<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I am currently 2nd year in Civil engineering program and want to specialize in Structural Engineering in the future. However, I find that internship opportunities in Structural Eng firms are extremely scarce. I wonder if any senior ppl in structural eng can provide any advice/tips on landing an internship. Do I usually start out as a drafter? I heard from some upperclass man that knowledge of CAD is very important in getting the 1st internship.</p>
<p>No, you don't start out as a drafter. It's helpful to know CAD, but not necessary. I don't know CAD intentionally, because I don't want to be typecast, so to speak, as a drafter. So long as you're drafting, you're not going to be getting engineering experience... though sometimes interns are asked to CAD things because the backlog's high and there's not enough drafting help.</p>
<p>Get involved in your local Structural Engineering Association and American Society of Civil Engineers chapters... The city-wide ones, not just your school's ones. Start schmoozin'. Let people know you're interested in finding an internship. Maybe bring along a few resumes to meetings.</p>
<p>Look for which structural engineering companies are around your city. Use the association newsletters to pick up mentions of companies, and send your resume to <em>all</em> the companies in your area, not just the ones who are specifically hiring interns.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that you don't need to get an internship specifically in structural engineering in order to do okay in life. My first internship was in traffic engineering and I ended up getting my masters at Illinois and jobs at good structural firms... but my internship hunt was abysmal, and with the economy as it is currently, it's going to be difficult to find an internship in structural engineering anywhere.</p>
<p>My recommendation is just get an internship in CivE field, and when you have some experience, begin looking for a structural internship.</p>
<p>However, this is what I noticed with structural engineering: not only majority require at least MS, they also start at low $.
A friend from church who got his MS 2-3 years ago was offered less than 60k. On the contrary,most of us who went to do civil work with just BS started at the same $. This is in Los Angeles area, around 2-3 yrs ago, BTW.</p>
<p>Well, your friend got a lousy deal, because that's by and large not true at all. I worked in LA as a structural engineer with a firm that widely admitted that they didn't bump their pay whether you were in Los Angeles or Omaha, and I made plenty more than my colleagues who just went into industry in Houston for civil after their BS. I make a heck of a lot more now at my new company, too. </p>
<p>Compensation is not an issue... Structural engineers by and large get paid more than civil engineers. I posted the ZweigWhite survey a while back, if you want, go digging and find it. That'll corroborate what I'm saying.</p>
<p>Yes, you'll likely need to get a masters, but I think the work is a lot more interesting than dealing with land development or traffic or pipes or water, which I find to be abysmally boring. The stuff I design you actually get to see from several miles away.</p>
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Structural engineers by and large get paid more than civil engineers.
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I agree that Structurals have higher pay potential.</p>
<p>However, based on MY experience and observation (aside of my friend, we also go out to recruit at local ASCE student nights/ job fairs), structural start at lower $ even with MS.</p>
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The stuff I design you actually get to see from several miles away.
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The stuff I do not design will make you smell poop several miles away... :p</p>
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However, based on MY experience and observation (aside of my friend, we also go out to recruit at local ASCE student nights/ job fairs), structural start at lower $ even with MS.
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<p>Okay, but speaking as someone who's actually in the industry and has worked in several parts of the country, your experience is really skewed.</p>
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The stuff I do not design will make you smell poop several miles away...
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<p>Stinky!!</p>
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No, you don't start out as a drafter. It's helpful to know CAD, but not necessary. I don't know CAD intentionally, because I don't want to be typecast, so to speak, as a drafter. So long as you're drafting, you're not going to be getting engineering experience... though sometimes interns are asked to CAD things because the backlog's high and there's not enough drafting help.
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<p>That may be good if you already have a position, but if you're looking for one, I'd definitely advertise your CAD abilities. So what if you're doing mostly drafting as an intern... just get your foot in the door first before you start getting too picky with your tasks.</p>
<p>Good point... I just didn't have any CAD abilities to start with, so there was nothing to brag about. Then I just refused to put it on my resume after that.</p>