Civil Engineering?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>Is it a relatively easy job with great job prospects/job security?
With a couple years of experience, you can get a 100k salary?</p>

2

<p>1) No, if you think it’s going to be a cakewalk, you’re in for a rude awakening. Prospects in the broader sense are good, but the entire construction industry is in a great deal of pain right now and it’s tough to get hired.</p>

<p>2) No. I’ve got a masters degree in structures from Illinois and work for one of the superstar firms that design NFL stadiums. I’ve been working for five years and I have yet to break $80k. </p>

<p>“Because it’s easy” and “wanting to break $100k in a couple of years” are not good reasons to go into civil engineering.</p>

3

<p>^Agree! But it can be very rewarding to watch things built that you’ve designed. And you can work for yourself if you have the drive and ability.</p>

4

<p>Majoring in engineering is mostly about what you are passionate about and if you are majoring just for the money you will suffer and fail.</p>

5

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<p>Absolutely-- this is why I’m in the field. I think this is the right reason to be in it, too. I think that you really have to love watching buildings you helped design go up in order to really love what you do. </p>

<p>My latest baby:
[“Miracle</a> Bridge” Construction Begins as Texas Children’s Hospital Creates Iconic Structure to Connect Campus, Enhance Patient Care](<a href=“http://www.texaschildrens.org/allabout/news/2010/construction.aspx]"Miracle”>http://www.texaschildrens.org/allabout/news/2010/construction.aspx)</p>

<p>Edit to add a second link that I hadn’t seen until now (!):
<a href=“http://www.khou.com/community/blogs/beat-the-traffic/Beat-the-Traffic-Closures-for-construction-of-Texas-Childrens-Miracle-Bridge-104766594.html[/url]”>http://www.khou.com/community/blogs/beat-the-traffic/Beat-the-Traffic-Closures-for-construction-of-Texas-Childrens-Miracle-Bridge-104766594.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>:)</p>

<p>There’s not really any fame or fortune in it, but if you’re jazzed by the prospect of seeing something like this go from YOUR computer model and calculations and analysis, to ACTUAL, real life structures… Well, this is the field to be in.</p>

6

<p>^ Wow, cool bridge!! The article mentioned the architect, but not the engineer, right? Why does that happen so often? </p>

<p>My husband designed the very first skybridge in Maine, but it wasn’t nearly as complicated! I remember he had to go to some lengthy meetings to find out how to satisfy the Maine Dept. of Transportation requirements. I also remember seeing them put the prefabricated bridge in place. It involved a bunch of guys in flannel shirts waving their hands around a lot. It took a couple of tries to get it right.</p>

<p>I hope the project goes smoothly! You should post a link to photos of it when it’s completed.</p>