<p>I will be studying Engineering next year (as an undergraduate freshmen).
I was always interested in Civil and Environmental Engineering, but all I hear from everyone is how horribly it's been hit by the economy. I know job prospects are lower for it than other engineering forms. </p>
<p>Which fields are surviving this economy and why?
Is it because they are "harder" or is it just because structural is frozen because everyones afraid to build? </p>
<p>Sorry if I sound naive, but i'm truly concerned, and just trying to get answers. </p>
<p>I’m only a junior so I’m not job hunting just yet but I’ve come across many internship opportunities for civil engineering students. Get good grades and some experience during college and you shouldn’t have too much of a problem.</p>
<p>All of the engineering fields are cyclical. Civil engineering will pick up, and your choice of major should not be based on today’s job market when you won’t be graduating for (5?) years. For all you know, there could be a huge boom in construction in 5 years to make up for the lack of construction in recent years.</p>
<p>As far as “this” economy, I’d say there’s nothing wrong with it. We’re not booming but we’re far from being in a recession. The recession ended 3 years ago. Unemployment is historically ALWAYS slow to recover after recessions.</p>
<p>Major in what you like and you’ll do very well for yourself.</p>
<p>Only people screamming recession lives in the middle of nowhere, where there are no jobs anywhere.
Live near a big metro area and jobs are not running short, so don’t worry about it.</p>
<p>The US Bureau of Labor Statistics just released a new version of its Occupational Outlook Handbook. I suggest you check it out (just Google “BLS OOH”)… check under “Architects and Engineers”, and you can compare lots of professions and job outlooks. If you’re considering getting into computers, also check out “Information Technology” or whatever… I think it has a separate tab. If you need help finding the relevant pages, let me know.</p>
<p>aegrisomnia, thanks for the info. Here’s what the site says for civil engineers:</p>
<p>“Employment of civil engineers is expected to grow 19 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Job openings for civil engineers are expected to be numerous through 2020.”</p>
<p>If you work hard and like what you do, you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>It’s competitive, but it’s not impossible to get a job in civil. I’m studying structural engineering and landed an internship for this summer at a major oil and gas contractor. My friend just landed an internship at a major contractor paying 25 bucks an hour (not bad for an internship). I know these aren’t full time jobs, but it’s a good gague. Get good grades, be involved and interview well and you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>My dad owns the most successful civil engineering company is our moderately sized city. I point out the success to emphasize the following: despite his success, he has had to lay off employees and is struggling to find enough projects to engineer. </p>
<p>Civil engineering gets hit hard in a recession. </p>
<p>Software, Chemical, Petroleum, and some branches of mechanical are much safer.</p>
<p>Most civil engineering projects are financed by the government.</p>
<p>Now with our debt level being so unsustainable - to the point where debt to gdp ratio is above 100% - what do you think will happen with US in the future?
Deleverage as the gov’t will be cutting spending for these projects. Not to mention the possibility of muni bond collapse and now local gov’t won’t have money to spend on infrastructure. </p>
<p>So as I always say to future aspiring civil e’s: there is a greater risk going into civil - today and for the fiver years or so - as opposed to other disciplines because civil skill set are not easily transferable to another as opposed to, say, mechanical.</p>
<p>I see the US infrastructure industry progressing towards PPP/BOT model like the ones in developing countries, or maybe total privatization.
Now, if it’s happening in the future, maybe you’ll be better off by going to study something easy, work for a couple of years, go to a top mba program and then work for one of these infrastructure banks dealing with infrastructure funds.</p>
<p>While some of the above is true, you are not destined to work on roads or public transit your whole life. I’m going to be working for an oil and gas contractor that makes oil rigs for large oil firms. The steel design in those suckers makes me happy.</p>
<p>Also take rheidzan’s location into account. California was hit so much harder by this recession than other areas, and the lack of heavy industry is scary.</p>
<p>I always wanted to go into aerospace engineering. I got admitted to my dream school. But at the time they were laying off aerospace engineers in droves so I went into civil engineering as that field was still doing well (this was many years ago). But by the time I graduated 4 1/2 years later no civil jobs in sight and aerospace was booming again. I was lucky to be able to convince an aerospace company to hire me and it all worked out. </p>
<p>Told my story to reinforce the idea that you should go into the field that interests you the most. No one can predict the job market 4 to 5 years out. Just too many variables to consider. If you like what you are doing and are good at it, it will show to a potential employer and you’ll stand a better chance of getting hired than someone who is only vaugely interested in their field.</p>
<p>Although please be careful what you trust on the BLS website. The 2008 and 2010 projections were nearly the exact opposite for some professions. I would take what they claim with a grain of salt. </p>
<p>@MSORSA: I don’t live in the middle of nowhere and there are quite a few unemployed. In fact, New York City’s unemployment rate is 9.6% for Feb of this year. That’s not the middle of nowhere. My professors tell me the size of some town out in North Dakota quadrupled in size because they struck oil out there. That’s the middle of nowhere. Population of 5 just jumped to 20. If just living in a city guarantees you a job, then you just found a solution for a problem our government still haven’t solved in all these years.</p>