10 reasons why YOU should become an ENGINEER!

You might be in full-time employment for the next 40 or 50 years so it is important that you choose a
career that gives you plenty of enjoyment and satisfaction. If you need futher convincing that a career in
engineering is right for you, then read on!
1. Never a dull moment
An engineering career will develop your ability to think logically as well as creatively. It is now more than
ever that the engineering profession needs creative people who can adapt to these changes and
question, explore and invent new alternatives to better benefit the world we live in.These are skills that
will be valuable throughout your life. Creative problem solving takes you into new territories, and the ideas
of your colleagues open you up to alternative ways of thinking. Be prepared to be intrigued and to have
your talents pulled in ways you never dreamt of.
2. Benefit Society
Just about everything that engineers do benefits society. Engineers develop the transportation systems
that get us from place to place, design the buildings that we live and work in, the technology that delivers
our electric, water and gas, the machinery that produces food for us and the medicine that keeps us
healthy.
An engineer can choose a project to work on which he or she feels best benefits the environment.
Whether it is producing prosthetic legs for the disabled or helping to clean up the environment or even
improving the standard of living in third world countries.
3. Explore the world
Being out in the field is a major part of engineering. You could be excavating diamonds in South Africa, or
working on the largest rollercoaster in the world in America or developing safe drinking water systems in
India.
4. Professional Environment
As an engineer, you will work in a professional environment where you will have the opportunity to learn
and grow through both on-the-job training and formal training. You will also be provided with the most up-
to-date technology that is needed to complete your project. Engineers also normally receive generous
benefits.
5. Challenging Work
Through engineering you will never run short of a new challenge. Engineers are constantly faced with
having to adapt solutions and change technology to move with trends, needs and the environment.
They have to often come up with ideas that no one else has thought and get to make a big impression
on the world!
6. Prestige
Engineers play a primary role in maintaining our standard of living, and keeping us internationally
competitive. Engineers are increasingly gaining respect as more and more people get to know the hard
work and strong technical skills required to become an engineer.
7. Technological and Scientific Discovery
An engineering education will help you to understand how many things in the world work, to have a good
understanding of technology will help you to understand the many challenges facing our society. For
example, why dont we have electric vehicles rather than highly polluting cars? And what will we use for
energy when oil runs out?
8. Financial Security
Whilst this may not be your main motivation engineering graduates do receive excellent entry-level
starting salaries.

9. Variety of Career Opportunities
An engineering degree offers you plenty of scope to find your perfect job. Whatever sort of person you
are if you have an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths there is a job to suit you! You
could be designing the largest indoor snow dome, or developing a new material to help improve athletes
performance times, or exploring energy-efficient cars, homes and buildings.
10. Greater understanding of how things work
As an engineer you will gain a great insight into how things work, whether it is how planes manage to stay
in the air or how we get energy from tidal power you will learn more about our environment than you
would in many other job roles.
1. Engineers work to solve global problems such as world hunger, clean
water, protecting the environment and improving the quality of everyday life.
2. Engineering allows you to use your creativity every day.
3. Engineering gives you the chance to collaborate with other professionals
such as lawyers, doctors, government officials, scientists, statisticians and more.
4. Engineering is a global endeavor, frequently affording the opportunity for
travel.
5. Engineers have the opportunity for rapid advancement in their companies.
6. Engineers frequently have a high level of responsibility and autonomy in
their positions
7. Engineering salaries remain high.
8. Engineering degrees provide excellent preparation for other professional
degrees such as medicine, law or business.
9. While working as a scientist frequently requires advanced degrees,
engineers are very employable with a bachelors degree.
10. Engineering has more impact on the world than any other profession.


Why choose engineering?
Good money, lots of variety, the chance to be part of a renowned group of
professionals and always in demand - what's not to like about a career in
engineering?

Engineering and technology may not be the easiest subjects to get to grips with, but they
continue to be in demand, and because they are challenging, those that work in them stand out
from the crowd.
As someone thats completed an engineering apprenticeship or degree you're also more likely
to find employment quickly and work your way up the career ladder. In the 2010 UK Skills
Report by Semta - the employer led skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing
technologies - 30,000 skilled professionals are needed each year between now and 2016 to
bridge the gap of those who are retiring.
Nuclear power is one such sector where engineering roles look set to be plentiful.
"Nuclear power will be a future growth area requiring engineering and technology graduates.
EDF Energy alone is planning to build four new nuclear plants in the coming years and we are
looking for all sorts of skills including - electrical, mechanical, civil and material engineering and
maths, physics, chemistry and environmental science," highlights EDF Energy graduate
recruitment manager Ranjini Sachin.
Career satisfaction
Those that are drawn to engineering or technology will also find enjoyment and satisfaction
throughout their career, as Richard Brandon, CMO/head of strategy at MLL Telecom highlights.
"[Those drawn to technology] probably do so because they find the subject interesting, and they
will find employment in engineering and technology will continue to be interesting for the rest of
their careers," he says. "It's an area that is guaranteed to continue to change and evolve so that,
in a way, even experienced professionals are continually learning and refreshing their
knowledge. For many of us in the field it's this constant change that is so appealing."
Develop specialist and transferable skills
An engineering-based education also allows you exposure to various technical subjects and skill
sets.
"[You] will be able to develop skills that are transferable to most industries such as problem
solving, decision making, innovation, project management, team working and communication,"
says Tony Dearsley, Computer Forensics, Kroll Ontrack Legal Technologies. "[You] will also
have the knowledge that [you] are contributing to a rapidly changing technological environment."
Good money and prospect-based benefits
The key benefits of choosing a career in engineering are both financial and prospect based.
Financially, the starting salaries are among the best across all industry sectors.
"In many areas, the demand for well-qualified, skilled graduates outstrips supply, and
businesses are struggling to find recruits for vacancies. New engineering graduates can expect
to earn around 22,000, which is ahead of sectors sales, human resources and even finance,"
says Allan Pettman, UK managing director, Global Knowledge.
"From a prospect perspective, ICT and engineering are getting increased prominence in
business circles particularly in service based industries and strong rounded candidates can
also expect to progress quickly within organisations," he continues.
Wide variety of career progression opportunities
Engineering also gives you a great base to branch into different sectors and also work your way
up to high level management.
"Engineers find themselves in finance, investment banking, human resources, IT, business
development and administration areas," says Patrick Hapsel, senior programme manager,
Strategic University Relationships, Cadence Design Systems. "The industrial and economic
success of every nation is rooted firmly in its manufacturing and engineering base, and the skills
and ingenuity of its professional engineers."
"Looking at blue chip global organisations, it is not unusual for engineers to make it all the way
to the boardroom, especially as engineers are usually very pragmatic and good with numbers -
crucial qualities for senior executives," adds John Doherty, business development manager,
CBSbutler.
"Hot" engineering and technology sectors to work in
There will always be employers in all sectors who're continuously seeking new blood, however
at the moment there are some "hot" sectors when it comes to career opportunities in
engineering. These include environmental solutions, security, medical engineering and green
power.
"Green engineering is the most often cited example of an area that needs fresh blood, but this
often conjures up images solely of wind turbines or solar power. In reality, there are
opportunities throughout the power industry, looking at ways to increase energy efficiencies and
develop other sustainable sources," says Professor Ken Grattan, Dean of the School of
Engineering and Mathematical Sciences and the School of Informatics at City University
London.
"Safety and security is another key area for growth, whether that be physical defenses or
cyberwarfare," he continues. "Dealing with the world's aging population will also be a challenge
for engineers over the coming years from developing new healthcare technologies to creating
the types of advanced robotics that we see in Japan, to help elderly citizens. A key skill is to be
inter- and cross-disciplinary in approach - bringing to bear all of the requisite approaches to
problem solving."
"High performance engineering is also another area growing rapidly in the UK," adds Alec
Reader, director of NanoKTN. "Rolls Royce is based in the UK, UK manufacturers produce the
wings for Airbuses, there's a huge demand for trained professionals in this area and this will
continue to increase as technology becomes more and more advanced and the number of
numbers will continue to increase."
So there you have it. If you're considering starting an engineering degree or apprenticeship now
have a number of ways to answer the question why choose engineering? A good starting salary,
great career prospects, employment security and a wide range of exciting areas to work in: why
would you ever choose anything else?

8 Reasons Why A Career As An
Engineer Is So Great
Growth opportunities
Engineers often times receive eggs-straordinary training, mentoring and on-boarding to ensure that they get
started on the right foot.
With this foundation, its more likely that newly hired engineers will have the skills and resources needed to
move up the ladder. Engineering companies will invest this type of effort into new graduates as they want to see
them be successful, specifically within the company.
Location, location, location
Engineers can work everywhere and are needed everywhere! Take Beverly Bradleys story for example.
Just about everywhere you look in the world there is a need and opportunity for engineers to be successful
theyre definitely not limited to one location.
Competitive salary
The salary that comes with a career in engineering is a definite plus! Becoming an engineer takes a high level
of skill and dedication, so it makes sense that an engineers salary reflects these commitments.
According to our 2013 engineering salary guide, new grads entering the industry are among some of the highest
paid career hatchers and it only goes up!
In demand
With industry expansion and an aging workforce, theres no shortage of engineering jobs on the horizon.
Theres lots of competition, but if you put a solid effort into your job search and skill development there are
meaningful career opportunities to be had at every turn.
Every day is different
Engineers are not professionals who always sit at a desk from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Engineers work in all
different types of environments (e.g., cities, rural areas, offices, forests, mountains) and during all hours of the
day, depending on the task at hand.
This not only makes the days go by faster, but also allows for variety, challenge, and diverse work
opportunities.
Work benefits society
One of the best things about being an engineer is that your projects benefits societies around the globe. From
medical advancements, to green revolutions, to implementing systems that keep communities safe, engineers
develop innovations that are good for all of us.
Professional work environment
Its mandatory for engineers to keep up-to-date with all types of training, regulations, education, memberships,
and industry knowledge, so you know that theyre working to the highest professional and legal standards. After
all, you dont work in a typical office environment, so this type of diligence is crucial to keeping everyone safe.