Inquiry for Careers

In Social Studies we are learning about different careers. I choose to research a career in the Civil Engineering. I found it really interesting because I like how things work or build. This is my inquiry for it.

1. Provide a one paragraph written overview / summary of your job.

• A job who plan, organise and oversee the construction of buildings and other structures

2. What are the working conditions like?

• usually work regular business hours, but may also work evenings and weekends 

• work in offices, and at outdoor work sites

• may travel locally.

3. What skills and knowledge are required for this career?

• civil engineering and surveying methods

• relevant legislation such as the Resource Management Act, the New Zealand Building Code, by-laws and town planning regulations

• building materials, and how they work.

4. What are the personal qualities that you require to do this job?

• skilled at accurately analysing and interpreting information

• practical and logical, with good problem-solving skills

• good at communicating

• safety-conscious

• good at planning and organising

• creative and innovative, with good design skills

• able to work independently and in a team.

5. What are the key tasks that you will do in this job?

• consult with clients, government officials, contractors and other professionals on the requirements of each project

• decide if proposed construction and development sites are suitable

• plan and design structures such as roads, drainage systems, buildings, dams or wharves

• work out whether structures will be able to withstand the loads that will be placed on them by people, weather and other natural forces

• prepare reports, working drawings and specifications

• prepare cost estimates and evaluate the cost efficiency of projects

• assess environmental impacts of proposed developments

• get plans approved by relevant authorities and get building permits

• supervise construction to ensure structures are built correctly.

6. How much will you earn? Salary? And what are the work hours like?

• $60k to $70k if new but if senior they usually earn $120k to $180k a year.

7. What training and education is required for this career? How long does the training take and cost?

• NCEA Level 3 is required to enter tertiary training. 

• The training takes 4 years

8. What pre-requisites are there to get into the training course?

• To become a civil engineer you need to have a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours.

9. What subjects will you need to study in school to prepare you for this career?

•  Useful subjects include maths, English, chemistry, physics, digital technologies, and construction and mechanical technologies.

10. Add any interesting information about your chosen career that you may find

• they build houses and it seems fun for me.

11. Add in an image / photo / picture that relates to your job

1. Why you think this job is important, what values does it promote?

• I think this job is very important because all buildings you see around you need an engineer's approval. Without them, building houses or buildings would be hard for people to build.

2. Why have you chosen this career to investigate?

• I think it's interesting when you design or develop structures.

3. What qualities and skills do you already have that suit this career?

• I don’t have the qualities but I kinda like solving things.

4. What qualities and skills do you need to develop for this career?

• I need to think about how things work or surveying methods.

5. The job market is competitive, what can you do now or in the near future to out-compete others for this job.

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1. What worked / went well for you during the research?

• I finally decided what job I should get for the future.

2. What have you found challenging during the research?

• I found it hard to find some information such as interviewing people or researching about them.

3. How did you try to overcome these challenges?

• I researched more until I found someone to answer the questions for my inquiry.

4. If you were to do this again what would you do differently and why?

• I’ll try to look unto different sites so that it would be easier.