Which is a better, more promising career: mechanical engineering or civil engineering?
So many answers. I'll keep mine short. I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering, a BS in Architectural Studies, and an MS in Nuclear Engineering. Civil engineers work, most often, in infrastructure -- roads, sanitary and storm sewers, bridges, etc. Mechanical engineers more often design machines; industrial processes involving large conveyors, mixers, dryers, etc.; and HVAC (heating, ventilating, air conditioning) systems for larger structures. Civils are taught more about compacting dirt and sizing pipes, Mechanicals more about heat transfer and mechanisms like cams and followers. Mechanicals are jacks of all trades but masters of none -- they're taught at least a bit of everything. Both of these engineering specialties are important to our world, and they have approximately equal pay and "appreciation" scales. Neither is one of the "glamor" engineering specialties. You mentioned electrical engineering. That, along with electronic and chemical engineering will be harder academically and get you higher pay when you're done. Chemical is arguably the hardest engineering major. Where I went to school the joke was "Well, if you wash out of chem engineering, you can always go across campus and just be a chemist." All of these fields are usually required on any major project. They all need to work together, with minimal friction. Engineering managers are the people who ensure that happens. Besides being engineers themselves, engineering managers have something in common -- they all are good at communicating with their designers and with upper company management and clients. Critical to your advancement, regardless of the field you choose, is your ability to speak and write cogently. In many engineering schools the first two years are co-listed core classes, you don't need to choose a specialty until after that or, at the least, you'll find changing engineering major during the first two years easier. Choose wisely, grasshopper. And be able to explain yourself both verbally and in writing.
Can a civil site engineer having 2 years of experience go for PMP?
Probably not. The minimum requirement to be eligible to apply for PMP is 36 months working as a project leader (section engineer would be good provided you directed work).Until the 36 months elapse though PMP is not possible - the alternative is CAPM, basically the same exam but no experience needed (PMP and CAPM are both PMI credentials). The idea is you learn about project management theory studying for CAPM, then get a job managing part of a project and the sit the PMP a few years later. For more on this see: http://www.mosaicproject.com.au/...
I am a civil engineer but I think I want to change careers, what should I do?
If your not into it, don't do it. Biggest problem with this on the construction side is that projects are usually never where you want them to be, so a nomadic lifestyle would be ahead of you. Exciting at first but this slowly grinds the older you get.Civil engineering a very tough male dominated industry that isn't for everyone. Projects typically last from one to five years depending on the size, and even after that your not always sure if the same company (if it is a large global one) will take you onto the next job.Do yourself a favour now and do something you love to do. This way its not really like working and your more likely to get very good at it in the long run. After you become good, money and success usually follows anyway!
How is your experience as a civil site engineer? Do you want to change your field in future or not?
I was never a site engineer. But my maternal uncle has worked for most of his life as a site supervisor in the construction industry. This is his opinion of site engineers - “they are all idiots, they can’t apply anything they have learnt in their fancy degrees, except for curing”, which I don’t disagree with because the site engineers usually deal with the construction labor (runts) through their supervisors, because most laborers were illiterate unskilled rural folk, and the site engineers would usually be haughty entitled BTech/Diploma holders, who would feel they are too senior to deal with the laborers directly.Plus, you don’t need a degree to be good at your site-based role, as the civil engineering degree curriculum is almost useless for training people for site-based roles. So, there’s that.Be that as it may, I would work for construction companies at most for 2 years, as a site engineer, to learn about most of the construction related activities that are undertaken for the project, if given the opportunity, and then later transition into a planning profile or a QS profile or a design engineering profile. That’s for two reasons -I’m good at design subjects. and I’m pursuing a short term 6 month diploma on highway design, survey and DPR preparation, alongside my GATE preparation for an MTech degree in Traffic & Transportation Engineering. Most MTech grads in traffic & transportation engineering join as ‘assistant highway engineers’ in highway supervision consultancies or as ‘design engineers’ or ‘traffic engineers’ in design & planning firms.I’m interested in the QS vertical, because I’m good at communicating (verbal & written) which would be very useful in the contracts manager/engineer vertical. And as such it would be a waste of my soft skills if I engage in site work for more than 2 years, but you know, as they say, never say never.
How can I change my career from site engineer to design engineer as a Civil Engineer after working for 2 years on site?
I worked as a site engineer for 1.5 years then I joined a consultancy design firm as I was not happy with the nature of work back at site. Now coming back to your question, I give you how I changed my career as a site engineer to design engineer in a brief way. I asked relentlessly each and every friend and senior, who were working in a design firm at that time if there were any openings. One fine day I received a call from my friend, who was working at that time in a design firm, for the interview. I attended. Interviewer was not that much keen at that time to take me into as I had zero experience in design then. The interview was only about basics of what I studied back in graduation. So, I managed to pass through it and convinced him that I would give my best to fit in the role/position. I was selected. But but there was no hike in my salary which I was not expecting also. What I would suggest you is:1) Make good connections. As far as I know most of the recruitment happens in the private design consultancy firms through networks and references only.2) Again go through basics of core subjects.3) Don't expect hike in your salary if you gets selected.Hope this helps.
How tough is it for a civil engineer to change job from site execution to designing?
There are a few good answers here but I may have a different perspective. I’m assuming that when you say “execution to design”, you are actually meaning construction to design. I come from a multi-generation heavy construction family (particularly freeways, bridges, dams) and I am the first one since the 1920s to transition to design side. If you are a good enough engineer to manage the construction of a significant engineering design you are able to design it. In fact, you probably have some very valuable insight in the design and constructability of a project. (Believe it or not, a lot of design professionals do not spend a lot of time thinking about how constructable their design is.) So, if you have spent some time doing the construction management and/or construction engineer job and were successful at it, you are technically capable of making the switch to design. You might need to dust away some cobwebs from that side of your brain but you can do it.Here is the REAL challenge. The culture of design will be completely foreign to you. It is not as team oriented and there is not nearly the staff contiuity that you are probably accustomed to on the construction end. Example: Everywhere I ever worked in the construction field, we would ALWAYS go to lunch together. It was just part of the team culture. Someone would come around the engineers and managers around noon and we would decide where we were going for lunch. When I transitioned to design side (and granted it’s been a long time since that happened) I started out going around at noon and asking people if they wanted to go to lunch and I’d get mostly confused looks. I think you get the idea.Anyhow, design side can be a lot of fun. If you have a passion, do it. But be prepared for some culture shock.
I am a mechanical engineer working in a construction company from past 1 year as a planning engineer. I want to switch my job to an automobile sector. With my construction field experience, is this switch possible?
Hey Mechanical engineer, Thanks for asking to me.For your information, I'm not from mechanical, construction or automobile industry. My below answer can be used as a generic way to achieve a fruitful Life rather than just a job which you may complain later like most. As you already have a construction industry experience and you don't like that industry, it indicates that you are still looking for what's best career that will suits you. In this persuasion, you think automobile industry would give you the best results based on the friends and stuff you read in this regard. So let's get some introspection of whether your expectations will be met in automobile industry or not? First Try to understand your inherent personality and most suitable profession that will suit your personality. You can do this very well from this Site:www.SokanU.com/I tried this and thought that Why I didn't got this site before, Because it would have saved me almost 2yrs straight of my life. Second , once you get a list of profession from above that will suit you, then specifically look for job profiles of that profession on local country job sites.In Job profile, you can read the required job skills that are prerequisite.So attain those pre requisites by educating yourself before applying for those positions. Hence using above 2 steps, you can get a LIFE you want, rather than just another job.In case, if you have something like this on your back of mind:"My chosen profession doesn't pay me well, so I need to change this job"Then to let you know:Any profession doesn't had any scope in terms of monetary gains, its the Individuals who commit to those professions that brought the scope of huge monetary gains in that field.Hope it helps.
What is the VERY best civil engineering sub-discipline or field to work on?
I am on my 4th year in college and taking up BS in Civil Engineering. I am still very very confused which field to focus when I graduate. I need to make my mind now because I will base my thesis on the field I'll choose. I need to do that because I am planning to take up my Masteral degree as soon as I finish my bachelor's degree. First of all, I am considering the salary I would get if I already have an specialization. Like monthly and annually. Secondly, the job opportunity. Which of the sub-disciplines are in demand 5 years from now or so? Thirdly, sticking to one field is best. But with the ever changing time, it would be better if an engineer has knowledge to many things. It would be way much better to have 3 to 4 fields on hand. What are the best combinations of discipline? If there any other things I have overlooked and must be also considered, please let me know. I am very bothered all these times thinking of this matter. I really beg all of you to please share me what you experienced. I would be very interested to read all of your replies. It would be better if you share some specific experiences. I would like to thank in advance all of those who will reply to me. Thank you very much and may all of the blessings be with you.