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Civil Engineering Draftsperson

Technicians and Trades WorkersUsually a diploma or similar, or several years of experience

What the work is

Prepares detailed drawings and plans for civil engineering work in support of Civil Engineering Professionals and Engineering Technologists.

Would you enjoy the work?

These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.

  • Prepares detailed drawings and plans for civil engineering projects
  • Uses computer design software to convert civil engineering sketches into digital documents
  • Creates topographical and relief maps of locations hosting new civil development projects
  • Incorporates design changes and updates into existing drawings and plans based on feedback from engineers and architects

Try it

A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in the drafting and testing team of a fictional civil engineering consultancy. They are fictional.

The kind of days you could have

Good days

  • A drawing you finished is used on site and the crew has no questions about it
  • Your test results show something useful and the engineer changes the design because of them
  • You see a road or drain you helped plan being built

Hard days

  • Three versions of the same drawing are open and nobody is sure which is current
  • A design change arrives the afternoon before a submission and the sheets all need updating
  • Testing in the cold and wet, with samples that must be handled carefully

Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.

Work a mission

Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.

Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 313131, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.