A career as a civil engineer can be a rewarding and exciting experience, as you play a crucial role in the construction process. Ever-new evolvements in technology mean that a career as a civil engineer is not what it was 20 or even just 10 years ago. These rapid developments lead way to a new wave of passionate engineers keen on making their mark and designing some truly revolutionary things. However, stepping into this career is not something that can be done easily, and instead will require a great deal of learning as well as other core attributes. At Lydon Contracting, we take a closer look at what these are.
What qualifications do you need?
In terms of actual qualifications to be allowed to become a fully fledged civil engineer, here’s what you will need:
– A degree in engineering. This will usually take four years to earn. Depending on the exact route you will be looking to pursue, your degree needs to be accredited by either the Institute of Highway Engineers (IHE), Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Institution of Structural Engineers, or Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT).
– A master’s degree in engineering. This is a 2-year course which follows more advanced modules which give you deeper insight into practical applications of advanced engineering software.
– It is possible to become a civil engineer without these qualifications, but you will need plenty of industry experience combined with other relevant qualifications.
If you decide that from a younger age you would like to become a civil engineer, then focusing on these areas of study at secondary school and further education will help you:
– Maths
– Chemistry
– Biology
– Physics
– Computer science
What other core skills and attributes do civil engineers possess?
Beyond these qualifications, as a successful engineer, you will be required to possess and be willing to develop, a number of focal attributes and skills. This includes:
– A problem-solving attitude
– An analytical mind
– The ability to organise and prioritise
– Effective communication with teams
– Decisive decision making
– An ability to educate and lead
– Determination and perseverance
– Project management capabilities
What does the future hold?
As already mentioned, the world of civil engineering is always evolving, and there are exciting things on the horizon. Though it is hard to say exactly what the role will be like, here are some exciting avenues that are broadening:
– More environmental awareness. Civil engineers of the future will need to work hard to create innovative solutions to pressing environmental challenges.
– Bringing together developing nations. New waves of civil engineers will need to be recruited for developing solutions to modernise the way that developing nations live, and introduce them more to the global economy.
– Evolving transport systems. Within the last couple of years, there has been immense speculation around new modes of transport, such as the Hyperloop. It will be down to new civil engineers to evolve these futuristic ideas and make them a reality.
Within the UK at the moment, the government has laid out plans for many large developments in existing infrastructure, such as HS2, which will better connect London with the north of the UK. Stages of this plan are already set to begin, so will need to be overseen and developed by the next generation of engineers.
Lydon Contracting Ltd
Tel: 01327 811533
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