Transportation Engineers

If you are in high school, a great way to learn about what transportation and civil engineers do, as well as other types of engineers, is by attending an engineering summer camp. Different types of programs are offered throughout the United States and Canada. Contact colleges and universities in your area to learn more about summer programs.

Keep up with transportation industry issues and developments by reading publications such as ITE Journal. Find current and past issues at http://www.ite.org. Learn more about different types of transportation projects and find other resources by visiting the Transportation Research Board's Web site at http://www.trb.org/Projects/UpcomingCRPProjects.aspx. Check out resources that are provided by the Institute of Transportation Engineer (ITE), including the "ITE Talks Transportation" podcast (https://www.ite.org/technical-resources/ite-talks-transportation) and ITE Journal (https://www.ite.org/publications/ite-journal).

A part-time or summer job with a transportation engineering firm will give you a good idea of what's involved in this profession. You may also have the chance to conduct an interview with a transportation engineer to learn more about the types of projects they work on and how they got started in their career. Ask your school's career services office for help with the job search and setting up an information interview.

Participate in engineering competitions to develop your skills and build your network. They are offered by professional associations, youth organizations, and other entities. For example, SkillsUSA (https://www.skillsusa.org)—a membership organization for middle school, high school, and college students who want to learn more about technical, trade, and skilled service occupations—offers competitions in Engineering Technology/Design, Principles of Engineering/Technology, Related Technical Math, and other fields.