Graduate careers advice: you and your civil engineering degree

Graduate careers advice on what you can do with your civil engineering degree.

Relevant jobs include:

• Commissioning engineer
• Consulting engineer
• Design engineer
• Drilling engineer
• Energy engineer
• Environmental engineer
• Geologist, engineering
• Industrial engineer
• Mining engineer
• Network engineer
• Petroleum engineer
• Validation engineer
• Water engineer

Work experience

Employers greatly appreciate candidates who can boast relevant work experience. A placement will also familiarise you with the practical running of an engineering firm.

If your course doesn’t offer you a placement, seek one out during your holidays. Spending time in a construction or civil engineering setting will give you valuable knowledge of how projects are planned and executed. It will also give you the chance to build contacts.

Some employers may offer structured work placements, while administrative and construction jobs may also be available.

Information on opportunities can be found here .

What sectors?

Civil engineers are employed in a variety of sectors, though the construction sector is the main employer. The transport and infrastructure, financial, IT and energy sectors are also large employers.

You may find yourself working in-house for a national or multi-national organisation, or for a contractor or consultancy firm. The public sector offers opportunities in government departments, local authorities and environmental organisations. Opportunities exist both in Ireland and abroad.

Your civil engineering degree

Civil engineering graduates are sought after for their technical knowledge and understanding of specific subjects. The understanding of mathematics, science and technology gained will tailor you to the most effective use of resources, helping you to design and build structures in an efficient manner. Working on construction based group projects will enhance your teamwork skills and give you practical experience of applying your engineering knowledge.

Employers in other sectors are also interested in candidates who possess the skills acquired by civil engineering graduates. The most sought desired skills include critical thinking, problem solving, numeracy, data interpretation, decision making, communication and an awareness of ethical issues.

Postgraduate study

Many graduates undergoing professional training with a civil engineering firm will opt to study part-time to acquire the qualifications necessary to become a chartered (CEng) or incorporated (IEng) engineer. Engineers Ireland provides details of the routes to acquiring a professional status.

Postgraduate civil engineering courses offer students the chance to acquire knowledge specific to particular areas like environmental engineering, maritime engineering and water management. A Masters course can be taken or research can be conducted through an MRes, PhD or MPhil.

For more information on postgraduate courses, visit our Further Study section.