<p>in the private sector are civil / environmental jobs really 9-5?</p>
<p>i've been talking to some companies and some say yes, some say no. </p>
<p>what do you think?</p>
<p>In all engineering fields, there are a set of 9-5 jobs and a set of non-9-5 jobs. Civil engineering is no different. It will depend on the job and the company.</p>
<p>The place I’m interning at is 7-4… Some of the peeps work 6-3, fun stuff.</p>
<p>Varies entirely based on your job. Those who work on construction sites typically work from 7a-4p. The traffic engineering firm that I used to work for was typically 9a-6p. I know some people who do 8-4 or 8-5 typically who are based out of offices.</p>
<p>Sometimes you’ll have to stay late if the project/schedule requires it. Important deadlines may have to be met for whatever reason.</p>
<p>Sometimes you may have to work weird hours. I had to collect data for a traffic study once that involved me working 5am-5pm at a convention center when trucks were unloading. If you’re on construction sites, you may have to work night shifts (though you would usually agree to it with your employer beforehand if it’s a long term assignment).</p>
<p>It also depends on whether you want to be “just another guy” at your company or if you want impress people. At a lot of companies, if you want to go the extra mile to really impress people, you will likely work at least a little bit over that 40 hours per week. If you don’t, then you are still able to function just fine doing only 9 to 5, you just won’t likely stand out.</p>
<p>Engineering is producing a product that meets the requirements ON time and under or at budget. Your job is to meet those deadlines. Now if you can do your share within and 8-hour day everyday…more power to you.</p>
<p>Remember, deadlines come before you doing your 8 hours.</p>
<p>Petroleum engineers have 5-11 jobs.</p>
<p>^Is that morning, night, or a 19 hour work day?</p>
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<p>Yes.</p>
<p>10char.</p>
<p>I’m interning at an architectural engineering firm and their hours are 7:30-5:30 M-Th and 7:30-11:30 on Fridays. Then again, I’m in the middle of my 4th week and have yet to work less than 45 hours… as an intern. I can only imagine what the engineers’ hours are.</p>
<p>Software Engineering: any time of the day, any day of the week.</p>
<p>BCEagle, as a personal preference or as a requirement for the job?</p>
<p>A bit of both, but more the second, I’d think.</p>
<p>Sometimes one, sometimes the other, sometimes both.</p>
<p>We have an engineer that lives in the North during the summer and the South during the winter. He usually starts around 11:00 AM and can finish at any time. Sometimes your boss asks you to get on a plane to somewhere else to look at a problem that can’t be diagnosed remotely.</p>
<p>To be a success in America - you just need to work half a day…</p>
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<p>In consulting, expect to work 50-60 hour weeks - but you’ll only get paid for 40. This is the expectation of most managers. You’ll travel on Sunday for that Monday morning meeting = thanks for donating your time. I once had a company bid and win a contract that guaranteed we’d work 10% uncompensated time - and they kept track.</p>
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<p>Of course consultants also make huge amounts of money most of the time, so that evens out.</p>
<p>50-60 Hours a week?? pfft… that’s nothing. Petroleum Engineers are expected to work at least 85-90 Hours a week! </p>
<p>Same goes for Geological and Natural gas engineers who do engineering field work.</p>
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<p>This is one of the reasons why I did not mind “opening my life book” and getting a security clearance and doing INTEL work. By federal guidelines, a consultant MUST report every hour spent on a federal contract. Since we supposedly cost so much, most contracts limit consultants to work only 40 hours a week.</p>
<p>I like it.</p>
<p>PS: When I was working in the private sector (non-INTEL), I had do a few 50+ hour workweeks. I will say this, a GOOD question to ask some project manager or program manager BEFORE you decide to work on a certain project/contract is “Is this contract time and materials?..or fixed-priced?”. I will admit now, but there were projects I snubbed when I found out it was NOT “time and materials” billed.</p>
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<p>There are two things wrong with this…</p>
<p>1) You are leaving out the part where they work like 2 weeks on and one week off.</p>
<p>2) Apparently the prospect of this excites you, which is somewhat disturbing.</p>
<p>The petroleum engineer I know says I work way too much. He works for KBR and is on a 19-month stint in Algeria right now doing engineering field work.</p>
<p>I’m very tired right now. I’m assistant project manager on a landmark project, one that will be pretty much first line on my resume hereafter, and I’m on call 24-7. I’m working at least 60 hours a week at the office, then I come home and answer e-mails until I pass out. We send work to be drafted overnight at a subcontractor in India because we’ve got too much to do, so they’ll often call or e-mail overnight for clarifications on the work I send them. Night before last, they woke me up at 1AM, 4AM, 6AM, and 8AM.</p>
<p>This is the upper bound, though. Our team is nearly mutinous at this point, and there are times when the PM and I are full-tilt yelling at each other. I’m relieved to know that this is the worst it’s ever going to get. Sometimes my job is a lot of fun. Right now, it isn’t. It’s like finals week, but for months on end. If they push our deadline one more time and give us even more time to obsess over the drawings, I’m going to fall over.</p>
<p>OK. Back into my foxhole.</p>