Top 4 Reasons to be an Engineer
People talk about engineering and some even aspire to become an engineer one day. But do you really want to study engineering or are you just after the title and lifestyle? Is the lifestyle even that appealing?
We have come up with five reasons why you may actually enjoy engineering school. Here they come:
- Applying math and science
If you enjoy math and science and are more interested in applying scientific theories to solve real-life problems, then engineering may the ideal career for you. If physics was one of your favorite subjects in school but you are not interested in becoming a physicist, mechanical engineering may be your calling if you enjoyed mechanics, dynamics, and thermodynamics. If on the other hand, you enjoyed electricity, electronics, and magnetism, then you may consider electrical and electronic engineering. Civil engineering deals with the design and construction of physical structures as well as their maintenance and that of natural environments. If you enjoyed chemistry, it may make sense for you to major in chemical engineering or simply become a chemist if you are not into engineering. If you are not that interested in science but enjoy computers and/or programming, then you may consider software or computer engineering. For those who care deeply for the environment and want to be a part of the solution to the problems were are currently facing with our planet, environmental engineering may be your path. Those who want to combine their love for design and architecture may naturally fall for architectural engineering. For the bio nerds, there are a good number of disciplines that require applying biosciences in the field of engineering such as biomedical engineering.
2. Designing for impact
Engineers are known for being makers and problem-solvers. We all have passions and if “making things” is one of them for you, then engineering may be the field for you. You need to know what you are interested in creating to decide what engineering field fits you best. Not all designs are physical systems such as machines, buildings, infrastructure, hardware, and prosthetics. You can design algorithms and software. You may be interested in engineering molecules in which case you may be inclined to study chemical or material engineering. If molecular biology is your passion, then you may consider genetic or biochemical engineering which is closer to science than it is to engineering. In that case, you may choose an interdisciplinary or edge-cutting technology research field that applies principles of engineering but are nevertheless science-oriented. This includes nanoscience, nanotechnology, and biotechnology — to only name a few. The opportunity to innovate and shape the future of society with engineering is immense.
3. High Employability and potential salary
Your engineering training will equip you with extremely valuable skills that you can use in your everyday life. Those skills can open you up to opportunities outside of engineering. The soft skills you gain from engineering include but are not limited to interpersonal skills, leadership, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. The hard skills you may gain from engineering include coding, data analysis, designing, troubleshooting, experimenting, etc. The more refined and broad your skills are, the more desirable your status gets in the market. Also, engineers are always needed in society. For those reasons, it should come as no surprise that through perseverance, you may land an engineering job after graduation with a propensity for high pay as you gain more experience.
4. Caring for others
Some people want to be placed in a societal position where they are in service of the public and have the public’s best interest at heart. Not all engineers are licensed professionals. In order to become a licensed professional engineer, there are several requirements one must meet. With that title comes a high degree of responsibility that engineers have towards their peers, the public, and themselves. It is important to not breach that trust and stay in service for the greater good. Unlicensed engineers are still in service and must fulfill their duties as licensed engineerings. They are just limited in the type of projects they can take upon themselves unless they are supervised by a licensed engineer. If you are not interested in working directly with people in need but nonetheless have an impact at large on the welfare of others, you may consider engineering.
Conclusion
Aside from the prestige and a certain degree of financial stability that comes with being an engineer, the job itself is less likely to be as glamorous as one may think. If you enjoy it, the rewards will definitely outweigh the cons. Having a knack, interest, or curiosity for applying math and science in real life is a good start to considering engineering as a career. As an engineer, you are responsible for engineering solutions to help others. Consequently, the interest of the public should be paramount.
