Insights 5 ways to start a new career in civil engineering in 2022

Civil engineering is an exciting and rewarding industry full of a range of career opportunities. The engineering market is set to grow in 2022 and beyond, and now is an ideal time to start forging a career in the industry. Competition for civil engineering roles can be fierce, however, by showing a passion for the civil engineering discipline, and by demonstrating you can be innovative, sustainable and inclusive, you can make an impact and land your first role.

AtkinsRéalis is a global engineering firm, and we are known for our continued professional development opportunities, at every stage of a person’s career. We truly value our colleagues, so we want to equip them with the best tools possible to do their jobs and progress to their next step. Here, we’ve outlined the top five ways that you can kick start your civil engineering career in 2022.

Gain your qualifications

Once you’ve decided that you want to become a civil engineer, your next step should be to plan your route into the industry and gain the relevant qualifications. There’s a range of rewarding routes that you can take, and for the majority of these, you will need a degree. Studying for a civil or structural engineering degree at university isn’t essential, however, it is by far the most popular route into the profession.

Once you’ve attained a degree, depending on the career path you intend to follow, you can choose from different levels of certification. These levels include Engineering Technician, Chartered Engineer and more. Adding these qualifications to your CV opens up a range of opportunities, allowing you to take the next step in your civil engineering career.

Find an internship or work experience

Civil engineering work experience and internships help you stand out from the rest of the competition. Working alongside industry professionals who have years of experience is invaluable and can propel your civil engineering career to new heights. Some degree courses provide a year in industry, however, if your programme doesn't offer this opportunity, you'll have to seek experience of your own.

Apply to a range of internship or work experience schemes to increase your chances of being accepted. Additionally, you can also send out speculative applications to top engineering firms to see if they’re prepared to offer you a placement.

Apprenticeship scheme

If further education isn’t the route you want to take, then an engineering apprenticeship is also an excellent way to start your career. As an apprentice, you'll be able to earn money whilst learning valuable skills that will benefit you later in your career.

By undertaking an apprenticeship, it takes longer to become a qualified civil engineer, however, you'll gain an abundance of hands-on experience. Civil engineering apprenticeships are available with a range of employers, at a variety of levels.

Join professional engineering societies

While your degree and qualifications will go a long way toward helping you prepare for a civil engineering career, there are more resources available for you to tap into. Networking is an integral part of the engineering industry, and engineering societies are a great way to meet new engineers. These people can provide you with valuable career advice and possibly offer an internship or job opportunity.

Prepare for soft skill interview questions

Interviews are one of the most important aspects of the recruitment process, and to land your first role in civil engineering, you’ll need to be prepared. While you can expect a range of technical and knowledge-based questions to appear in your interview, it’s important that you don’t overlook the soft skills questions.

Spend some time figuring out how you’ll answer questions about your strengths and weaknesses, and how you can apply your skills to benefit the interviewer’s company. Your answers should display your character and show the interviewer that you’re prepared to work on your weaknesses and show off your strengths.

Start your civil engineering career with AtkinsRéalis

At AtkinsRéalis, we take pride in having some of the most innovative and talented civil engineers in the industry. If you’ve got a creative mindset, are intent on building a successful career in civil engineering, and you’re keen to help us on our journey to Net Zero, we’d like to hear from you.

We are adamant that the success of our teams depends, amongst other things, on diversity and inclusion and we encourage applications from a range of backgrounds and experience levels within civil engineering.

Start building for your future and browse our civil engineering jobs today. If you can’t find the perfect job for you, join our talent community and sign up for job alerts.