surveyor or builder ? help please
- Thread starter Suziwoo
- Start date
Who'd of thought structural engineering would make good comedy material!
my son perked up when i mentioned this sort of field for him to work in.
hes 15.
i ask anybody, with a job that i might like my son to do, would they start this work now? do they like their job.
if you think this applies, could you answer please.
btw
he grunts a lot but hes good at maths and never moans to the ref when hes pinged at rugby (flanker)
hes 15.
i ask anybody, with a job that i might like my son to do, would they start this work now? do they like their job.
if you think this applies, could you answer please.
btw
he grunts a lot but hes good at maths and never moans to the ref when hes pinged at rugby (flanker)
He'll make a good SE, they all grunt a lot! 
He'll make a good SE, they all grunt a lot!
i cant send him to uni for that
i think he must be a bit of a SE' expert already then
I am an SE and yes I would do it all again, I love it.
It is an effort to get all the way to being chartered. Your son would need an MEng/MSc in civil/structural engineering, it's not a two lectures a week degree, it's very intense and the maths is mind-bending. After that it's structured training to satisfy 13 core objectives, then an interview just to take the written exam and finally a seven hour exam; IStructE is the only engineering institution that has a formal entrance exam. The pass rate is generally 30-odd% and most don't pass first time (I did though
). It takes place on only one day a year across the globe.There are other qualifications further down the tree: IEng requires a BEng/BSc Honours degree, training and also a seven hour exam. A new qualification EngTech, which doesn't have an exam, just an interview.
The money is reasonably ok, but other jobs such as accountancy and law pay better on graduation and you whizz up the payscales more quickly. The money can be very good if you run your own business. Risk of being sued and claims on PI insurance are an occupational hazard, unfortunately.
We're quite rare beasts: there are only 21000 or so of all membership grades in the entire world.
It's a hard slog, all in all, there are easier ways of making money and it's not really a job to do if your heart's not fully in it. More information here: www.istructe.org
thanks for that.
i will show him your reply and let him have a look at the links.
he will need to try and work out what each job, in this overall field, actually does, and if he can see himself doing that.
most importantly, he needs to realise the amount of work needed to get there.
i will add to fellow tax payers, that i make sure that both my kids take decent subjects at school and college. i think uni is a privilege and not a doss. ive already told them that tesco's awaits if they think they will use uni as an escape from real work
(bit unfair of me i suppose as they are ok kids)
when my boy was 10/11 he broke both forearms (snapped angular)
on his BMX bike three days before his sats exams. he had L shaped casts up to his armpits.
i took him into school to do his maths sats tests, school wanted it because he is good at maths and it makes their results look good for boys.
he did the main test and then did the calculator test without the calculator.
the school helper didnt tell him and i was not allowed to speak up
he did well and got the best mark from the boys ( a couple of girls beat him)
i dont mean to 'big him up' as he is not brain of britain, its just that he can 'see' maths so the chance to do work like this would be possible.
im sorry to hijack the thread, its just that its like ive got a group of you at the bar and can ask the question.
i will show him your reply and let him have a look at the links.
he will need to try and work out what each job, in this overall field, actually does, and if he can see himself doing that.
most importantly, he needs to realise the amount of work needed to get there.
i will add to fellow tax payers, that i make sure that both my kids take decent subjects at school and college. i think uni is a privilege and not a doss. ive already told them that tesco's awaits if they think they will use uni as an escape from real work
(bit unfair of me i suppose as they are ok kids)
when my boy was 10/11 he broke both forearms (snapped angular)
on his BMX bike three days before his sats exams. he had L shaped casts up to his armpits.i took him into school to do his maths sats tests, school wanted it because he is good at maths and it makes their results look good for boys.
he did the main test and then did the calculator test without the calculator.
the school helper didnt tell him and i was not allowed to speak up
he did well and got the best mark from the boys ( a couple of girls beat him)
i dont mean to 'big him up' as he is not brain of britain, its just that he can 'see' maths so the chance to do work like this would be possible.
im sorry to hijack the thread, its just that its like ive got a group of you at the bar and can ask the question.
There are many specialisms within the field as a whole: some do nothing but design in a specific structural medium; others work in academia and publish highbrow papers in the monthly rag that us mere mortals can't understand; others, like me, work as consultants, where you get to play in most structural materials and the work can and is extremely varied; some like to do bridges; others high-rise structures; and others prefer work on older buildings, where the approach is generally less prescriptive and requires more judgement as to how to solve problems.
I failed maths at O level many, many moons ago, but managed to get a grip of it by the time I did my degree. If he enjoys it, then that's a good head start. He will also need to do physics and, to a lesser extent, chemistry, I think you need an A level in physics and maths to get on the degree courses (I went ONC/HNC route). English is also a requirement, although that is hard to accept, seeing the standard of some engineer's granma and spellink
.
Engeering is less attractive to kids, as it's seen as being too much like hard work on the degree, still has artisan perceptions and, as I said before, there are other ways of earning more money at a younger age and immediately after graduation. Consequently, there is not usually over-subscription for courses and two Es at A level are enough to get on them.
About half of those who actually graduate in civils/structures disappear off to seek filthy lucre in the legal and accountancy professions, so the net result is that there is a severe shortage of good quality engineering graduates coming through the system; in years to come, therefore, there will be a dearth of engineers about and the laws of supply and demand will undoubtedly up remuneration packages and fees.
If he's genuinely interested, it would be worth speaking to someone from the local branch of IStructE and going into a practice to see what goes on.
I failed maths at O level many, many moons ago, but managed to get a grip of it by the time I did my degree. If he enjoys it, then that's a good head start. He will also need to do physics and, to a lesser extent, chemistry, I think you need an A level in physics and maths to get on the degree courses (I went ONC/HNC route). English is also a requirement, although that is hard to accept, seeing the standard of some engineer's granma and spellink
.Engeering is less attractive to kids, as it's seen as being too much like hard work on the degree, still has artisan perceptions and, as I said before, there are other ways of earning more money at a younger age and immediately after graduation. Consequently, there is not usually over-subscription for courses and two Es at A level are enough to get on them.
About half of those who actually graduate in civils/structures disappear off to seek filthy lucre in the legal and accountancy professions, so the net result is that there is a severe shortage of good quality engineering graduates coming through the system; in years to come, therefore, there will be a dearth of engineers about and the laws of supply and demand will undoubtedly up remuneration packages and fees.
If he's genuinely interested, it would be worth speaking to someone from the local branch of IStructE and going into a practice to see what goes on.
we will follow this up.
money isnt everything to me and i hope he will feel the same.
the son of a friend of mine has just become a solicitor and my nephew an accountant. my son didnt show the slightest flicker of interest in either of those jobs.
i think the hardest part for the lad is knowing what people do in each job title.
i/ we will find out some more.
thank you again
money isnt everything to me and i hope he will feel the same.
the son of a friend of mine has just become a solicitor and my nephew an accountant. my son didnt show the slightest flicker of interest in either of those jobs.
i think the hardest part for the lad is knowing what people do in each job title.
i/ we will find out some more.
thank you again
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