Professional and Career Topics

My name is Kelvin Marumba, I am a recent civil and water engineering graduate from the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe. I have great enthusiasm and passion for making the world a better place using my expertise. However, I am failing to secure a job, graduate training program or internship to get my career started and enhance my resume. I’m looking for advice on finding these opportunities after graduation. What is the best way to find opportunities after graduation?

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Kelvin Marumba Aff.M.ASCE
Harare
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Hi Kelvin,

Before your job application, you may develop a "personal vision" and identify: what do you value most (and why); what's your passion; and where's your strength. (Have a pen and a notebook so you can write them down.) Make your "personal vision" as specific as you can. 

In civil engineering industry there are many exciting roles. As a CE graduate, you can either join a consulting firm and assist in design work or join a contractor and assist in project management and construction work. You can also start your career in government, education or industrial firms. This "career path brochure" attached herein was developed by ASCE and you can find more useful information. 

Now that you know what you want to do, it's time to apply for that job. First, use internet (search engine) to search key words of the role you want to play. If you want to join a consultant, seach "consulting engineer jobs". Also use recruiting websites like monster.com or indeed.com or your local platforms. If it doesn't work for you, go to the "career section" on the official website of the company you want to apply to, and find the vacant positions and the means you can use to contact the company. Simultaneously, you need improve the quality of your resume. Demonstrate in it your study performance, extracurricular activities and student bodies you involved in. 

One more word, if you ever fail in your applications, just get back on track as soon as you can! Your effort will pay off at last.

Congratulations to your graduation! Best luck to your job application and have a wonderful career start!

Glad to hear you are passionate to make the world a better place.

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James Wang, M.ASCE
Senior Cost Estimator
Turner & Townsend
Shenzhen, China
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While I can't really speak to opportunities in areas other than the United States, there will always be agencies that require knowledgeable people to do needed infrastructure work. I would recommend making contacts in various regional and federal government agencies, ngo's, and any other national or international groups that do work within your country. Talk with your professors or university administrators. The value of continuing to offer a civil engineering program anywhere is entirely dependent on their graduates in getting jobs. If none of their graduates can secure a job, it is not likely that people will continue to seek that education. First check what resources are available from your professors and then be extremely persistent in following each and every lead that you find.

Good luck!

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Yance Marti P.E., M.ASCE
Civil Engineer IV
City of Milwaukee
Milwaukee WI
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Hello Kelvin,

I consider career searching to be a never-ending process of refinement and improvement, so over the years, I have found several websites for self-help with getting internships.

1. TopResume, with an e-mail, can look over a copy of your resume, run it through the Applicant Tracking System that most companies here in the United States use nowadays, and dissect how to improve it. This is free, and can be done again over time, or with another e-mail.
2. Plenty of companies have their own sites for applying, but to check broadly, I have created accounts for several different websites, with weekly searches for internships that might suit me, and information that could help me in other ways. I have accounts for LinkedIn, WayUp, Internships (part of Chegg), etc.
3. If you're in the catch-22 of needing experience to put on your resume that requires having experience, you could look for micro-internships. They're available throughout the year, and remove most of the full application process; Parker Dewey just asks some questions, and offers plenty of remote jobs; and Uplancer has a short list of applications to choose from.

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Alexander Granato S.M.ASCE
Student
Bexley OH
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