Management Spotlight: Civil Engineer Career Opportunities

How to upskill as a civil engineer and find better job opportunities

Engineering is a highly respectable and sought-after career with a variety of pathways and career opportunities. One of the most popular and common is civil engineering.

Civil engineers work on the design, construction, and maintenance of physically built objects and to ensure the safety and structural integrity of infrastructure. Projects can include bridges, dams, airports, pipelines, elements of buildings, railways, and much more.

Although the job itself can be stressful and challenging, there are plenty of payoffs and rewards that make civil engineering a worthwhile career. One of the many benefits is the salary. Engineers, generally, are paid well, with the average salary in Australia sitting around $110,000 per year.

For those with experience and training, the reward is greater still. Engineers who develop their careers into management positions average an income of around $160,000 per year for their role. An engineer manager salary is a goal that many less qualified civil engineers aspire to reach.

So how can a civil engineer move into a management position?

How can you become an engineer in management?

Most civil engineers, once they have completed their degrees, and are qualified, will head out into their respective industries and work to gain as much experience and practical knowledge as possible. Doing this is incredibly beneficial in your overall career pathway. To advance your career, you should be able to demonstrate a dedication to your industry as well as a good level of experience.

However, knowledge is key to developing your career in this instance. To make your way up the ranks in an engineering field, you need to have something that sets you apart from your colleagues and competition. By choosing to upskill with a diploma, you are actively furthering your knowledge by educating yourself in a way that will benefit your career. This level of dedication and initiative will be looked upon favourably by existing and potential employers.

A Diploma of Project Management (BSB51415) can dramatically set you apart from others seeking to move into a managerial role by providing hands-on, practical knowledge that will apply to real-life situations. You will gain valuable skills that will help you to further your career.

Project management skills important for a civil engineer

Civil engineers have all the practical engineering skills from their previous study and experience, which is a great start. What you might be lacking are the management skills that can only be gained when you undertake further study, like the project management diploma.

Core skills you will acquire when from this diploma are managing project quality, project cost and time, project risk, and project information and communication.

There are many other subjects you will be able to study to suit your interests. Not only that, but you will have the opportunity to undertake elective classes that will add a deeper level of knowledge and skill to your arsenal. These electives involve a variety of things like managing procurement, stakeholder engagement, team effectiveness, and much more.

One of the most significant elements of undertaking a further qualification with the College for Adult Learning is the incredible flexibility. All courses are online, meaning you can choose how long it takes you to complete your study, as well as when and where, meaning you can easily study from the comfort of your very own home. If you need to continue working, which many people do, this is a great option that would allow you to study nights and weekends with no issues. CAL’s coaches are readily available to help you through the process, and you’ll feel in control and ready to achieve your highest potential.

Alternative careers for civil engineers

Loving your industry and not your job is a common situation for aspiring engineers. Not wanting to leave the industry you enjoy and have gained experience in is understandable. If you are a civil engineer who isn’t feeling satisfied with your role anymore, management might be a motivating career option for you.

You might need to change careers for a variety of different reasons. You may seek a better income, be returning to work after starting a family, moving to a new city or country, or feel like your opportunities have simply run dry where you are now. Sometimes it might just be as simple as wanting to do something different, someplace different.

Management, as a civil engineer, may be perfect for someone who is looking to transition to work from home. While some of the tasks may require you to visit a site, most work can be done from home nowadays. Meetings can be conducted on Zoom or similar platforms, and paperwork and reports can be completed and filed remotely, making it an accessible career option for many people.

Upskilling to include a Diploma of Project Management (BSB51415) into your qualification bank will be beneficial. These new skills will open doors for you that you hadn’t previously thought about before. The opportunities for civil engineers to grow and develop successful management careers are out there if you are willing to put in the effort to build yourself and your skills to reach that point.