Civil Engineering Career in Infrastructure: Student Profile

Civil engineering graduate Graham Hardy describes his role at the UK’s Transport for London, and how his master’s degree prepared him for the job.

On a normal day at work, Graham Hardy's to-do list looks something like this: structural inspections, resurfacing works, budgeting for future projects, and conducting risk assessments for dangerous goods transport.

He's crunching numbers, working out ratios and updating and testing procedures and systems, all part of his job as a graduate civil engineer for Transport for London (TfL).

A graduate of Bristol University, Graham has a Masters in Civil Engineering next to his name. "Initially I wanted to study architecture but after discovering that it was a seven year course and realizing that if I kept my maths and physics going I would have more choices on finishing university, I chose engineering," he says.

Strong vocational skills

Since graduating in 2007, Graham has been on the TfL graduate program. His first five months saw him joining the highways department, working on projects such as trialing new types of lighting, and being involved in streetscape design.

"I was working with the different technical experts of the team, putting together information on the appearance, signage, and the overall look of London's streets. So I would talk with the lighting expert when looking at lighting, and the road surfacing expert when working on that aspect."

The TfL graduate program lasts two years and graduates such as Graham get the opportunity to experience working within four to six different departments throughout that time.

The length of each placement is usually about three to four months but can vary for students depending on the different projects they're involved in.

"My degree was quite vocational, so my employer knows exactly what management and technical skills they will be getting and that they will be suited to the work I will be doing," Graham says. 

"I hope that in my present position I will have a choice to either follow a management or technical role within the civil infrastructure. I think it has also given me the opportunity to build up transferable skills."

Planning ahead

Graham says the highlights of his job at TfL are the work-life balance, structured learning path, benefits, job security and reputation of the public sector. "Some of the work can be interesting and the scale of projects can be impressive."

Engineers are in demand and Graham applied for the TfL graduate program in 2006, a full year before he finished his degree. "I had my interview before Christmas 2006 and then was notified I had been successful in April 2007. I think the recruitment process was very similar to other companies."

He adds, "I knew my finals would be full-on so I didn't want to have to be worrying about applying for positions when I needed to be studying. And it also meant that once I finished uni, I didn't have to spend the summer applying for jobs. I could go travelling instead."

And that's exactly what he did, in South America and Australia.

Graham says graduate engineering salaries are getting better every year but there does tend to be a cap on them depending on the position.

"Employment in civil engineering provides a decent, stable income. If you want to become rich you'll need to set yourself apart in terms of management or start your own company. If you compare your salary to bankers and lawyers you'll probably be disappointed but then compare the hours you're working and you might not feel so bad."

However, there are numerous opportunities for travel. "That's one of the best things you can do with an engineering degree. The skills you acquire are transferable, so you can take them anywhere in the world."

Perhaps in his next job, Graham will be digging his way through tunnels 'down under'.