Engineering Career Survey Questions: Insights from Professionals

[PatriciaC]

Good evening, forum members... I'm currently enrolled in an Engineering class in my school and I'm considering engineering as one of my career pathways, but I would like to know the good, the bad, and the prospects of an engineering career before making a decision. I'm also interested to know what opportunities do different branches of engineering provide...

As a part of the survey, I'd like to ask yourselves a few questions:

1. What kind of engineering do you do?
   
2. Would you choose this career if you had the opportunity to restart your life?
   
3. What is the best thing about your career?
   
4. What is the worst thing about your career?
   
5. What would your alternative career be if you're not an engineer
   
6. Is engineering a career you would recommend for the younger generations?
   
7. What (exciting) opportunities comes with your engineering job? (e.g. travel, benefits, occupational security, etc.)

Thank you very much, I really appreciate your opinions :)

 

[Ben Espen]

Good evening, forum members... I'm currently enrolled in an Engineering class in my school and I'm considering engineering as one of my career pathways, but I would like to know the good, the bad, and the prospects of an engineering career before making a decision. I'm also interested to know what opportunities do different branches of engineering provide...

As a part of the survey, I'd like to ask yourselves a few questions:

1. What kind of engineering do you do?
   
2. Would you choose this career if you had the opportunity to restart your life?
   
3. What is the best thing about your career?
   
4. What is the worst thing about your career?
   
5. What would your alternative career be if you're not an engineer
   
6. Is engineering a career you would recommend for the younger generations?
   
7. What (exciting) opportunities comes with your engineering job? (e.g. travel, benefits, occupational security, etc.)

Thank you very much, I really appreciate your opinions :)

1. I am a BioMedical Engineer. I work in the field of medical devices and combination devices. At this point in my career, I am a quality engineer doing regulatory and compliance support.
2. Yes, I think I would choose this career again. I never intended to go this way, but it has worked out well for me. Probably other things would have worked out as well, but this an interesting field with lots of challenges.
3. The products I design help restore people to a more normal life.
4. The design lifecycle is very long, it can take as long as 8-10 years for a new product to move from concept to implantation.
5. This is a very difficult question to answer with any certainty, but I will attempt to answer what I think is the intent of your question. I worked as a locksmith when I was in college. This is an interesting trade, one that provides an opportunity for independence, and can be well-compensated. If I needed something to fall back on, I might consider this.
6. I do recommend engineering as a career to those who have the interest and ability to pursue it.
7. I do travel occasionally for work. I have excellent benefits. The medical device field is pretty stable, it is less cyclical than defense or aerospace for example.

 

[berkeman]

Welcome to the PF, Patricia.

For privacy and anti-phishing reasons, we no longer allow interviews at the PF. Thread is closed.