Careers Centre
Career Resources for Civil Engineering Students
Think about your skills
A degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Leeds is widely recognised as an excellent general qualification. Those of you intending to work in the construction industry are equipped to embark on a career that could take you anywhere in the world. Recent graduates have secured positions such as Graduate Civil Engineers, Graduate Engineers, Transport Consultants and Road Design Engineers. Your problem-solving, numeracy and communication skills will also open doors to a variety of other professions. Your degree programme emphasises the development of ‘transferable graduate skills’, such as: Problem solving/Analytical – Project work is a major feature throughout your course and so you will have been exposed to the types of problems you will meet in practice and you will have developed essential research skills required to succeed in your career. Numeracy & IT Skills – During your programme you will have become highly numerate and computer literate, using general IT and software specific to the construction and engineering industry Teamworking – You work in teams regularly when you undertake fieldwork. For instance, in surveying camp you work in a group to carry out practical survey work to produce a contoured map of an allocated area. You also may have taken part in the construction site fieldcourse where you where challenged to work in teams to use your theoretical knowledge and practical skills on a large-scale construction problem. Commercial Awareness –If you have undertaken summer placements you will have a good understanding of the profession and a competitive advantage when starting your career. The department has strong links with the industry and staff work with various companies on wide-ranging research and consultancy projects. The School also has an industrial advisory board consisting of senior members of the industry who advise on content and overall direction of the course so that your materials are always up to date. Your course will have given you all these skills and others like communication, self-reliance, initiative and project/ time management. Refer to ‘Options with Civil Engineering’ and ‘Options with Building/Construction Management’ sheets (http://www.prospects.ac.uk/links/options) for further information. It is a good idea to think about ALL the skills you have developed in different situations as you will have acquired a good many others during work experience and your extracurricular activities. Have a look at http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/students/choosingacareer06/wheretostart/employabilityskills.asp and list the skills you have to offer with examples.
Career Resources for Civil Engineering Students
What motivations and values influence your job choice?
The skills you can offer are part of the story, but you also need to consider factors like values, interests and motivation in deciding on a fulfilling career. You can use the Prospects Planner (http://www.prospects.ac.uk/links/pplanner) career planning tool to help you decide.
Careers Centre Resources for Civil Engineering students
The Advisory Staff at the Careers Centre (5-7 Cromer Terrace) will be happy to discuss your career plans with you. If it is difficult for you to visit you can use our e-guidance service: you will find an ‘On-line Advice’ box with a hotlink on each page of our website. Careers Consultant, Caroline Ramage, also conducts drop-in surgeries in
the department to advise students on any aspect of career planning; check the LCD screen in your department foyer for announcements about further details. The following resources in our Information Room may also help:
Targetjobs: Civil & Structural Engineering, GTI Targetjobs: Construction & Building Services, GTI First Move: Construction Inside Careers: Engineering & Technology Targetjobs: Engineering, GTICareers with a Science Degree, Neil Harris Target: Engineering Design & Construction, GTIEnvironmental Careers: the Inside Guide, Justin Taberham Targetjobs: Quantity Surveying & Building Surveying, GTI Targetjobs: Propery, GTI Sustainable Careers Handbook, Allan Shepherd Getting into International Development, Jeff Riley ENDS Environmental Consultancy Directory, Environmental Data Services Environment Industry Yearbook, Wilmington Business Information The Green Directory, ADC Environment The Rough Guide to a Better World, DFID Local Government Careers, Employers Organisation CATLOG: Careers & Training in Local Government Prospects: Public Services, Graduate Prospects Targetjobs: Public Service, GTI The Guide to Careers in Regeneration, Haymarket The Guide to Careers in Planning, Haymarket International Development Directory, Sarah Harland et al Working in Development, Iain McLoughlin Working in International Development & Emergency Aid, Angela Higney & Piero Calvi-Parisetti Tarmac Papers: the Archives & History Initiative of Tarmac Limited The Story of Tarmac The Times (Daily) The Guardian (Daily) The Daily Telegraph (Thursday)
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Career Resources for Civil Engineering Students
Sources of Vacancies for Civil Engineering related careers
General: Careers Centre (http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/students/whatweoffer06/cool.asp ); Prospects Finalist (www.prospects.ac.uk/links/finalist ); Prospects Graduate (www.prospects.ac.uk/links/graduate ); Graduates Yorkshire (www.graduatesyorkshire.co.uk/graduates/index ); New Civil Engineer (www.nceplus.co.uk ); Careers in Construction (www.careersinconstruction.com ); Contract Journal (www.contractjournal.com ); Earthworks (www.earthworks-jobs.com ); Just Construction (www.justconstruction.net/ ); Justengineers (www.justengineers.net ); The Engineer Jobs (www.theengineer.co.uk/jobs/Home.aspx ); Building (www.building.co.uk ); Construction News (www.cnplus.co.uk/ ); Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) (www.acenet.co.uk ); Building4jobs (www.building4jobs.co.uk ); The National Engineering & Construction Recruitment Exhibition (NECR) (www.engineerjobs.co.uk/ ); UK Civil Engineering (www.ukcivilengineering.com/ ); Building Services Journal (www.bsjonline.co.uk ); The Structural Engineer (www.istructe.org.uk/thestructuralengineer/index.asp ); Local Government Jobs (www.lgjobs.com ); Opportunities: The Public Sector Recruitment Weekly (www.opportunities.co.uk ); Environment Agency (EA) (www.environment-agency.gov.uk ); Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) (www.ciwem.org ); Thomas Telford Recruitment (www.ttrecruit.co.uk ) is a recruitment consultancy, specialising in construction and civil and building design; Eden Recruitment (www.edenrecruitment.com ); Matchtech Group plc (www.matchtech.com ); The Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk ); The Times (www.timesonline.co.uk ); The Daily Telegraph (www.jobs.telegraph.co.uk ); Local press. Civil Engineer (Consulting): The Career Engineer (www.thecareerengineer.com ); Technology Horizons (www.technologyhorizons.co.uk ); ICE Recruit (www.icerecruit.com ); Construction Industry Jobs Board (www.constructor.co.uk ). Building Control Surveyor: Building Engineer (www.abe.org.uk/publications/buildingengineer ); Local authority websites.
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Career Resources for Civil Engineering Students
Engineering Geologist: Ground Engineering (www.nce.co.uk/geotechnical/index.html/ ); Geological Society (www.geolsoc.org.uk ). Hydrologist: New Scientist (www.newscientist.com ); ENDS Environmental Job Search (www.endsjobsearch.co.uk ); Just Utilities (www.justutilities.net/ ). British Hydrological Society (www.hydrology.org.uk ). Quantity Surveyor: Estates Gazette (www.egi.co.uk ); Property Week (www.propertyweek.com ); QS Week (www.qsweek.com ); RICS Recruit (www.ricsrecruit.com/Home/Home.aspx ); Hays Personnel (www.hays.com ); Academic departments may also be approached by employers, so it is worthwhile keeping in touch with tutors. Structural Engineer: Technology Horizons (www.technologyhorizons.co.uk ). Water Engineer: British Toxicology Society (BTS) (www.thebts.org ). Water Quality Scientist: Chemistry World (www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/ ).
Have you considered postgraduate study or research?
Each year some Civil Engineering graduates also go on to further study or research, often choosing to take a vocational Masters. The following sources are available to help you decide: University of Leeds Postgraduate Prospectus (http://tldynamic.leeds.ac.uk/pgprospectus/ ); Prospects PostGrad Database (www.prospects.ac.uk/links/pgdbase ); FindAPhD (www.findaphd.com/ ); FindAMasters (www.findamasters.com/ ); Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) (www.ktponline.org.uk ).
Would you like help with your application?
We have lots of resources in our Information Room and on our website (http://careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/students/gettingajob06/index.asp) to help you impress employers. Don’t forget that our advisory staff will also be happy to check over your application form or CV. It is best to bring along details of the job with your application so that we can check you have targeted it effectively.
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Career Resources for Civil Engineering Students
Additional sources of information on Civil Engineering related careers
General: Targetjobs: Civil & Structural Engineering, GTI Targetjobs: Construction & Building Services, GTI Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), www.ice.org.uk Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), www.cibse.org The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), www.ciob.org.uk Construction Plus, www.constructionplus.co.uk/ Construction Weblinks, www.constructionweblinks.com/ National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC), www.nawic.co.uk/ ConstructionSkills, www.citb.co.uk Engineering Construction Industry Association (ECIA), www.ecia.co.uk/ Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), www.ecitb.org.uk Engineering Council UK (ECUK), www.engc.org.uk Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), www.theiet.org Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), www.istructe.org Environmental Careers, www.environmentalcareers.org.uk Engineering and Technology Board, www.etechb.co.uk Engineers Without Borders, www.ewb-uk.org/ Water UK (www.water.org.uk ) for details of water supply companies and water and sewerage operators Geological Society, www.geolsoc.org.uk Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), www.ceh.ac.uk Energy and Utility Skills, www.euskills.co.uk/ Association of Geotechnical and Geo-environmental Specialists (AGS), www.ags.org.uk/ Society of Facade Engineering (SFE), www.facadeengineeringsociety.org/ Society of Public Health Engineers (SoPHE), www.cibse.org/index.cfm?go=page.view&item=312 Construction Industry Council (CIC), www.cic.org.uk SEMTA: the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies, www.semta.org.uk Science Engineering and Technology (SCENTA), www.scenta.co.uk The Women's Engineering Society (WES), www.wes.org.uk Civil Engineer (Consulting): ICE Approved Employers Search, http://wam.ice.org.uk/approved_employers_lookup/index.asp Civil Engineer (Contracting):
Civil Engineering Contractors Association, www.ceca.co.uk/
Building Control Surveyor: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), www.rics.org Local Government Careers, www.lgcareers.com
Association of Building Engineers (ABE), www.abe.org.uk
Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), www.ife.org.uk/ Local Authority Building Control (LABC), www.labc-services.co.uk/
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Career Resources for Civil Engineering Students
Engineering Geologist: Geoscientist, www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/geoscientist British Geotechnical Association (BGA), www.ice.org.uk/knowledge/knowledge_bga.asp Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), www.iom3.org Institute of Quarrying, www.quarrying.org International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM), www.isrm.net/ International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), www.issmge.org/ Hydrologist: ENDS Environmental Consultancy Directory, www.endsdirectory.com/search/ The ENDS Report, www.endsreport.com/ Water Yearbook, www.pinsentmasons.com/Default.aspx?page=419 British Hydrological Society, www.hydrology.org.uk Institution of Water Officers (IWO), www.iwo.org.uk International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), www.iah.org Quantity Surveyor: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), www.rics.org
RICS Business, www.rics.org/Knowledgezone/Journalsandmagazines/RICSBusiness/ RICS-Find a Surveyor, www.ricsfirms.com/vw/search/location.aspx
Association of Cost Engineers (ACostE), www.acoste.org.uk Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (ICES), www.ices.org.uk/ices1000.htm Water Engineer: WaterAid, www.wateraid.org.uk Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), www.vso.org.uk Water Quality Scientist Drinking Water Quality Regulator (DWQR), www.dwqr.org.uk/ Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), www.dwi.gov.uk/
Janet Hindle 03/06/08
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