The truth about... engineering jobs

Recession, economic misery, redundancies. It’s a bleak world out there... Not so if you’re an engineer! This is an industry with such a skills dearth that you’ll be able to pretty much pick and choose what job you walk into and what salary you’ll earn – yes, a big one. OK, so that might be a bit of an exaggeration but you get the idea. This is a great career to
break into as far as prospects go. Lucky you.

What job?

Not only is engineering an area where companies are crying out for talented grads, it’s also one of the industries with the biggest range of jobs available. We’d be here all day if we listed them all, in fact!
Some of the jobs included in this field are:

• Chemical engineer
• Civil engineer
• Computer engineer
• Construction engineer
• Design engineer
• Electrical engineer
• Industrial engineer
• Mechanical engineer
• IT engineer
• Software engineer
• Water engineer
• Aeronautical engineer

And this really is the tip of the Titanic-sinking iceberg...

"A good engineer thinks in reverse and asks himself about the stylistic consequences of the components and systems he proposes."
Helmut Jahn

Really the only thing you need to think about now is which route to take.

Do you have what it takes?

Yeah, yeah, being an engineer is great, so why isn’t every Tom, Dick and Harry doing it? Because it is also tough, very tough. You have to have a naturally analytical mind, be able to solve problems and be highly intelligent to really succeed. It’s far from being the easy option. There are also lots of further qualifications and additional skills you’ll have to officially gain as you go, so your days of studying are not behind you.

Oh the glamour

Engineering, not so glamorous, right? Wrong! Lots of the biggest action movies star engineers saving the day, be they in space, on a plane, underwater or losing their minds. Really.
Top 5 engineering movies you just HAVE to watch

• October Sky – coal miner’s son turns engineer
• Space Cowboys – engineers in space
• Falling Down – engineer goes nuts
• Apollo 13 – engineers in space (again) 
• World’s Toughest Fixes – a genuine engineering film about, well, tough fixes

If these don’t grab your fancy then you can always work in the movies as a sound engineer!

...But what is it REALLY like?

Engineering can be a very rewarding job, particularly if you’re working towards creating something that will benefit society – or a really fast car.

"The ideal engineer is a composite. He is not a scientist, he is not a mathematician, he is not a sociologist or a writer; but he may use the knowledge and techniques of any or all of these disciplines in solving engineering problems."
N. W. Dougherty

Many engineers have a personal passion for what they do so work is an extension of their hobby, which is really the ideal when working hard. And you are likely to be expected to work hard with long and often unsociable hours.

Money, money, money

Four of the top 10 highest paid graduate jobs of 2010 were engineering jobs, and with starting salaries like these it’s easy to see why:
Chemical engineering: £28,415
General engineering: £25,455
Civil engineering: £24,473
Mechanical engineering: £24,446

Check out our engineering jobs

So, does engineering appeal? To find out more check out the engineering jobs we have and our totaljobs salary checker to see how well the engineering market is performing at the moment.                                                                                                                                                                 make sure you leave a comment.