Choosing the right career is a major aspect of any young person’s life and shouldn’t be a decision that is made lightly. A great deal of time is spent in the workplace; therefore, you will need to make careful considerations on where your interests lie and what sort of tasks you would be keen to be involved with daily.
One of the most popular career choices in the modern age is the engineering sector, as there are a vast selection of benefits that come alongside the job; whether be in terms of salary, further career opportunities or the advantages it brings to society.
So, why should you be choosing engineering as a career?
Engineers are in demand
When first deliberating which career you should go into, you’ve probably looked over all kinds of jobs to see whether they would be of interest to you and whether it’s going to be feasible as a long-term solution. Luckily, the engineering sector is constantly on the lookout for new candidates who are currently in very high demand.
If the industry continues to progress, it’s unlikely you’ll be out of work in the years ahead. Openings for engineers are set to increase dramatically by the year 2020 due to the technological advancements taking place throughout the world.
There’s a role to everyone’s taste
Unlike many other industries, there truly is something for everyone in the engineering sector. Engineers tend to have complex minds and can solve a wide range of problems; having typically stemmed from science or maths backgrounds.
While these subjects are important as a basis, there are many different sectors of engineering which can play to different strengths. If, for example, you’re a car enthusiast, why not look for jobs within the automotive engineering industry? Or, if you’re gadget-savvy and obsessed with smartphones and tablets, then the electronic engineering industry would definitely be up your street.
Allows you to show your creativity
Although the field is typically for the academically-minded, there is still the opportunity for engineers to use their creativity. Using your creativity within any role ensures that the job remains interesting. Within software engineering, for example, professionals use their skillet and personal creativity to design innovative software that can truly change the way the business world is managed.
There’s room for further study
Engineering is an industry that allows professionals to train further and climb up the career ladder at any stage. While many engineers decide to stick to an undergraduate degree, there is room for career progression by studying a master’s degree. A postgraduate course is ideal for those who are keen to secure top roles, without having to work their way from the bottom to the top over years of hard graft.
One example is to study a lean manufacturing degree, which builds on mechanical engineering knowledge and allows students to learn more about the modern manufacturing industry as well as useful management techniques, to hopefully become a leader in the sector. Higher-level qualifications can often also result in extremely large packets; some with impressive six figure sums.
Career transfer opportunities
Engineering education teaches students a wide range of useful skills that are necessary to everyday life, such as being able to problem solve, using initiative, working in large teams and managing projects. These skills are extremely beneficial to almost any industry, therefore, if you ever decide to switch careers or come to the decision that engineering just isn’t for you, you won’t have wasted any time studying the course.
Engineers have been known to transfer to careers in banking, teaching, and marketing, due to the convenient skills they have acquired along the way.
Ensures financial security
If you’ve always been one to worry about money or have hopes of living a lavish lifestyle in the future, then you won’t be put off by the yearly salary you’ll receive as an engineer.
As mentioned, studying a master’s in engineering can open you up to very well-paid job roles, but even entry-level engineers can bring home impressive salaries. Many educational sources have claimed that engineering is now one of the top-paid degree programs, with the most well-paid roles in the electrical, computer and nuclear sectors, to name just a few. The average salary for a junior engineer starts at around $60K, which isn’t a figure to be sniffed at.
You’ll get the chance to improve the world
Upon deciding whether engineering is for you, you may never have considered how your work could bring about huge changes in the world we live in. Yet, having that inner passion to make revolutionary changes is fundamental as an engineer. You’ll essentially be paid to make a positive impact on society and perhaps even have the opportunity to create something new that’s never been seen or done before. If you talk to any professional engineer, you’ll notice they will be filled with pride when asked about their projects and that’s a desire you need to attain.
You’ll gain respect
Most people are aware of the amount of work that’s required when studying an engineering course and will be extremely impressed with the sacrifices you’ve had to make to get to where you want to be. Gaining respect from professionals or even individuals in your personal life will no doubt give you a huge confidence boost and the motivation to continue on, even during the hardest challenges that the job may entail.
You won’t get bored
If there was just one significant benefit about starting a career in engineering, it’s that you certainly won’t get bored easily. Due to the ever-changing nature of the industry, you’ll constantly come up against challenges, discover new ideas and invent new things as the technological landscape develops over the next few years.
If you haven’t yet decided on whether engineering is the right career path for you just yet, we hope that the benefits mentioned above give some insight into why you should be looking into engineering as a long-term career. Best of luck!
