18
electrical systems. Art Anderson Associates, a marine engineer-
ing firm based in Bremerton, Washington, designs and builds
boatyards, docks, and other waterfront structures. The firm also
refurbishes, designs, and builds a wide range of ships. In 2016 it
designed and built the nation’s first all-
electric ferry to carry cars and people
around Puget Sound.
Some marine engineering jobs are
less cutting-edge, but they are very im-
portant nevertheless. The engineer on
an aircraft carrier or an oil tanker, for ex-
ample, needs to make sure the ship’s
massive boilers produce enough steam
to enable the vessel to reach its destina-
tion on time. It is a challenging job, but
without a properly functioning engine
room, a ship will not get very far. “There are always interesting
things that happen aboard ship,” says US Navy marine engineer
Ron Ingram. “Surprises, things that you wouldn’t expect to hap-
pen. When a ship is under way in a heavy sea, things come loose
that you would never have thought could come loose. Things fail.
You’ve got to get things working again, usually in a hurry.”
7
Variety, Challenges, Rewards
The work of a civil engineer is anything but boring and predictable.
The workday of one type of civil engineer can be dramatically dif-
ferent from that of another. But no matter where he or she works
or in what industry, a civil engineer needs imagination, a little ar-
tistic skill, a mind for math, and an openness to working through
expected and unexpected challenges. “It’s a very rewarding job—
there’s a great sense of teamwork that comes through creating
something and facing challenges together,” says Fiona Dixon, an
engineer with the Costain Group, a civil engineering firm based
in the United Kingdom. “If you enjoy working with people to help
solve problems that affect wider society, then go for it. The indus-
try is all about jumping in and trying new solutions.”
8
“If you enjoy working
with people to help
solve problems that
affect wider society,
then go for it. The
industry is all about
jumping in and trying
new solutions.”
8
—Civil engineer Fiona Dixon of
the Costain Group
