Geotechnical job question from a college student
Geotechnical job question from a college student
(OP)
My situation is the following:
I am from Europe and study in the UK. I just finished an exchange year in California and really enjoyed the Geotech Courses there.
After my graduation, in 2014, I am considering for signing up for a Masters Degree in Geotech back in the USA, due to the many
opportunities there. This is my only way of coming back to the US, because of the visa situation.
I am still not sure what should I do? I have never worked as a Geotech and I am not sure if im going to enjoy it. I want to try it before
I sign up for a MS program, but as I said it is kind of a vicious cirlcle, because in Europe it is very hard to find a job.
I just dont want to sign up for Geotech and waste 2 more years in school and then find out that I dont enjoy working it.
If someone can let me know if he/she enjoys working as a geotechnical engineer and maybe briefly decribe what kind of stuff he/she does:
- Amount of responsibilities
- Job Satisfaction
- Recognition
- Opportunities to grow
- Are companies currently of need for geotechs? or they need more strucutral engineers
I am from Europe and study in the UK. I just finished an exchange year in California and really enjoyed the Geotech Courses there.
After my graduation, in 2014, I am considering for signing up for a Masters Degree in Geotech back in the USA, due to the many
opportunities there. This is my only way of coming back to the US, because of the visa situation.
I am still not sure what should I do? I have never worked as a Geotech and I am not sure if im going to enjoy it. I want to try it before
I sign up for a MS program, but as I said it is kind of a vicious cirlcle, because in Europe it is very hard to find a job.
I just dont want to sign up for Geotech and waste 2 more years in school and then find out that I dont enjoy working it.
If someone can let me know if he/she enjoys working as a geotechnical engineer and maybe briefly decribe what kind of stuff he/she does:
- Amount of responsibilities
- Job Satisfaction
- Recognition
- Opportunities to grow
- Are companies currently of need for geotechs? or they need more strucutral engineers





RE: Geotechnical job question from a college student
There was a thread on another room where the person could not work with contractors. That, right now, had better not be a factor for most geotechs if you want to advance.
RE: Geotechnical job question from a college student
RE: Geotechnical job question from a college student
If I want to come and work in the US straight after I finish my Bachelors degree it would be close to impossible. But if I go to grad school there, finding a job in the summer breaks and
after I finish grad school would be a piece of cake. This is my main concern. I would love to go and work before I make a final decision, but employers seem not to consider me due to my
Bulgarian ethnicity.
I might follow your advice and just start in a laboratory or on a rig and get some feel about the tests and sampling.
If you could advice me on some companies around the UK I can maybe work for after graduation? Thanks again
RE: Geotechnical job question from a college student
Where I worked once, we hired many students part time. Some later became full time with us. At a Dept of Transportation we also did the same.
RE: Geotechnical job question from a college student
I'm sure you would be able to get a good job once you get your master's degree either in the USA or Canada. Good luck!
RE: Geotechnical job question from a college student
Contractor is a great way to get itno the industry and will give excellent experience but it will liekly be some time before you're doing much 'engineering'. you'll need to do a lot of logging and grunt work on site before you get to run projects and engineer/design works. try soil mechanics, norwest holst, geotechnics, geotechnical engineering, BAM Ritchies.
ive never worked in a lab so cant really comment on that however i would say that as a consultant engineer i wished i had worked there during my first 5 years. it always felt like i was specifying tests i didnt fully undertsand and a good grounding in a lab was somethign i felt i needed.
this is all only my own feelings and im sure others have their own which may differ. personally im happy with how my career has developed but in 10 years ive moved across industries quite a lot and am a long way from ground investigations in the UK these days but im happy!
RE: Geotechnical job question from a college student
I graduated with a degree in geology. I had no clue what I was going to do with it, but I managed to fine various jobs. (Mostly temporary jobs with government agencies.) For reasons unrelated to my career, I left Colorado and moved to Seattle, Washington. I really had no clue what I'd end up doing there! So, I opened the yellow pages (phone book) and looked up geology. Called the first listing and it was a geotechnical firm (I had never heard that term before - c. 1979). I accepted a job there and immediately was dispatched to Alaska to work on the field exploration for a large concrete arch dam. I logged soil and rock borings and ran seismic surveys. Ultimately, I worked as a field geologist for 8 years and it was great! At 30 years old, I got my master of engineering degree (Virginia Tech).
My advice to you is to go do some field work. Not construction inspection though (o.k. maybe a little, but not your primary job). Learn to log borings, classify soils, talk to the driller (i.e., learn about the entire realm of fugitive information, such as documenting the drilling rate, drilling chatter, changes in cuttings, water pressure when coring, etc.). Chew tobacco, get callouses, become water proof and learn all about the data limitations of our great profession.
Then get your masters.
That's my story and I love my job - always have.
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
RE: Geotechnical job question from a college student