Conventional Careers: Civil Engineering

Overview

That Civil Engineering as a career choice is back on the radar cannot be disputed. The year 2008 was the turning point not just for global economies but also for thousands of students on the threshold of higher education, ready to board the IT gravy train. Suddenly, engineering education was not just about Information Technology. Traditional engineering streams, such as civil, mechanical and electrical engineering are back to being popular again.

Compared to the decade preceding 2008 when IT was the only preferred career choice for most engineering graduates no matter what they specialized in at college, the past year has seen them opting for and joining professional careers in their chosen engineering specializations. A pattern that is also being observed at academic counselling sessions in engineering colleges, which has seen seats in traditional engineering streams fill up faster than any other. So is conventional back in style? The current trends do indicate a swing towards stability and permanence or in other words, safe careers. Like becoming a professional Civil Engineer.

Civil Engineering: A look within

So long as man needs a home to live in, an office to work at, an industry to manufacture in, a road to drive on, water to drink and food to eat So long as man needs to communicate, commute, travel, cross mountains and rivers, dock ships, and take off and land airplanes, there is work for a civil engineer.

Civil engineering has the unique facet of touching everyone's life like no other professional career stream. The study of civil engineering encompasses several specializations, probably more than any other engineering stream. some of the areas of specialization include:

• Construction Engineering
• Transportation Engineering
• Coastal and Ocean Engineering
• Bridge Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Fire Protection Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Structural Engineering
• Water Resources Engineering

In fact, a basic Civil Engineering qualification opens the doors to multiple career options and specialized areas of study and employment. The advent and application of information technology has enhanced the scope of civil engineering to design better and build bigger.

As M.C. Deo from the Civil engineering Dept. in IIT Bombay succinctly puts in "Previously Civil was the last priority of bright students who get selected through JEE. We're unable to catch up with computer science, but now we're coming close to the priority of chemical engineering, and we have already beaten the priority of metallurgical and aerospace."

Career Scope

Till the 1980s, government, railways and public sector companies were the primary career destinations for most civil engineers. Private enterprise was practically non-existent, limited to mid- and large-sized contracting companies that undertook projects for government establishments. Infrastructure development took a leap in the next decade with a number of construction companies entering the residential and commercial real estate space. But opportunity as we know it today, opened up only in the current decade with runaway real estate values, premium housing development and a market-driven focus on robust infrastructure development including roads, flyovers, highways, SEZs, ports, industrial complexes and IT parks.

The simultaneous development of the IT industry attracted the cream of talent from all educational streams with a career in civil engineering becoming a distant choice in the scheme of things. Additionally, the number of civil engineering graduates entering the work space each year is consistently low. Skills shortage was, and still is a problem area in the construction industry impacting its progress to a large extent. Having to compete for the same pool of resources has seen a positive impact on the compensation package offered to civil engineers. Post 2008, the downturn in the IT sector is bringing the skilled resource pool back into the construction industry on better salaries, better terms and accelerated career paths.

Professional Career Graph

A qualified civil engineer becomes a professional civil engineer only through hands-on experience. In other words, a civil engineer typically starts right at the bottom in a low-responsibility role as Site Engineer at the construction project site. The job profile is mostly supervisory in nature involving interactions with architects and various contractors working on the project. The size of the project would determine the number of site engineers assigned for site supervision. Typical site management activities include liaising with contractors, managing labour issues, managing stocks and supplies and ensuring work is progressing to plan and schedule. The site engineer is responsible for implementing quality control processes and ensuring safety best practices at the project site.

The hands-on field exposure equips a civil engineer to assume higher responsibilities, such as managing multiple project sites and more complex projects in the role of Senior Engineer. The scope of responsibilities also expands to include cost estimation, architect co-ordination and overall project supervision with time at work being divided between office and project sites.

One can further move onto specialist roles in project management and project consultancy. Project management is a techno-managerial role involving design, planning, budgeting, resource management, administration, procurement, site engineering and overall coordination to ensure the development, completion and delivery of the project to pre-determined schedules and quality.

Project consultants work in coordination with infrastructure development and construction companies providing professional support throughout the planning, designing and development phases of the project ensuring complete and total implementation of plans and processes till completion.

Project consulting and management have specialized roles with increasing levels of responsibility and accountability. Career progression is based on the quantum of experience, expertise and exposure. Responsibilities would be more oriented towards decision-making and trouble-shooting as well as liaising with industry stake-holders, financial institutions and policy-makers. At this level, it helps to have a reasonable amount of international exposure and knowledge of international best practices and processes in construction.

A number of civil engineers choose to become entrepreneurs at an early stage of their professional development. Considering the current opportunities in the construction industry, the climate is ideal for civil engineers to get maximum exposure to a wide variety of development projects with diverse challenges. Career and industry experts advise fresh-out-of-college engineers to be gainfully employed with construction majors to get first-hand knowledge and experience before venturing into the uncertain world of contract-based entrepreneurship.

Salaries and compensation

A greenhorn civil engineer can be placed right out of college at a starting package of Rs. 2.4 Lac. Livemint reports that salaries for civil engineers graduating from reputed institutes can stretch up to Rs. 6 Lac per annum. But real estate firms don't hesitate paying Rs. 12 Lac and Rs. 15 Lac a year for the same graduates. Since the entry of multinational construction and real estate companies into India over the last few years, salaries in the industry have gone through the roof.

While it's true that civil engineers still start at a lower compensation package at entry level compared to their colleagues from other streams, even 2-3 years of specialized experience in the construction management space will automatically increase their value in the market. It's not uncommon for mid-management construction engineers to receive Rs. 20 Lac per annum. Vice-Presidents can earn as much as Rs. 60 Lac per annum with CEOs in the Rs. 1Crore zone.

Recent salary figures:

• WS Atkins Plc. offered annual packages of Rs. 7.2 Lac - Rs. 11 Lac per annum to Civil Engineering graduates of BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore in 2008
• Transocean Oil Pte. Ltd. offered Rs. 24 Lac per annum to an IIT-B Civil Engineering graduate in 2008
• The highest salary offered at NIT-Calicut to a civil engineer in 2008 was Rs. 7.2 Lac per annum

Career progression can be accelerated by acquiring additional qualifications at the post graduate and doctoral levels in emerging fields, such as environment engineering, urban planning, infrastructure management or geomechanics. Opportunities are plenty not only in domestic construction majors but also international infrastructure development companies with correspondingly higher salaries.

What do you need to get there?

Civil engineering is a hands-on profession requiring deep involvement and understanding of tools and processes. All that theory one picks up in college can never prepare them for a real-world situation. Be prepared to adapt your knowledge to a practical environment and get ready to learn from the people on the job. An open mind is the best way to acquire practical knowledge. A civil engineer must be an ace in multi-tasking and have key organizational skills. Man management is part of the job description considering the quantum of labour employed at the project site across several agencies and the potential for trouble that can bring progress to a standstill.

Coordination skills are vital given that several agencies are involved in the execution of any project where delay on the part of one can have a disastrous cascading effect on the others. One needs leadership skills to be in control of the project site - it's very easy for things to go out of control in the absence of a natural leader. Be ready to trouble-shoot by the minute - if things can go wrong, they will. Time management is critical for deadlines to be met on time, especially when delays can escalate project costs astronomically. Instant decision-making is essential and so is obsession with quality. A structure is built to last for decades and quality processes implemented during the construction process will determine their lifespan and performance.

Pros, cons and working hours

Civil engineering is a tough profession and far-removed from the rarefied environments of IT offices and other white collar professions. On the positive side, it offers complete creative satisfaction.

Let's examine the favourable aspects of the profession.

Once will never face boredom in the profession. Civil engineering involves intense physical activity and there is constant learning that happens on the job. One gets to watch, observe and be involved in how a building, factory, township or bridge shapes up as a quantifiable object. No two projects are alike and there is something new and more challenging in each structure or building. One gets to participate in creative decision-making. Civil engineering is the ideal profession for people with problem-solving and leadership skills. Besides, probably no other profession prepares one to turn entrepreneur with minimal or zero experience.

On the flip side, civil engineering is a hard business requiring long hours on the feet and on the road. Travel is an integral part of the construction industry especially when one is responsible for multiple projects. Be prepared to move seamlessly between cool offices and dusty construction sites even if you are in management. Construction sites can be located in urban, rural and even remote areas with no access to facilities. This is a physically challenging career choice that also tests the mind and spirit frequently.

Working hours are extended for people in the profession, especially in the lower echelons of the hierarchy. The dynamics of project sites demand the presence of site engineers before start of work extending to after hours. Site inspections in coordination with architects and project consultants usually take place early in the day while regular meetings with project contractors also need to be done to set the day's agenda. As the project moves towards completion, work may need to be executed round-the-clock requiring the presence of the site engineer at the project site.

How do you get there?

To begin with, one needs to be in the Science stream at the high school level with Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry as the main subjects. The basic eligibility requirement for an aspiring civil engineer is a 10 + 2 qualification or equivalent from a recognized Central or State Examination Board or University with Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.

Selection to the Bachelor of Engineering/ Bachelor of Technology degree program is based on the scores secured in the high school examination in combination with the scores secured in the Joint Entrance Exam conducted by IIT, All India Engineering Entrance Exam (AIEEE) or other state and national-level exams.

All the programs have a 4-year duration covering 8 semesters.

Premier Institutes for Civil Engineering

All the seven IITs at Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Mumbai, Bangalore and Roorkee offer Bachelor's programs in Civil Engineering. The National Institutes of Technology (formerly REC) also offer a similar program at their 18 centres across the country. Several prestigious programs are also offered by leading universities and institutes in India. These include Anna University, Chennai, Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani, Delhi College of Engineering, New Delhi, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute, Mumbai, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore and R.V. College of Engineering, Bangalore.

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