A career in civil engineering is fascinating, but just like any other industry, it requires proper training and hard work. As you might already know, if you wish to see yourself as a professional engineer (PE) someday, you must commit to your FE and PE civil exam prep. Only once you clear these two NCEES based exams, you become a reputed civil engineer in the US.
However, neither clearing these exams nor is being a successful engineer easy. Many budding engineers are hoping to succeed in this field, but only those dedicated and ready to learn and grow can make it to the other end. And the growth doesn’t just stop at passing these exams; you have to keep working hard to retain your PE license.
Civil engineers are responsible for major construction projects, from determining the project’s requirements to testing and evaluating building sites; all of these critical tasks fall under the civil engineer’s role. Simply completing your degree will never make you a successful engineer unless you have mastered some of the essential skills that will be tested time and again in this field. Find out what these skills are below:
Project Management Skills
You probably have worked hard on your PE and FE civil practise exams to get your professional engineer license. But are you prepared for what comes after? Once you get your PE license, you are more likely to be working on big contracts where your project management skills will come into play. You must be capable of envisioning the project from the start to the end.
Project management will include working in sync with different professionals. Handling them, communicating with them, and keeping track of their work will all be done by you. You’ll need to make tough decisions on budget and ensure that the work is done well in time without compromising the quality a bit. Here are some of the main things you will have to deal with in project management:
- Project Scheduling
- Budget Overview
- Risk Management
- Task and Quality Management
- Decision-making and Problem-solving
Leadership Skills
Once you become in charge of major construction projects, you have to be the leader. You will be having technicians, contractors, architects, and many other experts in diverse fields working under you. Even the most minor project brings tons of challenges that you will only be able to counter with your knowledge of the industry and leadership skills combined.
Effectively led projects and projects with a more chaotic approach come up with two completely different results. Make sure you do what a leader does best, direct the work from the front. Take charge of the challenges and ensure that everyone understands their job and what the work expects of them.
Technical Skills
Along with the typical soft skills, a civil engineer must also be well-versed with some of the essential hard skills. In the civil engineering line of work, these skills include being good in physics and math and adept in map reading, blueprint reviewing, and working on CAD software.
Yes, you could have someone in your team who might be good at these skills, but the head of the project needs to practice these things too. As the leader, it is expected of a professional engineer to understand every aspect of the job. Having this knowledge allows the PE to give valuable insights on the work done, make it better, and handle complex engineering problems that you are bound sometimes to encounter.
Creativity
Engineering is generally interpreted as a boring job when in reality, it is the other way round. Yes, the work is done well within engineering principles, but more often than not, it involves lots of creative thinking. Construction projects have been going on for years, but a PE should bring new and better solutions for the industry’s growth.
One of many traits of a successful civil engineer is the ability to “think out of the box.” And it will remain an essential element for the years to come. It would help if you considered every possible outcome for a project and then go for what you think will be the best. There are always new products and developments trending in the industry, which you should stay updated with knowing.
Oral and Written Communication Skills
Communication is an essential factor in all sorts of business, and for a professional engineer, it becomes even more crucial. You will be required to write clear and concise reports, create and maintain project documents, planners, and more. For that, you need decent written communication skills. The documents and agreements written by you must be brief and easily understandable by your clients or other experts working with you.
The role of oral communication is equally important; it does not simply include speaking but listening to your team’s concerns and requests. As the head of the project, it is your job to ensure everyone is on board with the ideas and can give their suggestions anytime they want.
Tips to Improve Your Skills
- If you want your career as an engineer to be a long-term success, you have to keep learning. Even after getting your degree, doing your PE civil exam prep, and clearing it, learning doesn’t stop.
- Connecting with other successful associates is also a great way to improve your skills. Never back down from any networking opportunity you get. Since getting in touch with other experts might help you find new projects and learn new things about the industry.
- The internet has so much for you to explore in the field of engineering and more. Check for the latest trends, take ideas, watch videos on how you can improve your skills as an engineer, and implement your learnings in your career.
Conclusion
Your dream career in engineering is never far-fetched if you make the right effort. The first step to becoming a professional civil engineer is to ace the FE exam. Once passed, you must pass the PE exam, and Civil Engineering Academy will help provide practice problems and courses when you need them.