What are the highs and lows?
Most civil and structural engineers love their jobs. It’s exciting to play a major part in projects worth millions of pounds, which may affect millions of people. Seeing the tangible results of your work is incredibly satisfying: you can walk along a street and say ‘I built that!’ From early on in your career you’ll get responsibility, and you’ll have the chance to work on a range of projects. As each structure is unique, it doesn’t get repetitive or boring. In some areas, the hours can be long and are often unpredictable. You have to fit your hours around the requirements of the work site, but there is usually little weekend working. There can be pressure from tight deadlines, particularly if a client changes their mind at the last minute and you have to redesign the project. Civil and structural engineers often have opportunities for travel, but this is not always as glamorous as it sounds. You might spend weeks on an offshore oil rig without knowing when you’ll come back, but second
