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Work or Masters for Civil Engineering degree??

Work or Masters for Civil Engineering degree??

Work or Masters for Civil Engineering degree??

(OP)
Hi everyone, I have been a member of this site for a while and every once in a while whenever I have a question I stop by here and search through the forums.

I am studying Civil Engineering right now and I will graduate in less than 2 years.

my first question is; is internship in summer more important than taking classes in summer?
and my second question is after I get my BS, should I take some time off from school and get a job, or should I go for masters right away..

and my last question is, I live in Los Angeles, CA; how much is the entry level salary for a civil engineer?

Any answer would be great. Thanks bigsmile

RE: Work or Masters for Civil Engineering degree??

I think the internship is more important than taking classes over the summer. And with the internship, you'll be better able to answer your next two questions for yourself, which is better than any advice we could give.

RE: Work or Masters for Civil Engineering degree??

I agree with 77JQX.

RE: Work or Masters for Civil Engineering degree??

depends...

if you can graduate a semester earlier by taking the summer classes, you could theoretically begin a full time job about 4 months sooner. Otherwise, internships are a good way to get a foot in the door and get hired more quickly.

Masters degree really depends on the field you want to work in. Not all entry level positions require a masters. However, if you plan to get a masters, doing it while the economy is in recession might be good timing.

Starting salary for engineers depends on the actual location as well as the particular industry you are in. It is usually tied to the cost of living, so higher salary means higher living costs means your net income after expenses remains about the same. You might want to expand your job search to Orange County, San Diego County and the Inland Empire. Given the sorry state of the economy in California, you might want to expand your search.

RE: Work or Masters for Civil Engineering degree??

(OP)
That's a very good advice. Thanks for shedding some light thumbsup2

RE: Work or Masters for Civil Engineering degree??

(OP)
I will give it some thought and try find some internship for this summer. Very excited to be and engineer :D

RE: Work or Masters for Civil Engineering degree??

Internships are a good way to get a foot in the door and get hired. It would be better to delay your degree than be out looking for work in a bad economy. Hopefully, the economy will be better by the time you graduate.

RE: Work or Masters for Civil Engineering degree??

Join the student ASCE chapter and use their resources to find a mentor.

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