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Prospects for post graduates in engineering?

I am considering undertaking a phd after completion of my undergraduate Meng degree in civil engineeing. However, I can't ever see myself working in academia and would rather work in industry.

Would a phd put me at a disadvantage with regards to ever finding industrial graduate jobs? I feel that the gap between completion of the undergraduate and postgraduate degree of four years may put me at a disadvantage, but I'm unsure. Are there any other options for post grads and what are the long term prospects?

The reason I am considering this is that I could earn a post graduate salary plus fees which I think would quite stable, more so than employment considering the instability of the economy.
Look at Vitae 'What Do Researchers Do' 2011 - it should give you an overview.

You can use economic stability as a justification to future employers on why you committed yourself to the first step of an academic career. It's likely to come up in an interview.

For a start a PhD shows commitment and research skills, which any employer will like. The range of jobs outside academia involving the use of research skills is quite narrow in Civil Engineering (see Vitae report), but some of the large consultancy companies offer opportunities for PhD graduates to directly enter higher level roles, and some companies undertake original research and publish/present their findings in journals and conferences.

Very few PhD students fail these days, but I must warn you, if you don't consider your subject knowledge sophisticated enough you may end up submitting your thesis late (3 years late in some cases I know) as the quality of the work must be very high.

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