So, what do people think engineers do? What kind of people become engineers?
There’s many branches of engineering.
Speak to a few engineers and you might be surprised by the diversity in responses. One might be designing green star buildings, while another is managing capital infrastructure to ensure a reliable electricity supply. They might tell you about the software they’re coding to safely control a chemical plant’s operation, or assessing the technical and economic feasibility of a wind or solar thermal plant. With an engineering degree in your pocket, you could still then pick between research and development, project management, technical consulting, or developing a start-up to name a few choices. Or maybe you’ll choose to work in finance or patent law. The critical thinking engineering equips you with offers countless job options, and a diverse, exciting career. Did you know, 25% of CEOs of ASX100 companies are actually engineers? So there are more engineers in CEO positions than lawyers, accountants or any other profession.
Engineers can have fun too.
In all my hobbies I’d run into engineers. I played soccer with Andi (a software engineer) and Tara (a renewable energy engineer). In the band I led for a university comedy show, the trumpeter was a materials engineer, and the tenor saxophonist studied mechanical/ biomedical engineering. We aren’t always scratching away at equations. Mostly we solve engineering problems as a team. Everyday at my workplace I’m talking to customers and my colleagues to complete the day’s tasks.
Houston, we have a problem.
I love murder mysteries, and know most of Agatha Christie’s works. One of Christie’s protagonists – Mr Hercule Poirot, is known for his astute logical crime investigations, and of course his manicured moustache. You can imagine my delight when I’ve caused an error in my computer programming, and the software tells me “This error message was generated by an \errmessage command, so I can’t give any explicit help. Pretend that you’re Hercule Poirot: Examine all clues, and deduce the truth by order and method.”
While engineers aren’t usually applying their problem solving and curious minds to bringing criminals to justice, these skills are key to solving the world’s and business’ challenges. I could help in bringing greater renewable energy integration into our grid. I could train customers in smart, safe and efficient power technology installations. My engineering mates could be devising water sanitation solutions for developing communities, or creating prosthetics for people who have lost limbs. Maybe they’re instigating the auditing and stocking of critical spares to reduce any down time at an industrial plant. 75% of the world’s fastest growing careers require engineering, or more broadly STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills.
Daunted? Excited? Find out more.
I didn’t know anything about computing programming or electronics when I started my electrical degree. Studying engineering makes you have faith that you will be agile enough to collate information, source ideas from your team and create a solution to any problem. If you are keen, there’s many ways to hear about and get hands on in engineering – from high school outreach workshops to summer camps to robotics tournaments.
I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship to study engineering at university. Why not look out for the scholarship opportunities at the universities you’re considering?
So how to encourage greater participation in engineering and more broadly STEM courses? I’m involved with an amazing initiative – Power of Engineering. It’s a group that encourages young people, particularly females, to consider the world of engineering as a career choice.
Power of Engineering Masterclass
When making my decisions about senior school electives and university courses to apply for, I naturally turned to my parents. Maybe for you it will be a career adviser, your favourite teacher, or a family friend you turn to for guidance. What if those around you though, don’t know what engineering really encompasses, its benefits, or how to engage girls in STEM? Power of Engineering aims to answer those questions and more at its FREE masterclass next month, to be run during Melbourne Knowledge Week.
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