Civil Engineer

Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:

• Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.
• Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects.
• Implement design or process improvements.
• Investigate the environmental impact of projects.
• Investigate the environmental impact of projects.
• Evaluate designs or specifications to ensure quality.
• Evaluate plans or specifications to determine technological or environmental implications.
• Evaluate technical data to determine effect on designs or plans.
• Explain project details to the general public.
• Create graphical representations of civil structures.

Typical Working Conditions

• Using e-mail.
• The importance of being accurate or exact.
• Making decisions that impact co-workers or company results.
• Working with a group or team.
• Working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions.
• Sitting.
• Meeting strict deadlines.
• High levels of competition.

Tools & Technology used by Civil Engineers

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Most Important Skills for Civil Engineers

• Mathematics—Using mathematics to solve problems.
• Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Selecting/Creating the Right Product Design—Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
• Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Understanding a System or Organization—Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
• Evaluating a System or Organization—Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
• Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Solving Complex Problems—Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Most Important Knowledge Areas for Civil Engineers

• Engineering and Technology—Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Building and Construction—Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Design—Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Mathematics—Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Administration and Management—Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Physics—Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
• Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:

• Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative—Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

Low indicates 25% of workers earn less and 75% earn more. Median indicates 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more. High indicates 75% of workers earn less and 25% earn more.

Demand
This career is seeing very high growth compared to other careers. There will be a 6.5% growth for Civil Engineers to meet market demand between 2018-2028. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise

This career requires at least a Bachelor’s degree, and many professionals also have Masters and/or PhDs. This career does require a license and certifications are helpful.

View the local post-secondary education options from our partners: Central Lakes College & MSTATE.

Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:

• Accounting
• Algebra I and II
• Blueprint Reading
• Business Computer Applications
• CAD Design
• Drafting
• Electronics
• Geometry
• Physics
• Technical Writing
• Trigonometry
• Woodworking

Source: Minnesota CAREERwise