Monday, Middle East; Wednesday, Finland; Friday London. Is it an airline pilot, a tour manager? No, it’s a civil engineer — probably male, since only 5 per cent of the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (www.ice.org.uk) membership of 70,000 is female.

Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of anything from a bridge to a motorway, dam or power station. It is a global profession, so you’ll need to keep your passport and health jabs up to date.

Zaid Mosawi, who has been with Atkins Design, Environment & Engineering, a UK consultancy, for two years, enjoys the diversity. “I would hate a job in which I woke every morning knowing exactly what I would be doing all day. I started six months after 9/11 when many companies reviewed their buildings insurance. I was involved in blast analysis — calculating the impact of possible explosions. I then went to Dubai for two weeks on a similar exercise. Three months into the job I took part in a presentation on sustainability to directors of a large retail company.”

Qualifying for this profession is a long process and an accredited degree plus professional training is required. Graduates submit essays, reports and evidence of suitable experience before they may apply for Chartered Engineer status. This takes up to six years.

Academic skills are not enough, however. Bob Hayward, a director of Atkins, says: “You should be personable, broadminded and culturally aware, since you will be working with people of many nationalities and qualification levels. In the UK civil engineers are usually bright generalists who will say ‘How do you spell it? I’ll tackle it’. In the US they tend to specialise more.”

A typical week for Hayward can mean a meeting in Bahrain about an offshore reclamation project; advising on work on a cruise ship in Finland; and discussions with London City airport managers regarding expansion plans.

Average salaries for this year’s graduates joining major companies were £19,700. With experience, salaries of more than £45,000 plus benefits can be reached.

www.etechb.co.uk

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