O*NET-SOC 17-2051.00 · US REFERENCE
Civil Engineers
Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems.
Skill importance below is an O*NET US occupational rating, not a global or individual benchmark. No score here is a job-loss probability or a prediction.
Examples of work in this occupation
- Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
- Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.
O*NET task statements describe US work; do not perform regulated or hazardous tasks without appropriate training and authorization.
Skills to examine first
Active Listening
US occupation importance: 4.00/5 · rating last updated 2021-08-01
Ask a peer to explain a fictional work problem; paraphrase it and check what you missed.
Reading Comprehension
US occupation importance: 3.88/5 · rating last updated 2021-08-01
Summarise a public, role-relevant document in five points; verify each point against the source.
Speaking
US occupation importance: 3.88/5 · rating last updated 2021-08-01
Explain a safe example of your work in two minutes, then ask which point was unclear.
Mathematics
US occupation importance: 3.88/5 · rating last updated 2021-08-01
Check a public numerical example, including units and assumptions; explain the result.
Critical Thinking
US occupation importance: 3.88/5 · rating last updated 2021-08-01
Compare two approaches to a fictional task and document one counterargument for each.
Science
US occupation importance: 3.75/5 · rating last updated 2021-08-01
Turn a fictional claim into a testable question; list evidence that would change your view.
These prompts are RolePaths practice suggestions, not O*NET instructions, training or certification.
Related work to compare
O*NET marks these occupations as related. That is a comparison starting point, not a guaranteed career transition. Check local licensing and entry requirements.
Your next seven days
- Choose one skill above and a fictional or non-confidential work example.
- Practise for 20 minutes on three days; keep one small output.
- Ask a qualified peer for feedback against clear criteria.
- Reassess the same career and record what changed.
Source and limits
Occupation definition, task examples, skill importance and related-occupation links come from the US O*NET 31.0 Database. RolePaths selected the top six skills by importance and authored the practice prompts. Career fit, local salaries, automation timing and licensing have not been verified.