Did you know that engineering is one of the most popular majors taken by students throughout the USA? Have you ever considered looking into becoming an engineer? The truth is that it is not surprising that engineering is so popular, after all, engineers are the ultimate creators. Almost every thing that you see around you was created by an engineer, the drugs we take, the computers which we use and the roads and bridges and cars which we use for travel, were all conceived by engineers. To get into this field, we spoke to Douglas A. Grady, an expert on intellectual property for engineers and civil engineering, to see what you need to do.
What Kind of Engineer?
As early as possible it is important to start thinking about what kind of engineer you wish to be, so that you can begin to get to work on projects within this field. There are a huge range fo branches of engineering from civil engineering, chemical engineering, aerospace engineering, software engineering and many others. As soon as you have decided, you can start learning more about this craft.
Education
In terms of your education, most engineers will invest much of their time in the sciences and mathematics, both of which will be used heavily in whichever branch of engineering you wish to go to. After completing high school, it would make sense to pick a college which specializes in the branch of engineering which you wish to work in. During your first few years of college you will likely study engineering as a broad subject, prior to majoring in which ever branch you would like to work in. This gives you an opportunity to change your mind slightly if you feel that another branch of engineering is a better fit for you.
Internship
During your summer months you need to try and find internship opportunities which you can use to learn more about your chosen industry. There are many internship and volunteer programs offered by engineering companies s make sure that you are applying to as many as possible. When the time comes to get a job in engineering, you will be faced with a great deal of competition, so it makes sense to do all that you can to bolster your chances of success, an internship looks great on a resume and you can learn a great deal from it.
Degree and Job Search
The last 2 years of your degree are going to be very important and you must ensure that your grades are as high as they possibly can be. Once you have graduated you will be looking to get a job within your chosen industry, but don’t be downhearted if you do not get a job right away. The best bet is to take any engineering job that you can, and use that as a platform from which you can build.
