Which area is best to specialise in?

[utopia_11]

Hello all,

I'm a graduate Mechanical Engineer working for Atkins in their Water division. I now need to decide which sector to specialise in. I wish to choose areas that have a future and will grow and can be used in all sectors of Engineering.Here are my options:

• Pumping Systems
• Pipework Technical
• Sludge Transfer
• Valves
• Screening plant
• Penstock and flap valve
• Combined Heat and Power (CHP)
• UV disinfection
• Gas Chlorination
• Chemical dosing

For those who are not familiar with the above bullet points, they are simply design systems or treatment processes used in clean water and wastewater plants.

I am allowed to specialise in 2 of the above areas. My criteria for choosing are that they're applicable to ALL Engineering sectors such as oil & gas and that they have a future and are not dying technologies. I have already chosen pumping systems and thinking if I should do combined heat and power? What other areas do you recommend I should go into? thanks

 

[jedishrfu]

Wouldn't CHP fit the bill?

 

[utopia_11]

I was thinking CHP is the best one to go into but with all the renewable technologies going on will it be sustainable or in the money making leagues in the next 20 odd years?

 

[jedishrfu]

Those kinds of questions can never really be answered with any hope of certainty.

If you say 5 years then CHP seems like a safe bet.

You should always reassess your career every year so as not to get too specialized.

 

[utopia_11]

I chose pumping systems because I know they're synonymous to ALL areas of Engineering.

What about pipes and valves?

To be honest I want to go into an area that also has the most earning potential.

 

[jedishrfu]

That would be a safe bet too. I don't think we'll be moving away from that technology anytime soon.

Have you done a pros and cons on each of these to see how much you will like them as well?

It would seem that pipes and valves would fit into the Oil industry too and there's clear earning potential there.

 

[utopia_11]

a safe bet too. I don't think we'll be moving away from that technology anytime soon.

Sorry, do you mean the CHP?

I have not done the pros and cons but because its such a complex, broad topic there are just so many variables to list. One thing I know is that Chlorine gas, chlorine dosing, UV disinfection and sludge transfer are pretty much specific to the water industry. Chlorine, although widely used for water treatment, maybe a dying technology in the future. As for UV disinfection its too small of an area to really make any money on.

 

[jedishrfu]

I meant pipes and valves as I was answering the question in your previous post.

Do they have anything on control systems for monitoring water flow using electronic sensors?

It seems that would be useful in the future too.

I can't comment much on this as I deal with programming mostly but control systems seems like a way to get into computers from Mechanical engineering as I know mechatronics is becoming a pretty big field.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechatronics

 

[utopia_11]

I meant pipes and valves as I was answering the question in your previous post.

Do they have anything on control systems for monitoring water flow using electronic sensors?

It seems that would be useful in the future too.

I can't comment much on this as I deal with programming mostly but control systems seems like a way to get into computers from Mechanical engineering as I know mechatronics is becoming a pretty big field.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechatronics

All sorts of sensors and PLC's are widely used in the water industry and is used in each of the above bullet points in my first post.