Planetos said:
Basically, who do you think has better job prospects in the future?
No one can predict the future. Both areas will undergo cycles, but on average your prospects are probably equal in each area. The bottom line is that, if you are talented and if you work hard, you will have no worries about finding a good job.
If you are the type of engineer more inspired by the core fundamentals of the engineering craft, and the challenges of doing difficult cutting edge design-work or research, then there are more similarities than differences in the two fields. The same vector calculus is used in electromagnetic theory and in fluid dynamics. Finite element analysis is also used in both of these areas. Dynamic system analysis using Newton's Law's or Circuit equations are essentially the same. The power of linear theory, Laplace & Fourier analysis are equally useful in both areas. The concepts of feedback and control are also equally useful in both electrical and mechanical systems. ... etc. etc.
As an electrical engineer I've had to learn all kinds of physics and mechanical engineering that are not the core areas of study in electrical engineering courses. Examples include thermodynamics, mechanical-system-dynamics, acoustics and fluid dynamics. Similarly, I know a mechanical engineer that has learned electromagnetism, control theory, circuit theory, solid-state theory of semiconductors, analog and digital circuit design and microcontroller system design.
A good engineer knows the fundamentals and knows how to learn via self-teaching. Basically, the math is the same, the science itself is similar and offers direct parallels. After that engineering in both fields is about figuring things out, and using math, science, theory, experiment, creativity and intuition to design and build real working systems.
If you are the type of engineer more inspired by a particular technology, whether it's fast cars or fast computers; spinning turbines, or spinning generators; flying planes or levitating trains, then it is more important to follow your passion.
Keep in mind that no matter which area you get your degree in, you can still ride the fence and maintain equal skill and knowledge in both areas. Many areas require knowledge of both fields. Robotics, motor/generator systems and the up-and-coming field of renewable energy are some examples.
My personal experience is that it is easier for an electrical engineer to learn mechanical engineering than vice versa. This has nothing to do with the difficulty of the subject matter, which is about equal in my view. Perhaps, people have more natural intuition about mechanical ideas than electrical ones because electricity is harder to observe with the senses. However, this is just a trend I've noticed and it won't necessarily apply to you.