not every civil engineer that will gladly give up his passion to be ranked higher and not do the normal work of a civil engineer anymore.
Concerning my career trajectory, I am in my last year of the Science program at Montmorency College. The next step is going to university and work on getting my bachelor's in civil engineering. Also, I would like to enter a cooperative civil engineering program at university to get related work experience. Wish me good luck!
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Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: government
Date: custom
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: no sources cited