How to Determine if Engineering Is the Appropriate Profession for You to Pursue

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IntelligentHQ

Appropriate Profession for YouAppropriate Profession for You

How to Determine if Engineering Is the Appropriate Profession for You

“Scientists Investigate That Which Already Is; Engineers Create That Which Has Never Been.” – Albert Einstein . How to Determine if Engineering Is the Appropriate Profession for You? Do you feel that engineering is your inner calling? Engineering is one of the most admired professions. Many young minds across the world aspire to become Engineers. Most of them accredit their inclination towards Engineering to Sci-Fi movies such as Interstellar, Iron Man, and Arrival. Have you also been inspired to pursue engineering by such movies? 

If yes, that’s great, but champs, you should take further steps to ensure that what you feel is correct. The actual life of Engineers is much different from what is depicted in the movies. You need to introspect, analyze, and assure that you are not making a wrong choice out of fascination developed from movies.

You should not risk making a wrong professional life choice at all. Even people living in rented apartments thoughtfully think of the long term and buy renters insurance to protect themselves, their belongings, and living arrangements in case of any unforeseen circumstances. Having said that, when you have to make a permanent career decision, you should also engage in sincere thought. 

Here are five actionable ways you can determine if Engineering is the right career for you to pursue. 

5 Ways to Tell if You Should Become an Engineer

Play engineering games: 

This is one of the most enjoyable ways to determine if you are truly passionate about engineering. You should try out some engineering games related to the field of engineering that interests you. For example, if you want to become a Mechanical Engineer, you can play Bad Piggies, Leo’s Fortune, and Truss Me.

These games will help you explore the life of mechanical engineers to some extent. Similarly, if you are fascinated by computers, you can play Lightbot, CodeMonkey, Spacechem, and CodeCombat. While playing these games, it is crucial for you to stay vigilant and understand the skills that engineers require. This will help you a lot in deciding whether an engineering degree will be right for you or not and help you narrow down what scope of work you may want to do like working in product development or at an engineering startup.

Have a Conversation With Someone Who Is Already Pursuing the Same Profession:

There is no one who can guide you better than someone who is already pursuing the same profession. If you don’t know someone in the same profession that you aspire to pursue, talk to your parents, friends, and other family members; they may know someone. If that doesn’t work out, you can use social media platforms to get in touch with the engineers of your choice.

Ask them about their work-life, what they do at work, the skills required, and so on. You should also ask them about the work-life balance. If you are someone who cannot stick to a 9 to 5 work schedule, you should opt for an engineering branch where you can get a flexible schedule. You should also ask about occupational discounts that engineers get for various services like auto insurance.

Try a Beginners Course in the Engineering Domain of Your Choice: 

This is one of the best ways to determine if a particular branch of engineering is suitable for you or not. You should try a beginner’s course in the engineering domain of your choice. There are plenty of free engineering courses available on the Internet. You can enroll in the ones of your choice and determine if you like the classes or not. From courses on basic physics principles to classes on how a car engine works, there will be something that can get you started.

No doubt, there are some difficult concepts that no one likes at all but at least the basics should interest you. If they don’t, then it’s time for you to reconsider your decision to pursue a particular type of engineering degree. Furthermore, another sign that can help you identify if a particular course isn’t in alignment with your interests is unusual procrastination. 

Appropriate Profession for You

Appropriate Profession for You :When you are truly passionate about something, procrastination doesn’t get hold of you. So, make sure to notice if you procrastinate on completing the online course that you have chosen. Now, below are some beginners courses related to the four principal branches of engineering for you to try. 

  1. Computer Engineering: CS50’s Introduction to Computer Science, Introduction to Computer Science and Programming and Computer Science 101
  2. Mechanical Engineering: Basic Mechanical Engineering, Basics of AutoCAD and A hands-on introduction to Engineering Simulation
  3. Electrical Engineering: Electrical Engineering courses by Edx, Circuits and Electronics 1: Basic Circuit Analysis
  4. Civil Engineering: Civil Engineering courses by Edx, Modern Building Design

Visit the Respective Engineering Firms: 

To get a true exposure to the world of engineering, you should visit the respective engineering firms. For instance, if you aspire to pursue Civil Engineering, you should visit a few civil engineering companies. There, you should analyze the type of work that Civil Engineers do. 

Along with this, you must analyze the working conditions and work environment. After all, if you don’t like the work environment, it’ll be really challenging for you to enjoy your job in the long run. Be very vigilant with your observations. You can also note them down. 

These observations should form the basis of your decision. Moreover, you should also muster some courage and interact with Civil Engineers working in respective firms. You should try to get a glimpse of their professional life and overall satisfaction with their profession through your interactions. Also, place yourself in their shoes and analyze if you’ll truly feel happy to be working in their place. 

Try a Project Related to Your Chosen Branch of Engineering: 

Engineering is a practical profession. As an engineer, you’ll experiment with things, engage in projects, and bring technological innovations into the world. Living a day or so as an engineer of your choice can help you analyze the suitability of a particular career for you. For this, you can engage in a project that intrigues your curiosity. 

For example, if you aspire to become a mechanical engineer, you can engage in a Computer Aided Design (CAD project). Similarly, if you aspire to pursue electrical engineering, find a small project related to it and do it. While undertaking the project, carefully observe your feelings, analyze if you experience the psychological state of flow or not. These observations will help you find out if a particular branch of engineering is right for you. 

Engineering is one of the most sought-after career options. If you also aspire to pursue engineering, don’t forget to peep into the real life of engineers before getting enrolled in an engineering program.

Many times students get fascinated by engineering because of popular movies and get enrolled in Engineering courses only to later realize that the actual profession is much different from what is depicted in movies. 

They later regret that they made the wrong career choice. You shouldn’t let yourself make the same mistake. Utilize the different methods mentioned above to examine if you are truly passionate about engineering.

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