Presently, employment growth in each of these areas is somewhat restricted. The strongest demand will most likely be in construction, transportation, energy production and distribution, environmental protection and seismic engineering. Due to greater reliance on computer technology in this field, opportunities will be especially good for Civil Engineers with training or experience in computer science. Seismic Engineers, Energy Production and Distribution Engineers, and Environmental Protection Engineers are in particular demand. Fringe benefits usually include paid vacation, sick leave and health insurance.
Some employers offer retirement programs or profit sharing, as well.
The normal workweek for Civil Engineers is 40 hours, with some overtime work required to meet project deadlines. Those working on construction projects, for example, often work overtime during busy periods. They must be able to organize, analyze, and evaluate technical data to solve detailed engineering problems and work as a team member. High school students planning to become Civil Engineers should take college preparatory courses such as chemistry, physics and English, as well as shop and drafting classes. They should take as many math classes as possible, including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus.