How to advance your civil engineering career in 2023

It is undeniable that civil engineering is an exciting and potentially lucrative career path. Getting started in civil engineering will see you challenging yourself every day and learning new skills. 

Yet as you settle into your career, it is easy to get comfortable and only apply the skills you learnt during the early stages. Of course, for some, this is fine. Yet others will want to advance as far as they can to develop a sense of achievement and contribute more to the field.

The start of every new year offers an opportunity to define career goals and create plans for how you are going to achieve them. In this article, we explore five of the top ways that you can advance your civil engineering career in 2025.

Choose a discipline you are interested in

Just because you started your career as a civil engineering generalist or picked one specialisation, that doesn’t mean you cannot change your focus or add more skills to your CV. The start of 2025 may be the perfect time to choose a new civil engineering discipline. Some of the most popular and in-demand disciplines include: 

• Infrastructure Engineering
• Structural Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Geotechnical Engineering
• Transportation Engineering
• Water Engineering

Earn new qualifications

Most civil engineers will require a degree to get their first job or to access a graduate scheme. However, for those that want to progress in their careers, pursuing more advanced qualifications can be a smart way to demonstrate your knowledge and competency. 

For example, you may choose to complete a Master’s degree or PhD in a specialist area of civil engineering. Alternatively, you may seek a path to becoming a certified civil engineer through a professional organisation such as the Institution of Civil Engineers. Should you choose this route to advance your career, pay special attention to the institutes and awarding bodies that are widely recognised amongst the major civil engineering companies. 

Use new technologies

Having skills and knowledge in the use of new technology is a wise way to make yourself more valuable in the eyes of employers. There are countless technologies to choose from - the best choice for you will depend on your interests, skills and role. For example, civil engineers involved with the visualisation and client presentation of projects may benefit from developing skills in virtual or augmented reality. These tools are already being employed to put stakeholders into digital realities, highlighting how projects will look and work once completed. 

Demonstrate both hard and soft skills

As a civil engineer, it is often easy to identify the hard skills you need to progress in your career. For example, using new technologies, maths and physics, map reading, reviewing blueprints and CAD software are all hard skills that help engineers in do their job better. 

Yet, soft skills are often overlooked as an essential part of progressing your career. For example, senior engineers will often have good communication, time management and leadership skills that help them better lead major projects to timelines and budgets. 

Never stop learning

Once you progress a little way in your career, it can be easy to become comfortable. This is especially true when you achieve the formal qualifications which are widely accepted as those you need to progress. But in reality, civil engineering techniques are always developing. Meaning that civil engineers wanting to advance must stay on top of learning the latest trends and best practices within their field. 

One way to do this is to join a professional body that offers training and a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) program. Alternatively, if you cannot find a fitting CPD program, you may decide to set up your own learning roadmap and run it by your manager.

Asia: The Perfect Next Step in Your Career? 

If you are considering a career in civil engineering, or you are ready to take the next step in progressing your career, AtkinsRéalis ’s opportunities in Asia could be a smart way for you to benefit from a challenging, exciting and growing market. We are leaders in this space and have some great positions available. You can find out more about our job openings in India here. 

Alternatively, if you want to keep on top of the latest roles, you can sign up for our talent community or our latest job alerts.