What is the life of civil engineers as a site engineer?
(Answer from Quora - by a site engineer)
First a little correction, after some time working as a site engineer you no longer remain a civil engineer but become a construction engineer. I am saying this because you will find people from many different branches like mechanical, electrical etc. also doing the same work as you and moreover people with Diploma, people with ITI,and even people with no formal education but just experience in the field does the same work as a civil engineer some says it's the beauty of this line, I say it's just the incapability of the field to provide justice to one's credentials.
Now coming specifically on civil engineer, let me give you a jist of what you will be doing on site, forget your technical knowledge (absolutely no use), bring on your skills to shout on the people with as derogatory remarks as you can, bring on the ability to endure these types of remarks hulled at you atleast once a day.Bring on the ability to show off that you are working all the time while in reality there is no need to work.These all traits would be handy for you when you will be standing 12–13 hours irrespective of the weather conditions because yeah, The Work…
Coming to technical aspects there is nothing technical, you will be given drawings which your supervisor knows how to read better than you(experirnce matters) just your signature is required, labours knows a certain way of doing a certain piece of work which they will be doing irrespective of whether it's correct or not,and believe me whatever anyone says,you just can't change them.You are just expected to arrange the resources from site and often from other site engineers who are also under a gruelling pressure to achieve their(unachievable target- they are set that way, probably to extract more productivity out of you) who 11 out of 10 times are not ready to release the resources even when they are not using because if just in case, they might need them.
So the most important skill that you need to develop on site is the skill to snatch the resources (or you can just steal,as majority of people does) after arranging only thing you need to do is just stand with your labours because you know the work goes on until you are there.
So this was just the bird's eye view on the life of a site engineer. Now coming to the daily schedule:
7.00AM- Wake up and complete your daily essentials.
8.00AM- Do Breakfast and leave for site.
8.30AM- Give the attendance (with the targets in mind from whom you have to dodge or to whom you have to attack, obviously for resources)
8.30–9.00 AM- Gather your stuff, normal chitchat with your colleagues.
9.00 AM- 11.00 AM- The time when magic happens,most of the work is done in this time frame.
11.00AM - 12.00AM- Go to canteen or to your adda depending upon your peer group on the site.( Curse the managers,curse the company,curse the co workers,and the favourite ‘ab nhi ho PA rha chod rha hu'(:can't deal with it anymore, I am quitting))
12.00–1.00PM - Go again to the site shout on the supervisors for not completing the work ,most of the labours leave by 12.30 for lunch just stand there by yourself (Remember showing off part) maybe time for some mobile or some introspection maybe.
1.00–2.00 PM- Lunch
2.10–4.00 PM - Post Lunch session, either you have to attend an official progress meeting where no matter what you will be shouted upon, or just get to site waiting for 4.00 PM.
4.00–4.30 PM- Tea time.If you attended the meeting take some time to blow off the steam if not it's time for a break.
4.30–5.45 PM- Go to the site to monitor progress again shout on labours,come back for evening snack.
Until now the productive hours have ended now it's just showing off part.
6.00–7.00 PM- Snacks,if managers are not there otherwise make it 6.00–6.30
7.00–8.30 PM- Just roam around site, most chilled out time very less work goes on and pray to God that no-one gives you some extra work.
8.30PM- If you are lucky and nobody have given you any work leave the site or, if someone gave you some work at you want to be extra hard working (show off) leave by 9.30
This my friend is a typical day of a civil engineer on a construction site.
P.S.-
- This is obviously not true for most of the sites but yeah condition of 99% sites.
- Many site provide additional sports facilities but you can use them after 8.30PM or before 8.30 AM.
- If you are lucky your site accomodation for you and your family would be nearby otherwise add traveling time before and after 8.30
- One most deceiving thing which people say is nobody is stopping you just complete your work and go by 5 which is not possible,never ever the work is completed by 5–5.30( unrealistic targets) and even if it is completed you can't leave because still I don't know from where but at any point of time, 4–6 eyes will be always on you no matter what.(The showing off part)
- I am working as a site engineer in a company so yeah, this is ground zero reality.
Hope that cleared your doubts,if anything specific feel free to shoot into comments or you can also message me.
Thanks for reading and Cheers.
