Engineering is the application of science and mathematics to solve real world problems. This is the definition, which makes the most sense and its applications are as diverse as the problems are in the real and physical world. The need for engineering graduates across all disciplines is expected to grow at a steady rate of 5% for the next decade, 2014-2024, that is according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics.
This means that if you opt to take up this career path you stand a high chance of having a meaningful impact in the lives of many and also that you will be guaranteed of a source of livelihood. There are many types of engineering fields that can be split according to many lines and categories and the categorization is dependent upon the type of area that the engineers work on.
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We will briefly explore some of these categorizations and the kind of things they do or the kind of areas in which they operate. From metallurgical engineers who offer National Alloy Solutions to rocket engineers who put rockets in space in a bid to help us understand more about the universe, by putting spacecraft and astronauts in orbit.
•Chemical Engineers – Chemical engineering is just the application of chemical, physical and biological sciences in the process of converting raw materials and or chemicals, such as carbon or petroleum, to a useful end product such as the gas that you put on your car. Some of the specialties in this field include biomolecular engineering and materials engineering.
•Civil Engineers – These are the engineers who are best known from antiquity as the bridge builders. They are the type of engineers who have built landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge. They undertake the design, construction and maintenance of physical, built environment. Specialties include Geotechnical Engineering and Mining Engineering.
•Electrical Engineers–Next time you are plugging in your iPad to the electrical outlet, you need to be thankful to the electrical engineers who made the flow of electricity to your home possible and the electronic engineers at Apple who designed and built the iPad. These types of engineers study the application of electricity, electronic and electromagnetism. Careers include computer engineering and optical engineering.
•Mechanical Engineers- The engineer’s job involves the design, analysis and usage of heat energy in the use of mechanical power in the running of machines and all types of mechanical systems. Some of the specialties involved include thermal engineering, acoustics engineering, sports engineering and vehicular engineering.
•Software Engineers- This is the type of engineering that is all the rage at the moment and for good reason. This is the study of engineering in the design, development, implementation, deployment and maintenance of software in a systematic manner. There are many specialties in this field, which touch on everything from your laptop to mobile device to the way apps are served to your computing device.
The areas of specialization include computer aided engineering, cryptographic engineering, tele traffic engineering and web engineering. A Web Engineer is responsible for developing enterprise ready applications in a systematic manner that bears in mind the following factors; usability, maintainability, quality and reliability.
The future is certainly looking up for anyone who is interested in a career in the same and we are sure that you as a potential student will find that the above mentioned careers offer you an opportunity to be engaged in the cutting edge of society, working in a career track that is fulfilling and which pays as well (the average pay for an entry level software engineer is $105,000), which is not bad by any standards.
Author Bio
Saleem Ramjavaran is a Software Engineer who has been in the practice for the past 15 years. He has helped specialist software for organizations, such as National Alloy Solutions developing bespoke software for their enterprise systems. He consults for several Fortune 50 companies in all sectors across the board.