Question: In ten words or less, describe the job of a civil engineer.

Answer: Read “The Life of a Civil Engineer” by Rey Wisniewski.

The Life of a Civil Engineer
An intimate look at the profession.

To be a civil engineer, you need to be well equipped to get your point across, either by voice, on paper (hand written or computer aided), or using your finger making lines in the dirt on the ground at a site. Also a civil engineer needs to be assertive, innovative, and open-minded to new technologies and ideas. You must be able to give a presentation in front of a diverse audience and convey your ideas clearly on paper in an engineering report.

I interviewed Dr. Samuel Clemence, my professor for ECS 101, who is also my academic advisor to see if he can offer me any insight in the profession of Civil Engineer. As you may have already discovered by your keen sense, his highest level of education is a Ph.D. in the field of civil engineering. A civil engineer, the doctor says, needs good math skills and excellent problem solving ability. When asked if he had any learning experiences, the good man heartily replied, “Yes. I failed Calculus once, but it helped me out in the long run.”

Many people think that Civil Engineers have a day in – day out, nine to five desk job. But that is a misnomer. In fact, the reason Dr. Sam chose to enter the field of civil engineering was because he liked to work outdoors with people. Does the man consider himself to be successful? Yes. What exactly is success in the field of civil engineering? Dr. Clemence responded, “(Having the) ability to solve complex problems.” For example, he is currently working on a project down in North Carolina where they are constructing a very large radio tower. The ground beneath the site is weak. It is up to Dr. Clemence and Civil Engineers like him to solve this problem and problems like this all over the world.

Civil Engineering is one of the oldest professions in the world. The two other oldest professions were in the fields of medicine and divinity. And over time, these fields have changed. How has the good man himself kept up with these changes? Let’s find out: “I read a lot of professional literature. I am also a member in the ASCE [American Society of Civil Engineers], which just had a conference a few weeks ago in Boston, (Massachusetts).”

One of the major changes in all of engineering is the introduction of computer aided design, better known to engineers as AutoCAD. Dr. Sam had this to say about the software: “It has allowed me to describe projects in a useful manner.” But that’s not all that it has done to the field. AutoCAD has made seeing a project in three dimensions possible without consulting an architect. Engineers and architects can see their projects come to life even though not one hole has been dug in the ground.

Dr. Clemence is a doctor of civil engineering. What in god’s name does that mean? He is not really a doctor; it’s not like as he’s doing surgery or something. So tell me doctor, what does it mean to be a doctor in the field of civil engineering? “It means you have completed a Ph.D. program of study including course work in Civil Engineering with writing and dissertations.” Thank you for that in depth answer sir, that was exactly what I was looking for.

The last question my professor was asked is, I believe, maybe the most important. “Dr. Clemence,” I began, “Do you enjoy your profession?” Because if you don’t enjoy what you do and everyday you wake up saying to yourself, “God damn,” you’re screwed.

“Yes,” Dr. Sam answered with authority. I thanked Dr. Samuel Clemence for his time and answers and wished him a good day. He responded, “Have a good one.” I have found out over the years that ‘have a good one’ is a popular saying for middle-aged men.

Now what did I learn? Well I found out that I had a pretty good grasp on the profession that goes by Civil Engineer before this assignment. One thing that I did learn was that there is a lot more outdoors work than I previously thought. I am currently majoring in this field. And so far, I enjoy it, and plan on continuing my education to become a Civil Engineer.

Many people don’t realize their life depends upon a civil engineer’s design, thought process, or decision. When you drive home tonight, there is probably a great chance you will not think to yourself, “Hopefully this road doesn’t cave in.” You don’t think that because civil engineers made sure that won’t happen (or try to). And the next time you walk through the Huntington Beard Crouse Hall underpass, will you question the building’s ability to stay erect. Probably not.