Becoming an engineer is a very rewarding and exciting career path to choose. Most people are unaware of what an engineer does and there are many misconceptions on this subject. Many people believe that engineers work in garages doing mechanical work but the truth is, professional engineers work in high technological environments. Engineers are more likely to work on research for new products. They come up with the ideas and make designs; engineers are the creative minds behind new products. The main goal of an engineer is to find solutions to problems that people have with everyday products. They find ways to simplify tasks and try to come up with ways to save money with products. Attending engineering school may seem long but most engineers find it goes by so fast considering the interesting and exciting environment. Engineers work with new technologies and must be very creative.
The demand for new engineers is getting higher every single year due to the rapid increase in new technologies. Some companies even choose to sponsor students before they graduate by paying for their schooling and promising to hire them as soon as they graduate. Engineering is just beginning to gain popularity, which leaves lots of job openings for new graduates. A career in engineering offers great pay and many benefits not found with other jobs, such as the opportunity to travel.
Engineers can work directly for the public or work for a company. When working for the public, engineers must be licensed. In order to get licensed, an engineer must have a minimum of four years’ work experience and must also pass a state exam. To begin a career in engineering, it is required to have a bachelor’s degree in an engineering specialty. Engineering specialties are numerous and there are many options to choose from. Some of the most popular engineering specialties include mechanical engineering, civil engineering, industrial engineering and electric engineering but there are so many more.
Specialties that are high in demand will sometimes hire engineers who have a college degree in mathematics or science; however, this is not the entry requirement. The main courses while studying at an engineering school are mathematics, physical science and life science. The other courses most often include basic engineering courses, design courses, and computer courses. There are also electives classes that must be taken in order to graduate from the university program such as humanities. For those who do not wish to attend university; there are some colleges that offer 2 year and 4 year programs in engineering technology. These programs are taken after graduating with a regular college degree; however, they are not as valued as a bachelor’s degree. The four- year program however is normally capable of landing jobs that are similar to what an engineer with a bachelor’s degree can get. It is important to know that in order to be granted admission to an engineering school, a student must have excelled in mathematic classes as well as in science classes.
New graduates often begin working under the supervision of experienced engineers until they have enough experience to work on their own. Engineers must have great creative and analytical skills as well as great communication skills. Communication is very important for engineers because they must explain their ideas very clearly to others on their team. A career in engineering offers great opportunities for advancement and as an engineer gains experience, that experience is valued anywhere they choose to work.
In the United States in 2008, there were roughly 1.6 million engineering jobs and about 36% of these engineers worked in manufacturing environments; another 30% worked in the professional, scientific and technological fields. The fierce competition found between companies requires them to constantly upgrade their production systems, which creates numerous job openings for new engineers. The average lowest salary of an engineer is around $43 000 and the highest average salary is around $135 000. The overall average salary of an engineer with a few years of experience is about $80 000, which is way above average.
Getting a degree from an online engineering school can be efficient and be just as rewarding as attending real classes. However, online engineering school is not as great because of the lack of hands on experience. Engineering is all about innovating, getting ideas and sharing your own ideas in order to come up with great new products, and that is difficult to get online. On the other hand, attending online engineering programs is a great alternative for someone who is short on money and has no time to attend university.