Civil Engineering is not a ‘backup’ career or a secondary subject

I’m Sachin Amarnath, a Civil Engineer, currently pursuing Post Graduation in Advanced Construction Management from one of India’s Premiere Construction Management Institutes. You can find me on Quora.

Who is a Civil Engineer?

A Civil Engineer is a magician who gives a viable shape to your dreams and transforms them into Physical Structures. Right from a simple home to a bridge with those giant pillars, we transform a mere thought into a wonderful reality.

What motivated you to become a Civil Engineer?

To be honest, Civil Engineering was an accident in my life which turned out to be a pleasant one. I was always stimulated and excited about those huge bridges right in the middle of a water body or those long tunnels. But, I never really dreamt of being a Civil Engineer.

During my school days I was weak in Mathematics and Physics, which are two foundational subjects Civil Engineering is based upon. But when I joined engineering, I instantly fell in love with the subject. Fortunately, I had Professors who made me fall in love with Civil Engineering. So I went back to basic science and learnt all those important fundamental concepts. Then the journey began!

Like most kids, I wanted to be a Cricketer when I was in higher secondary school. Then I realised that my skills and talents were not enough, to continue it from a career point of view. I was a curious kid and Engineering was something that excited me then.

Lesson : Good teachers are a lot important in your career than you think.

How is the actual course different from what you initially thought about it?

Civil Engineering is so much more than what it looks like. I was always under the impression that Civil Engineering is just about buildings. Your analytical thinking plays a vital role, if you want to build a career in Civil Engineering. I wish I knew that Civil Engineering is not just another job. It is a lifestyle!

Also, I thought Civil Engineering is easy. But being a Civil Engineer is very tough. It tests your Patience, Perseverance and your Strength.

Knowledge of Mathematical and Core Physics concepts is very important for a Civil Engineer.

Why did you choose to pursue Advanced Construction Management?

Growing up, I have worked with different kinds of people at different stages. I was always involved in extracurricular activities right from my schooling. Event Management was something that gave me a lot of happiness during my college days. I like solving problems involving Cost, Time and People.

I was able to recognise my strengths and weaknesses which is very important while making career decisions.

Though I am sound technically, I always had a liking towards Management and few of it’s fields like Economics and Marketing. Advanced Construction Management is a tailor-made course for my personality. I wanted to learn management without losing my core grip of Civil Engineering. Thus, I opted for a Techno-Managerial course instead of pure MBA.

Advanced Construction Management is a beautiful amalgamation of managerial subjects like Marketing, Economics, Financial Management, Operations and advanced civil engineering subjects like Modern Construction Materials, New Construction Techniques to name a few.

What are the challenges you faced so far in your career?

I have fought my way through, to where I am today with my ordinary academic record (65%). It’s been quite a roller coaster ride so far and I’ve learnt to respect failures which are very important, specially in Civil Engineering. Getting the first job and gaining experience and knowledge is the toughest thing for a Civil Engineer.

Lesson : A bad academic record is not the end of your life. Even though grades are important, knowledge is more important.

What are your future aspirations?

I am currently working on a startup in the field of construction management. Running my own firm has been my dream for a long time now. So with the help of knowledge acquired from various places, I am planning and structuring the idea, brick by brick.

Sharing with my juniors whatever I have learnt is my way of giving something back to my community. I am currently working in various research projects with my juniors who are pursuing Engineering. I hope to continue doing that.

Professionally, I aim to make low cost housing and affordable housing a reality in our society. Families of middle class and lower middle class of our society have a common dream of constructing their own homes. Hence, I want to convert it to a reality with affordable housing in the near future.

Also, being a technology enthusiast, I want to combine Artificial Intelligence and Construction Management for effective results and I am working on it currently.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I mostly read a lot of informative content on Quora. I love sharing whatever little I know. So, you will find answers relating to Civil Engineering and Construction Management on my Quora profile.

Can you please summarise your career journey?

+2 – Science with Computer Science
B.Tech – Civil Engineering, Bengaluru
- Minor Project in 5th Semester – on Rain Water Harvesting
- Learnt softwares – AutoCAD, REVIT, 3DS MAX, E-TABS, STAAD PRO etc.
- Actively participated in technical fests and events of many colleges.
- Won a national level prize for Village Planning – event organised by NIE Mysore.
- Final Year project – “PLANNING AND DESIGN OF ADVANCED SUBWAY SYSTEM”

Our Project was approved and funded by the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Science Campus. I was fortunate to work with my very dedicated and hardworking group mates. The project went on to become one of the best structural engineering projects of Karnataka in 2016.

Started preparing for NICMAR Common Admission Test(NCAT) during my final semester of Engineering.

I was fortunate enough to get through the process and to secure a seat in the flagship course of NICMAR: Advanced Construction Management. NICMAR added an entirely new dimension to my thinking as a Civil Engineer. I am currently involved in a Global Project with reputed universities like Washington State University, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, University of Washington and NICMAR.

I am also working as a freelance construction planner and designer.

What sort of experiences helped prepare you most?

Failures and the way I reacted to them kept me going. Things like my project, my first technical paper, my first technical seminar kept adding to my confidence.
I even got an opportunity to co-design the statue of Sir M. Visvesvaraya which is installed in our college campus. Above all, the support of my family and close friends has been immense.

civil engineer sachin designed statue — Statue co-designed by Sachin

What are the skills required to be a Civil Engineer?

It is very important to have your basics very strong. You have to learn core concepts of Forces and Materials thoroughly.

Skillswise,

Creativity: 100%,
Maths: 90%
Physics: 90%
Innovation: 90%

What are some career options for a Civil Engineer?

Civil Engineering is a vast field. You can work starting right from a Site Engineer to CEO of a company. There are basically two major sectors in Civil Engineering:

The Real Estate Sector(Residential houses, Commercial spaces etc)
The Infrastructure Sector(Bridges, Roads, Railways, Power Plants, Dams etc)

Both of them are booming in the current economic scenario.

What do you think potential recruiters look for in a fresh Civil Engineer?

A strong technical base.

Everything else can be taught easily. Irrespective of the marks you score, you’ll have to convince the interviewer that you are technically very strong. Therefore, subjects like Strength of Materials, Structural Analysis, Concrete Technology and Design of RCC structures are very very important from an interviewer’s perspective.

How do I know if a career in Civil Engineering is for me?

If you are excited by all these mega structures you see around and wonder how it’s all done and love solving problems, then Civil Engineering is for you.

If you can’t work on one thing for a long period of time, then Civil Engineering is not your area of specialisation. Civil Engineering is a project oriented stream. Therefore, you will work in different projects in your career and each project will be unique. So, it’s going to be adventurous. Within a project, there are several phases. So, everyday is new.

Contrary to the popular assumption, Civil Engineering is not a ‘backup’ career or a secondary subject. It is as important as Computer Science and other engineering branches. Having a Masters degree propels your raw knowledge as a Civil Engineer and boosts your career. So, you should be willing to study after graduation.

Any recommended resources for aspiring Civil Engineers?

There’s a forum called American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Keep yourself updated with the latest advancements and research activities in Civil Engineering.
There are quite a lot of online courses in Coursera. Enroll in any of the courses and increase your scope.
NPTEL courses are held every year. Enroll and get a certificate from it.

What do you think everyone choosing Engineering should know?

I’ve always believed in 3 I’s – Invent, Innovate, Improvise.

This will help you in building and constructing cool things. Don’t be afraid to try! I would recommend every student reading this, to start learning about research. It is very essential for a nation. Try and apply whatever you study in Engineering. Write at least one research paper with the help of your professor every semester. You can also find me on Quora or Facebook. I shall help you in selecting a research topic and guide you through.

How can Civil Engineering Students be Industry Ready?

The most important thing is to have practical knowledge.
Don’t miss an opportunity to do internships during summer breaks and do not expect any stipends. Do it with the sole purpose of gaining site knowledge. It’ll give you the most comprehensive insight of the industry as a whole.
Keep yourself updated with latest technologies. You should know how to work with a Total Station or a software like MS Project or Primavera.
Write research papers
Attend technical events.

Any final thoughts?

Be a sponge in the society. Absorb things to the fullest of your capability and when time comes, give most of it back to the society in a constructive manner.

Act, don’t just complain. Widen your scope, knowledge always comes to your rescue.

Always Remember: THIS TOO SHALL PASS! Attitude defines your success. Just hang in there and make it happen!