5 reasons to pursue an engineering degree

It is never too early for students to consider the viable careers they may pursue after graduating from college. The good news is, there is a good deal of chance awaiting graduates with degrees in the top fields. Among the most prestigious and rewarding choices for your occupation is to pursue a degree in engineering. It is a unique field of study as students benefit from several career options after graduation. One of the reasons for that is the broad reach of engineering in our lives and our habitat. Studying engineering enhances students’ understanding of the world. From the skyscrapers we see in our cities to the appliances we use in our houses, an engineering mind is behind all these fascinating things.

This article will share five reasons to pursue an engineering degree.

Table of Contents

1. Engineering is a diverse field

Our current era of technology has heavily benefited engineering as a field. Technology has opened several new avenues for engineers leading to an exponential growth in job opportunities in the market. The sector’s growth is not limited to just the traditional engineering fields but also in the specialized areas of aerospace engineering, controls engineering, nuclear engineering, and agricultural engineering. The traditional areas of engineering encompass mechanical, civil, electrical, and industrial engineering. It is interesting to note that both the specialized and traditional areas within engineering require the same educational foundation. Hence, if you pursue a degree in engineering, you will have the option of pursuing a career in eight distinct and unique fields based on your interest and skillset.

2. Engineering promises job and financial stability

The salary of an engineer is likely to be higher than the average population income. A controls engineer salary on average is thirty-five thousand dollars greater than the average salary of all other professions. The selection of your field of study vis-à-vis your career should primarily be determined by your areas of interest and skillset. Choosing a career pathway that boosts your confidence in attaining financial stability can be quite rewarding. With an engineering degree, you can count on landing a job as an engineer and earning well right after graduation with an incremental pathway for your earnings.

Even during the pandemic and the prior recessions, engineering remains unique. It consistently offers much higher employment rates than any other field; hence good engineers are rarely out of a job. Even at its lowest point, September 2009, the joblessness rate for engineers was 6.4 percent compared to nearly 10 percent generally. The historical and current trends of job opportunities and pay scale within engineering tower above the rest. Therefore, choosing engineering as your field of study would be a wise decision as you will be opting for a route that promises career and financial stability.

3. Engineers make a difference

A common trait amongst engineering students is their desire to make a difference and change the world for the better. This sense of social responsibility can be pursued and applied to develop and implement innovations. Most individuals do this in their capacity as most fields do not offer this option to their students and professionals. However, engineers are nowadays actively trying to change the world by making it a better, cleaner, and safer place for everyone. A civil engineer could be deploying sustainable solutions for harnessing energy or providing clean drinking water. In contrast, an industrial engineer might create a new production workflow that improves security problems for factory workers.Engineers’ technical and scientific nature enables them to understand the problem without bias and devise a socially responsible, environmentally-friendly, and economically reasonable solution.

4. Intellectual growth

Your intellectual and personal growth should be your top-most priority while studying or thinking of opting for a degree. Engineering builds critical thinking and advanced analytical capacity in its students. These skills support engineers in developing an open mind toward problems and using their creativity and analytical skills to create a solution that solves a problem seamlessly and professionally. These traits benefit individuals in their capacity as engineers and catalyze their growth as individuals.

5. Engineering is a prestigious field

Engineering has a prestigious history; hence, a great deal of prestige comes naturally with studying to become an engineer. People outside of engineering are very well-aware of the rigorous nature of engineering studies and the hard work to qualify as a sound engineer. Moreover, the socially-responsible dimension of engineering warrants a lot of self-sacrifices and ingenuity from engineers.Hence, engineering students receive a greater sense of respect from society, which translates into prestige once they graduate as an engineer.

Final Thoughts

Choosing engineering as your field of study and your career choice is a decision you will only make once, but it will benefit you for the rest of your life. The reason for that is its stark differences from any other career pathway. Firstly, engineering is a very diverse field. An engineering graduate can pursue at least one of eight distinct areas, ranging from nuclear to mechanical engineering. Secondly, it is one of the most stable professions globally, with job opportunities growing each year alongside the financial payout. Thirdly, it is one of the rare professions that enables you to become socially responsible and implement innovative solutions that can change the world. Moreover, the nature of the field requires you to build high critical thinking and analytical skills that benefit you professionally and help you grow as an individual. Lastly, engineers garner a tremendous amount of respect for the extensive nature of their studies and prestige for being part of a field with a historical impact on the world.