11–20 of 40 posts
It is not something I would pursue on a whim: the grass is always greener and I assure you front end is a complete shit show, as sexy as it seems right now.
I made the switch from civil engineer to full stack developer in my thirties. I knew some HTML, CSS and PHP and had been setting up websites for family and friends. I started freelancing in addition to my day job. Moved to creating PHP web applications and taking on more and more advanced work. I slowly picked up larger projects, better clients until I got to the point where I was freelancing full time. Now I have a…
May I ask why you made that kind of switch? I'm a SW Engineer and I always liked the idea of being a civil eng.
Part of the reason Civil Engineers go into Civil is because they are excited by the idea of making things (especially with computers). Part of the reason they leave, is after they see how frustratingly slow-paced it is, how poor communication is, and how ridiculous the number of times your project or work gets axed (not shelfed, axed!).
There is a concept in software engineering called reusable code. That concept is completely absent from CE. The entire industry works that way. And it seems backwards.
I am still holding out hope that one day this field will improve, and I may have a hand in it. But in all honesty, I see architects, surveyors, and software engineers doing a better job of revamping this industry than civil engineers ever can.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
May I ask why you made that kind of switch? I'm a SW Engineer and I always liked the idea of being a civil eng.
Going from a civil engineer to computers and programming is an all too common career path. For some reason, even though I am very knowledgeable of computers/programming/development, I never made the switch. Part of the reason Civil Engineers go into Civil is because they are excited by the idea of making things (especially with computers). Part of the reason they leave, is after they see how frustratingly slow-paced…
I made the switch from civil engineer to full stack developer in my thirties. I knew some HTML, CSS and PHP and had been setting up websites for family and friends. I started freelancing in addition to my day job. Moved to creating PHP web applications and taking on more and more advanced work. I slowly picked up larger projects, better clients until I got to the point where I was freelancing full time. Now I have a…
May I ask why you made that kind of switch? I'm a SW Engineer and I always liked the idea of being a civil eng.
whatever you do, good luck.
What you do need is a passion or interest in this field. Age and/or work experience in other fields brings allot of advantages towards employees, something every 'totally new to working' all have yet to find out.
Frontend nowadays is very awesome, it is my day to day job as well (31 yr old), and I really enjoy it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Going from a civil engineer to computers and programming is an all too common career path. For some reason, even though I am very knowledgeable of computers/programming/development, I never made the switch. Part of the reason Civil Engineers go into Civil is because they are excited by the idea of making things (especially with computers). Part of the reason they leave, is after they see how frustratingly slow-paced…
To be honest I think you can find those sort of criticisms in just about any industry, you can certainly find them in the software world.
Civil engineering is already figured out. In the first world, what you are supposed to do for most situations is not only almost entirely mapped out but is actual regulations. That's great for society, but there is just no stimulation for CEs. In the first world, being a civil engineer is mostly about knowing and keeping up with the the rules (which is a feat in itself considering how many organizations are involved and how scattered the information is), applying them, sending drafts to clients/regulators/etc. and waiting for weeks for responses.