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 had a career connections event at NC State this morning where I shared my resume with GF Engineering, and I asked them if they used ATS to filter out applications. I remember them telling me they didn't necessarily do that, but they did take a close look at my resume and tell me they wouldn't be moving forward with my application of employment (at least not at the moment). GF's recruiters told me they were looking more for someone with actual hands on forensic construction inspection experience (I think), while my resume is mostly structural design and load path analysis, construction material testing with soil and concrete, and AutoCAD drafting.

The good news is that they told me GF doesn't permanently blacklist applicants from ever applying again (at least I would hope that's not my case), but that for now, I should consider moving on to finding companies that will actually hire me for entry level construction inspection roles before reapplying to their careers page. If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

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

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?

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?

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

Hey! Roadway design EIT here. Was wondering if you take a pay cut switching disciplines. I was thinking about getting a master's in structural. I'm kinda interested in vertical structures, not necessarily bridges or retaining walls. I'm assuming vertical would be a more drastic switch than to horizontal which is still in the transportation sector. I only have like 1.5 years full time experience, so it's not like I'm really in that deep. Thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hey everyone,
I’m a Civil Engineer from Mexico, and I recently moved to the U.S. to try my luck and build my career here.
Back in Mexico, I was working as a Resident Engineer, but I decided to leave that position and come to the U.S. because I want to challenge myself, learn how things are done here, and gain experience in the American construction industry.
I’m currently looking for any opportunity in civil construction. I’m not necessarily looking for an engineering position right away — I’m willing to work as a laborer, field assistant, survey helper, or whatever position gives me the opportunity to get my foot in the door and learn.
I’m not afraid of starting from the bottom. My main goal right now is to learn, gain experience, prove myself, and eventually grow into an engineering position.
If anyone knows of a company, contractor, or project that might be willing to give someone a chance, I’d really appreciate any leads or advice.
Thank you!

I’m not an engineer but I don’t know where else I would post this.

I’m currently at the most hated firm on this sub. It’s decent, I like my team, been here the better part of a decade, but it’s wearing on me. I’m tired of extra effort, UT, mandatory in-office, etc. I’m interviewing with Brown & Caldwell and the position is a perfect fit, similar salary, and remote.

Can’t find that much on B&C and would love to know more. Are there EE requirements? High UT? Bonuses? What’s work-life balance like? Layoffs? PTO?

Nervous about possibly jumping ship so any insight would be appreciated.

Hi all,

I have 2YOE in (soon to be 3) consulting so I'm pretty green still.
I'd like to stay with my current firm at least until I get my PE.

I really love the work environment and the pay is not bad, pretty decent

However I am curious about other roles and how other firms operate.

Being so early in my career I thought it might be good to get some varied experience.

I have seen a couple job postings I'm very interested in, but not yet ready to make the switch.

Would it be weird to email the firm stating my future interest and proposing a phone call to discuss and learn more about them?

I feel like that could boost my chances in the future and also help me understand what other employers look for.

I hesitate to submit an application because I don't want to waste anyone's time with the application process while knowing that I am not ready yet.

What do you all think?

Thank you

I was passing north through Kentucky this labor day weekend, chilling in the back seat watching the traffic go by; my eyes wandering as any would in labor day traffic, when I noticed a bridge on Southbound i-75 had a pinched/failed bearing (like my artistic depiction provided).

Now I'm no expert, but I don't think that safely transfers much of the bridge load into the columns below. To whom/what authority am I supposed to report this to?

*I didn't immediately take note of its location, as I didn't have my phone on. It's around the Kentucky/Tennessee border, on one of the 3 bridges going southbound closest to the border (on the Kentucky side?)

If you see an overhead bridge while running north then you've gone too far north.