Building a successful career

Updated on: Monday, February 22, 2010

With significant employment opportunities and avenues for higher specialisation, civil engineering holds a promising future for interested and skilled students, say academicians. Civil engineers, who play a crucial role in the infrastructure development, are much in demand, including in government sectors.

That students' perception about civil engineering is changing is evident from the fact that many are willingly opting for this core discipline.

“In the recent years, more students are opting for the course with willingness. Civil engineers are at the forefront in the infrastructure development of any country whether it involves buildings, roads or industries. In fact, they play an important role in the safety of structures and mitigation of natural disasters,” says Professor and Head, Department of Civil Engineering of Pondicherry Engineering College (PEC) S. Kothandaraman.

PEC, the only institution in the Union Territory to offer B.Tech Civil Engineering, also has M.Tech courses in Advanced Construction Technology and Environmental Engineering. “Civil engineering involves study of topographic survey, building materials, structural analysis, structural design, geotechnical engineering, fluid mechanics and transportation engineering. We are also imparting training on soft skills,” he says.

There is no dearth for higher study options for civil engineering graduates, academicians note. “Almost all premier institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology and National Institutes of Technology offer some higher education programmes for civil engineering graduates such as structural engineering.

The popular branches at the postgraduate level are structural engineering, geotechnical engineering followed by transportation engineering (highways, railways, airport and harbour). Other courses that civil engineering graduates could opt for are environmental engineering, hydrology and water resources engineering,” says Professor Kothandaraman.

In fact, the demand for structural and geotechnical engineers is more. For instance, structural engineers could fit into a number of organisations, besides Central and State government departments. As the professor explains, “Structural engineering looks at optimising the weight of structures. A number of opportunities for this discipline are available in private companies.”

One of the promising areas for the graduates is the Indian Engineering Services. “Every year, the Union Public Service Commission recruits more than 500 engineers for various departments from border roads to Indian Railways and CPWD. Students can prepare for the examination,” he says.

Analytical skills and creativity are essential requirements for students who are interested in civil engineering. With adequate training and experience, these graduates could become successful architects. However, Professor Kothandaraman adds a word of caution. “When students become civil engineers, they think it is a white collar job but it is not so. The initial period in the construction field will be tough and students should learn to overcome the difficulties in order to be successful,” he insists.

Besides the public sector, graduates can take up jobs in private companies including construction companies, consulting organisations and also become private consultants and contractors, he adds.

Building a successful career

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