Top Engineering Career Options Explained

There’s no escaping the work of engineers. Wherever we go or whatever we do in our modern world is largely a result of engineering prowess and scientific knowledge. Engineering applications have become so specialized nowadays that engineering graduates need to study specialized course curriculum in order to get the opportunity to work in the respective areas. Students of engineering have numerous options to select from depending on their interest, the materials that they have knowledge on, and the types of products that pique their interest. Some engineering career paths described:

Civil Engineering

Civil engineers are professionals that design, develop and construct a range of products, including buildings, bridges, tunnels, roads, airports, ports, subways, and much more. One of the oldest engineering disciplines, civil engineering also deals with water supply systems and drainage systems that are essential to contemporary cities. Civil engineers play very important roles in virtually all engineering applications that are involved in the design and building of civil structures. Civil engineers are also charged with the responsibility of overseeing the construction of the facilities that might have designed.

Typically, modern civil engineers will need to be adept in employing computer software not only to design products but also to test the prototypes for finding out whether they will function in the way they should under a variety of conditions. Civil engineers should also be able to analyze the test results so that they can make appropriate adjustments to the design specifications.

Electrical Engineering

Electrical engineers design, develop, test and install the electrical systems in products, as well as in power generation and distribution networks, telecommunications and numerous other applications, including scientific and defense. Electrical engineers are charged to find the best ways of using electrical power. For them to do this, they need to develop specifications for the construction, manufacture, and installation of electrical systems in products and other environments. Development of masking compound for new gen electroplating techniques is also a triumph of electrical engineering.

Typically, electrical engineers will be involved in carrying out feasibility studies for new product development and projects, using CAD and CAE techniques to design plans, estimating project times and costs, including that of construction, materials, and labor. Electrical engineers will be actively involved in the manufacture of products and electrical subsystems to ensure that they meet the performance parameters as well as safety regulations.

Environmental Engineering

Environmental engineers devise concepts of ecologically-friendly design as well as efficiency or resources. They are also responsible for improving ways of assessing the extent of site contamination and treating it. Environmental engineers play a pivotal role in the development of methods of treatment and recycling of waste products, including water and air, as well as take initiatives to devise improved recycling systems and identify uses for materials that have been recycled. Environmental engineers are also charged with the responsibility of reducing the volumes of hazardous and solid wastes through reuse and conservation practices. In the modern context, environmental engineers play a critical role in most engineering projects as they suggest the ways and methods of using sustainable infrastructure. Within projects under execution, environmental engineers are responsible for coordinating the involvement and participation of ecologists, biologists, and geologists.

Nuclear Engineering

Apart from playing crucial roles in developing safer and more efficient ways of extracting nuclear power, nuclear engineers are also involved in developing a large assortment of medical diagnostic equipment as well as sources of power in ships and airplanes. Nuclear engineers play extremely important roles in the design of nuclear power plants so that not only do they function properly but also keep the population safe from the hazards of radiation. Additionally, they are instrumental in developing policies and practices for the safe handling of nuclear waste materials, sourcing of nuclear fuel as well as investigating incidents of nuclear power plant safety breaches and contamination.

Materials Engineering

Materials engineers work to develop new age materials for new age applications as well as refine and develop existing materials so that they can perform better. Materials engineers are the people who are responsible for giving us high-performance plastics, glass, ceramics and metals that find application in uses ranging from spacecraft to the screens of the common smartphone. Materials engineers in the management function will also typically lay down performance parameters and specify benchmarks, conduct budgeting for experimental projects, carry out studies for taking new-age materials from the lab to affordable manufacturing, and more. Materials engineers are continually tasked with developing new materials that are capable of superior performance that will, in turn, allow development of products that can do jobs that were earlier not feasible.

Computer Engineering

Computer hardware engineers are responsible for researching, designing, developing and testing computer systems as well as components like processing units, memory devices, circuit boards, networking products, etc. Typically, computer engineers design computer hardware that is better in performance or capable of doing something better than before. Once a design has been proved workable after prototyping, computer engineers create the engineering blueprints for future manufacturing. Computer engineers also are responsible for porting new software into the existing hardware as well as look after all the issues of computer manufacturing. To be able to do this successfully, computer engineers need to stay abreast of the latest trends in computer technology and engineering processes. Computer engineers are also responsible for developing devices that are essentially not computers as we understand them but still incorporate many computer components. These devices are found embedded into a wide assortment of devices such as medical equipment, cars, defense equipment, tracking devices, mobile phones, and much more. Many devices are being specially designed to be able to communicate over the internet and network to share data.

Industrial Engineering

Industrial engineers are the prime moving forces behind the operation of large manufacturing facilities. Their main aim in life is to streamline all processes for maximum efficiency. Therefore, an industrial engineer needs to be able to use his knowledge over multiple domains so that he is able to manage information, devices, materials, and also people so that the production can be done in the most efficient manner, without wastage and in the least possible time.

Guest article written by: Susan Hermes is a career counselor at a leading technical institute. She has written a number of articles on the various aspects of engineering as a career choice.