<p>If someone wants to be a high tech entrepreneur, he should get the training to do that. The problem is that if someone doesn't know what he wants. Employers in all fields do not necessarily go for the engineer -- relevant coursework and experience is a prerequisite for many jobs. Other jobs may need someone of demonstrated writing ability. It makes more sense, to me, to find what one enjoys doing and learning about it in the most intellectually compelling way possible.</p>
<p>When my son was in freshman orientation for engineering school, my husband and I went to an open house in the EE department. The chairman gave a little speech explaining that the job market was unsettled and many jobs were going overseas. He wanted to make sure that those enrolling were doing so because they were interested in the field, NOT because they thought it was the ticket to a job at the end. For the job might not be there. (I think this is where my son decided to do some auxiliary coursework to keep some other options open!)</p>
<p>Recently there was a WSJ article about the job market for engineers. Many newly minted engineers were complaining that the jobs just aren't there. The companies complaining about how hard it is to fill job openings ("we need more engineers") by and large are trying to fill particular positions that need a specific specialty and experience within a given category of engineering.</p>
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"the argument that you can sharpen your intellect by doing other things is not an argument against engineering. thats like arguing, "college dropouts have become millionaires; therefore, dont go to college."
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<p>No it isn't at all. All non-engineering majors are not the equivalent of dropping out of college. There is a demonstrated connection between earnings and being a college graduate. I've seen no statistics indicating that engineering majors end up earning more than every other major or a survey of employers saying that, "All else being equal, we will hire the engineering major."</p>
<p>I am not arguing AGAINST engineering. It is a great field -- if you love it. If you simply enjoy the course work and ultimately want to get a different sort of job -- it is still a great major. It is not the major, though, for someone who thinks it will simply open up job possibilities in the future and who does NOT love the field. What if you end up down the road and the only jobs you can get are those requiring you to do this stuff you really don't love?</p>
<p>I'm not 18. (Far from it LOL) I've known far too many who majored in things in college because they thought this was the ticket to a bright future, not because they were particularly enamored of them. They come to view their undergraduate experience as wasted effort, and find themselves wishing they had studied what they truly loved. Sometimes they find themselves in careers where they aren't happy.</p>
<p>Conversely, I've met people who are successfully and happily employed who majored in things they loved and which would seem to have little marketability (for instance, ancient Greek and Italian). These weren't easy majors and I think their beginning employers recognized that they weren't intellectual slouches and had the courage to pursue what interested them when they had the chance.</p>
<p>That's why I always tell people to study what interests them. This is the best preparation for a career that will interest them. Studying what you like leads to self-knowledge as to the sorts of things you enjoy doing.</p>
<p>If someone enjoys math, science, and the concept on solving real world physical problems, then engineering would be a great choice. But this is something for prospective college students to individually decide, not something for us outsiders to tell them they SHOULD enjoy. I hope this distinction comes across in what I've said. Remember those poor Berkeley engineering students we were told about, who are doing poorly, want to transfer out -- and can't. Perhaps they went into engineering school without a real commitment to it.</p>