Structural or Water Resources: Which travels more?
Structural or Water Resources: Which travels more?
(OP)
I'd like to ask for some of your advice regarding travel opportunities in civil engineering.
I'm a third year civil engineering undergraduate studying in the US. My school's department offers several concentrations, including structural and water resources. I'm on the fence right now between choosing structural or water resources. For me personally, travel opportunities may be a deal breaker. From a little internet research, it seems that work in the structural field can have a lot of opportunity for travel, depending on the firm. However, I haven't found very much information as to whether or not water resources engineers travel for their work.
From your experience, how difficult is it for a water resources engineer to find work-related travel opportunities? On a related note, do you think that my concentration will restrict my career choices? (i.e. can I go into the structural field with a water resources concentration, and vice versa?)
Thank you for your help!
I'm a third year civil engineering undergraduate studying in the US. My school's department offers several concentrations, including structural and water resources. I'm on the fence right now between choosing structural or water resources. For me personally, travel opportunities may be a deal breaker. From a little internet research, it seems that work in the structural field can have a lot of opportunity for travel, depending on the firm. However, I haven't found very much information as to whether or not water resources engineers travel for their work.
From your experience, how difficult is it for a water resources engineer to find work-related travel opportunities? On a related note, do you think that my concentration will restrict my career choices? (i.e. can I go into the structural field with a water resources concentration, and vice versa?)
Thank you for your help!





RE: Structural or Water Resources: Which travels more?
Those are really two drastically different disciplines. And, you have to make a determination on your own, which you would like the most, we can’t make that for you. The discipline choice is probably the most important, they are not interchangeable, your third and forth years of school will be dictated by that choice, and you’ll live with that choice for years. As for travel too, that is tough to pin down. Many consulting offices of either stripe work within a several state region so you might get some travel to that extent. Other large international consulting firms certainly have international travel and project opportunities, but you have to hunt these out. And, many of those same firms have large staffs who do most of the grunt engineering work, right here at home, without ever going any further than home and the local sandwich shop.
RE: Structural or Water Resources: Which travels more?
RE: Structural or Water Resources: Which travels more?
But as you're a youngster (I've always wanted to say that), let me warn you that travel is not all luxury or even enjoyable. Early morning, redeye, or connecting flights are the norm. I spend considerable time in sewage influent channels or crawling through some pipe. Time away from your family causes them stress. Eating restaurant food is not always great or healthy and you're normally all by yourself. It's tempting to have a few drinks, which can turn into a problem. And you have to travel where they tell you. It's not all Hawaii and Breckinridge. There's flights to one airport, and a four hour drive to Armpit, Iowa.
RE: Structural or Water Resources: Which travels more?
RE: Structural or Water Resources: Which travels more?