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Engineering Major...A Closer Look
By Misty Sneddon
Engineers tend to want predictability, routine and are focused. They create things that make our lives easier and sometimes healthier. They have strong attention to detail, possess good analytical skills, think logically, and are great problem solvers. They tend to be mathematically inclined team players that consistently update their knowledge through continued education. Those who excel in their careers as engineers take great notes, arrive to work early and often leave late, choose to have positive attitudes, go to engineering conferences, find mentors, mentor others, volunteer for projects, dress for office as well as field work, engage in an “everyone wins” mentality, do the work that no one else will do, and find a way to do things better.
A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering consists of a solid math, science, and computer programming foundation. The exact kind of classes depends upon the area of focus. For example, industrial engineering would mandate such classes as probability and statistics in engineering, computing in industrial engineering, manufacturing processes, industrial engineering design, engineering economics, industrial controls systems, linear programming, reliability, quality control engineering, safety engineering, human factors in engineering, advanced facilities design, system simulations, advanced design theory, and integer programming. An engineer who provides services to the public is required to become licensed. First, a test is passed which enables the engineer to work under a Professional Engineer (PE) who provides supervised training during an internship. After a certain amount of time, a second test is taken. Upon passing, the engineer has now become a Professional Engineer. In order to renew the PE license, continuing education is necessary.
There is a high demand for engineers, and most students graduating with an Engineering degree find careers in their field of study. The career options are virtually limitless, as engineers create solutions that impact people’s lives on a daily basis. Careers for those with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering average between $50,000 to $120,000 annually. The list below names different engineer careers as well as a general explanation of what they do: