I need advice on an engineering career path

[Avner]

Hi,
I'm 23 and I go to gateway community college in new haven ct. I have been taking my core credits and it is now time to pick a degree. My original intention was to get my accounting degree (fathers choice), but I despise it. My school has a few engineering programs and I'm 95% positive that I am going to change my declared degree to engineering, but which one? They offer associates in:
Biomedical engineering
Electrical engineering
Computer engineering
Mechanical engineering
They also offer a two year transfer to university
I am gravitating towards biomedical because my school is right next to Yale hospital and I figured having the skills to repair complex medical equipment would be very valuable in my area. This is my rationale: I'm 23 and I am still delivering pizza. I need to find a way to make a livable salary asap. I can earn my associates to get an entry level tech job and if I want to, get my bachelors. Do you think biomedical engineering is a good choice? Are the other engineering options a better choice? Can I get a biomedical tech job with one of the other degrees? If I got my a.s. Biomedical eng., can I get my bachelors in another engineering discipline? All advise welcome. Thank you!

 

[jedishrfu]

Do some research online and look at stats in your area.

According to this article (2012) which is based on Bureau of Labor Statistics, BME will experience the fastest growth of any engineering profession:

http://www.engineersguideusa.com/Careers/engineer_career_outlook.htm

 

[JakeBrodskyPE]

You really can't go wrong with any of these degree tracks. They all offer stable, well paying employment prospects. However, if I were to choose one based upon immediate need, I would tend to agree with jedishrfu that BME is a solid choice.

That said, I advise you to consider any predictions like this with skepticism, especially over the longer term; and to have a plan B in case things don't work out. If we really knew what areas were going to be the hotspots, we could make a significant fortune. But we don't; and despite claims to the contrary, neither does anyone else.

 

[tygerdawg]

The advice given to me many moons ago was "If you know you want to go into Engineering, but do not know WHICH Engineering, then go into Mechanical. It is the broadest of all the Engineering disciplines. From there, you can change to anything."

I did. It was. It still is. And moving onto that path was a great choice for me.

 

[Probabilist]

Go traveling for a year or two and learn to not put to much weight on what your parents think. Your young, the retirement age is currently approaching 70 (69), go have some fun and come back in a few years with a sense of purpose towards education.

 

[Avner]

Thanks for your responses. My next question is, if I were to get an a.s. in mechanical engineering, could I still be considered for A Biomed tech job? What jobs would I qualify for with an a.s. In mechanical engineering?