How is the job prospect for Civil Engineers at Vancouver? (2014, find a job)

[johnson567]

Hey guys,

First time poster on this forum, I’ve got a question that I’ve been to ask for a while now, how is the job prospect for Civil Engineers at the moment in Vancouver? Specifically for Structural Engineers, how are the local design firms/consultancies doing currently?

Really at a crossroad in my life at the moment and need to decide whether to move over there or not. The cost of moving and accommodation won’t be an issue so the decision is based purely on the job prospect. Been there earlier this year and really love the city!

I just finished my Civil Engineering degree and got an offer from a small/medium sized property development and construction company, mainly focusing on residential projects. Thought this could be a great opportunity to move over to the city.

However there’s a chance that I may switch over to structural design later on in life, in case I find construction management to be unsuitable for me, since construction can be a really stressful industry. So I’m hoping to leave an avenue open in case I wish to switch career later.

So how is the structural engineering market doing at the moment, and what’s the future prospect of this sector? Base on BC’s labour market outlook publication, it seems Civil Engineers is among the list for top opportunity occupations:

https://www.workbc.ca/WorkBC/media/W...014-2024_C.pdf

However the information given is too general since it talks about Civil Enginners as a whole rather than the specific sub-disciplines: structural/transport/water/geotech/construction. I’m also only interested in the area within the Greater Vancouver Region. Also not sure if the figure given is applicable to the graduate level or those with little experience on hand.

Therefore I wish to inquire, how is the job prospect for structural engineers within the Greater Vancouver Region? And also how easy would it be to switch from construction management to structural design work?

Assume I’ve got a few years of experience at a local property development/construction company (but none for design), how hard would it be to find a job at a structural design/consultancy company in Vancouver? Sincerely appreciate any kind of advices, thank you!

Best Regards,
Johnson