Of all the areas in engineering, the works undertaken by civil engineers are amongst the most elaborate ones. From constructing skyscrapers to malls; bridge to dams, you name it, and this branch of engineering has laurels under its belt to boast. The work of a civil engineer involves all aspects related to planning, surveying, designing and then constructing building, roads, tunnels, harbours, airports, multi-storied car parking etc. Civil engineers basically specialize in structural engineering and take the onus of building structures that are robust and durable.
The job profile of a civil engineer includes planning for the project at hand, investigating the site i.e. basically doing survey conducting feasibility studies, getting the construction done, creating solutions to complications that occur during the process and in the end undertaking tasks to maintain the manifested structure. They regularly deal with the clients, architects, government officials, contractors and timely supervise the work according to the set standards.
Personality Traits-
- Good problem solving skills- To be a civil engineer, one must possess good problem solving skills. Ability to understand client’s needs and offer possible structural solutions to their problems.
- Good organizing ability- Civil engineering aspirants must have skills to bring together all scattered ideas and processes to achieve structural designs that are not only magnificent but also affordable.
- In touch with the practical world- In the process of achieving exceptional designs, civil engineers must always have practicality at back of their head. Praise worthy designs that cannot be manifested in the real world serve no purpose.
- Good interpersonal and leadership skills- Civil engineers typically spend a lot of time working with their teams on a project. As a result aspirants must possess good interpersonal skills. Civil engineers need to develop strong leadership skills so as to serve in project-management capacities.
Course/Training-
All those who wish to enter this field of engineering have to first complete their class XII in science stream. Aspirants are then required to appear for Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Conducted by CBSE for gaining admission into B.Tech in top engineering colleges in the country like IITs, NITs etc. Aspirants can also choose to appear for other entrance exams for institutes that are not associated with JEE. Aspirants can then choose Civil Engineering stream as their area of specialization. Science graduates can also pursue a postgraduate degree in civil engineering for the purpose of research and development.
Career Opportunities-
On completing civil engineering, these engineering graduates generally have five areas to get into.
The career opportunities are as follows:
- Environmental engineering- Environmental engineering is a specialized field in the area of engineering studies wherein both science and engineering principles are used to take steps to provide a healthy environment and conserve air, water and soil resources.
- Geotechnical engineering- Geotechnical engineers study the principles of rock and soil mechanics so as to inspect and explore conditions and materials for solid and durable construction.
- Materials engineering- The engineers of this field hold expertise in developing an understanding of properties and behaviors of different substances for solid stabilization methods.
- Transportation engineering- This area of engineering basically involves in developing and construction newer ways of travels by way of road, sea, rail etc such as bridges, sea links and lots more.
- Structural Engineering- They basically design structures that can endure the wrath of hurricanes, jolts of earthquakes, gusting winds and impact of other seasons as well.
Remunerations
Freshers usually get a starting salary worth Rs 20,000. With an experience of just a couple of years, civil engineers can almost double their salaries.
List of Institutes for undergrad and post-grad courses in India
Name of Institute Website
Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi www.iitd.ac.in
Indian Institute of Technology, Madras www.iitm.ac.in
Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai www.iitb.ac.in
Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur www.iitk.ac.in
Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee www.iitr.ac.in
BITS, Pilani www.bits-pilani.ac.in
National Institute of Technology, Trichy www.nitt.edu
Delhi Technological University www.dtu.ac.in
National Institute of Technology, Warangal www.nitw.ac.in
List of Institutes for undergrad and post-grad courses in Dubai
Name of Institute Website
Heriot Watt University Dubai www.hw.ac.uk
Birla Institute of Technology & Science Pilani – Dubai Campus www.bits-pilani.ac.in/dubai
Manipal Education Dubai Campus www.manipaldubai.com
Amity Dubai Campus www.amityuniversity.ae
