What are the positions as a civil engineer?

Hi David,

One of the best things about learning about Civil Engineering is realizing the number of different specializations associated with the field. The number of positions are high and varied as you can see from some of the other answers. There are really too many positions to list here.

Since you are in San Antonio, I would recommend that you visit the campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio. Spend a few hours learning about Civil Engineering on the web page and a Saturday visiting the Engineering department on campus. From this you should be able to get a good feel for the projects that civil engineers take on.

In Texas, the future is bright for many of positions in the areas impacting new infrastructure since the population continues to rise in Texas and at higher levels than many other states across the US. This means that for civil engineers, the future is very promising. New future developments in high speed rail transportation, water and sanitation, and renewable power storage, transmission and distribution are key areas that will employ many civil engineers within the next decade.

I encourage you to seriously consider the field of Civil Engineering because the demand for engineers continues to rise and being a civil engineer offers you unique opportunities to contribute to an important part of society. I also recommend you visit the web site for the American Society of Civil Engineers - ASCE.org. There you will see the important impacts that this profession has on the US and the world.

Hello David,

Civil engineers do design, build, and supervise infrastructure projects and systems. Civil engineers generally work in a variety of locations and conditions.

Civil engineers work on complex projects, and they can achieve job satisfaction in seeing the project reach completion. They usually specialize in one of several areas.

Construction engineers:- Manage construction projects, ensuring that they are scheduled and built in accordance with plans and specifications. These engineers typically are responsible for the design and safety of temporary structures used during construction. They may also oversee budgetary, time-management, and communications aspects of a project.

Geotechnical engineers:- Work to make sure that foundations for built objects ranging from streets and buildings to runways and dams, are solid. They focus on how structures built by civil engineers, such as buildings and tunnels, interact with the earth (including soil and rock). In addition, they design and plan for slopes, retaining walls, and tunnels.

Structural engineers:- Design and assess major projects, such as buildings, bridges, or dams, to ensure their strength and durability.

Transportation engineers:- Plan, design, operate, and maintain everyday systems, such as streets and highways, but they also plan larger projects, such as airports, ship ports, mass transit systems, and harbors.

You must have some important qualities to become a good Civil Engineers.

1. Decision making skills, 2. Leadership skills, 3. Math skills, 4. Organizational skills, 5. Problem-solving skills, 6. Speaking skills and Writing skills.

Since, you are in high school, you can attend engineering summer camps to see what these and other engineers do. Attending these camps can help you to plan their coursework for the remainder of their time in high school.

Civil engineers with ample experience may move into senior positions, such as project managers or functional managers of design, construction, operation, or maintenance. However, they would first need to obtain the Professional Engineering (PE) license, because only licensed engineers can assume responsibilities for public projects.