Engineering is one of those majors in which you can find a challenging, well-paying career right out of high school. Why else should you consider engineering?
1. Use creativity to solve problems
The basic job of any engineer is to put their problem-solving skills to use to either improve or create new products or processes.
To build your problem-solving muscles, your college classes will be heavy on the math and science. But being an engineer isn’t all analytics; it takes a creative mind, too.
Think of the creativity that goes into designing pharmaceuticals, iPods, even roads. Engineers work in communications, health care, agriculture, computers and just about every other field.
2. Find a “green” job
Engineers can play a large role in environmental responsibility.
“My advice to future engineers is to make a difference in our world,” says Cheryl Birdsong-Dyer, an engineer who works on cell phone technology for Sprint. “Help us be a greener, more friendly environment [and] eliminate waste when the opportunity presents itself.”
Your chances of finding a job as an engineer are pretty good—there’s predicted to be a shortage of 70,000 engineers by 2010, according to the American Society for Quality.
3. Work on challenging projects
Chuck Kanapicki is a senior engineer who’s in charge of quality control for the rebuilding of a suspension bridge in San Francisco that collapsed in a 1989 earthquake.
“In the most basic sense, it is my job to help make sure that we build the bridge correctly,” he says. “That means ensuring, through tests, inspections and audits, that the right materials, workmanship, work process and procedures are used.”
“It’s also rewarding to know you are building a lifeline structure needed for the safety and survival of San Francisco in the event of a catastrophic earthquake,” he says.
4. Make a good buck
Of course, don’t choose a career because of how much money you’ll make. But if you’re considering engineering, know that you’ve got a good chance of making a decent salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, starting salaries for engineers average around $55,000.
5. Travel the world
Engineering can take you places. Kanapicki has been to England, Shanghai and across the U.S. for his job.
Cool job: Disney Imagineer
Ever wanted to build a roller coaster, robot or ride? Disney World is full of experiences created by engineers—or “Imagineers,” as they’re called in Disney speak.
Imagineers create, from concept through construction, all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, cruise ships, real estate developments and entertainment venues worldwide.
Molly Kistler is a software engineer/ride control engineer for Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, Calif. In college, she studied computer science and intelligent robotics.
As an Imagineer, Kistler works with a team to document an attraction’s design issues, tests software that runs the attraction and ensures that the designs meet everyone’s needs. Before the attraction opens, she spends six months testing and adjusting the attraction on site. Imagineers must ensure that each attraction is safe, easy to operate and maintain, reliable and fun.
“A typical day during that phase includes fast-paced problem solving and extensive real-world testing, and I barely even see a desk,” Kistler says of on-site testing. “It is definitely not your typical software engineering environment!”