Engineering as a career choice has long been a respectable, highly-recommended path for a career. Among the big three, engineering was easily in good company with being a doctor or a lawyer. That said, much of that sentiment was rooted in decades of traditional office work.
Today’s engineering is a very different environment, integrating a far greater use of technology, as well as far more ambiguous arenas of new applications too. Engineers are finding themselves working in robotics, deep-sea applications, underground space utilization, recycling and sustainability and a lot more. None of these areas were within the scope of a typical engineer’s job some 30 years ago. So, the career path is changing dramatically. Here are some relevant engineering pros and cons for a career.
Why It’s a Good Idea
Engineers are still in high demand. So, the most obvious advantage is the fact that the field pays well and offers a very lucrative career for those interested in a large paycheck. Even engineers working in public service and for government agencies earn notably larger salaries than many other government managers simply due to their engineering license and professional status.
Travel is common for engineers. There is a tremendous amount of work being done that needs an engineer’s oversight in different locations. Engineers can easily find themselves in the field both in a large range of domestic territories and working overseas if an employer is international. For those who like to see different parts of the world, engineering will definitely make that happen.
Engineering also offers a lot of variety for those trained in the discipline. Everything from electrical and chemical work to civil engineering for construction and aerospace applications are handled by engineers. Some fields are exploding, like the biomedical arena and robotics.
Even if a first hire doesn’t work out well, the skillset an engineer brings to the table is incredibly valuable. Many engineers have no problem moving from one company to another with no gap in work time because their capabilities are in high demand.
The Downside of Engineering
If a candidate is the type who only wants to work a standard day shift, engineering is not the field to be in. No matter what the type of engineering, all candidates put in long hours on projects to make them a success. Workloads are heavy, deadlines and schedule are firm, and there is little room for inaccuracy. The higher up a candidate goes in status and promotion, the greater the responsibility and time applied too. In many cases, successful engineers move from direct work to managing teams producing the work.
The education path to be an engineer is hard and challenging too. Many schools are very specific about whom they accept, and those with lower grades often get denied. While there are other ways to be an engineer through practice, the high majority graduate from a recognized university degree program.
The field is also very competitive. There are far more engineers today than just 20 years ago, mainly because education programs pushed math and science heavily since the 1990s. As a result, the crop of graduates competing for the same entry positions is higher. Experienced engineers, however, fare much better being a proven skill option.
Training is ongoing. There was a time when being an engineer meant earning a degree and then being done with education. Today’s engineers are regularly updating their training and taking on new skills sets, including learning fields outside of engineering, such as software programming.
A Tough Career Choice With Big Reward
Engineering has never been an easy career choice to get into. That same difficulty makes the field so successful and lucrative for those who succeed. However, thanks to technology and competition, the field is more crowded today, creating new challenges. For those who can handle the stress and excel, there is plenty of opportunity in engineering still.
