Hob Jobs in Engineering: Do you enjoy math science, and problem solving? Whether you want to work with beams or bytes, engineering may be the career for you - Hot Jobs

Career World, Jan, 2002 by Jean Ann Cantore

When Bob Appleton drives down the highway between Bryan, Texas, he can take pride in knowing that he has played an important role in keeping the road safe and efficient for travelers. Appleton, a civil engineer, is director of transportation planning and development for the Bryan District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

"One of the biggest challenges we have is meeting the transportation needs of a state that is growing as rapidly as Texas is," Appleton notes. "So much of our daily lives...depends on our ability to get in our cars or trucks and take ourselves, our families, or goods somewhere and back."

For anyone who enjoys math, science, and problem solving, engineering may be just the right career path. Engineers are behind the scenes designing, developing, and testing virtually everything from medical equipment to automobiles to household cleaning products--all while being mindful of environmental issues. Most projects involve teamwork, so engineers also need to have good people and communication skills.

Many Fields

There are many fields of engineering, including civil, electrical, mechanical, petroleum, chemical, industrial, biomedical, aeronautical, textile, and marine, to name just a few. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, engineering is one of the fastest-growing career fields in the country. As the population continues to increase and technology advances, there is more demand for engineers than ever before.

Highways and Byways

Civil engineers help with the design and construction of buildings, roads, power plants, stadiums, and many other large structures. Their role is to make sure that the construction is handled safely, efficiently, and according to specifications.

One of the largest specialties within civil engineering is transportation engineering, which involves building railroads, airports, highways, and bridges. The 1998 passage by the United States Congress of a $200 billion bill allowing for extensive highway construction and improvements to existing roads and bridges ensures that there will be plenty of work for transportation engineers for the next decade or so. Jobs for civil engineers in general are "expected to increase faster than average for all occupations through 2008," according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Jobs for transportation engineers require a minimum of a bachelor's degree. Positions are available in private industry and in local, state, and federal government. One of the best ways to check out the transportation engineering field is to have a summer internship with a government agency.

In his current job with the department, Appleton supervises other engineers in various projects that are necessary in order to build highways. The engineers in the department conduct environmental investigations to be sure that proposed roads won't harm natural resources such as lakes or rivers. They also come up with preliminary designs for the road and later on Put together detailed designs for the construction process. In addition the engineers are involved in purchasing right-of-way, the land on which the road will be built.

As in most other engineering professions, transportation engineers generally work as part of team. Whether they are designing bridges or supervising workers repaving a roadway, transportation engineers often find themselves working closely with geologists water resource engineers chemists and other professionals to get the job done.

Environmentally Friendly Engineering

A growing population means more threats to the environment. When more people use a natural resource such as water, it decreases this important resource. At the same time, more cars and factories equal more potential for both air and water pollution.

Environmental engineering also is a specifically within civil engineering. Environmental engineers help preserve and protect natural resources. Their jobs may involve making sure waste from factories is disposed of safely so that it doesn't contaminate air, water, or soil. They work with public health facilities such as water and recycling plants to be sure the environment is clean and safe for human beings and animals. Often, a team of engineers designing a building or a new shopping center will include an environmental engineer to make sure the environment is protected during construction.

Although there are bachelor's degrees available in the field, many professionals working as environmental engineers hold master's degrees or even Ph.Ds. To prepare for their jobs, environmental engineers usually take more coursework in biology or chemistry than other civil engineers. They must understand the natural world as much as possible to be able to take care of it.

There are opportunities for environmental engineers in the areas of air pollution control, hazardous and solid waste management, radiation protection, and wastewater collection. These engineers can hold positions in all levels of the government as well as in private industry. Some engineering firms provide consulting services in environmental engineering to the government or other organizations with large construction projects.