Civil is one of the least preferred branches in engineering. Few people today want to be involved in building roads, bridges, buildings – actual engineering work. The software industry with its big brands, cool campuses, and mainly mental work is more attractive.
But as they say, nature has its own corrective mechanisms. So it is with the job market. Given the current infrastructure and construction boom, civil engineers are in demand.
Salaries paid to fresh civil engineers are inching up – matching and in some cases even exceeding IT offers. And real estate companies are willing to pay even better.
Mint reports: According to industry estimates, while salaries for fresh civil engineering graduates from reputed institutes can go up to Rs6 lakh a year in other industries, real estate firms do not mind paying between Rs12 lakh and Rs15 lakh a year for the same graduates.
Vice-presidents in such companies earn Rs50-60 lakh a year. In comparison, senior managers in the automotive business earn between Rs18 lakh and Rs30 lakh a year.
Interestingly, even within the sector, there are surprises because it’s not always the top firms that pay the most. Mid-tier real estate developers, who are less established tend to offer higher salaries as it is tougher for these companies to attract experienced professionals who prefer top companies such as DLF.
Of course salaries should never be the reason for choosing a particular stream or profession. Because every industry has its cycles – its ups and downs.
The point however is, that no stream or profession is unattractive. It may be at the time you graduate that the industry you have chosen is in a down cycle.
You would have to spend some years being at a lower pay-scale than your peers elsewhere. But one fine day demand for your kind of experience rises and then you can command a huge premium.
Again, you can’t plan this. It happens. You do your job the best you can, keep learning and growing and rewards come to you. In India we even have a term to describe this approach to life karma.
The question is, do you have the patience and faith in yourself to follow this path?
