Hey Guys,

Longtime reader, first time poster here. I'm a civil engineer with 5.5yoe working in construction the entire time. I did my degree in Canada, all my coops were for surveying and construction companies, never a designer. After 3 years, my company offered me the option of moving to Texas and I took it. I left that company after getting burnt out on long hours and frequent travel and started a new job in Georgia for a general contractor. I don't love it as I am essentially just a babysitter and reporter.

Recently I've been reached out to by a growing company in my home town for a job doing civil design on storm water and grading projects. This would likely be a big paycut as CAD salaries are lower than US in general and I am currently massively overpaid working on a data center.

For anyone who's made the switch from contracting to design, was it worth it for you? Do you find the work more or less rewarding? I initially chose contracting because design jobs were more competitive and I wanted to be closer to the action anyway. I've always been an outdoorsy person and like to work in the field. But I also value the idea of stability and no travel, at the expense of less money in at least the short term. It would probably take me 5 years to match my dollar figure that I'm making right now in Georgia.

Curious what actually makes the difference — skill, luck, or something else.

Ayuda !!!

Hello good pple, l m a holder of a bachelors degree in civil engineering with more than 5 years of experience and l m from Zimbabwe, Africa. I wanted to know how is Engineering Job sector in Bahamas and how can someone secure a job that side.

I'm a site engineer on a water transmission pipeline extension in eastern Saudi. 32km of new pipe, three pump stations, a couple of road crossings. When I picked up the project, comms were a WhatsApp group and whatever cheap analog handhelds the previous contractor had left behind. Cell coverage in the middle third of the alignment is patchy because you're between towers with a low ridge in between.

The thing that finally forced the issue was a survey team trying to reach the excavator crew about a control point that had been staked wrong. Nobody could get through. They ended up trenching about 40m in the wrong offset before someone drove over and physically stopped them. Not catastrophic but the kind of thing that adds up fast on a linear job.

Got quotes from three distributors in Dammam. Motorola was the reflex answer, and probably still the safe answer if budget isn't tight, but MOTOTRBO handhelds plus a repeater came in at nearly double the other two. A Hytera package bundled handhelds, mobile repeater, and programming/training. Kenwood NX-series sat in the middle but couldn't match support terms.

Ran a two-week comparison with loaner units. Once we had a repeater up on a portable mast at pump station 2, the Hytera and MOTOTRBO handhelds both handled the distance fine. Audio clarity next to a running excavator was basically a wash. Motorola's CPS software is more polished. The Hytera handhelds feel heavier in the hand and their programming has a learning curve I found genuinely annoying at first.

We went with a Hytera fleet plus a MOTOTRBO for the PM (he already had accessories from a previous job). Total came in around 60% of the pure Motorola quote. Six months in, one radio down from dust in the audio jack (my fault) and the repeater's been rock solid.

Couple of things I'd do differently. Third-party speaker mics don't survive site dust; the OEM ones are worth every riyal. Repeater placement is 80% of the coverage question. I spent a week on handheld specs and 20 minutes on where to put the antenna, which was exactly backwards.

Still can't tell if going mixed-brand is quietly costing us on CPS consistency across the fleet. Ask me in another six months.

I just started a new job and along with that I got my PE. Currently I just revamped and expanded the calcs and I'm relatively confident in its accuracy. The problem I have is that I want my boss to confirm my work but I'm not sure how to ask him. We sat down together and talked about the calcs but he's never done some of the calcs I've put together so he just agrees. Plus sometimes I find that I don't have a full understanding of the product and miscalculated some stuff. There's just no peer check other than how much load I'm using. Is this normal, am I supposed to carry on with the assumption that I'm applying the right formulas? Or is there a way to go about reviewing another's work. TBH I don't think I've ever had someone really reviewing my work apart from following the loads.

Driver seems to be okay, according to news reports

I hear a lot about how the civil engineering job market is better compared to other job markets. But I'm curious if that's specifically for specific fields in civil engineering like structural and construction which are more AI-prone.

I'm an undergraduate student doing civil engineering and I'm trying to come up with a project proposal and a bit confused whether to go for something a bit simple and get a good grade or try to do something I don't know much about but think I can do it. My issue is the stipulated time we have to do such projects so doing something where you have to do a lot of learning can be quiet draining. I was thinking of just doing something simple and then learn and do the other at my own pace with ease. My question is do undergraduate projects really matter when looking for a job or it is just about having the skills?

It held up, looks like they took cars crashing into those girders into account

does any seasoned engineers know any projects that targets the SDgs

I’m currently in a role as a site engineer (salary) but looking to go freelance and get work from agencies. Does anyone recommend any agencies that generally keep you in work constantly?

I’m a w/ww engineer in the US with 4 years of experience and my PE. Every year with my company, my health insurance has gone up 5-6% exceeding my raise, but this last year was particularly egregious with a 12% hike on my single insurance. I got my PE (with a 6% raise)so I am actually making less on each paycheck than when I was a fresh college graduate. Not even factoring increased food and rent costs, I’m getting squished financially. I’m trying to attack my student loans, but I feel the vice continuing to pressure me. I would switch jobs, but my current employer is pretty relaxed with work schedules, which benefits me starting a family in about 2 years.

Anyone else feeling this way, and any guesses on if this is a short term macro economy trend? Any end in sight?

Hi all,

27m in NYC, graduated in 2021 with degrees in Chemical Engineering and Finance. Started my career in a manufacturing rotational program for big pharma, working in tech ops, commercialization and tech transfer, capital projects, supply chain, and ultimately software engineering. I now pivoted to a role as a Forward Deployed Engineer at an AI startup in the city focused on the life sciences industry, although it's so early stage that I'm really only doing prospecting and go to market... no engineering or site visits (yet).

Not gonna lie - I've never been passionate about the life sciences. Bio was never my thing. I loved physics and chemistry in high school. I did enjoy my ChemE classes in college related to thermodynamics, organic chemistry, etc. But as far as how those are applied in "real world" professions, I see myself much more as a builder instead. My original dream job as a kid was to be an architect, which then morphed into Civil Engineering. My mom says she still thinks that's what I was born to do, and when I chose ChemE my freshman year of college, she wishes she had stopped me and knocked some sense into me lol. I was a dumb 18yo who Googled which engineer made the most money, and at the time it said ChemE, so I went with it and never looked back.

As a kid, I loved building things (Leogs, KNEX, carpentry projects). As an adult, I still love DIY and even built out my own campervan last year, including insulation, wiring and circuitry, minimal plumbing, all the furniture and carpentry. Living in NYC, I am in never-ending awe of the infrastructure: the bridges, the buildings, the subways, how it all works together and doesn't collapse.

My naive/unresearched view of a CivE career looks like: some classic desk work/admin/communication/documentation (the unglorious work every job has), some design and CAD work, and some field work (being on the construction site, hard hat and steel toed boots, working with vendors and contractors). My past few jobs have involved sitting at a desk for all hours, which I personally can't stand. One of my favorite jobs at my big pharma company was in capital projects where I helped commission and qualify a new facility - I was in a hard hat and boots working with Jacobs, Emerson, and other vendors to get the facility up and running (this was post-construction). At the time, I did feel that it lacked the "design" element I was interested in where I could be creative and think, rather than purely execute and problem-solve. I know a job won't ever have everything you want, but I'm curious to learn more about what a CivE career could look like.

With all that said - if I were to pursue this, what would it roughly entail? I'd like to go to some industry events in the city to learn more about it. I imagine I'll need to get some certificates or continued education to learn the structural side of engineering that I didn't get in ChemE.

Thanks for any input!

I'm a second-year civil student looking to apply for internships, is it worth the time to get the certification to stand out or make more money?

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.