As a career, engineering has many specializations. There are five primary types of engineers, including chemical engineers, civil engineers, and electrical engineers. How do you choose the best fit for you? Consider these tips for choosing your engineering specialization.
Try Internships
Internships are one of the best ways to gain exposure to different specializations. These can help you explore each specialty firsthand to see which is a good fit for you. You would also explore subspecialties, such as software engineering, to discover which one you enjoy the most.
If you are still in school, you may be able to seek out your university's career services department and see if they have any references or openings for internships.
Consider the Future Job Outlook
Of course, if you are going to school to become an engineer, you expect to find a job. When deciding on which field to choose, consider the job outlook. You don't want to go into a specialty that may not be as common as it was before. Nuclear engineering, for example, saw a decline. Meanwhile, biomedical engineering is growing. Select carefully by considering the sub-fields of each specialization to determine if you will be able to find a job.
Consider Salary Potential
Like considering the future job outlook, you also should consider the expected salary potential for each field. Because engineering is such a large field with so many specialties and subfields, you should also consider salary. Choose an area that aligns with your interests and how much money you want to earn.
Consider Your Technical Skills
When selecting a specialization, you should consider your technical skills. Where do you shine? If you aren't particularly good at dealing with computers, you should probably avoid any specialties that handle programming. Choosing specialties that align with your skills helps you find something enjoyable.
Ask for Advice
The last tip for choosing your engineering specialization is to ask for advice. Talk to other engineers. Speak to people with more experience to see what seems to fit your needs and skills best. They can help you understand what to expect in the field so that you can determine which will be right for you.
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