<p>I read the thread on this forum about career advice from practicing attorneys. It yielded much frank and insightful discussion.</p>
<p>I wonder if the engineers who visit this site would take the time to answer a similar question:</p>
<p>Would practicing engineers advise their own children to study and pursue engineering as a career? Why and why not?</p>
<p>All advice will be much appreciated.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that my husband has a MS in Nuclear Engineering, I cannot really say that he belongs to this area since he went on to get a PhD in High Energy Physics.
I am a physicist too. As our son chooses his major, I can tell you that we have no objections whatsoever to him doing either physics or the heavier of the engineering.</p>
<p>Okay - I'll jump in. I'm an engineer who's been involved in computers for over 30 years. This includes hardware design, programming at many levels, software architecture, and management. I've had opportunities to do many things including traveling the world, constantly learning new things, and have overall been quite happy to be in this field.</p>
<p>I advised my Ds to investigate every type of major before choosing one. I didn't push engineering nor did I recommend against it. I did inform them of some of the benefits of computer science (including a reasonable likelihood of being able to work at home). I think it's quite an interesting and rewarding field. Many people don't realize the many fields that some engineers, for example Computer Science, can enter.</p>
<p>Both ended up choosing CS. One's now in her 4th year and the other's about to start.</p>
<p>My husband and I are both engineers. Engineering has a lot of advantages, but you have to be the right type for it. I wrote about that in another post once. See</a> this thread. (specifically post #29). So I wouldn't try to influence my children on this if I wanted to. (BTW, my oldest is a freshman EE major).</p>
<p>This is very true, I educate engineering majors in physics and sometimes wonder at how some students straggle in every math, chemistry, CS, physics course they take and still believe that once they get through this pesky physics, they will be a huge success. It simply does not happen. Hence the dissappointed unsuccessfull engineers.</p>
<p>I'll add my $0.02 to this topic. I have a BSEE and MSEE I by and large tried not to encourage nor discourage my D for her career choice, especially engineering. I would steer her towards/away from certain careers that I thought her personality and talents were/weren't suited for. I did also caution her that certain "professions" might be obsolete if one doesn't interpret the tea leaves correctly.</p>
<p>With that said, you kind of need to be careful of "outsourcing" and other details like "globalization", etc. It is a very competitive world out there.</p>
<p>I would and I did. I'm a practicing engineer. I would have been delighted if any of my three kids chose engineering. As it is, only one did. I'm (of course) just as proud of the other two, but I think all three will agree that the engineer has the broadest career prospects. </p>
<p>Your question was about long-term career prospects. Life can get pretty random, especially when we're talking decades after graduation. I think everybody will be called upon to reinvent themselves numerous times. Engineers especially!</p>
<p>But, perhaps unlike lawyers, I would never urge my children to <em>avoid</em> my career.</p>
<p>If you do well in math and physics, and take delight in seeing things work, then engineering could be a fulfilling career choice, be it in consultancy, contracting and construction, academia, research, or industry.</p>
<p>During my times in the mid-1970s, academic and career counseling was relatively unheard of and I kind of gravitated toward engineering, which actually worked. But today's kids stand a better chance of aligning their career choices with their innate abilities.</p>
<p>Explore all the websites of various engineering societies where a treasure trove of relevant information awaits. Then you decide whether engineering is for you.</p>
<p>Having been a college prof for oh so many years, might I chime in. For some engineering disciplines, civil eng being one, the PE license is very important. Begin the process of securing it asap. </p>
<p>While in college learn written and oral communication skills. You will not be at the CAD station for 30+ years and the people who get promoted to the highest levels of management are the ones with superior communication skills.</p>
<p>Be adept at teamwork and in becoming a team leader. Almost all engineering projects are team oriented and you need to be able to work in this type of situation. This means knowint how to graciously accept and dish out both compliments and criticism. It means carrying your share of the load. It means completing your tasks on time and on budget.</p>
<p>Don't shy away from starting your own consulting business after learning the ropes of your specialty and grooming as many contacts as possible. (did I mention communication skills) Many of the most successful engineers are the ones who develop successful consulting practices.</p>
<p>Make your work environment a fun place to be by participating in company events(yes that includes World Series, March madness and Super Bowl pools) and, even better, organizing some yourself.</p>
<p>Take advantage of every company sponsored enrichment course and apply what you learn the next day.</p>
<p>Many engineering agencies and firms now provide dual career tracks: management and technical. But that does not mean one should eschew peoples skills. Communication is required at every level.</p>
<p>Do forget to devote some time to partaking in the activities of engineering societies, starting while still at the college.</p>
<p>Oops, it should have been "Don't forget to ...."</p>
<p>Not everyone in the field is so sanguine about the career :rolleyes: </p>
<p>Take a look at my post from last weekend, "Don't Major in Engineering", for another perspective. It's at <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=234846%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=234846</a></p>
<p>Engineering is not for everyone (though many think it is) however for those that it is suitable for I think its a good choice. For someone who enjoys Math, Physics and Chemistry what do you want the person to study? Business??? No really tha only two options are either engineering or studying the Sciences and Math. Engineering is not a bad choice. Not everyone wants to own companies or become a doctor. Engineering is a good choice.
(Outsourcing is a threat to pretty much any career).</p>
<p>Outsourcing:</p>
<p>I heard a segment on the news that some insurance companies will pay for people to travel to India and maybe other places to have operations rather than having them in the US at a higher cost to the patient. I know that some people already do this by traveling to Mexico and other third world countries to have procedures done. One colleague traveled to Venezuela to have Lasik since it was cheaper than doing it here (this was a few years ago when it was newer).</p>
<p>Note - I personally wouldn't do it and I doubt that our medical industry is in any jeopardy due to this.</p>
<p>marley:</p>
<p>I read your other post as you know, and I was wondering if you have direct experience in the engineering field that's helped shape your opinions or if it's all from the anecdotal evidence you cite. You seem to have a very strong opinion on the subject.</p>
<p>I'm repeating here my post at the College Admission and Selection thread on a similar topic:</p>
<p>For a truly well-thought out perspective, read online the NRC publication entitled "Rising Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (2006)" at <a href="http://darwin.nap.edu/books/0309100399/html%5B/url%5D">http://darwin.nap.edu/books/0309100399/html</a>.</p>
<p>Here is one of the many recommendations:</p>
<p>Best and Brightest in Science and Engineering Higher Education:
Make the US the most attractive setting in which to study and perform research so that we can develop, recruit, and retain the best and brightest students, scientists, an engineers from within the US and throughout the world.</p>