TheBullDoza may switch his major from ME to CE but is worried that the job prospects might be worse. The economy will turn around by the time he graduates so that's not a concern. In normal times, is there a significant difference in the hireability of the two majors?

would like to hear from recent graduates, or anyone with experience in the industry / job market. thanks!

12/5/2009 11:31:30 AM

Depends....is he willing to work outside the US?

12/5/2009 11:33:58 AM

in my limited experience and view it seems that ME fields have a much larger expanse of coverage compared to CE. i know a lot of companies can use people that just have an engineering degree period and dont care what specialty.

12/5/2009 11:55:58 AM

you can't outsource construction overseas...

12/5/2009 2:10:04 PM

i did CEM, co-oped and had my job lined up before i graduated

can't really speak to hireability between the two majors, but i do see a few ME's here and there in the construction industry. don't know about CE's in ME-type fields.

i still think the biggest help in getting hired after graduation in any practical (non-theory/research) engineering field is co-op/intern experience, and more than just 1 slackass summer of it.

12/5/2009 3:00:08 PM

As an ME you can always work in manufacturing too

12/5/2009 3:00:25 PM

CE.......... Computer, Civil, or Chemical Engineering?

Chem E - highest salary of engineers (when i graduated in 07)
Comp E - can find a job anywhere
Civil E - most stable job of all engineers. Get paid the least on average because most Civil Eng work for gov agencies like DOT

12/5/2009 3:08:42 PM

I also did CEM and have noticed a few ME's in the construction industry. Market is crap now though, I been jobless since May

12/5/2009 3:13:09 PM

I had a feeling the economy was going to shit way back in 2005. Housing bubble in the Wash DC metro area was crazy!!! Glad I did Civil Engineering and work for DOT. Job security is priceless, although my salary isnt all that. I do have a job.

12/5/2009 3:17:58 PM

I graduated ME in 07. Worked a ME related job for two years and got laid off. While I was job hunting, I noticed tons of open CE jobs that were primarily looking for CE grads.
After 5 months, I finally landed a CE-related job, but my company really is lookng to hire any type of engineer. The guy I have been working with lately is an EE.

I think he will always have more hireability as a CE, but if he gets tired of it, then the ME will give him some versatility.

[Edited on December 5, 2009 at 4:47 PM. Reason : my]

12/5/2009 4:46:03 PM

Quote :

"in my limited experience and view it seems that ME fields have a much larger expanse of coverage compared to CE"

I'd say they're about even



CE = Civil Engineering for those asking/not sure.

- CE is very broad and includes
- structural (residential, commercial, transportation)
- transportation (roads/highways, city planning)
- water resources (water distribution, groundwater)
- stormwater (the most promising field IMHO and growing rapidly)
- environmental (water treatment, wastewater treatment, air quality, noise pollution, stream restoration, wetland construction/restoration)
- geotechnical
- regulatory

It also offers the ability to go intro construction, design-build, or work for non-CE companies, such as power companies, chemical companies, civil service, etc.

While in school you don't have to pick a concentration, but it can be very useful/beneficial. It really depends on what he's interested in. And CE jobs aren't typically outsourced...

12/5/2009 4:54:49 PM

ah civil engineering. nothing is moving, how hard can it be?

Seems like with the slow economy, its going to be a while before construction of any kind picks up again. with civil, your kind of stuck in the construction industry. Commericial and residential both are in the crapper, and infrastructure is dependent on federal/state money of which there is not a whole lot. it doesn't look like its going to be a lot of opportunities for 'pure' civil engineering work for quite some time.

personally, i feel that mechanical will give you a more well rounded engineering education, and therefore a lot more choices when it comes to job hunting. I've been in the job market since 2000, and i've worked as a manufacturing engineer in automotive electrical industry, research and development engineer in vehicle suspesions (which actually entailed A LOT of matlab and c++, electrical engineering/board level troubleshooting, machining, assembly, testing, etc), and am currently a project engineer/manager in the capital equipment industry.

12/5/2009 8:00:46 PM

Quote :

"The economy will turn around by the time he graduates so that's not a concern."

...will it? Are you sure? Do you want to bet on that?

12/5/2009 8:29:17 PM

^

12/5/2009 8:39:08 PM

the recession won't last more than two years. if you guys think it will you are wrong.

12/6/2009 2:19:15 PM

OCS, joint assignment. You two lovebirds have fun.

12/6/2009 6:08:37 PM

As long as he doesn't graduate in the winter, he will be better off. Construction around here, and most places, start at the end of spring and into summer. I agree with wdprice3's post above. Also, as long as he is an E.I. he is qualified (according to the State of NC) to do Special Inspections (construction inspections) for things you know nothing about!. Meaning you can to inspect:
-fill placement and compaction (soil)
-spray on fire resistive materials
-structural steel bolted connections
-rebar
-concrete
-structural masonry
-and others!

I would say stick to ME and if that doesn't work out go to CE.

12/6/2009 6:32:05 PM

you don't need an engineering degree to be a construction inspector.

12/6/2009 7:02:48 PM

Quote :

"the recession won't last more than two years. if you guys think it will you are wrong."

lol. Can I use your time machine too?

12/6/2009 7:47:54 PM

maybe she means another two years. Not that I agree with that statement, but I'm hoping that's what she meant.

[Edited on December 6, 2009 at 10:14 PM. Reason : football is distracting me from using correct terms.]

12/6/2009 10:14:10 PM

Quote :

"you don't need an engineering degree to be a construction inspector."

True. I'm just saying that you can be an EI or you can take a bunch of individual exams. Either way you're qualified to do it.

12/7/2009 12:21:27 AM

what is a construction inspector?

I'm a EI, (B.S. in ME), and work in the construction industry...is this something I can do?

12/7/2009 2:15:11 PM

basically a construction inspector is exactly what it sounds like. you make sure that whatever is being constructed is in spec/code. this can be things like technical things soil compaction, proper grade, or asphalt/concrete composition. It can also include simple things like sign placement, proper barrel placement for lane closures, etc. basically whatever the engineer has on his plans its your job to ensure the contractors adhere to it.

my dad went from warehouse worker to construction inspector 10-15 years ago. he has all sorts of NICET certifications, and was manager of a crew of inspectors before he got laid off. now he works for the city of durham doing the same thing. he really likes it.

^^does having an EIT allow you to bypass the NICET stuff? (as an ME, i really regret never taking the FE. probably one of the biggest mistakes i made in my academic career)

12/7/2009 10:53:04 PM

Quote :

"maybe she means another two years. Not that I agree with that statement, but I'm hoping that's what she meant."

yeah I should've said another two years. either way, there's good advice in this thread thanks TWW!

keep it coming

12/9/2009 5:56:01 PM

Quote :

"the recession won't last more than two years. if you guys think it will you are wrong. "

Hahaha

12/9/2009 6:03:37 PM