Civil Engineer careers guide

Civil engineers are like SimCity but in real life. They plan and manage mega building projects – anything from airports to statement skyscrapers and entire new towns.

If you want to be able to walk past a city attraction and tell your friend “I made that happen”, you could think about becoming a civil engineer.

Is there something you’d like to know about engineering careers? Maybe we can help!

• DID YOU KNOW? You can get into these careers with T Levels!
• What types of engineering are there?
• Engineering jobs you can do without a degree
• How school STEM clubs help you build engineering skills
• See why engineering students are in demand for construction careers!

See more

Useful skills to put in your CV:

• Good problem solving skills and an enquiring mind – so much goes into planning out a new town or super-huge shopping space!
• Good organisation skills – this will help you with your education and training, and also with conducting your work with accuracy and care.
• Teamworking skills – you could work as part of a led by a line manager. You’ll have your part to play, and you will be willing to receive guidance and direction while working well with others. As you progress in your career, you’ll also build leadership and project management skills.
• Good communication skills – you will be able to explain your findings clearly when reporting problems to site managers, or negotiating with suppliers to get a good price on any raw materials or resources that might be needed on the construction project.

Top Skills-boosting Tip

How are your digital and design skills shaping up? These days you will be likely to use computer modelling and CAD (computer-aided design). You will also need to pay attention to measurements. No-one wants a skyscraper that looked huge in the design but only comes up to your knees in real life.

How Do You Get These Skills?

Vocational qualifications and work experience will help you build these skills over time.

Build Your Skills With the FREE Young Professional Programme

School, college and training

Many engineering jobs require some knowledge of science and being comfortable around maths.

In your GCSEs or the equivalent, aim to get passing grades of 9-4 (A*-C) in maths and at least one science.

You can then go on to take at least one A-level or equivalent qualification (like a BTEC or T-Level) in a topic related to science, engineering or maths.

This will give you a good grounding education in the engineering principles you might need to know. It will also help you to apply for further education such as a degree.

Vocational Qualifications

You can explore doing a civil engineering HND/HNC in college.

T-Levels

T-Levels are a choice for learners after GCSEs alongside apprenticeships and A-levels. You can do a T-Level in design, surveying and planning for construction. This Level 3 qualification can help you progress into becoming a Civil Engineering Technician, Town Planning Assistant, Geospatial Technician and plenty of other jobs you might not have heard of with varied responsibilities and great career prospects.

BTECs

You can do HNC BTECs in Civil Engineering. They can set you up for full-time degrees, or part-time degrees that give you time to earn a wage and build practical experience while you study.

Apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a scheme where you train while earning a starting salary.

Civil engineering apprenticeships are available in the UK and this could be a great way to get you started with your career. You can seek out civil engineering apprenticeships with organisations like Find an Apprenticeship.

University degrees and graduates

Some civil engineers enter the profession with an HNC/HND or foundation degree in civil engineering.

To get your foot in the door as a civil engineering technician, you may not have to apply for a full engineering degree (BEng) or a Master’s degree (MEng) in civil engineering.

The Institution of Civil Engineers has information on courses.

You could work overseas, for oil/mining companies and with British consulting firms. With time and experience you could move into senior project management. To achieve this, you would typically need incorporated or chartered engineer status.

You could specialise in a field of engineering that most interests you, becoming an expert in your field. You could also work in research, or strike out on your own and become a consultant once you’ve got some project successes under your belt.

Work Experience Tips

It can help you decide if this is the right career for you if you have previously done work experience in an engineering environment.

Any work experience where you have demonstrated your engineering skills can help your application.

Examples of relevant work experience include:

• Work shadowing (even if it’s just for a day)
• Work placements in a company
• Work experience placements on a college or university course

Work experience tips

Volunteering Tips

Volunteering is an excellent way to build up your skills and CV while making connections with people and organisations who could help you in the future.

If you are still at school, one way is to join a school STEM club.

Many civil engineers use CAD software (it stands for Computer Aided Design) to create their 2D and 3D designs of things to be built. You can get a head start on getting to grips with CAD software – even if you are still at school! There are lots of free CAD apps and tutorials available for beginners on the web. Build the skills, and it could help you get work experience or land the job even faster!

Volunteering tips

Example civil engineering projects you could work on:

• Structural (dams, buildings, offshore platforms and pipelines)
• Transportation (roads, railways, canals and airports)
• Environmental (water supply networks, drainage and flood barriers)
• Maritime (ports, harbours and sea defences)
• Geotechnical (mining, earthworks and construction foundations)

Example daily job responsibilities

• Working with your client to create plans for a new project
• Analysing surveys, testing and mapping data using computer modelling software
• Creating blueprints with computer aided design (CAD)
• Checking costs, time and labour to see if a project is worth doing and if it can be done on time for the right amount of money
• Checking risks and the effects on the environment
• Preparing bids for tenders, and reporting to clients and government agencies
• Managing and checking progress at each stage
• Making sure sites follow health and safety rules

To find jobs for young people in this role, search on jobs boards for early career roles and opportunities with these words in the title:

• Civil engineering apprenticeship
• Civil engineering technician
• Graduate civil engineer
• Civil engineering graduate
• Trainee civil engineer

You can also take a look at our database of local opportunities to see if there are any relevant jobs, work placements, or careers events and workshops to help you get started.

These websites might be able to help you find civil engineering experience or a role that’s a good fit for you:

• Find an Apprenticeship
• EngineeringUK
• Tomorrow’s Engineers
• Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET)
• Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Alliance (SEMTA)
• Engineering Council (ECUK)
• Women into Science, Engineering and Construction (WISE)

These employers all carry our Youth Friendly Employer Mark. We work with them to make sure that they are providing great support and opportunities to young people.

Click on an employer to find out more about them and the youth-friendly opportunities they offer, from work experience and apprenticeships through to graduate schemes.