By Shaukat Syed, M.ASCE
I wish I’d known early on the importance of public speaking for civil engineers. When I studied civil engineering in the late 1970s and early ’80s, the coursework focused on the use and design of steel and concrete, roads and railroads, and principles of statics and dynamics, among other technical subjects. There was little to no emphasis on soft skills such as communication.
This was an oversight because civil engineers do not just sit in cubes all day designing or analyzing mathematical models. They must explain or defend their work. It may be within their own teams, at clients’ offices, in public settings, or before regulatory bodies.
For the greatest impact in such settings, engineers need to be able to communicate effectively. They need to be able to discuss projects clearly, clarify the reasons for material selection or layout, and explain their methods. They must be able to describe the technical details to reach an agreement with clients or officials.
If the project involves the construction of a new plant or facility in a particular area, the people who live nearby will come to a public meeting with questions. The engineers should be able to answer their questions and help alleviate their concerns. It is important to have knowledge of the project, but it is equally important to have good communication skills.
This will all be much harder to do if the engineers have rarely spoken in front of a group.
In my case, I was a graduate teaching assistant at Oregon State University, which gave me some experience with speaking in front of students. In the professional world, I served as president of ASCE’s Georgia Section and president of the Capitol Hill Atlanta Toastmasters International.
These positions gave me confidence with public speaking, and I used the experiences to encourage younger engineers to practice and participate in similar ways.
For example, during ASCE Georgia Section monthly meetings, I invited the ASCE student members to come prepared to speak about themselves or their projects in front of the group.
So, my advice to young engineers is to always be ready for opportunities to make an impact with good communication.
Shaukat Syed, M.ASCE, is a senior environmental engineer for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
This article first appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of Civil Engineering as “Wish I'd Known.”
