How to Become a Civil Engineer
A civil engineer helps build and maintain infrastructures such as roads, bridges, buildings, or water resources. They help get water, electricity, people, and goods from place to place by creating the infrastructure necessary to make transportation possible.
A Day In The Life
If you were a Civil Engineer, you’d spend your day…
Reviewing project plans, drafting designs using CAD and joining team meetings to align on tasks and schedules.
Inspecting ongoing work to ensure it meets safety standards and design specs, working with contractors to fix issues on the spot and documenting progress with photos and reports
Back in the office, you’d write reports, update permits, meet with clients or officials about costs and changes and spend time studying new regulations or tech to stay sharp.
Wanna see a Civil Engineer in action? Check out this video!
Is This Career Right for Me?
According to the Holland Codes, people in this career generally possess the following traits:
Challenges & Skills
No job is easy, but if you’ve got the right skills, you’ll be ready to handle anything that comes your way!
Challenges & Skills Needed to Overcome Them
Maintaining the safety of everyone on-site
Skills: Safety rule awareness and quick decision-making during emergencies
Dealing with safety/environment/building rules and regulations
Skills: Staying updated on regulations and ensuring organised documentation
Handling bad weather and environment
Skills: Planning for unpredictable conditions early and problem-solving skills on-site
Managing contracts and teams
Skills: Communication and negotiation skills, as well as conflict resolution and organisation
Using tech and monitoring tools
Skills: Having solid tech skills (CAD, data tools, sensors), data analysis and reporting
Fixing old or damaged structures
Skills: Structural inspection know-how and having planning & maintenance strategies
Sound like you? Then you might just have what it takes to tackle these challenges and thrive as a Civil Engineer!
Career Pathway
Thinking long term? This career path shows you how you can grow your role (and salary!) in the world of civil engineering.
With every step, you’ll gain more skills, responsibility and opportunities. If you’re passionate about engineering and architecture, this career path could be your perfect match!
Global Opportunities
Pros in this field are in demand everywhere—your career could literally take you places!
Top countries hiring professionals in this field:
United States
The U.S. needs lots of civil engineers to build roads, bridges and cities. Major cities like New York and Los Angeles have many job opportunities.
Canada
Canada’s booming construction sector and government infrastructure projects lead to a high demand for civil engineers. It’s also a great place to live and work.
Australia
Australia needs civil engineers for big projects like roads, buildings and energy. Cities like Sydney and Melbourne have plenty of job options.
We hope this guide has helped you understand what to expect and inspired you to explore a path that fits your strengths and passions. Good luck—and have fun discovering your future!
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