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Capstone Research Paper

Daniel Lutkauskas

Harrison High School

Nancy Curran

April 24, 2024

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: Career Choice

Introduction... page 3

Job Description... page 4

A Day in the Life... page 6

Pros and Cons... page 7

CHAPTER 2: From Here to There

Professional Profile... page 8

Education... page 9

Budgeting... page 11

CHAPTER 3: Personal Assessment

My Skills… page 12

My Personality… page 13

My Motivation… page 14

CHAPTER 4: Productivity

My Project… page 15

Career Connection… page 16

REFERENCES… page 17
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CHAPTER 1: Career Choice

Introduction:

Civil engineering as a career choice was never a personal passion, but an interest. Ever

since starting STEM the community connections sections of the e-portfolio have exposed me to

many individuals in different fields of work. Interviewing different people has led me to have a

general conversation with a lot of other people, many of which were engineers or had engineer in

their job title. After doing research and learning it gives me an opportunity to have a well lived

life, civil engineering started to grow as an interest. Doing research and having discussions about

civil engineering careers has become part of my potential future.

The research gathered for civil engineering really helped with interest for personal plans

by assisting on broadening the job knowledge. Personally, it was and never about money when it

comes to majors, jobs, and activities. So, learning civil engineers give back to the community

while also working with others with the same interest help peak interest. Also, the job is not too

much of a desk job. Being on your feet and not in front of a computer helps an individual

become more involved in the project or assignment.

Being helpful and involved has always been two values I appreciate and follow most in

my life. So, hearing such a job can give back to the community in a positive way really helps

pique my interest and develop my career choice of potentially becoming a civil engineer.

Honestly knowing that I had a part in making a difference and working with others will truly

make me happy in the work field. Having an interest in something will eventually become a

passion and I feel me becoming a civil engineer will help me enjoy the career.
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Job Description:

The career that I am interning at is at Croy engineering and the employees there are under

the career title of civil engineer. Taking this career the employees will be expected to work on

construction sites or in the office. A civil engineer on construction sites makes sure everyone is

doing their jobs and makes sure progression will be able to be done on time. While in the office a

civil engineer will do a multitude of work. This includes hosting online meetings, working on

CAD (Computer Aided Design), scheduling end dates for projects, and working on projects. A

little information about the CAD system is this program simulates situations based on statistics,

uses accurate measurements of sea level to place in a pipe, and design plans for roads and

streets.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, a civil engineer’s expected salary

annually is $39,960 starting with a $89,940 median pay in 2022. Civil engineering is not a

remarkably high populated occupation many want to take in compared to other jobs, as there are

only 326,300 in the US. Despite this, civil engineering is in high demand with an expected

growth rate of 5% between the years 2022 to 2032. Looking at the rates, civil engineering is a

very stable career as the unemployment rate is 1.69% in 2021 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics,

2023).

With a promising job market, to become a civil engineer requires specific background

education, depending on the state. To begin the job requires a civil engineering bachelor’s degree

while also having some basic knowledge in CAD. Depending on the state, there are also some

required certificates needed. In Georgia, the needed certificates are the PE (professional

engineering) and FE (fundamentals of engineering) certificates. These certificates can be

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acquired by taking the exams and having a successful passing grade, “70% minimum for PE”

and “50 to 60 questions out of 110 to pass the FE” (Asghar, 2023).

With all the general information in mind having the right personality is the most viable

way to determine what job fits. For civil engineers, the best personality is ISTJ on the Myers-

Briggs test. ISTJ stands for “Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging,” which aligns with the

job description (Aneja, 2015). Having a personality strength of knowing how to work problem

on site and in the office feels only right to connect with civil engineering. Despite this profession

having a specific personality associated with the job it is not limited to this personality type. As

there can be many other personality types like ISTJ that will fit the environment of being a civil

engineer.

In terms of internships civil engineering can be limited or broad. To have a broad

internship, an individual knows how to use CAD and has a general background in civil

engineering, it is easy to embrace the occupation. To have a limited internship an individual

needs to know how to research and find articles. Having these skills can be helpful for those in

and out of the office as gathering information will help others find a solution.

Overall civil engineering is an occupation that takes into consideration skills, education,

and certifications to be even considered a job.

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A Day in the Life:

A day in the life of a civil engineer is and will always be unpredictable going into the

office or being on sites. If you are in the office, depending on your position, a civil engineer will

attend meetings with many different clients. These clients arrange from the board of education to

the local mayor. Many of these meetings are usually hosted by higher level workers, like Wayne

McGary my mentor and vice president of Croy, and are set to begin a project or to provide

advice. Working with others is something that Wayne does enjoy but working with stubborn

clients is a constant and the most frustrating part of the job, in Waynes's perspective. Wayne also

mentioned his onsite experience, where he discusses what could improve during the construction

process and checks on progression.

A typical day in the office also includes navigating a typical office setting and talking

with co-workers. In the office there are many cubicles and offices scattered all around the

building organized with different departments. Here the main duty for workers is to research as

there are many computers. Depending on how long it will take to research, a civil engineer may

have to work overtime. Despite this being a rare occasion, it may take longer to research

depending on dates and preferences. While on site there is a specific set of time, so overtime

does not exist while on site.

Being in an office setting there are many outlets and people to ask for help or assistance.

Being in this setting gives everyone an opportunity to be part of a project so working

independently is also rare. The pay as a civil engineer is decent especially as an intern as they

receive $10 an hour, which some of the base pay goes to Medicare and social security. Despite

not being able to have access yet, having these benefits is extremely helpful to start overall. In

summary, the day-to-day life of a civil engineer always has its variables.
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Pros and Cons:

For every job there are always going to be perks and downsides. For civil engineering

there is a balance between good and bad.

With every positive there is a negative, civil engineers face many adversities every day.

One of these being unexpected office hours and work pressure. This occurs most of the time as

many clients want a specific job done in a specific way, so making a mistake could cost the

company. Facing client disputes also includes facing labor struggles, legal disputes, and local

protest on projects. Also, being able to fit many roles in the company means it could be a

struggle to juggle everything all at once, which creates pressure on employees. Despite these

struggles pertaining to the inside of the office, being on site can set a civil engineer at risk of

harmful risks.

Despite all the negatives, civil engineers are here to fix the problems for everyone to

benefit from. Also working and becoming a civil engineer has its rewards. As a civil engineer

there is a good salary package, stable job, and hands-on experience. Being a civil engineer makes

it easy for job placement as the demand is growing. This includes a chance of working the civil

engineering career as a government paid position. Having certificates and a degree as a civil

engineer makes it easier to fit multiple roles in the company, which assists with job security.

Overall, there are many good things about being a civil engineer, mainly because of pay, job

security, and job opportunities.

In summary, the work and career of a civil engineer has a balance of positives and

negatives.
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CHAPTER 2: From Here to There

Professional Profile:

A person that chooses a civil engineer as their occupation are ISTJs. Already stated in the

job description ISTJ are the main personality of a civil engineer.

To better explain each personality trait, I would like to expand on what it means to have

the traits based on the Myers-Briggs evaluation test. Introverted or “I” are people that are not

antisocial but enjoy time by themselves. Being a civil engineer there are many instances of

working in solitude while researching and doing projects. Sensing or “S” means people with this

trait evaluate problems with a step-by-step view. Civil engineers need to have this trait or a form

of this trait to make distinct decisions and give direction to employees. Thinking or “T” is having

a perfectionist view on projects and assertive. Like sensing, having this trait especially in a

leadership role as both traits build off each other. Lastly “J” or judgement, this personality

provides a formal decision having anything “on the fly” would make this trait a weakness.

Having all these personality traits fits as having an assertive, direct nature is crucial as being a

civil engineer. Making decisions that affect others in the community does not need an indecisive

person as it would disrupt the workplace and harm the environment (Aneja, 2015).

Every personality type has a different learning style for civil engineers, which can range

from “visual, auditory, and kinesthetic” (Law, 2017). This means civil engineers are incredibly

involved in their work. This is very fitting as the civil view blueprints, listen to client in

meetings, and go on sites to have a hands-on experience. Overall, connecting visual, auditory,

and kinesthetic learning types justify the learning style of civil engineering.

The personality type and learning style provided is typically related to civil engineering.
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Education:

Referring to the job description to become a civil engineer takes time in college and time

to get certificates.

To become a civil engineer, it is required to have a four-year bachelor's degree. This

degree must be under a “civil engineering program accredited by ABET,” Accreditation Board of

Engineering and Technology (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023). Many employers look for

employees with this accreditation as it produces the most qualified engineers. Having an ABET

accreditation provides assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards

of the profession. This accreditation in the bachelor’s degree is a requirement to become a civil

engineer.

Some additional requirements are certifications to help establish a civil engineer in their

position. Each certification required varies by state and firm, to receive the certificates there is a

required test. For Croy Engineering there are two tests that were mentioned to be a civil engineer

when speaking with Wayne McGary. The first is a professional engineering certification, that is

received after passing the PE exam with a “70% minimum” (Asghar, 2023). The test is eight

hours long and consists of 80 questions with five categories: “construction, geotechnical,

structural, transportation, and water” (Asghar, 2023). The other exam is FE, fundamentals of

engineering, certification. Like the PE certification, the FE certification requires a passing grade

of “50 to 60 questions out of 110 to pass” (Asghar, 2023). The content of the FE exam are as

follows: “Math and statistics, ethnics and professional practice, engineering economics, statics,

dynamics, mechanics of materials, materials, fluid mechanics, surveying, water resources and

environmental engineering, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, transportation

engineering, and construction engineering” (PrepFE, 2020).

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With those certifications and degrees, it gives civil engineers the opportunity to expand

their job descriptions. With the assistance of the certifications a civil engineer can have the

opportunity to specialize or cover different branches. For example, with an engineer passing the

FE or PE exam they will have the option to work on construction projects or structural projects.

This also helps with easy job placements as a civil engineer. It is easy to adapt towards a specific

project when completing certifications and having a degree.

Although the exams and college degree being tedious and expensive, it is required to

have all these qualifications to become a civil engineer. But there are chances to build on your

degree and work towards a master’s degree. Despite a master’s degree not being required to start,

having this degree will help increase pay and promotions.

Everything from schooling to certifications, the work of a civil engineer takes time but is

worth it in the end. Seeing many jobs that fall under a civil engineer, like surveyor and building

engineer, I see myself taking this career into consideration.

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Budgeting:

College and certificates are expensive and take time to not only study but to also build a

portfolio for yourself.

Knowing that civil engineering requires a bachelor’s degree and certificates, further

research was gathered to figure out the total cost. The average cost to even get a bachelor’s

degree has an, “estimated annual budgets for full-time undergraduate students at four-year

institutions ranged from $27,940 for public four-year in-state students to $45,240 for out-of-state

students at public four-year schools and $57,570 for students at private, nonprofit four-year

schools” (Franklin University, 2024). This means it takes on average a total of $111,670 for an

in-state, $180,960 for an out of state, and 230,280 for a private. These total costs still do not

include the FE and PE certificates, which are “$30 for a PE exam” and “$175 for the FE exam”

(Asghar, 2023). Taking all these costs into consideration civil engineering takes lots of time and

money.

To attempt to balance the cost the median pay for a civil engineer is $89,940 annually.

Despite not covering the total cost with the certificate it will gradually land civil engineers on the

higher end of the payroll. Also, civil engineers have a very stable job and a stable job market as

there are many opportunities. These opportunities consist of working for the “federal

government, state government, local government, and engineering firms” (US Bureau of Labor

Statistics, 2023). Each option pays well as it provides more than $86,440 for engineers that

choose that were listed.

Despite not being able to cover the total cost of certificates and college, civil engineers

have a stable job and having certifications will assist on earning more.
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CHAPTER 3

Skills:

To relate to the workplace and my internship, my skills include communication, problem-

solving, and organization.

Communication is needed so ideas, criticism, and improvements can be made, for civil

engineers this is crucial so projects can move forward. Problem-solving is another attribute most

jobs require, especially for civil engineering. Problems such as pipe leaks are major problems for

the community that require swift but efficient solutions to not harm anyone. Problem-solving and

communication as a civil engineer requires organization. This is mainly organizing meetings and

planning the best possible outcome for a solution. Already having these skills will help me excel

in the civil engineering career as well as other careers depending on what I plan to do in the

future.

My skills listed are also my strengths, but to become better as a person you need to know

your weaknesses just as well. Some weaknesses are failing while working under pressure,

working outside of the organized plan, and trying to answer comprehension questions. These

could be a huge obstacle to becoming a civil engineer. Everything about civil engineering is

unpredictable which leads to many enjoying the career. But, for me, it builds a ton of stress that

weakens my entire work effort. Despite this as an intern I have been gradually improving and

working on my weaknesses that I recognized. Being in the civil engineering setting while also

experiencing projects that require a lot of work has really opened my eyes and helped me to

remedy my problems.

Continuing in this career I feel will improve my weaknesses to become strengths and let

me be useful with the strength I already have.

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My Personality:

Referencing the professional profile section ISTJ is the best-suited personality for civil

engineering. Comparing my personality and learning style I am an ENFJ based on the Myers-

Briggs test and a visual and auditory learner.

Despite not falling exactly into the typical personality of a civil engineer I feel my

personality can adapt to the work environment. To expand on the difference the “E” stands for

extroverted, the “N” stands for intuitive, and “F” stands for feeling (Aneja, 2015). This means I

like to talk with others, try to find a deeper meaning in subjects, and be compassionate to others.

Using these personality traits, I feel it would be simple to adapt to other personalities in the work

field. This personality type will help me as a civil engineer by helping me connect with others

more easily, find a deeper problem to solve, and make sure everyone involved in the project is

taken care of. Regardless of civil engineering usually holding people with ISTJ for their

personalities, I think my personality will easily fit in with the others within the work field.

Although my personality doesn’t entirely match the personality of a civil engineer, my

learning style does. This is equally as important as personality as it gives an individual an idea of

what they need to do to learn something new or refresh themselves. Referencing the professional

profile section again, the learning style of a civil engineer is a balance of visual, auditory, and

kinesthetic. I fit two of the three learning styles, which are visual and auditory. As a civil

engineer having these two styles of learning is crucial to complete tasks, especially when

learning. Despite not being a hands-on learner, which most civil engineers are, does not restrict

others to pursue civil engineering.

Overall, despite not meeting most of the typical learning or personality types, being a

civil engineer will not be accomplished because of the differing types.

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My Motivation:

After researching and learning more and more about civil engineering, I have concluded

that this career is more of a backup plan.

Researching really expanded my knowledge of the career of civil engineering. Learning

and discovering each subject to give myself more information really helped me evaluate my

options. These options mainly being the colleges to apply to, the specific degree, and help with

planning out the future. Regardless, researching really helped figure out civil engineering. Also

doing projects like listing out strengths and weaknesses, my biggest obstacles, gave me time to

reflect on what I can improve or build upon while in the office.

What I plan to do with this information is to go to a college that offers the major and to a

campus that best suits me. This campus currently is Florida Gulf Coast University, this means I

will have to move, but many employers are near the area and there’s a program to give back to

the community nearby.

Using my organization, communication, and problem-solving skills will help me reach

my goals. My organizational skill will help me reach my goal by organizing my classes, time,

and effort to efficiently focus on my classes and school. Also, my communication skills will help

me to build relationships while improving my scores through study groups and tutoring with

teachers. My problem-solving skills will help me by working on the problem, by evaluating my

situations and finding an immediate solution will help me reduce stress, keeping me focused on

school.

Overall, the research and the findings were very beneficial to helping me come to my

conclusion about civil engineering. Also writing my plans has personally encouraged me to work

towards my goals with background knowledge from the research and skills.
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CHAPTER 4: Productivity

My Project:

For my internship-related research project, I created an informative report for the

company, Croy Engineering. This report was to find the economic benefit of a SPLOST report.

Initially, I started by giving some ideas to my mentor until we landed on the report about

SPLOST. SPLOST or Special Purpose Local Optional Sales Tax, is a program also known as the

penny tax in Georgia, taking one percent of all sales to help improve everyday life. Within my

research, I gathered pictures from Google Earth from the 2011 and 2016 SPLOST reports, which

can be viewed publicly. I also got in contact with other employees to help me with the project.

This consisted of employees who had records of or working on a project based on the SPLOST

report. With all this information finished I started to make a writing organizer and started to

write.

The first thing I did was make a writing organizer and present it to my mentor to get

pointers and get approved. Assuming Croy Engineering was going to give it to the public I had to

do more research, focusing on answering two questions: what are civil engineers? And what is

SPLOST? What I figured out was there are 3 types of SPLOST: “Education SPLOST

(ESPLOST), Transportation SPLOST (TSPLOST), and general SPLOST” (Bence, 2018). This

information would help Croy Engineering potentially receive more clients and help people who

do not know the benefits of some information.

Overall, this project turned out to be a success in the end. After getting the draft

completed and fixing criticisms the report was greatly appreciated.

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Career Connections:

My written report for Croy Engineering relates to the internship because of researching

the SPLOST report benefits.

As civil engineers at Croy Engineering, they cover cities all over Cobb County, mainly

following the SPLOST report every four years. The SPLOST reports consist of many projects

including improvements in intersections, repairs, building maintenance, and road improvements.

My report having these characteristics within the report directly relates to my current internship.

Having research on this topic will help civil engineers see the benefits of their work.

Throughout my research, I learned many new things about residence opinions and the

financial side of civil engineering. To begin with I learned that not many people agree with

SPLOST programs. This was mainly due to “taking away already established SPLOST, not

being a penny take but one percent, majority of regions voted no to SPLOST, and this program

takes millions away from companies willing to do the projects” (Page, 2018). Despite being only

one percent and benefiting everyday life, I found it very surprising how few people expressed not

enjoying the program. With this information, it will help me understand public opinion as I

become a civil engineer.

Alongside understanding public opinion, I also learned about the financial side of

SPLOST and its projects. Cobb County every year had gradually more funding than the actual

budgeted amount. This information as a civil engineer will help me accurately calculate how

much funding is required while also knowing there is a high chance of extra amounts being

used.

Overall, the project that I worked on, the Economic Benefits of SPLOST in Cobb

County, connects to the internship and the research will beneficially contribute to my future.
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REFERENCES

Aneja, G. (2024, February 7). Myers-Briggs test: MBTI: ISTJ Careers: Civil Engineers. Career
Assessment Site. https://careerassessmentsite.com/tests/myers-briggs-test/mbti-
personality-types/istj/careers/civil-engineers/myers-briggs-istj-career/#:~:text=For
%20example%2C%20the%20analytical%2C%20structured,for%20positions%20in
%20civil%20engineering.

Asghar, W. (2023a, January 4). What is the PE exam passing score?. Study for FE.
https://www.studyforfe.com/blog/pe-exam-passing-score/#:~:text=As%20mentioned
%20earlier%2C%20there%20is,out%20of%2080%20correct%20responses.

Asghar, W. (2023b, September 15). How many questions are on the FE exam?. Study for FE.
https://www.studyforfe.com/blog/how-many-questions-are-on-the-fe-exam/#:~:text=As
%20an%20estimate%20and%20according,any%20negative%20marking%20for%20it.

Asghar, W. (2024, March 18). How hard is the PE exam? - what you should know!. Study for
FE. https://www.studyforfe.com/blog/how-hard-is-the-pe-exam/#:~:text=This
%20professional%20engineers%27%20test%20is,%25%20for%20first%2Dtime
%20takers

Bence, J. (2018). Special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST). Wednesday’s News You Can
Use. https://cviog.uga.edu/_resources/documents/training-and-education/ggfoa-
presentations/splost.pdf

Franklin University. (2023). How much does a bachelor’s degree cost? How Much Does a
Bachelor’s Degree Cost? | Franklin University. https://www.franklin.edu/blog/how-much-
does-a-bachelors-degree-cost#:~:text=In%20the%202022%2D2023%20school%20year
%2C%20estimated%20annual%20budgets%20for,%2C%20nonprofit%20four%2Dyear
%20schools.

Law, M. (2017, December 18). Civil Engineering Education: Three styles, five methods. AUGI.
https://www.augi.com/articles/detail/civil-engineering-education-three-styles-five-
methods

Page, J. (2018, May 20). Four reasons to vote no on new T-splost tax . Valdosta Daily Times.
https://www.valdostadailytimes.com/opinion/columns/four-reasons-to-vote-no-on-new-t-
splost-tax/article_61b0a2f2-3af6-5fe9-a00d-b20f4826cb6b.html

PrepFE. (2020). Fe civil. FE Civil Exam Topics . https://www.prepfe.com/fe

exams/disciplines/civil

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023, September 6). Civil engineers : Occupational outlook

handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/civil-engineers.htm
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