So you’re thinking about becoming a structural engineer? That’s a great career choice. There is certainly demand for structural engineers in our economy.
The pertinent question, of course, is: do you even know what a structural engineer does? Do you know where a structural engineer tends to put his or her focus in day-to-day work? Do you know what qualities in a person makes them a great candidate for becoming a structural engineer?
First, you should know that structural engineers specialize in the construction, design, conversion, and conservation of various structures. They focus on all aspects of a structure, but pay particular attention to its stability.
Generally speaking, these people are the quiet brains behind just about any significant construction project. They’re people who guarantee structural integrity to the parts of those projects that you generally don’t see.
Someone else is responsible for making a building look pretty. A structural engineer is responsible for making sure that it’s safe to go inside.
Structural engineers are the people who work with architects and civil engineers as key players in a construction project. The knowledge that these three experts bring to the table enables the development of houses, stadiums, theaters, oil rigs, space satellites, and bridges.
Structural engineers also need to consider the environment in which something will be built. For example, buildings constructed in Canada and Switzerland will need strong rooftops to support mounds of months-long winter snow. On the other hand, houses built near the eastern seaboard in the United States will need to be able to stand up to hurricane-force winds.
When constructing bridges, structural engineers will need to account for the level and weight of traffic that will be carried on the bridge. Sometimes, even the speed that vehicles travel on the bridge will need to be evaluated.
In short, a structural engineer, to ensure that a structure is stable, must plan for every contingency.
What kind of person makes a good structural engineer? Typically, people who enjoy a challenge and pay close attention to detail. This is because, as noted previously, there are many factors to consider when ensuring that a particular construction project yields a structurally sound finished product.
A good structural engineer is also someone who is good at foreseeing a potential problem and recommending a solution to that problem. “Is it possible that, at some point in the future, there will be more traffic on this bridge than is currently anticipated?” is a question that a structural engineer would ask his or her teammates.
A structural engineering job isn’t the easiest job in the world. However, people who have chosen that career path have the benefit of looking at numerous buildings that they had a hand in developing as their career progresses. They can see their finished work and also take note of people enjoying themselves, or engaging in some type of commerce, on those premises.
That’s very satisfying.
Feel free to contact us at Selectek to learn more about job opportunities available for professionals with an engineering background. Our ability to match skilled candidates to exact-fit opportunities has been the basis of our success, and why we’ve become the staffing solution of choice for your engineering and technology industry.
