Every job requires a particular skill set in order for the employee to be successful in their role. Some roles require broader skill sets than others, and engineering is a perfect example.
Read on to learn a few of the many skills an employee at a civil engineering company must possess.
Degrees and schooling
Getting a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering is the first step on the road to becoming a civil engineer. Some students may then pursue a master’s degree in a more niche civil engineering field, like geotechnical engineering. Depending on the state they live in, some civil engineers have to obtain a Professional Engineer’s license (PE), especially when working with the public.
Mathematical skills
Math is a major part of a civil engineer’s day-to-day responsibilities. All engineers must be highly proficient in algebra, calculus, trigonometry and geometry. A background in statistics can also be beneficial if a civil engineer works in transportation engineering or water resource engineering.
Written communication skills
The job isn’t solely about math—written communication is a must-have skill if you work at a construction engineering service. Civil engineers must communicate with all sorts of different people, many of whom might not possess the technical understanding of a project. To overcome those obstacles, civil engineers need to be great at clearly communicating information in reports or emails.
Oral communication skills
Communication breakdowns at a civil engineering company can delay projects and cost clients tons of money, so oral communication with team members is another must-have skill. Some engineers even have client-facing roles. These individuals must have fantastic oral communication skills, especially when they’re talking to someone without a background in engineering, science or math.
Leadership skills
Project responsibility often falls on the shoulders of the civil engineers who served as the project manager, so they’re the people everyone turns to when there are questions or when something goes awry. Civil engineers must always keep it cool and demonstrate great leadership skills to make decisions with confidence and delegate duties when needed.
Organizational skills
A ton of documents come across a civil engineer’s desk on a daily basis. All of that paperwork—paired with the tasks of managing team members—can make an engineer’s head spin if they’re not organized. Keeping everything neat and organized is crucial to an engineer’s success.
Problem solving
Problems are bound to arise at nearly every stage of a project—that’s where a civil engineer’s problem-solving skills come into play. Given enough time, a few civil engineers can solve any problem you throw at them.
Decision making
As project leaders, civil engineers need to make tough decisions all the time. Their decisions are based on their schooling, past experience, goals, safety concerns and more.
Work with our civil engineers at Mason & Associates
If you need a civil engineer with all of the skills above, look no further than our staff at Mason & Associates. We only hire the best and brightest to work at our construction engineering service, so you can trust you’ll be working with a talented professional.