Any Civil Engineers out there???

Just wondering...

guess not...

2 more yrs of school to become one

My wife is one..but isn't doing any serious engineering anymore..she's moved onto the business/financial side of things to climb that corporate ladder. Too easy to get silo'd if she would have just stayed in Engineering.

She's also got an undergrad in Architecture, which she says helped quite a bit when she did her Engineering degree.

What do you want to know?

Cool what school???

Originally Posted by manho

2 more yrs of school to become one

What do you mean by "silo'd"??? I just started my career a few years ago (graduated in 2002) and just realized the pay isn't all that good in consulting. Oh well...not always about the $$$ I guess...

Originally Posted by rc51

My wife is one..but isn't doing any serious engineering anymore..she's moved onto the business/financial side of things to climb that corporate ladder. Too easy to get silo'd if she would have just stayed in Engineering.

She's also got an undergrad in Architecture, which she says helped quite a bit when she did her Engineering degree.

What do you want to know?

Originally Posted by ATLien69

Cool what school???

maclean's #1 in comprehensive - waterloo

I'm not sure if I can call myself a "Civil Engineer". I graduated in 2002, but not yet worked in the field. Due to family obligations, I have just started looking now. Kinda tough with no experience, but I'm going to try.

Originally Posted by ATLien69

What do you mean by "silo'd"??? I just started my career a few years ago (graduated in 2002) and just realized the pay isn't all that good in consulting. Oh well...not always about the $$$ I guess...

Silo'd as in terms of advancement within the company.... if she had stayed in the Engineering side of things the highest she probably would have gotten was perhaps Engineering Manager, and that's it. In her company, that's very low on the management scale. It seems that to get to the Director or VP level, which is what she is targeting for, you need to get into the business or financial side of a company, or at least her company. All of their VP's and Directors have some sort of business/financial background, ie, Engineering or Finance degree supplemented with an MBA.

She will be starting her MBA I believe next fall...

BTW, consulting can be feast or famine. She got on with a consulting company after grad...(she had worked a couple terms with them when she was in co-op during Eng) and they pretty much recruited her when she was just finishing up..she lasted 2 weeks there. She hated it, very dry office, no atmosphere..and it would have been a long time till she made partner if ever. She moved to a much bigger company, got recruited again actually, got a ton of different experiences, also paid her dues though doing grunt work as an EIT, and now has climbed the ladder to a mid level management position, but more importantly, lots of exposure, which is a good thing if she can prove herself, to get to that next level.

what is the hourly pay for civil engineers?starting pay?and how high can it go up to?
thanks

Cool my gf is currently in chem eng at waterloo...3rd year. I like that town, I visit all the time...

Originally Posted by manho

maclean's #1 in comprehensive - waterloo

Yeah def not easy...I've been with three different consulting firms in the last 4 years. Problem is not me, it's them...they seem to be very unstable...

Originally Posted by doobievibes

I'm not sure if I can call myself a "Civil Engineer". I graduated in 2002, but not yet worked in the field. Due to family obligations, I have just started looking now. Kinda tough with no experience, but I'm going to try.

That is so true, like I said the pay is very low compared to ther engineering professions. Start is anywhere between high 30's to low 40's for someone straight outta university. Even as project managers (maybe 70,000) the pay doesn't reflect the stress. VERY STRESSFULL keeping jobs and clients happy!

Originally Posted by rc51

Silo'd as in terms of advancement within the company.... if she had stayed in the Engineering side of things the highest she probably would have gotten was perhaps Engineering Manager, and that's it. In her company, that's very low on the management scale. It seems that to get to the Director or VP level, which is what she is targeting for, you need to get into the business or financial side of a company, or at least her company. All of their VP's and Directors have some sort of business/financial background, ie, Engineering or Finance degree supplemented with an MBA.

She will be starting her MBA I believe next fall...

BTW, consulting can be feast or famine. She got on with a consulting company after grad...(she had worked a couple terms with them when she was in co-op during Eng) and they pretty much recruited her when she was just finishing up..she lasted 2 weeks there. She hated it, very dry office, no atmosphere..and it would have been a long time till she made partner if ever. She moved to a much bigger company, got recruited again actually, got a ton of different experiences, also paid her dues though doing grunt work as an EIT, and now has climbed the ladder to a mid level management position, but more importantly, lots of exposure, which is a good thing if she can prove herself, to get to that next level.

No hrly rate, just salary...about 38k-42k to start and can go up to whatever depending on exp., position, and company. (maybe topped at 80,000 unless you start getting into the financial/management side of the company, VERY DIFFICULT to do thou, and will take 20+ years at least!)

Originally Posted by K@$H!F

what is the hourly pay for civil engineers?starting pay?and how high can it go up to?
thanks

Originally Posted by ATLien69

No hrly rate, just salary...about 38k-42k to start and can go up to whatever depending on exp., position, and company. (maybe topped at 80,000 unless you start getting into the financial/management side of the company, VERY DIFFICULT to do thou, and will take 20+ years at least!)

Not necessarily....I think it depends on the person (skills, personality), the company (how big it is, how progressive) and the market you're in.

My wife has only been out of school for 8 years now, and has already broken that magical 6 figure mark, and she's only just starting to make her move into senior management...not bad for someone who's only 35..and a female on top of that. (She's in a very male dominated industry).

Like I said, it depends on the person, who you know, who knows you and how well you can play the political/social games that's being played at the corporate level. I definitely couldn't do it..don't have the patience to play the stupid games...that's why I chose a much more tangible career path, aviation and IT. Less money, but less headaches.