Engineering Why are so many civil engineer unhappy ?

AI Thread Summary
Many civil engineers with over a decade of experience express dissatisfaction with their jobs, particularly those involved in planning and development, due to project suspensions linked to economic conditions and financing challenges. While some engineers find fulfillment in design work, the overall sentiment suggests that the profession can be intellectually stifling, especially when adhering strictly to standards and codes. Long work hours and relatively low pay contribute to the unhappiness reported. The discussion highlights a potential oversupply of civil engineers relative to demand for skilled professionals, indicating that job satisfaction may vary significantly based on the type of work and individual circumstances.
a_man
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I talked to some civil engineers who has bee practicing more than 10 years.
Most of them seemed unhappy with their job... , except this one guy who has done a lot of design.

Is this same in other civil engineering related companies or firm ?

BTW: they all recommend me taht I study something else...
 
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Maybe your sample is biased. I'm a Civil Engineer, I'm not unhappy.
 
I work with a group of civil/structural engineers, and they seem quite happy - and very busy. Perhaps it's the type of work one does. I know that it is tough for those who do planning and development projects because many projects have been suspended due to the state of the economy and difficulties in financing such projects.
 
There are just too many civil engineers, but not enough good ones. When design is done based on standards and codes, it can be intellectually stiffling, especially if you keep doing the same thing over and over again for the rest of your life. Also, the pay is rather low and the work hours are rather long.
 
comp_math said:
There are just too many civil engineers, but not enough good ones. When design is done based on standards and codes, it can be intellectually stiffling, especially if you keep doing the same thing over and over again for the rest of your life. Also, the pay is rather low and the work hours are rather long.

I am not challenging you or anything, but where did you hear that ?

It sounds close to what I heard from other civil engineers outside of North America.
 

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