Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
So you've decided you want to be an inventor (or, in Latin, an engineer). What does the future hold for you? You've probably heard (from us) that you can venture off into many different career paths. Whether you're interested in medicine, electronics, or machines, you can find a job in the field of engineering.
While it's not technically required to get a license as an engineer, it certainly helps. Some companies will ask to see this as proof of your stellar engineering skills. Especially since technology changes at a rapid pace, you'll want to do this soon after exiting with your diploma in hand.
Our advice? Don't wait. We hear it's much easier to snag a license when you're used to studying this stuff as opposed to five or ten years down the line when your head's out of the game.
Common Career Fields
Biomedical Engineer. What do you get when you cross engineering's problem-solving mind with medicine? A biomedical engineer, that's what. These hybrids work to figure out and manipulate the building blocks of the human body. They take genes or neurons and create new cells to replace damaged ones. If that sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, don't worry. This actually helps the world understand and cure some pretty nasty diseases. Hey, we're on board with that.
Electrical Engineer. Let's talk a walk through the typical morning of a Shmooper. Your blaring alarm clock wakes you up, you switch on your coffee maker, and power up your computer to check your social networks of choice. All of these are brought to you by electricity. In fact, most of the things we use every day—phones, computers, you name it—are up and running thanks to good, old fashioned electricity. Electrical engineers design everything from circuits to space control systems to power grids. When you're in the dark, and you want to see, you need electricity. Well, that and an electrical engineer.
Hydrologist. If you thought hydrology was the study of world domination, then Marvel really did a number on you. Hydrology is actually the study of water movements across the earth. A hydrologist with a background in engineering is best suited for designing stuff like efficient irrigation systems, dams, bridges, and sewer systems. They figure out how much water evaporates from rivers and lakes and how much comes to us from rain. Hydrologists are pretty important, seeing as the earth is 70% water.
Manufacturing. Unless you're super rich and have everything custom made, your stuff probably comes from a manufacturing plant. These plants make everything from cars to clothing to coffee pots. Engineers are in charge of coming up with the specifications for machines to create items. This cuts down on time and wages. Think of the machine like a puppet, with the engineer pulling all the strings.
Mechanical Engineer. Building robots and other mechanic miscellany is nothing like how you see in movies. Despite what MacGyver thinks he knows, you can't make a bomb from a stick of chewing gum. Mechanical engineers could give MacGyver a total run for his money. Typically, mechanical engineers work on manufacturing things like airplanes, carbon fiber, airbag sensors, and cell phones, to name a few. They have to be very well-versed in mechanics, or how forces affect matter.
Quality Control. When Porsche sells a 911, they want to make sure it's top-quality. After all, you don't want to drop $90k on a hunk of junk. This is where quality control experts come in. QC experts are the spot-checkers that make sure equipment is made up to company standards, even if it's mass produced in a factory by machines. Engineers become involved in quality control because they know their way around machines and can fix problems. Say there were some glitches in the seven-speed gearbox or the electromechanical power steering of a car. An engineer can help solve those problems before it's too late.
Structural Designer. What do the International Space Station, Eiffel Tower, and a LASIK machine all have in common? They were all created with the help of a structural designer. These engineers need to know how things work in order to make them safe to use. Bridges, airplanes, and medical equipment are all made safe by the hands of a structural engineer. In fact, we all rely on structural designers every day by driving to work or getting on planes.
Current unemployment of the major
6%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
37%Stats obtained from this source.