Would You Recommend Engineering As a Career??

I don't know if I entirely agree with this statement:

"a radio [is] a small thing with nothing of interest going on to make them question what makes it work"

Isn't it just that the "interesting thing going on" inside the radio is different now? Isn't it "just" more electronic and less electrical? (I'm no EE, so that assessment might be simplistic.)

What's funny is that I share your question about how kids learn these days, but I ask it with respect to my field, computer science. I learned on simple machines and simple OS'es in the early 1980's. Today's modern home computer (and typical Windows OS) seems not to be as enticing as something to explore; I suspect I would not have thought about programming that same way if I learned it without very quickly getting to the "bottom" of the computer, and learning assembly and such.

Maybe it was the sense of having total control over those simple machines... the bar for software at the time was not too high, so eventually I felt that I could create pretty much anything that anybody else could. If there had been the enormity of Windows (and all of the other "standard apps" that come installed on a PC these days), I doubt I would have gained that (perhaps always-fictional) sense of total control and confidence.

On the other hand, a typical PC these days also comes with a web browser and the internet, and between those two things an interested person can learn to program in any of the free and well-supported languages out there, and could learn from, and ask questions of, the thousands of other people on the web with similar interests.

In the end, I think it is intellectual curiosity that matters most, not how friendly or hostile the current batch of technology is, and not necessarily being handed "facts on a plate". If someone has that intellectual curiosity then I would certainly recommend that the consider engineering or computer science.

I am an engineer. I have a child. I have asked myself this very question many times and come to the following answer. No way in hell would I inflict this on my child. A child is way too important to sentance to a lifetime of miserable 12 hour days for slave wages. Tell your child to become something society appreciates like open a brothel...

Hey!! Anyone knows that you will get rich if you commit yourself to 16 to 20 hours a day. You will come up with the ultimate widget. I did this. It only cost me a 13 year marriage and the family that I loved... Years of recovering from losing them. After 20 years, my ex and I talk to each other. An interesting saying from the '70's was that in this profession, divorce is considered an industrial disease.

I got into engineering in 1969. {graduated from college}. At that time, we were going to the moon, were in a cold war with the USSR, and a hot war in Vietnam. Engineering was the place to be. Today I have my doubts. If you have the capability, research the number of job openings in (for example) the San Jose Mercury/News, which I would consider the standard for silicon valley. Compare this with the same paper of say 5 years ago (or 10 or 20). This should give you a good lead as to whether or not to pursue an Engineering career. P.S. Back when I was enquiring of such things, there were 4 to 5 pages each Sunday for entries

Well I suppose there are going to be international differences... Here in the UK an engineer is treated as someone who fixes the TV when it goes wrong... After all the modern mobile phones and other new gadgets are all designed by computers these days aren't they?!!

I suppose I was referring to the wonder of engineering that used to be there in my youth in the late 50 early 60's, when you could look into the back of a record player and see these valves glowing and doing something... When an experiment involving a battery and a light bulb was fascinating etc...

These days I do get a bit weary of the manufacturers sending out data sheets which proudly proclaim there devices are smaller and contain more functionality than others as well as consuming so little power... In fact they're so small and so complex you have to design a circuit on a computer... whatever happened to a breadboard? or a 'nest' of components you solder together to see if it works and then modify components until you get it just right?

Where's the fun in inputting a spice model in to a computer and wiring it up virtually to see what the computer reckons it will do... Which certainly isn't always a correct simulation!!

I want to wire up my own circuits and accidentally burn out a transistor / ic / resistor etc... its FUN!!!!

John.

A significant change as observed nowadays,is that engineering 'career' is chosen not based on individual's aptitude,interest or ability on the engineering subject, but mostly on the 'earnings' one can make out of the career.

Most of the students or beginners of engineering career appear to seek 'quick' 'spoon fed' solutions,without 'exploring' into the details themselves as a first step.

Self motivation can only lead to creativity and innovation,expected from engineers. How well the performance is often seems to be ignored.This trend does not add 'value'to engineering as a 'profession'. Engineering profession devoid of dedication and hard work cannot be encouraged.

Your concern "Is engineering a dying art?" is thought provoking issue. This needs to be discussed at length,to explore possible corrections.

I have asked this question for a couple of reasons, one being that my nephew and neice emigrated to the USA over 20 years ago. My family have a long line of ancesters who were all engineers in one form or another...

My Brothers are engineers, I am and my sister... But several years ago when my nephew and neice looked at career opportunities in the USA they both opted to study one for law the other for medicine and they both explained that those were the best paying jobs available...

I wanted to be an engineer because it fascinated me, I wanted to know as much as possible about why and how things work, not just electronic but electrical, mechanical, chemical etc... etc...

So where has the marvel of discovering how things work gone? Or is it still there in a different form?

John.

Follow your passion, its were the joy of life is. Fullfilment in life is not a measure of how much you can accumulate on your life time. Yes, money matters, no doubt about it. Happiness lies with in understanding who you are and what you can do for the preservation of humanity and our mother earth.

Those who knows WHY will always find a job, those who knows HOW will the boss. Be the two! If you think you are slave, then you are!

Remember this, Fullfilment is a natural WEALTH...

By the way CHEMISTRY as of now has much potential...

Don't do it. Engineers are the slave labor of the modern world. If you aren't there on saturday everyone acts like you are a traitor.

Take up sales. Get a slick haircut, learn how to play golf, go to topless bars, and come and go as you please.

Seriously, don't do it. If you have the brains for engineering become an MD. You will have the state and insurance companies extorting money out of the entire population for you and a bunch of MBAs. The lawyers get their cut but they do that in every field. At least when you are an MD there is something left.

I think the key factor here is desire. I myself am an engineering student, destined no doubt for a similar track, with an understanding wife (albeit just as stubborn as I am) and child on the way. With so many possibilities of fields to go into, it's certainly a tough decision, but it should in no way be regarded as worthless, or un-needed. Everyone has their own path to follow, and given that little extra spark of curiosity, why wouldn't you? Besides, who else is going to figure out how to stop the robot invasions? :)

I would totally recommed engineering to anyone who was interested. You can make an excellent living as an engineer. You need to pick the proper major though. Don't be fooled by the computer science (insert engineering), that market is flooded. What the US needs is Civil, Mechanical and Electrical. The age force is aging rapidly, and there are thousands of open positions.

As far as respect, everyone is called an engineer now a days. In this PC world, I sweep the floor, I am a custodial Engineer, I help the school with a bully problem, I am a socal Engineer. I have a degree in a classical Engineering Program, I am a Nerd.

Contrary to the many sorrowful replies previously received, I believe that a career is engineering can and should be very rewarding. There are many more areas of basic research, applied research, design, and applications advancement in expanding fields than the previous responders perhaps have even imagined.

I suspect that the previous responders have spent too long in one job, discipline or geographic area to remember why they too decided to become "engineers". In the fast paced world of technology and advancements in applied research, I believe that there are endless opportunities in engineering and research for those youths who are interested, want a challenging career, opportunities to contribute to meaningful technologies and life changing events while securing a significant salary.

Today's youths face significantly different challenges and competitive business environments than the baby boomers did. However, the youth of today are also 'expected' to make many career changes within their working years. They have the flexibility to carry retirement investments, security and business knowledge from career to career and to become a stronger source knowledge, experience and business asset as they continue their chosen careers and life path. Encourage your youth, if they are so inclined, to explore engineering of all types and applications prior to becoming something perhaps less rewarding and meaningful to improving life as be know it today.

All meaningful and challenging jobs are demanding. It is part of being a "professional". If you don't want pressure, responsibility, and are unwilling to provide some personal commitment work at McDonalds. By the way, all 'good' and effective sales/marketing people that I have had the pleasure of working with as an engineer, administrator, applications marketing and business owner have worked 50 –100 hours a week to get the job done.

Respectfully submitted…Pheasant Man

I am an engineer. I haven't always worked as an engineer, but I enjoy the science.

What is it that you really enjoy doing? That's what you need to develop a career around. Go where your heart leads you. It will be rewarding, although it may not earn you the most money.

Personally, I had a love for airplanes and flying. I left an engineering job to become a jet pilot in the Navy. After twenty years, I returned to engineering and management. The 20 years in the Navy were the best years of my life. I still enjoy airplanes and engineering, and earn much more than in the Navy, but I'd do it again.

You just described my dream career... Flying and Engineering. But for some stupid reason... maybe the fact that I am 60 years old... the navy isn't too interested in me. Oh well... maybe in the next life.

The above lively discussion has been interesting. I received my engineering degree in 1980 and have been managing projects or designing machinery for 26 years. I very much enjoy looking at mechanical and electro-mechanical items and understanding how they work. I also enjoy conceptualizing new devices. This is possible because of my engineering education and experience. This continues to motivat me but, my work has allways been closely linked to manufacturing as many engineers work is. Throughout my career I have increasingly felt we engineers are just a pawn in the hand of buisiness and are sometimes pressured to do things that are ignorant. I suspect people in other professions feel the same way. The two things that I mentioned are the best and worst things about engineering to me. Prospective engineers may consider these when making choices.

I recently tryed to explain what I do to a six year old.

With a nod of understanding he said: "Oh, so you do
math homework till you die".

He had it right!

What's wrong with maths?

I love maths, complex numbers and all...

What's more worrying is that I love the challenge of doing long division just using pencil and paper (sometimes) I reckon it gives me a buzz to beat a calculator... well not 'beat' but be able to do without one!!!

John

As an engineer, I have been asked this question myself on a number of occasions. It is a good question, but not one having a standard answer. In my opinion, at least.

For myself, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for science and engineering, even as a young child, and so my decision to go into the profession was quite natural for me and was something I did very early on. It never once occurred to me at that time that this choice was something some people made on the basis of income potential. For my part, I simply assumed that as a Real Engineer, I would be paid adequately for doing something that I would have done anyway - whether I was paid for it or not. To actually be paid to indulge in my hobby - whilst the company footed the bill for my parts and equipment; stuff I knew I could not possibly afford myself - could only be the purest virgin icing on the cake.

And so, in light of my own motivations for choosing engineering as a profession, it is perhaps somewhat understandable that I take a rather dim view of people who choose it only for the money. There are certainly other, more profitable ways to die young, and I'm not afraid to say so.

--Europium

I could have written exactly that Europium.....

To me engineering is a way of life, as a 9 year old I was fascinated with clockwork clocks, old valve amplifiers, wiring up my sister's dolls house (and blowing all the bulbs because I didn't understand about voltages etc...

So I have the best of both worlds engineering is my vocation in life as well as my hobby and I'm getting paid for it!!!

Just recently though the exam results were announced for school leavers and according to the media, engineering is about the least favoured subject to take at university and so the universities are having to lower the standard for entry to fill the places... This has been going on for the last decade or so.

Sooner or later we, in the UK, are going to find that the quality of engineers coming into the profession is going down together with us old engineers retiring, I wonder what the future will hold for the few REAL engineers out there in University today??

John.

I am not an engineer. But I hear things from the engineering word because of the sort of work I do.

Here are two comments from CEO's in the last month. One an engineer in the UK running a large engineeering and applied engineering knowledge company commented that he was going to have to start recruiting his engineers from Poland, because there were simply not enough available in the UK.

Another in Mexico said "I am recruiting engineers here for 10 US a day. I dont like it but that is the rate."

So there is a need across the board, but not all are so well paid.

And 10 US a day, even allowing for differentials in the cost of living, is still a miserable reward.

There are exciting things happening where engineers are making great steps in environmentally related topics. New systems to get twice as much energy from the same solar panel at half the cost or twice the output. The list is very long. That is just an example.

What really worries me is the amount of "junk" generated where an engineer has been involved designing things that we probably dont need and most of us dont want. Which are probably now made in China.

"Developed world" engineering is breaking new ground in environmental engineering. But it wont ever make better or cheaper widgets again.

You have generated a worthwhile discussion here!

Two comments:

First, I think it best to separate an engineering degree (or academic studies in engineering) from an engineering career. Yes, it does require some form of engineering studies to have an engineering career BUT an engineering degree opens many other career options, too.

When I was interested in going to engineering school, I had many people tell me that with the sagging world economy of the 1970's, the quagmire in Viet Nam and the end of the Apollo program, I was making a very bad choice. As an anecdote, the newspapers had pictures of people selling hot dogs on the side of the road with captions indicating that Engineering Ph.D's who had worked on jet fighters and the Lunar Excursion Module were now scrambling for any work possible!

But, I felt that no matter what I did in my life, the engineering education would have value. And, after nearly 30 years where I have been involved in project engineering, product development, corporate finance, account management and sales/marketing, I have used that education in all those efforts.

What I did not foresee was how that education would also shape the lens with which I view the world. I find that I have a much more pragmatic perspective on politics and tend to reject rhetoric in favor of quantitative data as a basis for discussion and judgement. (Sometimes I can be such a bore at parties! Alas, I am who I am and I prefer the somewhat unique perspective that is grounded in my engineering approach and professional experience.)

I am very glad I have studied and practiced engineering. And, I know that my story has influenced others to pursue an engineering education and relevant career options.

Second, I, too, have children who are now in their teens and twenties. They have done admirably academically, certainly in Math and Science, but they have purposefully chosen to pursue the liberal arts as a path to their life's work and personal fulfillment. There are many reasons that they have not embraced the window of opportunity to study engineering (as I did with my own Dad, I'm sure there were days I came home and they said to themselves, "I'm not doing THAT when I grow up!), but there is a broader theme here that I think speaks well of the work you and your siblings have done and what your children, neices and nephews will choose to do just as mine have chosen to do.

I was told as a child that many immigrants and laborers would see the 'guys with the ties' walking the shop floor. They were smart and did important work to keep things moving; and that's what these immigrants and laborers wanted their children to do. So, study hard kids and you can climb the social ladder as an engineer. My own Dad studied chemistry but due to the Great Depression, WW II and a growing family, he veered away from the sciences and started a small distribution business; but he certainly shared his love of science and math with me and, I believe, with my older brothers and sisters.

As an engineer, not only have I walked the factory floor and helped keep things moving for several businesses but I have worked at all levels of business, traveled much of the world, met and worked with people of many cultures, experiences and perspective far different than mine, been involved in several new business initiatives, worked with several mature companies who sought to re-kindle their competitiveness and I have been part of the incredible changes wrought by technology (semiconductors, biotechnology, communications, transportation, etc.).

As a child of the idealistic JFK Camelot Era in the US, the Space Race and the Amazin' Mets (I had to add that...), I grew up with the belief that all technology was good. Well, OK, I have come to realize that technology is what it is, neither bad nor good, but how we apply it can be either good or bad. Perhaps, my children take much of the good for granted (air travel, cellular communications, internet access for communications and information); sadly, though, they have come to realize how badly it can be applied (terrorism, warfare, surveillance, control).

Their skepticism is a good thing and their broader, more open-minded education and comfort in crossing cultural and social boundaries that seemed so rigid 40 years ago have given them a very different perspective than mine. They may not have the same scientific interests, quantitative orientation or technical perspective that I have but I know they have their own thoughts and ideas. And, I know they have a far better grasp of what the world needs going forward than I do. I believe they will use their talents and resources for the common good and in ways that I am too limited in my thinking to appreciate.

Yes, we need good engineers who sweat the details, who develop and apply technologies in very tangible ways but we also need those who paint with a broader brush, who integrate broader elements of the human condition for the good of all. Support your children and their peers; I'm certain that they will draw on your expertise and you will be in awe of what they accomplish.