# Engineers (Civil) Looking for some insight **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 10:59am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146 "2009-03-26T10:59:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![frost12850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@frost12850](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/frost12850)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/21 "2009-03-26T11:36:10Z")
> [@RedDawg](#): > > . > > civil is probably the broadest engineering when it comes down to what you could be doing as a career. Thanks, Care to elaborate on what one ‘could’ be doing? Like I said, this isnt a definite thing. Trying to really get some advice from those that are older/ more experienced than me, or even those that have been in my same situation before. Ive discussed this topic with many people ranging from the older brother to some of my best friends, one of which is an engineer. Sometimes I think that I should ride it out a little bit longer and see where finance can take me (since it is such a broad field). I could end up falling into something that I absolutely love. Sometimes I think that there does have to be that balance between work and pleasure, that I have to keep in mind that your job is your job in which you make money to do the things that you enjoy most, rather than doing what you enjoy most as your job (if that makes sense). Keep the input coming ---
**Author:** ![walter](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/walter/32/7202_2.png) [@walter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/walter)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/22 "2009-03-26T11:37:48Z")
> [@frost12850](#): > > Thanks, > > Care to elaborate on what one ‘could’ be doing? Like I said, this isnt a definite thing. Trying to really get some advice from those that are older/ more experienced than me, or even those that have been in my same situation before. Ive discussed this topic with many people ranging from the older brother to some of my best friends, one of which is an engineer. Sometimes I think that I should ride it out a little bit longer and see where finance can take me (since it is such a broad field). I could end up falling into something that I absolutely love. Sometimes I think that there does have to be that balance between work and pleasure, that I have to keep in mind that your job is your job in which you make money to do the things that you enjoy most, rather than doing what you enjoy most as your job (if that makes sense). Keep the input coming [http://tinyurl.com/d8ptet](http://tinyurl.com/d8ptet) ---
**Author:** ![frost12850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@frost12850](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/frost12850)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:38am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/23 "2009-03-26T11:38:02Z")
> [@boardjnky4](#): > > Grass is always greener on the otherside. If you really think that you will be happier, than you should go for it. However, you should reach out further than nyspeed to find out if Civil Engineering is really the career path you want to be on. > > I wanted to be Mechanical Engineer when I first entered school. It seemed sweet, I could design engines, car suspensions, all sorts of cool shit. In the end though, the work involved was not what I could foresee myself doing. I dropped Engineering after 2 years and went for Comp Sci. > > You really should probably spend a lot of time seeing what type of work they do in real life. If 90% of civil engineers are doing land surveys/analysis, and only 10% are doing creative design work, you are going to want to take that into consideration. Be realistic and realize what your chances are for getting the creative position vs. the land survey/other boring shit position. I know exactly what you mean… as far as reaching out further, I would plan on doing that as things became a ltitle mroe serious I guess. I know there are alot, I mean ALOT of engineers on this site to begin with that can give valuable insight and information. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:38am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/24 "2009-03-26T11:38:43Z")
lmgtfy wins again! ---
**Author:** ![Fry](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fry/32/7284_2.png) [@Fry](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fry)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:39am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/25 "2009-03-26T11:39:21Z")
8 years of school to have 2 bachelors that don’t complement each other doesn’t sound too great to me. What about an MBA and getting into corporate management? Civil’s for losers, go mechanical. Mechanical engineers build weapons. Civil engineers build targets. ---
**Author:** ![IanK](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/iank/32/5016_2.png) [@IanK](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/IanK)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:41am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/26 "2009-03-26T11:41:57Z")
> [@Fry](#): > > 8 years of school to have 2 bachelors that don’t complement each other doesn’t sound too great to me. What about an MBA and getting into corporate management? > > Civil’s for losers, go mechanical. Mechanical engineers build weapons. Civil engineers build targets. HAHA I LOL’d. Im going for civil now, and to be honest im not particularly impressed by it, it may be more of a personal thing, but im in the process of reconsidering it. ---
**Author:** ![Avatar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/avatar/32/5076_2.png) [@Avatar](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Avatar)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:46am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/27 "2009-03-26T11:46:17Z")
I don’t feel you need a degree in civil engineering to work in “civil engineering.” ---
**Author:** ![frost12850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@frost12850](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/frost12850)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/28 "2009-03-26T11:48:00Z")
> [@Fry](#): > > 8 years of school to have 2 bachelors that don’t complement each other doesn’t sound too great to me. What about an MBA and getting into corporate management? > > Civil’s for losers, go mechanical. Mechanical engineers build weapons. Civil engineers build targets. I would never say that any degree is a waste really, I dont know if it would take 4 years for a engineering degree either (although I may be wrong). Having a finance degree I think can complement any degree well, hell theres engineers that go back to get their MBA. But, I can understand what you mean… I feel like if I were to have a total of 8 years of schooling I should just get my doctorate in finance/ economics and become a professor… all my business professors make bank for the most part and it seems like a cake job. I have most definitely considered getting my MBA, I think a big problem Im having right now is I feel soo confined to my opportunities with my degree even though I know there is so much more I can do with it… I consider different opportunities every day and am always open to new ideas. > [@IanK](#): > > HAHA I LOL’d. Im going for civil now, and to be honest im not particularly impressed by it, it may be more of a personal thing, but im in the process of reconsidering it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![RedDawg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@RedDawg](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RedDawg)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/29 "2009-03-26T11:48:58Z")
> [@Avatar](#): > > I don’t feel you need a degree in civil engineering to work in “civil engineering.” 2 of my coworkers don’t have degrees, but have been doing it for 20yrs, got into it starting in construction and moving up. It’s probably 1000x harder to break into design without a degree now though. And you def need a degree if you want to get your seal. ---
**Author:** ![RedDawg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@RedDawg](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RedDawg)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:53am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/30 "2009-03-26T11:53:56Z")
> [@frost12850](#): > > Thanks, > > Care to elaborate on what one ‘could’ be doing? Like I said, this isnt a definite thing. Trying to really get some advice from those that are older/ more experienced than me, or even those that have been in my same situation before. Ive discussed this topic with many people ranging from the older brother to some of my best friends, one of which is an engineer. Sometimes I think that I should ride it out a little bit longer and see where finance can take me (since it is such a broad field). I could end up falling into something that I absolutely love. Sometimes I think that there does have to be that balance between work and pleasure, that I have to keep in mind that your job is your job in which you make money to do the things that you enjoy most, rather than doing what you enjoy most as your job (if that makes sense). Keep the input coming in my attempt to stay in Buffalo i had interviews at the DOT to be a construction inspector, just sit out at job sites in the trailer “managing” the job, making sure things got completed on schedule and contractors didn’t cut corners. another interview was for a company that designed and constructed vehicle test sites overseas. That job sounded cool but i must not have done well in the interview, i never got an offer. a phone interview i had once was a 2yr minimum contract to oversee the construction of a nuclear plant out in arizona. Crazy $$$ but i would’ve been isolated for at least 2 yrs and the money wasnt worth the potential loss of friends/gf. Right now, i do subdivision design. Our clients buy land, we try to maximize the development by subdividing it, laying out the roadway, the grading, storm system & basin if required, etc. Pretty much complete subdivision design except for the asthetics of the actual homes which we get from architects. We also do the same thing for commercial properties (banks, shopping plazas, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![frost12850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@frost12850](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/frost12850)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:59am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/31 "2009-03-26T11:59:49Z")
> [@RedDawg](#): > > Right now, i do subdivision design. Our clients buy land, we try to maximize the development by subdividing it, laying out the roadway, the grading, storm system & basin if required, etc. Pretty much complete subdivision design except for the asthetics of the actual homes which we get from architects. We also do the same thing for commercial properties (banks, shopping plazas, etc.) Now that sounds like something Id be interested in… I find myself sitting in meetings listening to talk about numbers and all this financial lingo, while I stare out the window and think to myself about what gets put into deciding where a building will be placed on the empty plot in proximity to the rest of the land. I think to myself that I sometimes wish I could be the person to go back in time and develop Buffalo the proper way rather than run a highway through the middle of a beautiful park let alone a highway along the river where there are houses when it should be highly developed into something more useful than that. But yea, good for you especially if your enjoying it ---
**Author:** ![Avatar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/avatar/32/5076_2.png) [@Avatar](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Avatar)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 11:59am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/32 "2009-03-26T11:59:57Z")
> [@RedDawg](#): > > 2 of my coworkers don’t have degrees, but have been doing it for 20yrs, got into it starting in construction and moving up. > > It’s probably 1000x harder to break into design without a degree now though. > > And you def need a degree if you want to get your seal. That’s sort of my point. I feel a degree will certainly help you come into the industry at a certain level or position, but depending on what you want to ultimately accomplish a specific degree in civil engineering may be superfluous. Say one wanted to get into home improvement or remodeling/design. I don’t see why you would necessarily need a degree for that. I see it more of a trade/journeyman career. ---
**Author:** ![Avatar](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/avatar/32/5076_2.png) [@Avatar](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Avatar)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 12:04pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/33 "2009-03-26T12:04:03Z")
> [@frost12850](#): > > Now that sounds like something Id be interested in… I find myself sitting in meetings listening to talk about numbers and all this financial lingo, while I stare out the window and think to myself about what gets put into deciding where a building will be placed on the empty plot in proximity to the rest of the land. I think to myself that I sometimes wish I could be the person to go back in time and develop Buffalo the proper way rather than run a highway through the middle of a beautiful park let alone a highway along the river where there are houses when it should be highly developed into something more useful than that. But yea, good for you especially if your enjoying it Do you really want to know who decides what gets built and where? When and how? Who draws up the contracts and ensures everything is compliant? Attorneys 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RedDawg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@RedDawg](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RedDawg)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/34 "2009-03-26T12:06:29Z")
> [@frost12850](#): > > Now that sounds like something Id be interested in… I find myself sitting in meetings listening to talk about numbers and all this financial lingo, while I stare out the window and think to myself about what gets put into deciding where a building will be placed on the empty plot in proximity to the rest of the land. I think to myself that I sometimes wish I could be the person to go back in time and develop Buffalo the proper way rather than run a highway through the middle of a beautiful park let alone a highway along the river where there are houses when it should be highly developed into something more useful than that. But yea, good for you especially if your enjoying it that’s a majority of what i do, but i can’t guarantee that that’s where you’ll end up if you get a civil degree. If that’s what you’re looking for you might have to stay at the bank until the perfect job comes along. With civil you can land anywhere from being a drafter at the DOT, to being out at a construction site 90% of the time, to being in the office doing design work like i’m doing. I do enjoy it though and we get projects every now and then that require a creative thought process. A recent one was to solve a potential flooding problem for a bank we were building, we went with water-proof retaining walls that raise 4’ high out of the ground to surround the bank when the sensor is tripped. Was pretty cool to see that work out. Another day we had to move an 18th century home, knocked out the foundation, slid some tank tracks underneath it, and drove it by remote control 200ft. But again, it all depends on the job you find, you might have to stick with banking until the perfect one comes along. And chances are very high that you’ll have to leave buffalo. ---
**Author:** ![dubbin91](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@dubbin91](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/dubbin91)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 12:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/35 "2009-03-26T12:11:06Z")
The thing is with a finance degree that are a many different industries and the same with civil. Maybe try and apply for finance job at a civil firm and see how you like the industry and see if they will help pay for it. You might be able to get into a project management assistant position or something. Do research, see what you can do and what you would like to do. Then see how you get into the industry. I would not just go right back to school for it and find out later when your sitting there in a meeting, you wish you were working numbers behind what is going on. ---
**Author:** ![walter](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/walter/32/7202_2.png) [@walter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/walter)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 12:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/36 "2009-03-26T12:26:34Z")
> [@Fry](#): > > 8 years of school to have 2 bachelors that don’t complement each other doesn’t sound too great to me. What about an MBA and getting into corporate management? > > Civil’s for losers, go mechanical. Mechanical engineers build weapons. Civil engineers build targets. Getting an MBA without any experience is like putting a great rack on a tranny. ---
**Author:** ![66impalass](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/66impalass/32/7429_2.png) [@66impalass](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/66impalass)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 12:32pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/37 "2009-03-26T12:32:48Z")
civils make my life a living hell… seriously them and their damn not making everything level EDIT: only people that piss me off more are interior designers ---
**Author:** ![frost12850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@frost12850](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/frost12850)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 12:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/38 "2009-03-26T12:35:34Z")
> [@Avatar](#): > > Do you really want to know who decides what gets built and where? When and how? Who draws up the contracts and ensures everything is compliant? > > Attorneys 😉 Hahaha, I still think your gonna get into something involved with being in the financial market. Your too on top of things and you put too much interest in whats going on. I sometimes think you shoulda went for finance or something. Definitely good that you have your MBA though… Im curious to see where youll end up after school ---
**Author:** ![frost12850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@frost12850](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/frost12850)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/39 "2009-03-26T12:36:52Z")
> [@walter](#): > > Getting an MBA without any experience is like putting a great rack on a tranny. Agreed… I was faced with a decision when I graduated since I wanted to get my MBA at the time. I decided to start getting work experience for your reasoning stated. ---
**Author:** ![snowracer101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@snowracer101](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/snowracer101)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 1:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146/40 "2009-03-26T13:12:08Z")
Civil degree-----\>working for NYS DOT. My friend got a 2 year degree in the civil engineering program at ECC. As soon as he got out he got a job with the DOT. He doesn’t make crazy money… ~50k a year but he just started working… I’m not sure what he does, but he DOES get a lot of vaca time and great benefits. FWIW: ECC has a GREAT civil program for the $. [Previous page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146.md?page=1) [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/engineers-civil-looking-for-some-insight/65146.md?page=3)