The rate of employment for engineers is gaining speed rapidly as growth continues throughout our society. How do you know that engineering services is the field for you? Obviously growth is an important factor. You want to ensure the numbers are in your favor when looking for a position but also that the career is compatible to your wants and desires. Are you technical? Are math and science the two areas of greatest interest to you and do you like solving problems? If so then you are most likely looking into the right field of study.
Engineers are found throughout many different fields. The highest growth is found within civil engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, electrical engineering, electronic engineering and computer engineering. It is important that you look into the different fields there are to choose from and wrap your studies around the engineering field that most interests you.
As an engineer you are in charge of one of two areas; either planning and developing or testing, constructing and preserving. You might look at the influence of a product has on the environment in which it is being used. It could be that a new material will improve the process and your job is to find the product and implement it into a new design. It may be that you are developing a way in which to use or gain access to raw materials. Many people in supervisory roles within factories have engineering degrees. Their jobs are to determine why things happen, maintain standards and give a time frame time and budget estimates. Engineers are in charge of many different areas within a project.
What does it take from your education to land a job in engineering? First you should know that even to land an entry level position you will need to obtain a bachelor’s degree from a university. In choosing a major make sure that is a field of engineering that interests you. It might not be the one you end up with your dream job in but having the right qualifications can help in a similar area of engineering.
Most often engineers will hold a great deal of certifications and licenses. It is important in engineering services to have the certification PE which stands for professional engineer. In order to be an accredited engineer you must have graduated from a university program that has accreditation from the ABET, experience in the engineering field for four or more years, and have taken and completed with success an exam offered through your state. Each state will have slightly different requirements so it is important to research before you attempt to apply for any license or certification.
In an entry level position you will be gaining hands on experience and familiarity of the position. As you gain knowledge and trust you will be working alone more often designing, developing and solving issues. As you move further up the ladder with an engineering firm you may become a specialist that offers technical advice or a supervisor that leads a team of engineers or technical advisors. Engineers are in demand and with the right skill set, college education and entry level position you will be on top of your career ambitions in no time at all.