Skills
Civil Engineer Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in civil engineers, and how to build and show them.
What skills do civil engineers need?
Civil Engineers need technical skills such as structural analysis, hydraulics, and geotechnical engineering, plus people skills like problem solving and communication. They also use tools such as AutoCAD Civil 3D and Structural analysis software.
Technical (hard) skills
- Structural analysis
- Hydraulics
- Geotechnical engineering
- CAD and design software
- Construction management
- Codes and standards
People (soft) skills
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Leadership
- Attention to detail
Tools, equipment and technology
- AutoCAD Civil 3D
- Structural analysis software
- Hydraulic modeling software
- GIS
- Project management tools
- Spreadsheets
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how civil engineers put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Structural analysis” and “Hydraulics.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “problem solving,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Engineer in Training (EIT) near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our civil engineer glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Civil Engineer training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.