What is engineering like?
Greetings,
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
Original post by abcstudentonline
Greetings,
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
Anyone?
Original post by abcstudentonline
Greetings,
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?/
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?/
1) This is a very broad question and hence difficult to answer. Could you maybe narrow it down to certain disciplines or industries?
2) Maybe some niche ones, like corrosion engineering, in terms of sciences, like what you would cover at school, engineering is mostly physics based.
3) Depends on the industry and discipline... but maybe something like 25-30k starting going to 50-60k if you stay technical, going above if you go into management.
4) Depends on where your skills and interests lie. At the moment software engineering is the hottest. Electrical and electronic is decent too.
Original post by Smack
1) This is a very broad question and hence difficult to answer. Could you maybe narrow it down to certain disciplines or industries?
2) Maybe some niche ones, like corrosion engineering, in terms of sciences, like what you would cover at school, engineering is mostly physics based.
3) Depends on the industry and discipline... but maybe something like 25-30k starting going to 50-60k if you stay technical, going above if you go into management.
4) Depends on where your skills and interests lie. At the moment software engineering is the hottest. Electrical and electronic is decent too.
2) Maybe some niche ones, like corrosion engineering, in terms of sciences, like what you would cover at school, engineering is mostly physics based.
3) Depends on the industry and discipline... but maybe something like 25-30k starting going to 50-60k if you stay technical, going above if you go into management.
4) Depends on where your skills and interests lie. At the moment software engineering is the hottest. Electrical and electronic is decent too.
1) Mechanical Engineering because I could get into other engineering disciplines once I get this degree I have been told.
4) Software engineering seems tempting because I am very good at coding, but I am worried about job security, the future, and whether it pays well.
Original post by abcstudentonline
Greetings,
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
1) engineering is broad, it encompasses private, public sectors & academia. Small enterprises to multinational. Basic technology like improving a ball point pen to controlling the most advanced space craft on other planets… depends what you do.
2) materials kind of, in general is rather different. Even chemical engineering is very different.
2b) pay varies massively- generally averages are good for engineers with an MEng from a reputable institution. You can make a lot of money (in the right roles/ industries but also lead a far more humble life) an average chartered engineer id guess makes about £65-70k by mid-career
3) whatever you find interesting- it’s the platform for your working life so prioritise what excites you.
Original post by abcstudentonline
Greetings,
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
Hi!
1) This is a difficult question because there are so many answers! Engineering is a very broad subject with many different disciplines such as mechanical, chemical, mechatronics, electronic & electrical etc. The textbook definition of engineering is the application of principles of science and maths to solve real world problems through designing, testing and building machines, structures and processes. At university, my week consists of a mix of lectures, labs, project work and coursework, I learn about maths/science/engineering principles and then apply that knowledge to problems/projects.
2) Yes! Chemical engineering is a major discipline of engineering, many universities offer it at undergraduate (including Lancaster University). There are also more specialised roles such as Petroleum Engineering, Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, etc. I would recommend researching chemical engineering and the different types and career opportunities.
2b) I would recommend looking at an engineering/STEM graduate jobs site such as Gradcracker to see the range of jobs/job titles that are in chemical engineering/pharmaceuticals and what university degrees they recruit from. Pay varies between employer, career and location.
3) The type of engineering you want to pursue depends on what you find interesting and what kind of career you want. I recommend researching university degrees and look at the course content lists to see what they teach and if its something you will find interesting.
Let me know if you have any other specific questions about engineering, I'd be happy to help!
Izzy (Lancaster University Engineering Student Ambassador)
Original post by abcstudentonline
1) Mechanical Engineering because I could get into other engineering disciplines once I get this degree I have been told.
4) Software engineering seems tempting because I am very good at coding, but I am worried about job security, the future, and whether it pays well.
4) Software engineering seems tempting because I am very good at coding, but I am worried about job security, the future, and whether it pays well.
1) Thanks for clarifying. Mechanical engineering certainly is broad, that is true, but you're not typically going to get into other disciplines when you graduate. That is perhaps a misunderstanding of the breadth of the degree: a lot of different topics are covered, and even some of the core elements of other disciplines, such as electrical and structural, but by and large companies looking for engineers in those disciplines are looking for graduates from those disciplines, who will have studied relevant topics in much more depth. There are some exceptions, e.g. companies involved with offshore wind turbines often hire mechanical engineering graduates in structural roles, but they're not particularly common.
4) Software is generally the best paying, and job security is no worse than other disciplines... in fact it is possibly better due to the large amount of potential employers, as nearly everywhere these days seems to be looking for various software and/or data related roles. If you're good at coding it's a great option to consider.
Original post by Smack
1) Thanks for clarifying. Mechanical engineering certainly is broad, that is true, but you're not typically going to get into other disciplines when you graduate. That is perhaps a misunderstanding of the breadth of the degree: a lot of different topics are covered, and even some of the core elements of other disciplines, such as electrical and structural, but by and large companies looking for engineers in those disciplines are looking for graduates from those disciplines, who will have studied relevant topics in much more depth. There are some exceptions, e.g. companies involved with offshore wind turbines often hire mechanical engineering graduates in structural roles, but they're not particularly common.
4) Software is generally the best paying, and job security is no worse than other disciplines... in fact it is possibly better due to the large amount of potential employers, as nearly everywhere these days seems to be looking for various software and/or data related roles. If you're good at coding it's a great option to consider.
4) Software is generally the best paying, and job security is no worse than other disciplines... in fact it is possibly better due to the large amount of potential employers, as nearly everywhere these days seems to be looking for various software and/or data related roles. If you're good at coding it's a great option to consider.
1) Thank you for the information, so I wouldn't be able to go into other engineering disciplines with the mechanical engineering degree?
4) Thank you for the information
Original post by abcstudentonline
1) Thank you for the information, so I wouldn't be able to go into other engineering disciplines with the mechanical engineering degree?
4) Thank you for the information
4) Thank you for the information
Yes that's right. As a mechanical engineering graduate you're not likely to be eligible for positions like "graduate highways engineer", "graduate electronics design engineer", "graduate chemical process engineer", etc. But I should also note that many actual job titles don't necessarily match up with disciplines you can study at university, so you're not just limited to jobs with "mechanical engineer" in the title.
Original post by abcstudentonline
Greetings,
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
Chemical engineering! basically just finding solutions to problems (this is engineering) with chemistry.
(not an expert so do Google it but that's basically what it is) apparently engineering pays pretty well (I'm applying this year) especially in America for example
Original post by abcstudentonline
Greetings,
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
Hey,
Engineering is such a diverse career field with many disciplines to specialise in. Because of this the answers to your questions will vary depending on the specialism. However here are some more general answers to your questions
1)***** Engineering is all about how you apply sciences and maths practically. It's how we create technology and utilise science to improve efficiencies of systems. At university you can expect a high workload of around 15 contact hours a week. This consists of lectures, tutorials, labs and workshop practicals. Typically, you will have design projects throughout the degree and a lot of theoretical content which runs alongside. The projects are the best part in my opinion, as it is where you can use everything you have learnt to produce a cool physical result.
2)***** I would say for a more chemistry sided engineering degree you could specialise in material science or biomedical engineering. Both sectors would utilise your biology and chemistry background. As a student at the University of Southampton courses which may interest you are Biomedical Engineering, Medical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and the biomedical/material specialisms in the MEng Mechanical engineering course. There are tons of jobs in both these fields so I would check out the subject guides on UCAS for more information
3)***** Again pay potential varies depending on the career field you get into. However the average engineering salary is £41,968
4)***** I can’t say which engineering course is best suited for you however check out the courses I discussed in my answer to question 1. You need to think which course would be most interesting to you. Have a look on Youtube for videos comparing different specialisms of engineering (these helped me)
Whatever you end up choosing I wish you well and if you have any questions don't hesitate to reply
Best Wishes
Dan
Student Ambassador
University of Southampton
Original post by evakielstra
Chemical engineering! basically just finding solutions to problems (this is engineering) with chemistry.
Chemical engineering is more about understanding the physics in developing industrial processes. This has an impact on chemical reactions but chem-eng is really about macro scale and doesn’t really use “chemistry” you wouldn’t look at chemical reactions on a reaction level or care about what is happening at the molecular level.
If you think you are applying chemistry as in what is conventionally considered chemistry at school you would be in for a bit of a shock at university, which is much more reminiscent of A-level pure mathematics and the language is more like applied physics.
Original post by abcstudentonline
Greetings,
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
I am currently a foundation year pharmaceutical sciences student and I don't want to go into pharmaceuticals / pharmacy anymore due to its poor prospects, however engineering apparently is a more progressive and well paying job.
I have a few questions.
1) What is engineering like?
2) Is there any engineering jobs tailored to more chemistry type subjects?
2) How is pay and career progression?
3) What type of engineering should I get into?
Hiya,
1) Engineering is such a broad subject but I think the backbone of most engineering degrees would be mathematics.
2) There is chemical engineering that you might find more suited to your abilties https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/cbe/undergraduate/courses#meng. Have a look through the specific chemical engineering courses here. To explore all of our engineering courses, you can find them here https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/engineering/study/undergraduate-degree-courses.
3) In terms of pay and career progression, I believe that as skills and experiences increases, as would the other two respectively. To find out more, you can visit websites like bright network to find what graduate positions are like.
4)This would be specific to your skills. If you enjoy coding, you might like software engineering. If you are interested in flights and aerodynamics, you might prefer aerospace engineering. By visiting the links I have attached, you can find out more about what each disciplines offer and how they are suited for you.
Let me know if you have any more questions!
Jivanthika
Original post by Smack
Yes that's right. As a mechanical engineering graduate you're not likely to be eligible for positions like "graduate highways engineer", "graduate electronics design engineer", "graduate chemical process engineer", etc. But I should also note that many actual job titles don't necessarily match up with disciplines you can study at university, so you're not just limited to jobs with "mechanical engineer" in the title.
You’ll always be at a disadvantage choosing an undergrad unless you have an idea of what industry you want to be in. Once that’s established, you can leverage a more general eng degree by personalising with your chosen modules, projects, and dissertation to broaden your career and academic options.
I studied mechanical engineering with chosen bioengineering and biomechanics focus.
It was a better and more versatile degree than studying bioengineering, biomechanics, or medical engineering and it gave me a ton of MEng options to pick from.
Once you’re in employment, it’s super easy to bounce around different roles.
I’ve worked as a bioengineer, mechanical design engineer, quality eng (both process and design), research and test eng, and eng project manager.
(edited 4 months ago)
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Aerospace or civil engineering
- Engineering predicament looking for advice
- Is this tiredness or a sign I’m not for engineering?
- Are engineers glorified graphic designers?
- Is mechanical engineering a good degree for me?
- Do you think I have a good shot at Cambridge?
- what degree should I do to become a petroleum engineer
- Should I switch from environmental to mechanical engineering?
- Difference between petroleum engineering and oil & gas engineering (Masters)
- Physics, computer science or electrical engineering?
- What should I study to get a career in EEE(robotics)/quantitive finance
- Switching from Architecture to Engineering
- Electrical Engineering vs Computer engineering
- Received all offers from university
- Which tech jobs don’t have math in there job
- Mechanical vs Robotics vs EEE engineering degree
- University of Central Lancashire
- Physics or Engineering
- Studying Mechanical Engineering after Product Design
- Maths with Engineering Modules or Course Switch
