• Question: Why become an engineer?

    Asked by ZeynepA on 23 Jun 2021.
    • Photo: Louise Wood

      Louise Wood answered on 23 Jun 2021:

      Great question. Because not only is it a respected profession, it is a well-paid profession with wages/day rates increasing with your skill and experience. Depending upon the size of company and the area of specialism involved; most roles in engineering often present multiple challenges to think about. I’m always learning. I’m not going to sugar coat it, it can be high stress. However I get huge job satisfaction when we successfully achieve completion of a project. The good outweighs the bad. I feel the most pride when my customers contact me to thank us for our work and expertise. It really makes it worth it and gives me the drive I need to please my customers.

    • Photo: Chloe James

      Chloe James answered on 23 Jun 2021:

      There’s so many reason to become an engineer! Here are my top 5 reasons:

      1) Engineering uses skills and knowledge that you learn in primary school and secondary school (like maths, problem solving, teamwork) so you get to put your knowledge and skills into practice.

      2) Being able to see how you can solve a problem in real life is really exciting and very rewarding. In my role, when I solve some of the problems I’m faced with, I know I’ve helped to keep crew on board the ship safe, and this is really rewarding.

      3) Engineering is a well paid career, with salaries increasing as you become more knowledgeable and experienced. There is also scope to move into different departments, or even into management.

      4) You will always learn something new. Engineering is one of those careers where you’re always learning how to do things better, faster and more accurately, but also learning new skills and knowledge. I started my job not knowing how to use any of the software that I currently use. Now I’m training others on how to use it!

      5) It’s really fun! It can be stressful when there are deadlines approaching, but most jobs will be like that. I really enjoy working with my team to solve the problems we have, keep people safe and make sure the customer is satisfied with the solution we produce.

    • Photo: Sam Hurst

      Sam Hurst answered on 24 Jun 2021:

      Engineering allows you the financial and job freedom to work wherever you like and do whatever you like. You can be an engineer in almost any discipline from fashion to rocks. Engineering can also be very transferable to teaching, managing or accounting if you want a career change or a different job than what you studies for.,

    • Photo: Caroline Roche

      Caroline Roche answered on 26 Jun 2021:

      Many reasons, as listed by the other engineers.
      But the main one should be that it’s something you think you would enjoy doing.
      If you enjoy it, you won’t mind turning up for work 🙂

    • Photo: Mark Eyles

      Mark Eyles answered on 29 Jun 2021:

      There are lots of answers really. Personally, to make best use of my ability and aptitude; the job suits me and my interests. It is a stable job in the sense that engineers are needed for most things and these things are needed all over the world; it’s a transferable skill. It offers a good reward in terms of pay and conditions; normally the place of work is OK as well. It’s a career where what you do makes a difference, sometimes if you’re lucky, a big difference; this brings a sense of achievement.

    • Photo: Helen Randell

      Helen Randell answered on 30 Jun 2021:

      To make a difference

    • Photo: Tommy Shinton

      Tommy Shinton answered on 1 Jul 2021:

      Here are some of my reasons:

      1. It’s rewarding to use the skills you’ve learned to solve problems that area real – so the thing you fix or the idea you come up with will help people and can make a difference to the world.

      2. I enjoy working with a team – sometimes quite a big team – on a range of different types of projects – just about every day is different for me – I could be working on a small project in Glasgow or a multi-million pound new city in Saudi Arabia – or often both in the same week!

      3. It’s a career that’s constantly changing, with new challenges and new innovations and that’s exciting. Just now there is a big focus on how we adapt to climate change and reduce emissions – it’s a big challenge but good to think we could help shape that.

    • Photo: Tom Kitching

      Tom Kitching answered on 12 Jul 2021:

      Engineering is ideal for you if you like:
      – problem solving;
      – speaking to lots of people;
      – learning something new every day;
      – the idea of earning higher than normal salary; or
      – the environment and want to be part of the answer to world problems such as global warming, waste reduction, and the energy crisis.
      There are so many different types as well, there will always be a type of engineering that suits you.

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