<p>I recently graduated from UCLA's civil engineering department with a gpa of 2.8. because of this low gpa and lack of internship experience (couldn't get one during the summers so decided to do school instead) i am having a lot of trouble getting a job. I have applied all over the country through monster/indeed/careerbuilder/etc, but couldn't even get an interview. at this point i decided that theres 3 routes for me to go and i don't know how to choose (or if theres any alternatives)</p>
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<li><p>ditch my civil degree and try to get a masters in computer science (in the late stages of college i realized im not too interested in civil engineering courses besides the structural ones) but how hard is the switch? what process should i take? (i researched it a bit and it seems a lot of programs want students to have taken a few upperdiv cs courses before applying, also im interested in the de paul online masters program, anyone have any information on that?)</p></li>
<li><p>try for grad school for civil engineering (which grad schools should i be looking at? I want to get out of california to the east coast or midwest, which schools should i be looking at with 2.8 gpa?)</p></li>
<li><p>keep trying for a job in civil engineering (what else should i be doing besides mass applying to open positions?)</p></li>
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<p>Did you take the state exam? and I think UCLA degrees should be impressive. Just keep on looking or maybe you should start visiting the companies’ HQs and dropping resumes?</p>
<p>thanks for the tips, yes i have my EIT/FE already, Im not really aiming high as im applying to everything i see that doesn’t require experience and entry level, i’ll start looking into administrative assistant positions but do you mean the positions in civil companies or just any company?</p>
<p>I’m really sorry you are in this position. The economy isn’t doing too well, especially in California. I’m a senior civil engineering major and after doing some interning and part-time research work I’m questioning if civil is for me too. I’m actually thinking about doing CS in grad school as well. </p>
<p>The thing about engineering is that in order to get an entry-level you need some kind of work experience during your school years. Since you don’t have that and you don’t really like civil engineering anyway, I would just forget about the field and start focusing on what you truly love. But first, try to get a decent job. It doesn’t have to be in engineering or CS. Lots of employers like engineering majors because we have good analytical skills that many other majors don’t have. Like the other poster said, it would be a plus if you can get some kind of job in a company that focuses on CS. Next, start developing your CS skills while trying to apply to grad school or getting a second bachelors in CS. At my school, if you have good enough CS skills you can test out of the intro courses. </p>
<p>I hope everything turns out well for you. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Yeah its tough out there for us civils…especially for those of us who are still in school and can’t even land a student position because we have no “experience”. I hear it all the time from professors and those who are already working, “Get the experience!” Yet, the big question is how do we get that “experience” if there jobs for students in the first place? Crazy, but this is what our economy is doing. As for your situation, I would recommend staying away from online job sites and look around locally. It doesn’t hurt to actually visit a firm or company and ask about any openings. Research about them, ask them questions, show interest and leave them your resume. Thats about it these days. Its good to hear that you at least have your EIT certification, thats always a plus. As much as I feel like grad school is starting to become necessary for civil, its quite daunting when it comes to the expenses. Just keep your head up and stay focused on your goals! Good luck!</p>
<p>civils will be dead until our economy recovers, hopefully in about 5 or so years.
if you can’t get in to a masters cs program, maybe considering doing a second bachelors.</p>
<p>There are certain sectors of Civil Eng that are more immune to the recession, such as water treatment. Look into public works jobs with smaller municipalities, especially water districts in more outlying areas where there is less competition. </p>
<p>Also, network with everybody you know from school who did CE internships. Ask them for the names of people they worked with, and then send resumes with attached personal letters to those people, stressing your eagerness to gain work experience. After a week or two, contact the people to ask if they received your letter, and ask them if they know of anybody else who might be interested in someone like you. Keep at it and sooner or later you will find something.</p>
<p>You essentially have a “B” average in your classes, so that shouldn’t count against you, especially since you have an EIT certificate, and went to a well respected university.</p>