What is an example of the work load a Civil Engineer would on a daily basis? How about a Chemical Engineer? Whats the difference?
I'm asking this question because Civil and Chemical Engineering both caught my eye when choosing what to major in. I know both of these occupations involve a lot of math and scientific knowledge. But is it really something that would interest me on a day to day basis? What would a Civil or Chemical engineer do exactly? #engineering
2 answers
Alexander’s Answer
I think it is kind of like asking how long is a piece of string. Depending on who you work for (government, private, non-profit) and what type of civil engineering (client, consultancy, contractor) will determine what you do on a daily basis. To give you an idea I'll give you a "typical" day in the life of three civil engineers who work for government, consultancy and a contractor.
Government (Client): You'll like this type of job if you like managing people and finance, like being indoors most of the time, are want a work life balance.
- Reviewing the work the consultant has submitted (reports, drawings)
- Managing the consultant (checking to make sure they are delivering their work on time and are not over budget)
- Attending meeting to discuss upcoming projects, budget meetings and meetings with the community
- You get ultimate choice in which project design you like from the those provided by you consultant
Consultant: You'll like this type of job if you are driven, what to apply everything you learn at university, design cool things (tunnels/bridges/etc.)
- Produce: drawings, reports, presentations
- Design pump stations, dams, roads, bridges, tunnels
- Problem solving, a lot of problem solving.
- Writing proposals (marketing ourselves to current and future clients)
- You get to design lots of different types of projects to show to the client but you ultimately don't choose which design gets built.
Contractor: You'll like this type of work if you hate being stuck inside behind a computer, like working with a variety of people, are practical and don't like theory and more of a people person
- Managing a workforce that is actually building the project (tunnel, road, dam, etc.)
- Ordering supplies (supply chain management) such as steel, concrete, wood,
- Estimating cost of material, how long it will take to build the project
- You don't have any influence on the design of the project, only how it is built.
Simon’s Answer
Honestly engineering is so diverse you could start in consulting and then move to an in-house engineer if you didn't like consulting. Government jobs are general longer and larger. I'd concentrate on your specialty at this time, and a little later sort out who you might want to work for. Good engineers, especially project engineers, are in high demand. Good luck.