Career Prep
Graduates of CEE at Illinois are always in high demand and students approaching graduation are enthusiastically recruited for full-time positions. Illini engineers hold positions of prominence in all areas of civil and environmental engineering, offering students the promise of countless, beneficial networking opportunities throughout their careers. To help students prepare for the workforce while still in college, the department and Grainger College host a number of professional development events throughout the year.
Professional Development for CEE Students
CEE Job Fair
Each fall and spring semester, CEE at Illinois hosts a job fair for CEE students and any students interested in Civil or Environmental Engineering internships and full-time positions. Approximately 70 companies send recruiters to each job fair, bringing employment opportunities directly to our students.
Backpack to Briefcase
Each fall semester, CEE presents a series of informational seminars geared towards preparing students for their transition to a professional workplace. The sessions cover a wide range of topics, from crafting a resume, to impressing during an interview to negotiating salary.
Career Services on Campus
ENGINEERING CAREER SERVICES
Engineering Career Services hosts information sessions, tech talks, virtual interviews, and career development workshops.
ILLINOIS LEADERSHIP CENTER
The Illinois Leadership Center can provide you with opportunities to develop or enhance essential leadership skills.
ENGINEERING CAREER FAIR
This career fair will have different days for different job types. Check which companies will be attending each day on the EXPO website.
TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR CENTER
TEC introduces students to the concepts of technology innovation and market adoption.
94%
CEE students with destination secured after graduation
59%
CEE students employed after
graduation
35%
CEE students continuing education after graduation
$64,233
average starting salary
for CEE graduates
Fundamentals of Engineering exam pass rate
The Fundamentals of Engineering exam is the first step in becoming a licensed professional engineer. CEE at Illinois students have a 94.5% pass rate for the challenging exam versus a national 68% pass rate.
An education from CEE at Illinois is the first step towards success.
CEE seniors who found their job via CEE or ECS job fair
Twice each year, CEE holds a job fair just for civil and environmental engineering students. Engineering Career Services (ECS) also hosts two college-wide job fairs each year. 71% of CEE at Illinois Class of 2020 students who are moving directly to a job after graduation found their position at one of these fairs.
Seniors who rated their CEE education Excellent/Very Good
Every year, senior exit surveys show that graduating students are extremely satisfied with the quality of their CEE at Illinois education. For the class of 2020, 56% of graduating seniors rated the program as "Excellent," while 34.5% rated it "Very Good."
CEE at Illinois alumni around the world
The CEE alumni network is a valuable resource. Alumni from our department can be found in many major organizations throughout the global economy: in large and small engineering firms, in government agencies, consulting firms, major corporations, universities and more. CEE graduates will join this elite group and have a lifelong community of support, beginning with mentorship, networking and professional development opportunities for young alumni provided by the CEE Alumni Association's Young Engineers Division.
We CU Community Engaged Scholars
We CU empowers students to make a positive impact in the community while building their resume/CV and enriching their university experience. Track the service hours you are already doing through your academic or extracurricular activities, choose from a variety of available virtual opportunities, or develop a project that addresses a community need.