Being a Civil Engineer

Civil Engineering is the art and practice of changing the physical world for the use and benefit of people. Of course, Engineers work in the context of the world in the 21st Century, with all of its complexity, diversity and rich technological, social and cultural heritage.

As every person is different, so every Civil Engineer is different. As an individual you can play your part in designing and building airports, bridges, skyscrapers, flood defenses, water supply and drainage schemes, dams, wind farms, sustainable buildings, train stations, ports, reservoirs, tunnels, public transport, roads and railways.

Civil Engineering is one of the oldest professions in the world, born out of people’s age-old need to get along with their environment, and to work with it and with each other to sustain and improve life.

Some people relish the generalist’s challenge to develop the combination of design, technical, leadership and management skills to lead complex multi-disciplinary projects. Others take great pleasure in developing their specialist knowledge in a particular area of interest, often going on to become highly skilled in analysis or research techniques, sometimes in a single technical domain.

It takes both sorts of engineer and more to turn out a successful Civil Engineering project. That is because all Civil Engineering projects are the product of multi-disciplinary teams, and the best projects are designed and built by teams with well-integrated complementary skills. There is always a better answer, and to find it civil engineering sweeps from innovation and blue sky thinking to rigorous science and maths, and back again.

Successful engineers often say that one of the best things about their world is that they never stop learning, combining practical skills with an understanding of the ever-changing financial, sociological and political framework. As Civil Engineers, we work on projects that impact on people's everyday lives across the whole planet. That is no small responsibility, and learning to be a good civil engineer brings the great satisfaction of taking that responsibility and turning it into something that really does make the world a better place.