Engineering predicament looking for advice

I have always had an interest in engineering but never known which one. Mainly the civil and mechanical branches were my goal but now I’m unsure as further research shows that they just aren’t appreciated enough by employers to be worth doing it. (From pay to what the jobs entail) I’m not enticed like I was. I’m thinking about applying for software engineering instead but I’m hesitant as at GCSE I took computer science and loved the programming but HATED the theory. I want to make the right choice and need guidance as to if I should even apply this year (and to what) or wait as there’s not a lot of time until applications. I’m interested in the engineering field as a whole (except electrical) and do not have a focus in any particular field anymore. I don’t have a spark of passion for any future career so going with what I “truly” want isn’t an option as if it were up to me if do nothing at all! I enjoy a challenge and love the reward of solving problems. What should I do?

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 1

McGinger

20

Original post by Crimilank

they just aren’t appreciated enough by employers to be worth doing it.

Says who.

Reply 2

Crimilank

OP

4

Original post by McGinger

Says who.

Current job opportunities, what widely available jobs entail, shifts being more often on weekends than most jobs, shared experiences of engineers, median salary to what’s expected, amount of years before really being established, specifications for each other job being specialised to the point where you’ll most likely end up being specialised yourself (not always obv) + more. It all just seems like a trap unless your truly passionate. But how can I be if I’ve never worked as an engineer myself?

Hi there,

Choosing a discipline can be difficult and it really should be something you have a true interest in. Generally if you don't think you will enjoy the course then you will have a tough time finding the motivation to study and learn.

I'm not sure how much I agree with your findings on mechanical and civil engineering. While it may take a few years to get established and finding your speciality, I wouldn't say this is any different from any engineering or in fact a lot of career routes. I would also say that shifts are generally not on the weekends unless there is a specific task to be done such as a site visit which cannot be done between mon-fri. Generally I wouldn't put down civil/mechanical engineering as being unappreciated but I understand it may not be your passion.

Engineering degrees can be great as you don't have to follow an exact path. After studying one discipline you may find yourself working in another field anyway, the degrees don't tie you down to one field. It's more the experience which may point you in your direction.

If you have any universities you like in mind then I would recommend having a look at the courses they offer and the modules you'd do. See if there are any which call out to you as interesting and you think you may enjoy learning about.

You've said there arn't any careers which you have a passion for. This is normal and lots of people go to university doing what they like and then figure it out while there. It really should just be a field which sounds interesting to you and you think you would have fun doing. Keep in mind you are not going to love every aspect of the course. Every course will have its pros and cons for you, and you may have to slug through some of it to get to do what you really enjoy but it will be worth it!

Good luck with your decision,
- Sophie (uni of Bath)

Reply 4

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

20

Original post by Crimilank

Current job opportunities, what widely available jobs entail, shifts being more often on weekends than most jobs, shared experiences of engineers, median salary to what’s expected, amount of years before really being established, specifications for each other job being specialised to the point where you’ll most likely end up being specialised yourself (not always obv) + more. It all just seems like a trap unless your truly passionate. But how can I be if I’ve never worked as an engineer myself?

Depends where you work.

I know of companies where average salaries are north of £80k plus bonus. Less than 40hrs/week (maybe occasional overtime). And opportunities for travel, secondments etc. If you want to pursue the really high salary roles such as through technical fellowship or management company will generally support.

like any industry the key is being valued. Graduate engineers cant expect top dollar until they demonstrate capability & higher salary. companies expect people to fit in culturally and be technically competent. The reality is in any business your salary is generally a reflection of contribution to revenue - so you need to work in area that enable you to maximise this.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 5

Lancaster Student Ambassador

Official Rep

16

Original post by Crimilank

I have always had an interest in engineering but never known which one. Mainly the civil and mechanical branches were my goal but now I’m unsure as further research shows that they just aren’t appreciated enough by employers to be worth doing it. (From pay to what the jobs entail) I’m not enticed like I was. I’m thinking about applying for software engineering instead but I’m hesitant as at GCSE I took computer science and loved the programming but HATED the theory. I want to make the right choice and need guidance as to if I should even apply this year (and to what) or wait as there’s not a lot of time until applications. I’m interested in the engineering field as a whole (except electrical) and do not have a focus in any particular field anymore. I don’t have a spark of passion for any future career so going with what I “truly” want isn’t an option as if it were up to me if do nothing at all! I enjoy a challenge and love the reward of solving problems. What should I do?

Hello!
Choosing an engineering discipline can be difficult, I had the same problem when I was writing my UCAS application! Lancaster university offers a range of engineering disciplines: Chemical, Electronic & Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronic and Nuclear but we have a common first year, all engineering students do the same modules in first year, this allows students to try out a range of different engineering and if you change your mind on which discipline you want to do, you have until the end of first year to decide.

I would recommend you looking at the module lists/content for the courses you are interested in and many universities have similar courses but under different names and some universities offer courses that combine engineering and computer science (unfortunately Lancaster doesn't). I was in a similar situation, I liked programming but didn't enjoy the theory enough todo computer science but I really liked engineering but wasn't sure what type. I ended up choosing Mechatronic Engineering as it combined Mechanical and Electronic & Electrical engineering but also includes robotics. control engineering, programming and more. I would also recommend looking at graduate job listings to see what engineering disciplines they recruit from, Gradcraker is my go to place to do research.

I hope that helps. best of luck with your application and if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help!
Izzy (Lancaster Engineering Student Ambassador)

Engineering predicament looking for advice

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