Get a jump start on what you want do in college or test your interest before you get there by taking a class in engineering! Explore the different focus areas and opportunities. 

Take a class in engineering.

Becoming a certified professional engineer signals to clients that you are trustworthy and to employers that you are capable of higher responsibility. Take your engineering career to the next level and get certified!

Get certified as a professional engineer (PE). 

Prepare to take on that leadership role by gaining valuable management tools and techniques that help improve processes within an organization.

Get Lean Six Sigma certified.

CAD (computer-aided design) technology is essential for a variety of engineering specialties. Download a free trial and watch some tutorials to start expanding your technical skill set!

Familiarize yourself with CAD technology.

Check your city, county, or state government site for upcoming public hearings that will be discussing construction-related issues or proposals. Take notes on any presentations given by the civil engineer(s). What critical points did they bring up? What materials did they present?

Attend a construction-related public hearing.

Technical drawing knowledge will help you in any career that involves projects that exist in three-dimensional space. Check out these tips to improve your skills. 

Stretch your technical drawing skills.

Check out these TED Talks on engineering. Choose one or two that interest you most to watch. Could you see yourself working on these kinds of projects and ideas?

Watch videos from the cutting edge of engineering.

Watch a video about interrupted traffic control. Pay attention to the processes discussed in the video next time you're out and about and take note of any areas you see the processes working and any areas they're not.

Learn how traffic signals work.

Transportation Engineers

Develop plans for surface transportation projects, according to established engineering standards and state or federal construction policy. Prepare designs, specifications, or estimates for transportation facilities. Plan modifications of existing streets, highways, or freeways to improve traffic flow.

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Civil Engineers

Architecture and Engineering Occupations

Engineers

Check construction plans, design calculations, or cost estimations to ensure completeness, accuracy, or conformity to engineering standards or practices.

Design or prepare plans for new transportation systems or parts of systems, such as airports, commuter trains, highways, streets, bridges, drainage structures, or roadway lighting.

Confer with contractors, utility companies, or government agencies to discuss plans, specifications, or work schedules.

Design or engineer drainage, erosion, or sedimentation control systems for transportation projects.

Prepare project budgets, schedules, or specifications for labor or materials.

Plan alteration or modification of existing transportation structures to improve safety or function.

Investigate traffic problems and recommend methods to improve traffic flow or safety.

Prepare final project layout drawings that include details such as stress calculations.

Present data, maps, or other information at construction-related public hearings or meetings.

Transportation Engineers

Overview

Career

What Transportation Engineers Do

Other Job Titles Transportation Engineers May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Transportation Engineers

Overview

Career

What Transportation Engineers Do

Other Job Titles Transportation Engineers May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Transportation Engineers

Majors Related to Career

Related Careers

Related Leaders