3 Unexpected Skills for a Successful Career ??

What skills and knowledge areas do civil engineers need and use on a daily basis?

Even better, what do they need to move up the ladder and have a successful career? ??

A recent study set out to answer that question. The researchers wanted to find out what skills and knowledge are required, learned, and improved upon throughout a civil engineer’s career.

Now, guess what? The results are not what naturally comes to mind! ?? ??

4 Most Common Skills Civil Engineers Use on the Job ??

School is heavily focused on technical knowledge — and it should, given the nature of what we do. (We don’t want our bridges collapsing, right? ??).

However, the study found that, in practice, the skills civil engineers need are not limited to this single aspect. ??

A) Technical Skills

Among all study participants, this was hands down the most cited skill. Yes, your career is not only about technical knowledge, but it’s a crucial part of it!

A good grasp of theoretical concepts in your field of practice, plus engineering-related software skills, were the most used skills by civil engineers on a daily basis.

Also, location-specific technical knowledge was among the winners as well. Things like seismic design if your firm does a lot of work in areas like California. ??

Now, here’s a surprising finding… ??

Skills in general software tools like Word and Excel were mentioned just as much as skills in engineering software tools like Civil 3D. ??

(You didn’t see that coming, did you? ??)

B) Communication

This is one of the good old “soft skills” that all professionals need. But…

The study found one key aspect that’s specific to civil engineers: audience adjustment.

In other words, explaining things to potential clients, collaborators, and contractors, in broad terms. Focusing on the big picture and outcomes instead of diving into technical terms and jargon most don’t catch onto.

One vice president went even further, saying that “the ability to communicate effectively is the primary skill needed for career success.”

And the catch? Email is the most common form of communication! ??

C) Professional Skills

These are skills necessary to complete project tasks, work in teams, and do effective time management.

As you can expect, those were discussed mostly by vice presidents, project managers, and senior engineers in leadership and management roles.

D) Learning

All study participants mentioned lifelong learning as an essential component of professional practice.

And this is quite true, right? ??

Research discoveries and technological improvements are constantly changing the industry.

Not only do we have to adapt to these changes on the job, but the codes and design standards also get updated, and we need to get used to using them all over again…

...from scratch, basically. ??

Mentorship was the most discussed form of learning among participants, both via the company’s formal mentorship program or informal mentors outside of work.

The second one was formal short courses and presentations through “lunch-and-learns.” These were mentioned as an accessible learning resource to pick up new skills.

3 Unexpected Findings Civil Engineers Overlook ??

Now that you know the skills you need, there are three other aspects that most civil engineers neglect.

Depending on what stage you’re at in your career, there are some things that you should be focusing on more than others, right? ??

Wrong! ??

A) Senior Engineers Need Technical Knowledge…a Lot

If you’re a mid-career civil engineer who wants to get a leadership position, you’ve been told you should focus on the professional and business side of things.

Well, that’s not wrong. But according to the study, it's not the only thing.

The senior engineers (VPs, partners, and presidents) in the study didn’t mention completing design tasks in their daily work. But…

They were the most knowledgeable and competent individuals in their firms regarding their specialty area. What does it mean?

As one climbs the ladder at civil engineering firms, even the most business-focused, non-technical roles require a thorough understanding of the technical details.

So here you go again. This is one more reason why technical skills and knowledge in your field are one of the main aspects of a civil engineer’s career.

B) Client Relationships are for Entry-Level Engineers Too

Entry-level civil engineers normally do technical design tasks, with little to no interaction with clients and contractors. These are reserved for folks in management roles.

But here’s the kicker…

Among the study participants, even the entry-level civil engineers mentioned client relationships as a necessary skill they need and use on the job! ??

One vice president referred to civil engineering as “a service industry,” meaning client relationships are key for a firm to stay in business.

C) Learning is Not Only Formal

One key finding of the study was how many participants mentioned the importance of learning on the job — not in a classroom or taking a course.

Most of the learning at work depends on interpersonal relationships, hands-on experience, trial and error, and asking questions to civil engineers who are a little bit ahead of you in their careers.

This means civil engineers need to be ready to move away from a structured, classroom-based environment as their only way of learning.

Instead, use their day-to-day interactions and tasks as a way to learn something new. Always.

How to Implement This in Your Career ??

Now, how can you put all these insights from the study into practice? ??

First...

Develop non-technical skills related to interpersonal interactions and communication. This is the engine of a civil engineering firm, which happens on a daily basis.

How do you learn these (and other skills)?

Formal courses and training are one way to do this. But nothing beats on-the-job, hands-on experiences.

Be proactive and get yourself out there to communicate with clients and interact with contractors and business partners.

Bug those more experienced civil engineers with well-thought-out questions and learn from every task and project you take on.

including the ones you struggle with. (Those are actually the best ones to learn from. ??)

Finally...

become really knowledgeable in your field of practice, especially now that the PE Civil exam is a “depth-specific” exam.

This change the NCEES made just hints at where the industry is headed: specialization.

So make sure you know your specific field of practice.

This is important for entry-level and mid-career civil engineers doing most of the technical work, but as you can see from the study, the senior engineers in leadership positions also need this…a lot!

And the token of all this in-depth, technical knowledge? ??

The P.E. initials after your name! ??

That's what we at Civil Engineering Academy specialize in: helping you crush these exams once and for all! ??

Whether you're taking the Civil FE Exam, the Civil PE Exam, or the Floodplain Manager (CFM) Exam, we've got you covered! ??

Make sure to follow us at Civil Engineering Academy for more tips, tools, and resources to get one step closer to passing all your professional civil engineering exams! ??