I'm a civil engineer. Ask me anything you want to know about Civil Eng. (2 Viewers)

Squar3root

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do you actually like your job?

have you had a job prior to your current one that you did not like? what made you stay for as long as you did?

how did you apply for jobs? interning, networking, seek.com, knew someone?
 

enghero

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do you actually like your job?

have you had a job prior to your current one that you did not like? what made you stay for as long as you did?

how did you apply for jobs? interning, networking, seek.com, knew someone?
I actually do like my job. I had a fascination for trains since I was small, so to be working in the rail civil industry is a blessing for me.

If your question is if I had a different full time job than in Civil Engineering, then the answer is no. I worked the odd casual part-time job when I was at university, but that's about it.
But within Civil Engineering, I have jumped to different roles in Project Management and Construction. I count that I jumped role at least 4 times now.
My jump also varies from rail and road. That's because it is easier and some hard technical skills are transferable between the two, such as geotech, structural, drainage, etc.
When I was a graduate engineer, I was rotated every 6 months for 3 years. The longest I've stayed in a position outside the graduate position is 20 months. Why I stayed in Civil Engineering for 7 years, well because I'm good at it. Once you finish a simple job, they give you a more complex job. It's a neverending cycle and you get better and better. Plus I have no other desire like to go to Masterchef or something.

For all the roles, I applied for the jobs, went to the interview and got it. Of course I have applied to dozen other roles where I didn't even get an interview. My stats is about 10% success rate in my application. So the moral of the story is to never give up.
I have a friend who got a job from networking, he was part of a soccer team and he played tennis with his teammate dad who owned a small engineering firm. He got a full-time job that way, and he wasn't academically inclined. So networking is actually a big component in getting a job.
 

enghero

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have you used your degree much since you started working?
If you become a designer, you would use 100% of your degree. Though as a civil engineer, they will specialise to structural or geotech or water. So 100% utilisation in one stream and maybe 20% in other streams (just because you have basic knowledge you learnt at uni).

I have used about 30% of my degree.
Using the basic principles from structures, geotech and water.
This low percentage, I feel is due to just how the University syllabus is structured by academics. Hence it is more academically inclined.
Hence I always preach that for you young engineers to get a job as soon as possible and don't wait until you graduate.
 

tazzy664

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I know that this was a long time ago, but what subjects did you do for the HSC?
 

BLIT2014

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Do you get to design many bridges?

If so what types do you typically design?
 

enghero

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Do you get to design many bridges?

If so what types do you typically design?
I don't get to design anything. That role is specific to the designer.
I manage the designers. So essentially, I tell them what to do.

Some of the bridge design I manage is usually standard type using precast girders. Like lego pieces.
 

blah21

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How were your grades in uni, in a challenging field like engineering?
 

enghero

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How were your grades in uni, in a challenging field like engineering?
I have subjects that I did well and subjects I didn't do so well in.

My worst subjects are ones that I only get a pass in 50 - 64 mark.
They are:
- Accounting subjects (I did double degree)
- Engineering Operations and Control
- First Year Physics (this one was tough. Nothing like HSC Physics)

Overall, I graduated with First Class Honours, which is Distinction Average
 

enghero

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What was the hardest subject of your degree?
Hardest subject was first year Physics because it was nothing like HSC Physics.
It caught me by surprise.

And computer programming subject. Not much of a coder you see.
 

BLIT2014

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Favourite bridge style? Also, what is your favourite bridge?
 

enghero

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How useful is maths in real life? Please tell me it is
Apologies for the late reply. Have been on holiday for 2 weeks.

In real life, as long you got good understanding of arithmetic such as addition and subtraction, multiplication and division. It's going to be okay.
So that's like general maths in HSC. But if general maths is going to drag your ATAR down, then drop it.

This is the foundation and it's applicable everywhere.
From this foundation, they build upon more complex concepts like pythagorean theorem, etc.

Depending on the "life" you choose, your maths level should correspond to this.
If you choose to be an artist/ a story writer, your maths shouldn't be the same as a rocket engineer level of maths.

So don't be stressed about maths, as long as you get the foundation right.
From this arithmetic foundation, you know how much if items are cheap or expensive, if you are getting the correct change, etc. How much you are really earning per hour, etc. That way, people won't be able to cheat you.
 

enghero

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Favourite bridge style? Also, what is your favourite bridge?
Apologies for the late reply, been on holiday for 2 weeks.

I am pretty boring, my favourite bridge style is the one that is easy to build and maintain. So probably anything involved with precast concrete on balanced cantilever method.

However, I've got a few favourite bridges:
1. Seacliff bridge
2. Any old stone arch viaduct like the zig zag railway viaduct - (they don't build it them like these anymore, they're beautiful)
3. Queensferry Crossing Bridge in Scotland
 

1039213

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What about more specifically in engineering, I'm doing 4u maths and aiming for 90 raw which is pretty solid. What's the difference between uni and school maths as well?
 

pistachioman

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Adding to what 1039213, how useful and helpful is other subjects apart from HSC Maths units, such as HSC physics & chem for example? Do you have to memorise a lot of info in UNI like it is in HSC physics?
 

enghero

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What about more specifically in engineering, I'm doing 4u maths and aiming for 90 raw which is pretty solid. What's the difference between uni and school maths as well?
I have been out of university for 7 years and even longer from high school. Someone else can probably better answer this question.
Sorry mate

In uni maths there are 2 main streams, calculus and algebra and if you do 4U maths, you should be doing alright. I'm pretty sure there are threads here at BOS that have notes about uni eng maths.
You should refer to those instead.
 

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