It is crucial to choose a career that will fulfill all of your desires. So here are some specific variables to take into account when making your decision to choose engineering as your career option.
I remember when I was 18 deciding what career to take on. I was not sure what I wanted to do with my life or where I wanted to go. Everyone around me seemed to know and have it all figured out but I was nowhere near that.
People would question me, asked me what my next steps would be, and I was clueless. As time passed by I began to feel anxious. The career you take can become a life defining moment that will shape your entire future. I wanted to take my decision seriously and revise all my options.
When my parents decided on their careers, there where fewer prestigious career options. You could be a medical doctor, a lawyer, a police officer, a firefighter, a teacher, an architect or an engineer. Now the infinite number of options available to us makes the decision even harder.
So what did I do? Research. As a bit of an obsessive person I began to make lists. I wrote little essays on what was I good at? What did I do most and least enjoy? What did I want to be doing for 8 straight hours a day? What was I most passionate about?
After quite some time of thinking and writing I came to the conclusion that I wanted to become a Civil Engineer. Best decision ever, I love my job and I would like you to feel the same about yours.
Today, the options available have expanded even more and so have the variables to take into account. So I have decided to help out with the investigation and summarizing of two particular variables that might help you in your quest and decision making.
- The different types of engineering degrees
- The job outlook for graduate engineers
You can begin from a general branch in engineering degrees you like and then look into specific areas you might enjoy working in, or you can do it from specific jobs and then look into other options.
Computer engineering
In a nutshell: Computer sciences and electrical engineering.
Graduates may find themselves in: Telecommunications, Networking, Software Application Development, or Manufacturing.
Emerging industries: Application and web development, Network Security/Cybersecurity, and Cloud Computing.
Electrical engineering
In a nutshell: You will focus on the study and practical application of energy. (electrical power, natural resources such as wind, solar and hydro energy)
Graduates may find themselves: designing, developing and working with electrical systems to deliver power and sometimes data. You will also be able to designing electronic and communications equipment, as well as machines, power grids, and so much more.
Mechanical engineering
In a nut shell: You will design mechanical systems.
Graduates may find themselves: assisting in many areas such as nuclear power production and design, bread areas of manufacturing, aero and nano technology, thermal industrial knowledge (heating and cooling)
Primarily focus on: kinematics, thermic knowledge and thermodynamics, structural analysis and science and use of materials.
Civil engineering
In a nut shell: You will develop infrastructure.
Graduates may find themselves: working and assisting on buildings, railways, roads construction, bridges and general construction project management. Rebuilding projects in natural disasters.
Specialties of civil engineering can be: Environmental Engineering, Structural Engineering and Marine Engineering.
Environmental engineering
In a nut shell: It involves the study of science and engineering to improve our environment.
Graduates may find themselves: working in the air we breathe, the food we consume, the water we use and drink.
Primarily focus on: studying the environmental impact we have on the planet.
Biomedical engineering
In a nut shell: You will combine the study of medical knowledge and biology applied through an engineers vision.
Graduates may find themselves: Developing and maintaining diagnostic devices, applying your design knowledge in medical and biological fields, assisting in healthcare research and treatment advances.
Petroleum engineering
In a nut shell: You will take care of the extraction of gas as well as oil that is within the earth.
Graduates may find themselves: developing new technologies for extraction that are environment friendly and save energy.
Geological engineering
In a nut shell: It gives you an opportunity to amalgamate your skills as an engineer and as a research and use them for projects that are related to mining and construction.
Graduates may find themselves: Assessing natural hazards and other conditions such as earthquakes or other possible natural calamities.
Nuclear engineering
In a nut shell: You will work towards the development of nuclear power plants and usage.
Graduates may find themselves: working in nuclear power plants, government agencies, assessing the medical industry in many new developments, consulting firms for nuclear power, designing, managing, supervising and maintaining nuclear plants, amongst others.
Marine engineering
In a nut shell: You will work in the organizations that are responsible for developing ocean technologies.
Graduates may find themselves: Work on structures that are fixed or they can be floating on the oceans. They work on developing new energy forms that can be collected from the ocean.
Other geological engineering degrees include: photonics (exploration of light), nanotechnology (exploration of extremely small elements and their use), mining and metallurgical (extraction in safe, economical and responsible manners), ceramics (develop products from ceramics) and geomatics (precise measurement for mapping earth).
Engineering management
In a nut shell: You will become project manager and lead teams of engineers.
Graduates may find themselves: ensuring all engineering branches work together for the completion of a project taking into account all engineering angles and perspectives.
If you need some more information feel free to drop a comment under this post.
What I would finally like to say is that in my years of experience I have come to the conclusion that successful engineers choose their careers factoring many specific variables, but the ones that are most successful at what they do, the ones who live happy and full lives, factored in their passion and listened to their hearts.
Author Bio
I am Cynthia Guajardo. I am a writer at custom essay writing service to provide essay writing help for the students. Blogging is my passion, interest for writing from childhood made me join this job after my studies.