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Career Description

This is an ideal career for analytical thinkers. Engineers invent, create and build the world around us. As an engineer you use natural and man-made chemicals and materials to make the things we use every day.

Career Advice - Civil Engineer Career

Aerospace Engineering is involved with modern flight technology. It addresses the design, construction and science of flight dynamics, aircraft structures and digital control systems. Various technologies are used including aerodynamics, avionics, materials science and propulsion. You can work on aeronautical engineering (aircraft that stay within the earth’s atmosphere) or astronautical engineering (craft that operate outside of the earth's atmosphere).

Biomedical Engineers work in the medical field. You use your problem solving skills together with other medical personnel to improve the quality of life of patients. Artificial implants and hearing devices were designed by biomedical engineers.

Chemical Engineers work in manufacturing plants. You could be designing equipment and processes for making energy and food or refining oil.

Civil Engineers plan, design and build bridges, roads, buildings and infrastructure projects. You would also work on maintaining those structures.

If you’re into machinery, you could design and build machines and engines as a Mechanical Engineer.

Sustainable Engineers design physical things using ecologically sustainable principles.  Perhaps you will be a ‘green’ engineer designing a new suburb, a building or refitting a building to be more energy efficient.

Mineral Engineers work in mining and the petroleum industries. You would be getting the raw materials out of the ground and be converting them to a form that is used by industry. The resources boom in Australia has created huge opportunities for this sector.

Electronic and Electrical Engineers work with electrical and electronic equipment such as communications systems, electric motors and machinery controls. You could also be designing the lighting, wiring in cars or planes or the latest in radar and navigation systems.  Perhaps working in the power industry would be more to your liking.

As a Systems Engineer you could be creating a new material using new technologies. You may be working on complex projects such as computer chip design, robotics or building a bridge.

Biomechanical Engineers focus on how engineering can be applied to the human body. Understanding the mechanics of how we walk and run, sit and stand, and bend and flex is critical to designing products that feel comfortable, provide safety and enhance human performance. Backpacks, child safety car seats and running shoes are just some of the products that biomechanical engineers design and test.

Agricultural Engineers design machinery and equipment that is used on farms. You could be working on ways to improve the environment by conserving soil and water or even improving the processes that take the produce from the farm gate through manufacture to the consumer.

What you do every day

Due to the diverse sectors of ‘engineering’ there is no such thing as a typical day. Some engineers spend all day in the office, others are more outdoors. One minute you’re in the field, next minute you’re knee deep in a computer modeling program, attending a project management meeting, being briefed by a new client or managing existing clients. Other engineers are designing, improving, testing or selling products; managing products or people; or inventing new products and services.

A research engineer would be interpreting the results, including statistical analysis; writing a report; and meeting with other  teams in the company to make sure you are all working to improve the overall product development process…. the day never ends and that is what is so exciting about engineering. One fact is certain – you are likely to be working on anywhere from five to 25 projects at one time.

Now that’s a challenge!

Personality that best fit this career

The most important factor in being an engineer is a love of mathematics and science and an inquiring technical mind. Engineering teaches you to become an analytical thinker, problem solver and lifetime learner.  To succeed you need well developed technical abilities; to be able to identify, analyse and solve problems; demonstrate good oral and written communication skills. You need good leadership skills, be able to work by yourself, accept responsibility and be both practical yet creative. The creative side of engineering is often overlooked. Even though there are many analytical thinkers in engineering, there is also much creativity both with innovative concepts and inventive problem solving. Some say engineers can jump buildings in a single bound.

Best thing about this career

Engineers love using maths in problem solving and analytical thinking. You never stop learning as every situation is different and you’re working for the benefit of the world. You make a difference and seeing your thoughts result in a solution is a wonderful thing. These days salary scales are performance based and/or linked to sophisticated employer models 

Worst thing about this career

The profession is not valued by society as much as it should be yet engineers are at the heart of most development. The speed of getting a solution finalised is also a concern, as many engineers are overly analytical, cautious and want everything triple checked.