How do I get a graduate job in civil and structural engineering?
A career in civil and structural engineering gives you a real opportunity to shape the world around you. Civil and structural engineers design and oversee the creation of the built environment.
Civil engineering jobs involve designing, building, testing and maintaining infrastructure, while the job of a structural engineer is to ensure that new and existing structures can withstand the pressure they need to.
How can I get a job as a civil or structural engineer?
The standard way to start your career in civil or structural engineering is to join a graduate scheme. Some employers will have fixed annual deadlines (often falling between November and February). Even if the deadline is 'open all year', many firms will hold their assessment centres during the autumn and winter months so it's worth sending in your civil or structural engineering application early.
A great many civil and structural engineers find a job after doing a work experience placement with a company during their first or penultimate year at university. If you show promise during your work experience placement, you may also be offered sponsorship through your remaining time at university. Many courses offer the opportunity to spend a year in industry but if yours doesn’t try to find a summer placement or, at the very least, a work shadowing opportunity.
What qualifications and skills do I need?
For most vacancies, you need a BEng or an MEng in civil or structural engineering that is accredited by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) or the Institution of Structural Engineers. In a few cases, you can get a job with a related degree (such as geography or another branch of engineering) or by pursuing postgraduate study.
Technical skills are essential, and you should have developed them during your university course – but they must be complemented by soft skills.
- Find out the top skills you need to get a graduate job as a civil or structural engineer
- Pursuing postgraduate study in a civil or structural engineering discipline
What does the application process involve for civil and structural engineering employers?
The larger engineering employers tend to prefer online applications. Smaller, specialist firms might want a CV and covering letter. Most employers accept applications throughout the year, but some have deadlines as early as November. In any case, it pays to apply early, as organisations may stop recruiting once all the positions are filled. Training an engineer is expensive, so expect a challenging recruitment process – you might well be asked to attend an interview, a technical interview and an assessment centre.
- Your queries about civil and structural engineering applications... answered
- A step-by-step guide to writing your application
- The quick guide to writing a CV and covering letter for civil engineering jobs
- How to impress at a civil and structural engineering job interview
- Tackling the technical interview
- Assessment centre advice for civil and structural engineering candidates
What’s the competition for civil and structural engineering graduate programmes like?
The number of graduate recruits a civil or engineering employer takes on often depends on the projects they successfully bid for; only the larger employers tend to recruit a standard number each year. Construction and engineering recruiters are tightening their belts in the recession. Make no mistake: many firms are still hiring, but usually in fewer numbers than three years ago. They can afford to be choosey when assessing applications. You will have to make sure that you take great care over your applications to ensure you won't be turned down because of a silly mistake.
Where can I work?
There tend to be two main types of employer in civil and structural engineering:
- Consultants focus on design work, spending a lot of time in the office or working with clients.
- Contractors do the physical construction, and are more likely to be based on site doing hands-on work.
However, there is no rigid divide: almost all engineers spend time both on site and in the office. And there are plenty of other places you could work – you just have to choose the right employer for you.
What are the different areas of work?
There’s a host of areas you could specialise in – and a few are open to graduates from a non-engineering discipline.
- Airports
- Bridges
- Buildings
- Coastal and marine
- Environmental
- Geotechnical
- Highways
- Offshore
- Power and energy
- Project management
- Rail
- Risk management
- Transport planning
- Tunnelling
What is working life like?
A contracting engineer is usually based on the construction site, keeping a vigilant eye on all the stages of building. If you opt for a consulting role, you are more likely to spend time in the office, drawing up plans and modelling possible situations for the structures you design. Find out more about working life from the graduate profiles and have a look at project features.
How much will I earn as a graduate civil or structural engineer?
The average starting salary for a graduate engineer is around £23,000 – according to the advertisers in TARGETjobs Civil & Structural Engineering 2009. Bear in mind that your salary may vary depending on your location: London salaries will probably include a London weighting.
Your salary increases as you climb up the career ladder, particularly when you gain professional qualification. Salary packages often include benefits such as a pension scheme, life insurance and health insurance.
What are the highs and lows of working in civil and structural engineering?
Most civil and structural engineers love their jobs. It’s exciting to play a major part in projects worth millions of pounds, which may affect millions of people. Seeing the tangible results of your work is incredibly satisfying: you can walk along a street and say ‘I built that!’ It also offers fantastic structured career progression. In some areas of specialism, the hours can be long and are often unpredictable but the work/life balance in civil and structural engineering is better than in most professional careers.
Further help and research
- Institution of Civil Engineers
- Institution of Structural Engineers
- Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors
