Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Civil Design Engineers
Andrew, a Civil Design Engineer, suggests internships as a crucial first step for undergraduates, noting, "it prepares you if that's the field you want to go into." Entry-level roles include design engineering, focusing on fundamentals, and project engineering, which blends "engineering and managing the actual labor," offering a field-based alternative.
Entry-Level Jobs, Internships, Design Engineering, Project Engineering, Career Paths
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Andrew Manes
Civil Design Engineer
Siegfried Engineering, Inc.
California Polytechnic State University, SLO
Engineering - Environmental
Architecture, Construction & Design
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Internships are valuable opportunities for undergraduate students to gain experience in civil engineering design firms, providing a chance to explore the field and determine if it's the right career path.
2. Entry-level positions for civil engineering graduates include design engineer roles, where individuals learn fundamental design aspects and can progress to project management, and project engineer roles, which combine engineering knowledge with construction management and on-site work.
3. A project engineer role offers a blend of office and field work, allowing for the review of plans, interaction with engineers, and management of construction labor, providing a diverse experience for those interested in the construction aspect of civil engineering.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider?
There are obviously internships. Our company offers summer internships or co-ops. If you're an undergrad who isn't graduating yet, you can get into a design firm that has internships.
I didn't personally do internships, but I wish I had. It prepares you for the field if that's what you want to go into. Plus, it gives you a three-month job, and you don't have to stay if you don't like it.
When coming out of college, there's an entry-level position like a design engineer. You learn the design aspects of civil engineering and the fundamentals. You can then work your way up in that company to managing projects.
Another cool entry-level job, not on the design side but more on the construction side, is a project engineer. This can be for many different contractors. It's a mix of engineering and managing the labor, the people doing the actual work outside.
You get to review plans, ask questions to the engineers, and manage the people doing the work. That was something I was possibly going to get into. If you like being outside a lot more, that would be a good entry-level position.