Angie Matika
Project Coordinator at Prospect Steel Company, Little Rock

Age: 31
Hometown: Little Rock
Degree(s): Pulaski Tech, then UALR—BS in Civil and Construction Engineering
Certifications: from NCEES as an Engineer in Training (EIT) and from the AIC as an Associate Constructor (AC)

How did you decide on engineering?
I was going to school to become an art teacher, but when I took a Drawings & Specifications of Construction course at Pulaski Technical College, I knew I was on to something big—I found something that I loved. I spoke to an advisor at UALR, and they told me about a new program called Construction Engineering.

What was your training or schooling like?
College was a lot of fun. The professors at UALR have had real-life construction and engineering experience, which was apparent in the classroom. One of the requirements for my degree was to have 800 hours of work in the “field,” and I was encouraged to be a member of student competitions teams.

For one of the teams I was a part of, the ASC/TEXO Region V Heavy Civil Construction division, we brought home first place in the 2014 competition—we beat out some very big name schools.

What is your job like?
My job is not like most construction jobs. I work in an office, which is connected to a shop. Instead of having standard construction “working days,” and/or weather delays, we work year-round during typical business hours. I work with design engineers, detailers, contractors, DOTs (Departments of Transportation) etc.

Why should students choose this field?
Engineers help to shape the future to make a better tomorrow. Whether it’s designing a new highway system, developing new fuel sources or exploring the universe, engineers strive to make day-to-day life safer, more efficient and more fulfilling for the community involved.

What’s the outlook of your industry?
Engineers are sought after in many different fields. Because systems (highway, pipeline, waterways) are deteriorating faster and faster, engineers are being hired more and more to design/redesign those systems to maintain/gain efficiency and ensure public safety.

Your advice for students interested in engineering:
Don’t feel locked into any career now. It’s great to have an ideal plan for your life, but remember that things happen, and your plans may need to change.

Jobs in Engineering

Why it’s hot: With some jobs, your training can take you anywhere, and that’s the case with the engineering field. “Because the laws of physics are the same all over the world, a civil engineer can be trained here in the United States and then work anywhere on the planet with the same methodologies,” says Angie Matika. Even better is that the demand is only getting higher. The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services projects civil engineering jobs to increase 11 percent by 2022.

The Major: Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering

The Job: Civil Engineer, Engineering Project Coordinator

The Paycheck: Civil engineers in Arkansas made on average $72,760 in 2013, while Architectural and Engineering Managers made $108,010.