Are you looking to start a career in engineering? It’s easy to see why engineering is such a popular career path, as you know that your work will be interesting and make a difference to the world. In addition to this, engineering careers can be lucrative with the opportunity to advance your career.
So, what steps can you take to start a career in engineering? This post will look at a few of the main steps to take that should help you on your way and allow you to embark on a rewarding career in your chosen engineering field.
Choose A Discipline
First, you should choose a career discipline. There are many different fields of engineering, and you’ll need to decide early as your decision will guide the path you need to take. A few of the main engineering fields include:
- Oil and gas
- Civil
- Mechanical
- Electrical
- Chemical
Earn A Degree
As you might imagine, education is a key area when it comes to engineering. You’ll want to choose an accredited engineering program from a reputable school. You’ll need a strong understanding of math and science to get onto a good program.
Gain Practical Experience
It will be helpful to gain any kind of practical experience in engineering that you can during or after your studies. This will help you prepare for a career, grow your network, and showcase that you have some experience. This could be an internship or cooperative education program.
Network
Following this, you’ll want to grow a large professional network, as this will help you to find new opportunities. You should attend networking and industry events in person and then use social media as a way to maintain these relationships over time.
Stay Current
Engineering is a constantly evolving field and always at the forefront of technology. To excel in this field, you must stay current with the latest trends and developments. This should involve participating in research projects and other engineering-related activities. You could then add these to your portfolio and share them on social media to increase your prospects and show your commitment.
Build A Portfolio
Leading on from this, you should also have a portfolio that showcases your projects, skills, and achievements. This will show potential employers that you have the experience and skills needed to excel in the field. It will become easier to improve this portfolio once you embark on your career, but you can use projects from college and extracurricular projects when you’re first starting out.
Use Engineering Recruitment Specialists
Once you’re ready to start job hunting, using engineering recruitment specialists is a good idea. Engineering is a competitive field, and the application process can be challenging and stressful, so having experts in your corner is helpful. Engineering recruitment specialists like Orion Group can find the best opportunities based on your skills and can help to prepare you for interviews. Specialist recruiters will make it a lot easier for you to find work and a role that’s suitable for you.
These are the main steps involved in getting into engineering. It can be challenging, but there are few industries that are as rewarding and interesting to work in.
