How to Find a Civil Engineering Job

Earn your engineering degree., Choose a specialization within the civil engineering field., Find an internship while you are in school., Seek job placement with your school's engineering program., Join the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)...

13 Steps 3 min read Advanced

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Earn your engineering degree.

    You will need to have a bachelor's degree, at minimum, to get a civil engineering job.

    Research the details of the program before enrolling.

    Some engineering programs focus on employment after the bachelor's degree.

    They usually feature internships.

    A strong program will include entry-level placement for its civil engineering graduates.

    Other engineering programs prepare students for graduate degrees.

    These programs may deal more with theoretical concepts in the first 4 years, and many students enter into a graduate degree that will prepare them for management and highly technical projects.

    Some of these degrees are accelerated.
  2. Step 2: Choose a specialization within the civil engineering field.

    Subsets of the civil engineering field include structural, traffic, transportation, traffic, water and architectural engineering.

    You should begin taking courses in your field of expertise as soon as you decide. , Interning for a private or public civil engineering organization will help you develop contacts and get necessary work experience.

    You will network and learn about potential jobs, if the work is a good fit with your career path. , Schools with excellent job placement statistics begin setting up interviews for their students before they graduate.

    Seek out several applications in your last year of school. , These societies can help you connect with a local chapter, find a mentor and attend conferences. , Cities with large population growth or a lot of Recovery Act money will be hiring more engineers.

    Read research on where state departments are allocating large amounts of development money, since governments hire approximately 12 percent of engineers. , This job search aggregate gathers engineering jobs from job search websites and posts them in 1 place.

    Check this site daily when you are looking for work. , Click on the "Job Seekers" section to find a list of jobs that are advertised on the website. , Using this free Google product you can use the website and search terms like "engineer" to get daily or occasional alerts about local jobs. , States may list their available positions on their department websites.

    Look for jobs in the transportation, water and other departments and send in your resume and cover letter within the application period. , If you want to look for a new job that will help your career in civil engineering, it is necessary to get at least 5 or more years of experience working under qualified engineers before you can look for management or consulting roles. , All states require that you obtain a license through the state board in order to become a consultant or start your own civil engineering company.

    You may be required to fill out an application, take exams and pay fees.
  3. Step 3: Find an internship while you are in school.

  4. Step 4: Seek job placement with your school's engineering program.

  5. Step 5: Join the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

  6. Step 6: the Institution of Civil Engineers or another professional organization.

  7. Step 7: Move to an area where there is a high demand for civil engineers.

  8. Step 8: Search for jobs on websites like engineerjobs.com.

  9. Step 9: Check the ASCE Career Connection page.

  10. Step 10: Set up a Google alert for Craigslist and other websites.

  11. Step 11: Search on government postings.

  12. Step 12: Get work experience.

  13. Step 13: Apply for a license to offer your services to the public.

Detailed Guide

You will need to have a bachelor's degree, at minimum, to get a civil engineering job.

Research the details of the program before enrolling.

Some engineering programs focus on employment after the bachelor's degree.

They usually feature internships.

A strong program will include entry-level placement for its civil engineering graduates.

Other engineering programs prepare students for graduate degrees.

These programs may deal more with theoretical concepts in the first 4 years, and many students enter into a graduate degree that will prepare them for management and highly technical projects.

Some of these degrees are accelerated.

Subsets of the civil engineering field include structural, traffic, transportation, traffic, water and architectural engineering.

You should begin taking courses in your field of expertise as soon as you decide. , Interning for a private or public civil engineering organization will help you develop contacts and get necessary work experience.

You will network and learn about potential jobs, if the work is a good fit with your career path. , Schools with excellent job placement statistics begin setting up interviews for their students before they graduate.

Seek out several applications in your last year of school. , These societies can help you connect with a local chapter, find a mentor and attend conferences. , Cities with large population growth or a lot of Recovery Act money will be hiring more engineers.

Read research on where state departments are allocating large amounts of development money, since governments hire approximately 12 percent of engineers. , This job search aggregate gathers engineering jobs from job search websites and posts them in 1 place.

Check this site daily when you are looking for work. , Click on the "Job Seekers" section to find a list of jobs that are advertised on the website. , Using this free Google product you can use the website and search terms like "engineer" to get daily or occasional alerts about local jobs. , States may list their available positions on their department websites.

Look for jobs in the transportation, water and other departments and send in your resume and cover letter within the application period. , If you want to look for a new job that will help your career in civil engineering, it is necessary to get at least 5 or more years of experience working under qualified engineers before you can look for management or consulting roles. , All states require that you obtain a license through the state board in order to become a consultant or start your own civil engineering company.

You may be required to fill out an application, take exams and pay fees.

About the Author

D

Deborah Lee

Creates helpful guides on practical skills to inspire and educate readers.

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