I made tons of drafting mistakes when I was first starting out as a civil engineer (CE). I came out of college with one course in drafting and, as a new civil engineer, was tasked with detailing things I had never seen before. Today, I find it ironic that we spend four years+ crunching numbers and the first task a lot of CEs get requires us to  draw lines and edit text. 

If my story rings true with your experience so far, don't feel bad. Every engineer has gotten their plans back with so much red ink it looks like someone cut their finger and used the sheet to clean it up.  Take all comments in stride and try to learn from them as much as possible. 

I'm a big fan of checklist, so take a look at the drafting tips I came up with below and add to them as you see fit.  But put your additions in the comments so I can update my list. I hope you find this useful.

Things to think about when you are drafting plans

1. put labels and text in places that make sense. If there is a clear space on the page don’t put a label over a line.
2. know your lineweights and shades. Ask someone in your company for the standard layers and colors for given objects.
3. Think consistency. Don’t reinvent a label or detail every time you use it. It is easier to copy from an existing object than recreate.
4. If don’t have all the information needed to when drafting. Put it on a color that will stand out and print very dark to alert you that you need to come back to it.
5. Highlight redline comments as you finish them. This makes it clear to anyone looking at the relines what has been done and what hasn’t.

Before you turn it in for review go over this checklist; add to it as needed:

1. Verify north arrow pointed in correct direction
2. Make sure scale is correct
3. Check text sizes are consistent
4. Verify date on plans
5. Verify correct engineer’s stamp
6. Linetypes, symbols, and Lineweights match legend
7. Eliminate text conflicts
8. Eliminate stray lines
9. Check for layers that plotted but should not have
10. Check for layers that didn’t get plotted
11. Verify all title block information
12. Verify sheet numbers and total number of sheets is correct.
13. Run spell check
14. Confirm you are printing to the correct scale and not scale to fit. (unless it is what you want)

Engineers’ Warnings in 2009 Detailed Storm Surge Threat to the New York Region: Hurricane  Sandy proves that civil engineers make recommendations for a reason. NY Times

California Bullet Train Engineers Have Huge Design Challenges: Train crosses two mountain ranges and more than half a dozen fault lines. -LA Times


Navy Unlike Anything in Civilian Life: A interesting read. This article is on being a civil engineer in the US Navy.

Houston Engineers Give Roads, Water Lines, Barely Passing Grade: Another meager report card on the failing infrastructure.

Young Engineers Bridge the Gap: Challenge to students aged 10 to 18 to construct a replica of the Severn crossing.

Understanding your organization's structure is critical. Who is the CEO? Who decides whether or not you get a raise? And who influences their decision? These questions are critical. You'll want to make sure you keep the most influential people happy. Their opinion of you early on can make or break your career. 

Mapping out your organization's structure can show you the people that need to be aware of your hard work.  Knowing who these people are and making yourself visible to them will set you up for success.  

Action steps: Get out a paper and pencil. Draw out your organization's structure (take a look at the image on this post as an example) Circle the person who decides if you get a raise or a promotion. Next, put rectangles around the top people who will influence the circle's decision. Now think of ways to get the circle to notice you (give presentations, write reports for them, etc.), prioritize the work of the rectangles, and most of all, ensure you keep circles and rectangles happy. 

Share the way you plan on getting noticed in the comments.

A college student recently sent me a list of questions regarding what its like to be a civil engineer. I answered him directly and thought I would post the questions and responses here for you all.  

My responses are bulleted.


What drew you to the civil engineering field?

•  The things that drew me to civil engineering were the size of projects and the ability to design something that makes a positive impact on society

What least interests you about your work?

• When projects are big enough, we sometimes have to do many of the same type of calculation over and over again for different areas of a project. At times like this the job gets quite repetitive and can drag on. But these situations are rare.

How did you come across engineering?

• I came across engineering because I was good at science during high school. I thought about going into a scientific field but that was too theoretical for me. I decided to become an engineer because it is the practical application of science.

What personal qualities help you in this job?

• A quality that would help any type of engineer is a thirst for knowledge and personal responsibility for professional development.

If anything, what frustrates you at work?

• Unlike many engineers, civil engineering involves politics.  A new residential development may make complete sense on paper, but if the existing neighbors can mount enough opposition, the project can be terminated. It is somewhat frustrating but it is part of the job.  Therefore we try to design projects that are acceptable to both our clients and the adjoining neighbors.
  

What do you like best about your job?

• I love visiting the project sites after they are constructed.  To see what you have designed come into being and to see people using the facilities is very rewarding.

What are your daily tasks?

• Tasks vary greatly from day to day.  Typical things that I do are:

            Storm water runoff calculations

            Sewer pipe sizing

            Water system analysis

            Site Grading

            Signing and striping plans for a new road

            Drafting of engineering plans

            Earthwork Calculations

            Meeting with clients and public officials to discuss projects

            Attend city council and board of supervisor meetings

            Construction cost estimates

            Development studies

            Existing utility investigations

            Construction site visits or inspection

            Coordination with surveyors

            And much more.   

What type of training is needed for this job?

• Typically a B.S. degree in civil engineering is required for entry into the field.
  

Is this field growing?

• There is a HUGE need to improve the infrastructure of the country. However, current political policy and economic situation make improvements to the existing infrastructure a low priority.  Added to that is the decline in the housing and development market which is expected to pick up in the coming years. I expect the need for civil engineers to grow as the aging infrastructure fails. However for now it is fairly stagnant.
  

How many hours are in your typical day?

• I typically spend about nine hours a day at work. But when there are deadlines that number can go up to 12 but those days are rare.

Are there any competitors in this field?

• Absolutely, however there are some civil engineering firms that are highly specialized and do not face intense competition.  For example, there are some civil engineers who work exclusively on deep excavation retaining walls. These types of firms have a high expertise in one area and it is difficult for others to compete with them.

How do you deal with displeased clients?

• We do our best to provide a high level of service to our clients to avoid any issues, but when they do come up we are always professional and make sure we understand the client’s complaint fully. As I mentioned earlier, we identify the issue and try and resolve it or make changes so it won’t happen again.

Would you do anything differently while working your way up?

• I would have attended more networking events at the beginning of my career. I have found that jobs and projects are easier to get when people know your face and have shaken your hand.

Do you have any suggestions for someone interested in engineering?

• Do as many internships as possible so you know what kind of company and work you like. And don’t get stressed out about work.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you enjoyed the mini interview. If you have any questions please feel free to ask them in the comment section or email me directly. 

Thanks for reading.