I’m currently a student at a CA community college, and as of right now, I am planning on getting a bachelors in biomedical engineering. But I am having second thoughts as to if I should pursue a career in engineering, or if I should completely switch gears and enter the world of finance. I find being able to possibly design and build medical technology to improve/ sustain human health is really fascinating. But I heard that the job market for biomedical engineers is small compared to other branches of engineering, but it is growing. Meanwhile there’s always jobs in finance. Do you guys know what the typical day in the life is like for biomedial engineers and/or financial analysts? Which field do y’all think would be a better option? Thank you in advance.
If you’re interested in biomedical engineering, the usual advice is to major in one of the traditional engineering disciplines–mechanical, electrical, or chemical engineering. The problem with a bachelor’s in BME is that it’s usually a little bit of everything but doesn’t give you enough depth in one area to be really useful, hence why a Master’s is usually required for BME. Another thing to keep in mind is that, yes, the number of jobs with the title “biomedical engineer” or similar is relatively small, but most companies that do work in biomedical engineering or biomedicine employ mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineers whose job titles may vary. You don’t need to major in BME to work in the area of BME. Most people who work in the area of BME don’t have BME degrees.
I wouldn’t say so. The availability of jobs in finance fluctuates with the market. Engineering is relatively stable. Finance is not stable. In a down economy, jobs in finance are among the first to go.
You sound like you’re fascinated with technology and designing/building things, but are only considering finance because you think it would provide more security (it wouldn’t), suggesting you would enjoy engineering more than finance. Go for engineering. Worst case, after your engineering degree, you decide you want to do finance and not engineering. Graduates with engineering degrees have a relatively easy transition into finance, since their quantitative skills give them a leg up against candidates from other backgrounds. But the reverse is not true–someone with a degree in business or finance can’t transition into engineering without going back for an engineering degree. This is another advantage of an engineering degree–its versatility.
Omg this was very helpful advice. Thank you so much.