Engineers play an important role in pushing the boundaries of applied science. This solving of difficult technical problems allows for advances in construction, manufacturing, medicine and various other avenues of human endeavor.
There is a lot to be gained from pursuing a career in engineering, which offers both high levels of career satisfaction and nearly limitless opportunities for professional development.
However, if you are considering an engineering career for the first time, then you might be wondering how you can decide if this is the right career path for you. This article will set out everything that a career in engineering has to offer and what makes it so appealing. If you are a prospective student thinking of pursuing a master of engineering in electrical and computer engineering, keep reading this article for a better sense of what a career as an engineer has to offer!
Key skills and qualities
Although many different types of individuals end up in the engineering field – particularly given how diverse engineering can be – there are certain skills and qualities that are more commonly shared by engineers. Some of these include the following:
- A head for numbers: Although you do not have to be a mathematical genius by any means, engineers are typically pretty good with numbers. A big part of engineering is solving calculations and thinking of things in terms of numbers. Math will also form a big part of any engineering qualifications you undertake, so it helps to have a decent level of confidence in your mathematical abilities.
- An interest in the physical world and how things work: One quality that many, if not all, engineers share is an interest in the physical world around them and a desire to understand how things work. If you have found yourself gazing up at the sky wondering how planes work or felt compelled to deconstruct your latest gadget, this is an indication of a common engineering mindset! Having a genuine curiosity in how things work and the world around you is important in an engineering career, as it is a desire to understand that will keep you interested in the work long term.
- A problem-solving aptitude: At its most basic, an engineering career is one in which you get paid money to solve technical problems. This might be creating a new design to complete a task that has never been done before or trying to find ways of making specific processes more efficient or safer. Common to both is problem-solving! Problem solving also involves troubleshooting and trying to figure out when things go wrong. If you are naturally inclined to be a problem solver, this will serve you well in an engineering career regardless of what specialism you end up in!
- An interest in technology: Much like having an interest in the physical world and how it works, having an interest in tech will serve you well as an engineer. Finding solutions to difficult engineering challenges will require you to keep up with the latest technological developments in the field you are working in. If you naturally have an interest in keeping up with the latest technological trends and innovations, this is a strong sign that you have the skills and qualities that an engineer needs!
- Good communication skills and a collaborative spirit: Although the stereotype of an engineer is someone who likes working on problems in isolation or that they prefer ‘things’ over ‘people’, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Engineers frequently work with cross-disciplinary teams to find solutions to problems. This requires close collaboration with different types of professionals, as well as interactions with anyone else on your immediate team. You will also frequently be required to communicate your findings to your team, as well as to articulate your solutions to whatever problem you are working on. These soft skills are incredibly important to an engineering career.
What different types of engineering are there?
Although drawing on a common skill set and way of thinking, engineering is an extensive subject consisting of many different specialization paths. Narrowing down which of these paths is best suited to you, however, can often be difficult.
With that said, here is a quick rundown of some of the main branches of engineering that you might encounter as a student:
- Aerospace/aeronautical: This branch of engineering deals with the research, design, construction, and testing of aircraft of all varieties. This is a great branch to pursue if you are fascinated by the mechanics of flight!
- Chemical: Chemical engineering uses chemical and biological processes to produce various materials and substances. This field combines natural and experimental sciences, life sciences and mathematics. It is the perfect branch for a budding engineer with a strong interest in the natural sciences.
- Civil: Civil engineers design, develop and help to build infrastructure projects. These are often on a large scale, with projects taking place over the course of multiple years. Civil engineering is suited to people who like building things and want to work on high-impact projects. Design skills are also particularly important with this branch.
- Computer: This deals with the design and testing of computing hardware and software. It blends electrical engineering with elements of computer science, and computer engineers are increasingly sought after! If you like computers, math and software development, this is the perfect specialization for you!
- Electrical: Electrical engineers focus on the various applications of electrical power, particularly the production and supply of electricity. This also encompasses electronics engineering, which is concerned with smaller electronic circuits. As society transitions to renewable energy sources, electrical and electronics engineers will be increasingly in demand!
- Mechanical: Mechanical engineers design, manufacture and maintain various types of mechanical systems. This is one of the broadest branches of engineering and often overlaps with other fields.
Other possible branches include environmental, geological and mining, petroleum, industrial, materials and ceramics, nuclear, and agricultural.
As you can see, there is a wide range of sub-fields and branches to engineering, each of which has unique advantages. This variety is part of the reason why such a diverse range of candidates are attracted to a career in engineering.
Tips on choosing an engineering specialization
With so many specialisms open to you as an engineer, it might seem like a daunting task to choose the path you want to take. Thankfully, you will not be required to choose this right away, and throughout your degree program, you will be given plenty of opportunities to get an insight into what each field has to offer.
To help you settle on a specialism, you can keep the following tips in mind:
- Take advantage of internship opportunities: Internship and work experience opportunities are an important way to get a sense of whether this career path is right for you or not. Equally importantly, however, they are also a useful way to sample different specialisms! These opportunities will typically be advertised through your school or college. However, feel free to also reach out to engineering firms on your own behalf.
- Consider the job market outlook: Although the market for engineers is generally pretty healthy as a whole, some specialists are more in demand than others. Use databases such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics to get a sense of what sub-fields have the brightest prospects. Engineering is often demand-led, so figure out where the demand lies to make this choice!
- Evaluate your skillset: As we have seen, different specialties draw on slightly different skillsets. With that said, choose a specialism that is in line with your own strengths and interests. This will help you to settle on a satisfying career path!
- Seek out advice: Beyond undertaking internships, a great way to get a sense of what specialism you should follow and what your long-term career prospects might look like is to reach out to actual engineers! You can do this in both formal and informal settings, such as through your school’s alumni network. You can also do this by using professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn. Experienced engineers are usually more than happy to share their knowledge and insights, so make sure to take advantage of this!
Financial rewards
Although it might not be in the same league as finance, medicine or law when it comes to salary expectations, engineers nevertheless have some of the healthiest career prospects of any occupation. They also benefit from generally lower student debt loads compared to medicine and law.
With that said, the ability to earn a consistently high salary is one of the benefits of pursuing a career as an engineer.
In terms of what your salary expectations might be, this varies considerably across different regions, different specialisms and your experience level. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, the median annual wage for architecture and engineering professions was $79,840 in May 2021, which was considerably higher than the average industrial wage of $45,760 across all occupations.
Here is a quick rundown of what the average salary expectations are across the different types of engineering:
- Petroleum engineers: $130,850
- Computer hardware engineers: $128,170
- Aerospace engineers: $122,270
- Nuclear engineers: $120,380
- Chemical engineers: $105,550
- Electrical and electronics engineers: $101,780
- Industrial engineers: $95,300
- Mechanical engineers: $95,300
- Civil engineers: $88,050
Work-life balance
Most engineers will work standard office hours at a minimum, with the possibility of overtime and travel where project demands must be met. Generally speaking, however, engineers don’t fall prey to the same ‘face-time culture’ that is pervasive in other professions such as banking, finance or law. Engineers are required to expend considerable brainpower solving difficult technical challenges, and the ability to do this is significantly reduced if you are having to put in 12-hour days or all-nighters!
However, engineers may often be required to work longer hours when project deadlines are approaching, so you might not be completely off the hook!
Many engineering roles also work on a shift-work basis. For example, engineers running public utilities or transport systems might find themselves undertaking unpredictable work patterns. This is also true of the manufacturing industry.
Thankfully, the engineering industry tends on average to be quite respectful of the work-life balance – particularly as the competition for highly skilled engineering graduates is so high!
Engineering job satisfaction
When compared to other professions, engineers generally report higher levels of job satisfaction. The most often highlighted aspects of the job include the enjoyment of the technical challenges they get to work on, the ability to see the tangible results of their hard work, the fact that they can draw directly on their university education in their career, and the opportunity they get to work on problems facing society.
In terms of the downsides to the career, while some of these might be organization-specific, some of the general trends include the high levels of paperwork that come with the job, the number of meetings they have to sit through, and the fact that they will often get posted to undesirable locations
However, these should be balanced against the fact that engineers often have higher-than-average salaries, benefit from a candidate-friendly job market, and typically enjoy a decent work-life balance.
Engineering job market outlook
In addition to having relatively high salary expectations, engineers also benefit from a strong job market outlook. Much of this is due to the fact that engineers have a skill set that is always in demand – though certain branches of engineering may decline depending on market conditions and the economic climate.
Electrical and electronics, nuclear and environmental engineers will be particularly in demand in the coming years and decades as we switch to renewable energy sources. Consequently, we can expect to see a decline in the demand for petroleum engineers as we lessen our reliance on carbon energy sources.
Engineering career: what does it have to offer?
With the above in mind, here are some of the main benefits that a career in engineering offers:
- Job satisfaction: Job satisfaction tends to be relatively high among engineers as they typically spend their careers using a skillset that comes naturally to them.
- Career options: One of the best things about an engineering degree is that it opens up such a wide range of possible career options. This includes mechanical, chemical, computer, electrical, and even biomedical engineering. Today’s college graduates will likely have more than one career pivot in their working lives, and engineering provides a solid foundation to a number of different career paths.
- Do work that matters: Another great thing about an engineering career is that you will often find yourself working on solving difficult problems that matter. Engineers often work on matters that are of high public interest, such as developing transport networks, improving public infrastructure, finding new sources of energy, or meeting the many challenges facing humanity. If you want to work on high-impact problems, engineering is the perfect career path for you!
- Intellectually stimulating: Given the wide range of problems that engineers might work on, it scarcely needs to be said that this career path is intellectually stimulating. Often, there is no single answer to these problems, which require creative problem solving to find the most effective solution. This provides an intellectual challenge that keeps you engaged throughout your career.
- Professional development: As a career that is intellectually demanding, professional skills development is essential to a long-term career as an engineer. In order to develop engineering solutions that meet contemporary best practices and draw on the latest technology, you will need to continually upskill as you progress.
- Financial security: As we have seen, an engineering career tends to be relatively well paid compared to other professions – particularly in light of the work-life balance on offer. It also tends to offer high levels of job security as skilled engineers are always in demand.
If any of these benefits sound appealing to you, it might be time to start investigating your options in more depth!
Steps to decide if engineering is the right career path for you
If you have read all of the above but are still unsure whether or not engineering is the right career path for you, ask yourself the following questions:
- What do you like to do? An important part of deciding whether or not an engineering career is right for you is knowing what type of work you enjoy doing. If you like solving problems and thinking of new ways to do things, enjoy puzzles and other challenging games, and aren’t afraid of technical materials, this could be a sign that engineering is for you! If you prefer working with things rather than writing up reports, this might be a sign that you are the right type of person to be an engineer. Reflect on what type of work feels natural to you.
- What do you want to do? Do you want to work on big problems with impact? Do you want to work on solving difficult challenges with wider public importance? Do you want to help people improve their lives? Engineers often find themselves working on some of the world’s most pressing challenges, so if you answered yes to any of these questions, there’s a good chance that you are suited to an engineering career!
Although these two questions are just the start of what should hopefully be a much longer and deeper exploration, they are nevertheless a good starting point to figure out if an engineering career path is right for you!
