What A Civil Design Engineer At Siegfried Engineering Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Engineering Industry
Andrew, a Civil Design Engineer, wishes someone had emphasized the largely sedentary nature of the role, stating it's "an office job, um, for probably 95% of it," contrasting with his initial expectation of more fieldwork. While enjoying the position, the infrequent field visits feel like "wasting time," highlighting a mismatch between perception and reality in the career.
Industry Realities, Workplace Challenges, Career Exploration, Practical, Hard Truths
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. It's mostly an office job: Andrew notes that the role is primarily office-based, contrary to his initial expectations of more fieldwork. This is crucial for students to understand the reality of the job.
2. Fieldwork is limited and less valued: While some fieldwork exists, it's considered less important than office work, potentially surprising to those expecting more hands-on outdoor experiences.
3. Strong technical skills are essential: The job demands significant calculation and math skills, confirming the importance of a strong technical foundation in engineering education for this specific role.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
The main thing for me is that it's an office job for probably 95% of it, which I've learned to enjoy. But going into school, I was an ag engineering major, and I think my idea of where I was going to be in my career was doing something outside for part of it, at least.
Coming out of college, I didn't even know what I wanted to do, to be honest. I was still kind of thinking of going into the ag industry, and this was one of the options for me. I've really enjoyed it for the most part, but I thought maybe I'd be more out in the field a little bit.
At the same time, our job is mostly indoors. So when you do go out in the field, it feels like you're almost wasting time. It's kind of a funny little thing there.
Going into engineering, you know it's going to be very technical, with a lot of calculations and math, and so that didn't really surprise me. But it was more the amount of time I'm spending on the computer, to be honest.