Civil Engineering 101
Congratulations, you’ve just graduated as a Civil engineer! For those who don’t know, Civil engineers are responsible for buildings, bridges and roads that we see and use in our daily lives. Is that all to Civil Engineering jobs in Malaysia? Of course not!
Civil engineering is a broad field in itself. Generally, it covers architectural, structural, transportation, traffic, water resources, environmental and even geotechnical engineering.
In terms of employment, Civil engineers may work either for the government sector or in the private sector. Besides being involved directly in infrastructure projects, some Civil engineers hold administrative, design, construction or teaching positions.
Are You In-demand?
According to a report, Mechanical engineers are the most demanded engineers followed by Electrical, Civil, Electronic and finally Chemical engineers. However, Civil engineering jobs in Malaysia is the engineering discipline expected to experience substantial growth in the coming years.
That’s great news, especially when you are about to enter the workforce for the first time. However, due to the high demand, there is naturally an urge for more people to become Civil engineers.
Facing a tight competition, early preparation can be extremely helpful to boost your chances of landing a position in your chosen field. Let’s start by understanding the qualities of a Civil engineer that most employers are looking for.
Qualities of a Civil Engineer
In essence, good Civil engineers are those who love solving open-ended problems, have excellent time-management skills, and have determination. If you are applying for Civil Engineering jobs in Malaysia, try your best to exhibit the following traits:
- Excellent Technical Skills
This includes using high-level Mathematics and Physics to solve complex engineering problems. For example, how much weight is being distributed throughout a bridge? Design techniques, working with maps and AutoCAD is extremely crucial.
- Project Management
Project management is a huge area. Civil Engineers need to monitor the progress and ensure the projects are complying with the laws, regulations and highest standards. They also need to make sure that they work within set budgets and time-frames.
They are also expected to solve problems, manage a diverse team of non-engineering professionals, build good relationships with stakeholders and much more. Hence, leadership and communication skills are equally important as well.
- Communication Skills
Communication skills are highly sought after no matter which field you are in. Civil engineers must be able to properly deliver ideas and provide clear direction in a project.
They need to be confident and reassuring, as they are required to provide guidance to all stakeholders whenever needed.
- Highly Creative
This field requires a high level of creativity. Civil engineers must be able to innovate and improve on existing solutions. Creating uniquely shaped but stable buildings, for example, need creativity and the ability to account for various factors in the designs.
- Critical Thinking
To solve complicated Engineering problems with the most efficient solutions, Civil Engineers must be able to think critically. This includes doing a cost-benefit analysis of all possible solutions, taking account of stakeholders, time, budget and more.
Once you’ve understood the must-have qualities in a Civil engineer, it’s time for you to start applying for Civil Engineering jobs in Malaysia. Here is our guide on landing Civil Engineering jobs in Malaysia as a fresh graduate.
Start Looking for Your Dream Job Now
Crafting a Civil Engineering Resume
Based on the qualities mentioned above, your Civil Engineering resume must reflect your quality traits and prove your worth in order to pursue Civil Engineering jobs in Malaysia.
1. Resume Format
Start with selecting the best resume format for Civil Engineering. Based on experience and the high-quality samples out there, the best Civil Engineering resume format would be the chronological format, which showcases your most recent experience.
2. Fonts
How about fonts? Use fonts with high readability – Times New Roman or Calibri is fine, size 12 and use the appropriate headings to make your resume look neat and symmetrical (like the building you’re about to build).
3. Resume Objective
Don’t forget to include a resume objective. It shows passion when you lack experience as a fresh graduate. In your objective, try to include (but not spam) some of the in-demand Civil engineering qualities and technical skills to immediately catch the reader’s attention and position you as a prominent candidate.
4. Work Experience
Now comes the most difficult part – Work experience. Most Civil engineering job ads tend to overstate the required experience, especially for graduate positions.
Actually, 1-2 years means an internship. You can also include volunteer work, academic accomplishments, and soft skills. As long as you highlight important experiences and skills, you’d still have the chance to get hired as an under-qualified fresh graduate.
5. Skills
Speaking about skills, make sure that your resume has a skills section. Important skills are your Engineering technical skills and soft skills. Be sure to refer to the qualities mentioned above and customise your skills section based on the individual job positions.
6. Achievements
If you have some commendable achievements, feel free to showcase them under the work experience section or in a separate section in your resume. For example, if you scored top of the class in a particular unit, or even got praised by professors for a detail-oriented mindset.
Our Final Advice
You are all set to start applying for your first Civil Engineering jobs in Malaysia! Before you go, remember to:
- Research the job descriptions to personalise your Engineering resume
- Keep it simple but comprehensive. Include the required qualities, skills and achievements to better promote yourself.
- Proofread your resume to ensure zero error (just like your future projects)
Have you created your cover letter? Or are you interested in filming a video resume? Don’t know how to succeed in the upcoming job interviews? Our Job Majestic Blog has all the resources you need.
Read the Mandarin version here: 马来西亚土木工程毕业生的求职指南
