Hello all! I am new to the civil world (start my 1st job Monday!) and just wanted to pick a few of your brains. My new job will mainly be municipal services, but I'm curious to know what those of you have to say about the private side of things. Are there things you really (and don't really) like about your jobs? Any pointers for a rookie engineer? Also, if I decide to go into the construction side of engineering, will it be more beneficial to attain my PE first? Better yet, is a PE even needed for that type of work? Sorry for the long post!
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just curious...
- Thread starter vapdx
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Work under a professional engineer that you can learn from and enjoy. Get your PE. Find a mentor - somebody that will explain things and keep you interested. One day, you'll return the favor. Go to society meetings (i.e., ASCE) and meet other folks, whether you work in private practice or public service. Introduce yourself and learn what other's are doing. Ask yourself if that is stuff that you'd like to do. Read journals and magazines. Be patient, the stupidest stuff you do today will build character and knowledge for tomorrow.
Get a hobby, play the guitar, join a soccar team. Being out of college is great!
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
Get a hobby, play the guitar, join a soccar team. Being out of college is great!
f-d
¡papá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!
Vpadx,
Welcome to the wonderful 'civil' world of engineering. I have been in both the private sector and public sector of civil engineering and actually get more satisfaction in the public side. One benefit I have found in the public side is that you get to design a project, go through the bidding and contract award, actually get to see the project built, and then get to live with it good or bad. I think you learn a lot more about the construction side of engineering when you see how the design doesn't always fit the "real" world conditions. It makes me pay more attention to how things are actually constructed.
The private sector has its advantages too, such as much better pay, the prospect for working on more complex projects and many times a wider variety of projects. A few of the aspects of the private sector that drove me to the public sector as a mid-grade engineer were 1) too many bosses that wanted their project done "NOW" at the expense of the other bosses; 2) being responsible for a project that some salesman developed the scope and budget for and obviously didn't have a clue as to how much effort it would really take; and 3)having to work mandatory overtime, which we weren't compensated for yet the client was charged for it. Don't get me wrong, I didn't mind working overtime when the project required it, but to charge the client 1-1/2 times for the overtime when they aren't even paying the staff is just wrong.
Sorry, this is starting to sound like a rant.
Definitely get your PE regardless of where your career takes you. Obtaining your PE is the best way to tell your boss or future bosses that you are serious about your career.
Best of Luck in where ever life leads you.
Welcome to the wonderful 'civil' world of engineering. I have been in both the private sector and public sector of civil engineering and actually get more satisfaction in the public side. One benefit I have found in the public side is that you get to design a project, go through the bidding and contract award, actually get to see the project built, and then get to live with it good or bad. I think you learn a lot more about the construction side of engineering when you see how the design doesn't always fit the "real" world conditions. It makes me pay more attention to how things are actually constructed.
The private sector has its advantages too, such as much better pay, the prospect for working on more complex projects and many times a wider variety of projects. A few of the aspects of the private sector that drove me to the public sector as a mid-grade engineer were 1) too many bosses that wanted their project done "NOW" at the expense of the other bosses; 2) being responsible for a project that some salesman developed the scope and budget for and obviously didn't have a clue as to how much effort it would really take; and 3)having to work mandatory overtime, which we weren't compensated for yet the client was charged for it. Don't get me wrong, I didn't mind working overtime when the project required it, but to charge the client 1-1/2 times for the overtime when they aren't even paying the staff is just wrong.
Sorry, this is starting to sound like a rant.
Definitely get your PE regardless of where your career takes you. Obtaining your PE is the best way to tell your boss or future bosses that you are serious about your career.
Best of Luck in where ever life leads you.
Congratulations! I spent two summers and one full year working for the federal government before I jumped ship to the private side and have been private for 6 years now. Personally, I had a hard time dealing with the lack of work ethic with my government employee peers and was eager for more challenges. However, I know some government jobs can offer the challenges I was seeking. Now in the private world, I get the experience and challenge I was yearning for, but I also WORK MY TAIL OFF! Now that I'm married and have my first child, I can see the virtues in a more relaxed and less stressful job (government). However, would I go back? Never!
That's what I think and sometimes I'm right
)
That's what I think and sometimes I'm right
)- Thread starter
- #5
Thank You very much to everyone who responded. You have all given me very good advice and information on your own personal experiences. I am truly excited to get started on my career. The only way to know what is best for me is to try a little of everything! My main goal for right now is to find a PE mentor. I have a friend who graduated in 2006 with his BS and specialized in Structures. He started on his masters full-time right after graduation, but after a year he needed the income and got on with a private SE firm, and continued his Masters at night. Long story short, he was pretty much thrown in there with absolutely no guidance at all, and is left to "figure it out" on all of his projects. Needless to say, he is unbelievably stressed out, to the point where it's literally making him sick. I will be sure to try and avoid companies likes that!
CocoBridgeMan
Civil/Environmental
After spending more than 30 years in the public sector (2 different state DOT's), I would strongly suggest you keep an open mind about "who you can learn from." Finding P.E.'s who are willing to mentor and share their knowledge is obviously valuable, but sometimes you can learn important lessons from skilled technicians as well. Engineers who are arrogant and know it all are the ones I would try to avoid (been there, done that), given the choice. I'm currently in the private sector, performing public sector work--my firm has been trying to recruit a few young engineers that I could train and teach, but we haven't had much luck thus far (one young man, a recent engineering graduate, failed to show up on my bridge construction project after being assigned to same, with his explanation being that he already had an uncle who taught at the local engineering school, so he knew all about bridge construction).
sodengineer
Civil/Environmental
Get out and get your boots muddy and your hands dirty! That is the easiest way (IMHO) to pass the PE.
Consider the next four years a paid education. You are now going to learn about "the real world," and how things get done. Keep your eyes and ears open and soak up as much as you can.
Be willing to do a lot of the (unpleasant) tasks that you are asked to do. You will be surprised how much it pays off in the future. As I said, a paid education. If you graduated from engineering school, you have done a lot of things that others either didn't have the ability to do, or were unwilling to do. You will be asked to do things that others either can't or wont do. That is when you will begin to prove that you are a professional.
Just my $.02. Been in the "dirt moving" business for about 25 years now.
Consider the next four years a paid education. You are now going to learn about "the real world," and how things get done. Keep your eyes and ears open and soak up as much as you can.
Be willing to do a lot of the (unpleasant) tasks that you are asked to do. You will be surprised how much it pays off in the future. As I said, a paid education. If you graduated from engineering school, you have done a lot of things that others either didn't have the ability to do, or were unwilling to do. You will be asked to do things that others either can't or wont do. That is when you will begin to prove that you are a professional.
Just my $.02. Been in the "dirt moving" business for about 25 years now.
hokiecivil08
Civil/Environmental
I recently graduated from Virginia Tech's civil program and went right into work the following monday starting my career in land development/site design. Two weeks later I'm delegated to head the companies new traffic study group because I took the classes most recently. haha I had to go rebuy the books I sold back and now I'm learning that my path is not set in stone. I'm enjoying learning new things everyday though and looking forward to getting my PE as my main goal. It feels good to be (semi) important. 
vapdx...congrats! Welcome to an extremely rewarding and frustrating profession. fattdad's advice is right on.
One thing that I've noticed in the differences between private and public career paths is that more and varied challenges exist in the private sector. Often engineering functions in the public sector are set in established policy and procedure with little ability or incentive to "stretch". In the private sector, problem solving and decisions are dictated case by case and generally are reflective of the encountered conditions and expected result (not always...but usually).
In either, work your %#$$ off and get as much as you can from it.
One thing that I've noticed in the differences between private and public career paths is that more and varied challenges exist in the private sector. Often engineering functions in the public sector are set in established policy and procedure with little ability or incentive to "stretch". In the private sector, problem solving and decisions are dictated case by case and generally are reflective of the encountered conditions and expected result (not always...but usually).
In either, work your %#$$ off and get as much as you can from it.
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