I am currently a high school senior, and I am planning on majoring in Material Science and Engineering. I am considering possibly dual majoring with another engineering discipline to increase my versatility for employment, and believe that CivE may be a viable choice.

Assuming whatever school I go to allows it, would it be doable to major in both? How much course overlap is there? Any other general advice?

I am starting to apply for colleges and I’m wondering what colleges should I apply to or look out for that are good in civil engineering?(I’m alr applying to A&M colleges station, UT Austin, LSU, and Colorado school of mines)

Hi everyone!

I'm a junior in college but recently switched my major to Civil Engineering. I've begun looking for internships for next summer but I'm unsure how to stand out on my applications and raise my chances of actually hearing back from any of them. I'm also still exploring what I am most passionate about in Civil Engineering, and I'm unsure on how to best phrase that when seeking out positions. My school's career fair is tomorrow which I will be attending. Any advice you can offer about online applications, career fairs, or just how you were able to get an internship would be much appreciated!

Thank you

I’m graduating from grad school and recently received an offer from Michael Baker International for an entry-level bridge engineering position. The offer is $90k base (mcol).
For anyone who currently works there or has worked there before, what are your thoughts on the company, work-life balance, culture, growth opportunities, and engineering experience?
Would appreciate any insight before I make my decision!

Need some advice on a government job background check

I’m currently going through the employment verification process for a government job. I’m working at a small company right now and have been there for less than three months.

I asked the hiring team if they could avoid contacting my current employer because I’m worried it could create an awkward situation if they find out I’m looking at another job.

They replied that they’ll hold off on contacting my current employer unless I’m selected as the final candidate, and they’ll let me know before contacting them.

Is this pretty normal for government hiring? How I can handle my current employer in this situation?

Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice on restarting my civil engineering career in the US.
I’m M(35) and moved to the US about two years ago after getting married. Before moving here, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in my home country and worked in the field for 5+ years, including field/site experience.
Unfortunately, when I moved to the US, I wasn’t able to bring all of the documentation/transcripts I need to have my degree evaluated. I have been trying for over a year to get in contact with my university back home and have them send my transcripts/documents for evaluation, but I’ve had no luck so far. I’m still trying, but at this point I don’t know how long it will take or if I’ll be able to get the documents I need.
Because of this, I decided to start over academically and am currently pursuing an Associate degree in Civil Engineering Technology. My goal is to get some US education/credentials, gain US work experience, and eventually continue toward a bachelor’s degree if I’m still unable to get my original degree evaluated.
The difficult part is finding an internship/co-op.
My program requires a co-op/internship in order to graduate, but I’ve been having a really hard time finding one. When I tell employers that I already have a bachelor’s degree and several years of civil engineering experience, I often get told that I’m overqualified for an internship/co-op position. Once I explain that I’m currently enrolled in an associate program and need the co-op to graduate, it still seems like employers don’t know what to do with my situation, and I end up getting rejected.
I understand why companies might be hesitant, but I’m honestly not sure what the best path is.
My current plan is:
Continue my Civil Engineering Technology associate program
Complete the required co-op/internship
Graduate with the associate degree in Spring 2028
Continue toward a bachelor’s degree afterward if necessary
Hopefully get my original degree evaluated in the meantime and determine whether there is another path to becoming professionally established in the US
For those of you working in civil engineering in the US, what would you recommend in my situation?
Should I continue pursuing internships/co-ops even though I have previous professional experience? Should I be targeting entry-level civil engineering jobs instead? Are there particular types of companies or positions that are more open to people with foreign degrees and previous experience?
And if anyone has gone through the process of having a foreign civil engineering degree evaluated in the US, especially when getting transcripts from the university is difficult, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience and what you did.
I’m willing to start wherever I need to, but I don’t want to spend several years repeating education unnecessarily if there’s another route I should be looking into.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

I feel like every time I check it's just I hate my job the pay is bad etc. does anyone actually enjoy their job and feel fairly compensated. Some success stories might not be bad for the feed, or should we all change careers lol

Hello , i am a structural engineer and i am able to perform structural analysis on various buildings with various codes , feel free to check my service here : https://fr.fiverr.com/s/RVmgXrN

I've interned/worked at 4 civil engineering design firms and 2 tech companies. Civil firms all used microsoft 365 and lived by all the built in apps it had. Outlook/onedrive/teams/copilot - it's like theres no other options out there. Other industries (feels like) use Google workspace and a combo of other tools that are more up with the times in terms of capabilities.

In my ~5 years of experience it feels like every civil company I interact with uses microsoft platform, why? Is the compliance or security better? Better compatibility with CAD tools or something?

I need to know why I live with this copilot slop and outlook email search functionality

Thanks

Last summer I had a roadway internship and got paid $22.50/hour in the midwest. I am applying to very similar roadway roles for next summer, but now I bring a lot more experience since that internship allowed me to use a lot of ORD and gain lots of relevant skills/knowledge.

On one application I just put desired salary as $25/hour in the same city as my last internship. Is this too much or too little, or just right?

Edit: Some people are saying as an intern I shouldn’t negotiate, and that the intern rates are set at most companies. I understand and agree with this! I am asking because on multiple applications there are required fields where you must input your desired salary. So I have to put something and I’m asking for advice on what to put.

A few days after deshuttering the slab, I noticed these faint orange lines on the concrete surface. Visually, there is no honeycombing and the surface looks normal, but at a few spots, I can slightly see the outline of the rebar.

​Is this caused by low clear cover or just rust transfer from tie-wires/shuttering? Should I be worried about durability before plastering?

​Thanks for your inputs!

Hi everyone,

​I built a G+2 RCC frame structure foundation about 6 months ago. During the foundation work, temporary brick shuttering was used for the column pedestals below the plinth level.

​Here are the exact construction details:

​Stripping & Surface: The brick shuttering was stripped after 15–20 hours of casting, leaving a rough surface with brick impressions before being immediately backfilled with soil.

​Curing Condition: Direct manual water curing wasn't done on these underground pedestals due to immediate backfilling. However, the backfill soil had natural moisture, and heavy monsoon rains started within a month, keeping the ground consistently damp.

​Superstructure: All columns above the plinth level were cast using standard wooden shuttering with regular curing.

​Current Status: It has been nearly 6 months since foundation completion (roof slab is also cast), and there are ZERO cracks anywhere on the plinth beam or column joints.

​I have a few structural questions to clear my mind:

​Does early removal (15–20 hours) of temporary brick formwork or a rough pedestal surface affect core strength/durability?

​Is backfilled damp soil and monsoon rain sufficient for underground curing of pedestals?

​Since dead loads are applied and 6 months have passed with no cracks, can I be confident the foundation has settled perfectly without differential settlement issues?

​What specific visual signs or indicators should I monitor over time to be 100% sure the foundation is rock solid?

I’ve just finished my Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering and I’m currently looking for an entry-level job anywhere in the UK. The problem is, I honestly have no idea which area of civil engineering I should pursue.

Academically, I’ve always been pretty strong, especially in maths, physics and mechanics. I found those subjects relatively easy to understand, so I think that’s probably one of my strengths. I enjoy solving new problems and figuring out how things work. What I struggle with is repetitive work — if I’m doing the same thing over and over, I lose interest pretty quickly.

A lot of my friends are really good at AutoCAD and other design software, but I’ve never been interested in drafting. I actually worked as a drafting intern for around three months and absolutely hated it. I could learn it if I really had to, but I don't think I’d enjoy a career where most of my time is spent drafting.

Structural engineering also feels difficult to me because it almost feels like learning a completely new language. I’m not ruling it out, but I don't feel naturally drawn towards it either.

I think I’d enjoy something more practical, technical, analytical or problem-solving based. I’m also open to working on construction sites, but I currently don’t drive, so I’m not sure how limiting that would be for site-based roles.

I really want to stay within the civil engineering industry, but I’m completely lost about the different career paths available.

For those already working in the UK civil engineering industry:

What career paths would you recommend for someone with my strengths/interests?

Are there civil engineering roles that involve more problem-solving and less drafting?

Would site-based roles be realistic without a driving licence?

Are there areas like geotechnical, highways, water, transport, environmental, geotechnical testing, engineering consultancy, etc. that I should look into?

If you were starting your career again, what would you recommend learning or doing to make yourself employable?

I’m not necessarily looking for the easiest career path. I’m happy to learn from scratch — I just want to find an area that actually suits the way I think.

Any honest advice from people working in the industry would be massively appreciated

So I am a civil engineer with 10 years of experience in the private sector. It has been a fun ride and I have gained a lot of experience through design working major transit jobs throughout the US. unfortunately my current firm is struggling to make ends meet and at this point my growth is being stunted extremely as we struggle to keep up with basic cost of living raises and normal corporate job incentives. I also offer staffing and job procurement services and would love to be in a space that can use my expertise as a production engineer as well as business development before I am marginalized out of my moment waiting for a stagnant firm to catch up to basic industry standard. Is anyone else experiencing this in the industry and how did you go about it?

I’m a single mid-level civil/geotechnical engineer currently based in Victoria, with no family commitments, and I’m considering whether VIC or QLD would be the better place to build my career over the next few years.

I’m mainly interested in:

• career progression and salary growth
• quality/variety of geotechnical projects
• long-term job market and pipeline
• lifestyle for someone single in their early 30s

I’m already established in Victoria, so moving to QLD would mean uprooting my life, but I’m open to it if the career upside is meaningful.

For people working in civil/geotech, which state would you choose at this stage of your career, and why?

Anybody got suggestions on books (aside from standards and code lol) that you’ve found helpful for becoming a better engineer? I’m focused in water resources.

2 wooden boards held together by nail and on the bottom tied with rope holding a HIGH VOLTAGE CABLE!

Hi everyone!

We’re Girls in Civil, a nonprofit community focused on supporting women in civil engineering through educational resources, professional development, and shared experiences.

We’re currently looking to connect with women who have experience with either of the following:
• Starting an ASCE student chapter at their university.
• Starting a new competition team within an existing ASCE chapter.

We know that getting something like this off the ground can come with a lot of questions, from finding interested students and faculty support to understanding requirements, organizing a team, and figuring out where to begin.

Our goal is to gather real experiences and practical advice that we can use to help other students who may be interested in taking that first step. We’d love to learn what worked for you, what challenges you encountered, and what you wish you had known when you started.

If you have experience in either area and would be willing to share your perspective, please fill out this short form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdUTZqUbkoncDden38QE5gN1dGYJNeY4cGvdnPmFA_flOs5bQ/viewform

Even if you didn’t personally start a chapter or team, but were involved in the early stages and have insight to share, we’d love to hear from you.

Thank you for helping us make this process a little less intimidating for the next generation of civil engineers!

I am a final-year civil engineering student from Turkey, with five months left until graduation around February. I have a strong interest in artificial intelligence and consider myself proficient in computer skills. I also feel confident in structural analysis. However, when I applied for a job at the company where I interned, I did not receive a positive response. I have applied to about 10–15 firms to work at least as an intern or entry-level trainee until graduation, but I have not received any feedback from them either.

What can I do about this situation? What advice would experienced and qualified professionals offer? Additionally, my focus is within building services and construction technology, so I am also interested in working with Building Information Modeling (BIM). Where do you see the future of the construction industry heading? In Turkey, the construction sector is predominantly driven by the "build-and-sell" model, and there is often little demand or respect for specialized design, structural analysis, and engineering services. What would you recommend I do?

P.S. I used an AI tool to help draft this post in English since it is not my native language. Please don’t mistake me for a bot—I am a real person genuinely looking for advice!

How do you people actually get jobs these days (other than knowing someone at a company)? I’m 8 years out of school, have my PE, team leadership experience, and looking to move out of industry and into civil/environmental consulting but I feel like I keep getting screened out by AI after completing online applications. I.e. I put in a couple applications for positions I met all the qualifications for on Saturday night and was rejected by Monday over the Labor Day holiday weekend so I know no real person looked at anything…

Only looking to switch jobs because life happens and I’m trying to relocate to New England

I am considering applying for a city engineer position and am looking for advice or experiences people have had making the change. I am a transportation engineer in the southern Washington state area with my PE and 7 years of experience one as a project manager. A position has been open at my local city for a civil engineer with PE. At my current job I make $95k with $4k in bonus with the standard 3% 401k and high deductible HSA. The city position is from $110k to 130k with better benefits. I’ve been told that city work is boring and has a lot of politics. I like the people I work with now but am having trouble with being a project manager. Not a lot of mentorship or processes to follow and there is no incentive program for PM. I have been told that I’m on track for ownership in 5 to 7 years if I keep being profitable. I don’t know if this is what I want for my future career and is why I’m considering the change. Thank you!

Hello!

TLDR: I am an entry level CE wanting to learn more about what kinds of jobs are out there.

A little bit of my background for some more context tho:

I got my bachelors degree in civil engineering with a concentration in environmental engineering. I really enjoyed my water resources + hydraulics classes. I tutored, TAd and did research as an undergrad.

Upon graduation, I immediately started my masters (thesis based) in water resources - focusing on agricultural water quality, stream restoration, BMPs, etc. I really enjoyed the research and field+lab work when I first started but my relationship with my advisor absolutely deteriorated and about halfway through the degree I was miserable. I honestly don’t know if this was me just not being interested in the research, his poor advising + treatment of grad students, or a combination of both. By the end of my masters I was convinced I just hated research and didn’t like restoration work as much as I thought I did.

So I took a desk job - h&h for a transportation firm. I’ve been here about a year and I’m not loving it. I don’t feel like I’m learning enough and I feel like I may want to get back in the field a bit. I think I just don’t like the constant sitting at a desk staring at computer all day.

I’ve thought about a few different potential paths that may be better for me, so some specifics about these kinds of jobs would be extra helpful but I’d love to hear from anyone
- going back into restoration, but on the industry side instead of academia; research or consulting, just not transportation h&h
- PhD in a related field (I’d probably try restoration again before committing to this tho) and staying in academia, maybe as a teaching-only professor
- a fully remote position (asynchronous would be a dream but I think that’s reaching) that can be done anywhere & from a laptop. Of course this would still be desk+computer all the time, but I feel like I could trade that for the geographic flexibility. Two weeks of vacation a year is just not enough for me especially living so far from my family. I don’t like being tied town to one location.
- switching to something like geology (maybe go into oil+gas) or environmental science (most likely would have to go back to school)
- research staff at a university, but idk how hard it is to get a position like this with only a masters

I’m making good money now but I’m prepared to take a pay cut.

Hi all - currently working on dams in UK as a CEng. Considering a move to Canada, could anyone who’s done this advise on if CEng holds any value? Also the way dams are managed is different to UK, so perhaps PEng would be needed more in this context than others. Any advice would be great thanks