Civil Engineering is hazardous to your career prospects

[NegativeSlope]

<p>

Economic and industry conditions can change in four years. Those who majored in the “hot” majors in 2005-2006 (e.g. civil engineering) graduated into the crash. Meanwhile, the computer / IT bust of the early 2000s caused enrollment in CS to drop significantly at around the same time, but CS is now one of the better majors for job and career prospects.</p>

<p>This does not mean the civil engineering job and career prospects will be good in four years, but it also means that it is unlikely to be permanently bad (unlike for some majors where there is a constant oversupply of graduates relative to major-specific jobs, regardless of the economic and industry cycles).

I have a question: suppose someone (let’s call him Steve) majors in civil engineering in 2006, gets good grades, and picks up a few months of internship experience. He graduates in 2010 and can’t find any engineering jobs, so he drives a truck the next few years in order to pay off his student loans.</p>

<p>In 2015, the construction industry returns to normal. Can Steve get back into the civil engineering field if he puts in a reasonable effort into finding entry-level engineering jobs? Or will he be forced to go to graduate school to keep his skills fresh? I doubt that the engineering field will be much different in 2015 than in 2010, but I’m wondering how employers will look at this.</p>