There is a major push for science, technology, engineering and math at all levels. This leaves many students wondering whether they should study engineering, despite its reputation for being challenging. In this article, we’re going to give you seven great reasons why you should consider studying engineering. We will focus on the practical reasons to study engineering instead of intangibles like the perceived prestige of the field.
It Teaches Invaluable Skills
Engineers are taught how to think logically and perform critical analysis. Your decision-making skills will be advanced. You’ll learn how to solve problems whether it is a design problem or a matter of logistics. You’ll become more objective and less emotional. This sets you up to become a project manager, because you are able to make data-driven decisions that stand up to challenges. This is why engineering is the most common undergraduate degree held by CEOs among the Fortune 500 companies.
It Pays Well
While engineers may be respected as smart and logical, as demonstrated by their very engineering degree, what matters more is how much businesses appreciate them. Moreover, they do this by paying engineers well at all stages of their career.
Engineering includes a variety of sub-disciplines, but all of them pay well. Of the top 10 paying majors, more than 50% of them will usually be engineering majors. If you look at a list of top-paying degrees, engineering is usually near the top of the list. In many disciplines, sixty thousand dollars is the starting pay rate, and their potential earnings could hit 180,000 dollars a year. A side benefit of engineering jobs is that you almost always have benefits like health insurance.
You Can Literally Make a Difference in the World
Many people say they want to work in a field because they want to make a difference. In reality, engineers do this all the time. For example, many people lack clean water or electricity. Engineers may design the infrastructure projects that connect them to the grid for the first time. They design and build the bridges that relieve traffic congestion, or they may build the roads that connect rural communities to the rest of society. They design the new gadgets that improve our lives and oversee the installation of wireless communication networks that give everyone access to information. Designs that use less energy or are otherwise more efficient allow us to maintain our quality of life while having less of an impact on the planet.
You Can Become a Real Innovator
It is common to hear businesses say that they are innovative or seek creative people. For engineers, this is a fact of life. Solving problems or coming up with new products requires innovation and creativity. Whether designing the next smartphone or inventing something groundbreaking, you are asked to do this. You are able to encounter new ideas and techniques, and you are encouraged to interact with a variety of people to learn more so that you can apply what you learned in your own workplace.
Then there is the fact that engineers are allowed to seek out whatever challenge they want to tackle. If you do invent something or solve a major problem, businesses are likely to reward you handsomely for it. Do it repeatedly, and you will see solid salary hikes.
And unlike those who improve business models or micromanage the money, you can gain a strong personal reputation for your innovations. This is aside from the general respect engineers receive. If you have a reputation for solving problems, or are there to fix a particular issue, you will be held in high-esteem.
The Opportunity You Have to Explore the World
One reward of the engineering profession is that you have the opportunity to explore the world. Travel to remote areas to build new roads, dams and power plants. Work in mines or oil drilling sites and be paid well to travel the world. You can find a job almost anywhere in the world, too. You will have a leg up over the competition if you are multilingual. However, this is not necessary. Your knowledge can be applied anywhere, whether you are building bridges or designing computer chips. Move cross-country and you can find a good paying job there, too.
The Sense of Pride You Can Gain
If you enjoy tackling problems, engineering is the right profession for you. If you feel good after meeting a challenge or resolving a big problem, know that engineers are paid well to do exactly that. You can be recognized by your peers or the industry as a whole when you complete major infrastructure projects or solve a well-known technological challenge.
The Career Flexibility You Gain as an Engineer
Even though engineering is split among many disciplines, one field of study does not limit you to a narrow niche. Engineers often move up to construction project management, logistics and management in general.
However, you will be considered more qualified to be a manager if you earn an online engineering management degree. Learn more about the Kettering University Online program if you want to move into engineering management or management in general. The advanced decision-making abilities you’ll learn could also prepare you to work as an entrepreneur. Alternatively, you can shift industries and start over in a new field. You can achieve this personal success with just a bachelor’s degree, though an advanced degree can boost your career.
A side benefit of engineering is that it can be as hands-on as you want it to be. You can work with computer-aided designs or on the production floor. You could work with machinery, teams or computer models. There are many roles that your critical analysis and logical problem-solving skills will allow you to fill, and they are found at all levels of the organization.
Our increasingly high-tech world has created significant demand for engineering talent. Engineers are poised to prosper in almost every area, and they enjoy a number of benefits that are hard to find elsewhere.
