Engineer what is it

Engineers are responsible for the innovation and development of new products, services, technologies and processes. They can work in many different fields, making this a diverse career for prospective engineers to explore. Understanding the scope of engineering can help you decide if engineering is a good fit for your interests and skills.

In this article, we explore what engineering is and some careers you can find in this field. An engineer is a professional who is involved in inventing, designing and maintaining a variety of machines, structures and data systems. Engineers are also responsible for adhering to their employer's specifications for budget and timeline. Engineers are experts in their fields, creating and innovating constantly.

Engineers use math and science to solve problems and make use of new discoveries. While engineers don't typically make scientific discoveries themselves, they take the information from these and find practical uses for them.

They pursue valuable innovations that advance the way humans use products or perform tasks. Engineers can work with everything from massive architectural constructions to complex maps of the human genome. Experience impacts an engineer's salary as well.

Those with a longer tenure and more proven abilities typically earn more. Several key skills are important for engineers. These equip them to come up with the innovations that will help them succeed and advance in their careers.

A strong educational background is necessary to become an engineer. Follow these steps to begin your engineering career:. Engineers must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, preferably in engineering or engineering technology. Most programs allow for specialization, which will help you gain detailed knowledge in a particular area of engineering. Look for an educational program that's accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

The FE exam is the first of two tests required to gain licensure as a professional engineer. In most states, you can take this test upon graduation. After passing the test, you become known as an engineer in training or an engineer intern.

Engineers need a minimum of four years of relevant work experience to gain licensure in most states. Seek an entry-level engineering position or internship that will help you hone your skills, improve your engineering skills and prepare for licensure. The exact requirements for licensure as an engineer vary by state, but typically include an examination after you've completed the necessary work experience.

Complete your state's exam and any other requirements to become a professional engineer. Draft a detailed resume that provides specific examples of your engineering experience. Others develop new mining equipment or direct mineral-processing operations that separate minerals from the dirt, rock, and other materials with which they are mixed. Mining engineers frequently specialize in the mining of one mineral or metal, such as coal or gold. With increased emphasis on protecting the environment, many mining engineers are working to solve problems related to land reclamation and to water and air pollution.

Mining safety engineers use their knowledge of mine design and practices to ensure the safety of workers and to comply with State and Federal safety regulations. They inspect the surfaces of walls and roofs, monitor air quality, and examine mining equipment for compliance with safety practices. Nuclear engineers research and develop the processes, instruments, and systems used to derive benefits from nuclear energy and radiation.

They design, develop, monitor, and operate nuclear plants to generate power. Petroleum engineers design methods for extracting oil and gas from deposits below the earth. Once these resources have been discovered, petroleum engineers work with geologists and other specialists to understand the geologic formation and properties of the rock containing the reservoir, to determine the drilling methods to be used, and to monitor drilling and production operations.

They design equipment and processes to achieve the maximum profitable recovery of oil and gas. Because only a small proportion of oil and gas in a reservoir flows out under natural forces, petroleum engineers develop and use various enhanced recovery methods, including injecting water, chemicals, gases, or steam into an oil reservoir to force out more of the oil and doing computer-controlled drilling or fracturing to connect a larger area of a reservoir to a single well.

Because even the best techniques in use today recover only a portion of the oil and gas in a reservoir, petroleum engineers research and develop technology and methods for increasing the recovery of these resources and lowering the cost of drilling and production operations. Work Environment Most engineers work in office buildings, laboratories, or industrial plants. Others may spend time outdoors at construction sites and oil and gas exploration and production sites, where they monitor or direct operations or solve onsite problems.

Some engineers travel extensively to plants or worksites here and abroad. Many engineers work a standard hour week. At times, deadlines or design standards may bring extra pressure to a job, requiring engineers to work longer hours. College graduates with a degree in a natural science or mathematics occasionally may qualify for some engineering jobs, especially in specialties that are in high demand.

Most engineering degrees are granted in electrical and electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, and civil engineering. However, engineers trained in one branch may work in related branches. For example, many aerospace engineers have training in mechanical engineering.

This flexibility allows employers to meet staffing needs in new technologies and specialties in which engineers may be in short supply. It also allows engineers to shift to fields with better employment prospects or to those which more closely match their interests.

Most engineering programs involve a concentration of study in an engineering specialty, along with courses in both mathematics and the physical and life sciences. Many programs also include courses in general engineering.

A design course, sometimes accompanied by a computer or laboratory class or both, is part of the curriculum of most programs.

Often, general courses not directly related to engineering, such as those in the social sciences or humanities, also are required. In addition to the standard engineering degree, many colleges offer 2-year or 4-year degree programs in engineering technology.

These programs, which usually include various hands-on laboratory classes that focus on current issues in the application of engineering principles, prepare students for practical design and production work, rather than for jobs that require more theoretical and scientific knowledge.

Graduates of 4-year technology programs may get jobs similar to those obtained by graduates with a bachelor's degree in engineering.

Engineering technology graduates, however, are not qualified to register as professional engineers under the same terms as graduates with degrees in engineering. Some employers regard technology program graduates as having skills between those of a technician and an engineer.

Graduate training is essential for engineering faculty positions and some research and development programs, but is not required for the majority of entry-level engineering jobs. Many experienced engineers obtain graduate degrees in engineering or business administration to learn new technology and broaden their education.

Numerous high-level executives in government and industry began their careers as engineers. ABET accreditation is based on a program's faculty, curriculum, and facilities; the achievement of a program's students; program improvements; and institutional commitment to specific principles of quality and ethics.

Graduation from an ABET-accredited program may be required for engineers who need to be licensed. Although most institutions offer programs in the major branches of engineering, only a few offer programs in the smaller specialties.

Also, programs with the same title may vary in content. For example, some programs emphasize industrial practices, preparing students for a job in industry, whereas others are more theoretical and are designed to prepare students for graduate work. Therefore, students should investigate curricula and check accreditations carefully before selecting a college. Admissions requirements for undergraduate engineering schools include a solid background in mathematics algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus and science biology, chemistry, and physics , in addition to courses in English, social studies, and humanities.

Bachelor's degree programs in engineering typically are designed to last 4 years, but many students find that it takes between 4 and 5 years to complete their studies. In a typical 4-year college curriculum, the first 2 years are spent studying mathematics, basic sciences, introductory engineering, humanities, and social sciences. In the last 2 years, most courses are in engineering, usually with a concentration in one specialty. Some programs offer a general engineering curriculum; students then specialize on the job or in graduate school.

Some engineering schools have agreements with 2-year colleges whereby the college provides the initial engineering education and the engineering school automatically admits students for their last 2 years. In addition, a few engineering schools have arrangements that allow students who spend 3 years in a liberal arts college studying preengineering subjects and 2 years in an engineering school studying core subjects to receive a bachelor's degree from each school.

Some colleges and universities offer 5-year master's degree programs. Some 5-year or even 6-year cooperative plans combine classroom study with practical work, permitting students to gain valuable experience and to finance part of their education. Certifications Needed Licensure All 50 States and the District of Columbia require licensure for engineers who offer their services directly to the public.

Engineers who are licensed are called professional engineers PEs. This licensure generally requires a degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program, 4 years of relevant work experience, and completion of a State examination. Recent graduates can start the licensing process by taking the examination in two stages.

My role involves programming the graphics, writing and reviewing software requirements. We designed cardboard chairs to support lbs, experimented with programmable logic controllers, and designed autonomous robots for statewide competitions.

The best thing about being an engineer: The countless number of career paths available. Just within the aerospace industry, there are numerous exciting and challenging programs related to defense and space, commercial aircrafts, and business aircrafts.

This involves not only understanding the product design and documentation to be able to explain the designed-in safety features, but also the production requirements that ensure the product will be made every time as per the specified requirements. He was afraid that I would get hurt competing as a varsity gymnast, especially after I broke my leg in the first competition.

So he told me if I took Electrical Engineering, he would never complain about my gymnastics. His logic? It would be too hard for me to keep competing and keep up with studying. My logic? All the time saved arguing about gymnastics will more than cover the studying. The best thing about being an engineer: There is a tremendous amount of flexibility in the path you can take — everything from moving into law and being a forensic expert to being on the ground level of fascinating new projects.

There truly is no end to what you can do building on the basic engineering fundamentals. The following list of challenges facing the engineering field was compiled in by global information analytics firm Elsevier.

The challenge that this fact presents for engineers: they must find new and innovative ways to solve problems and address issues in these countries. Promoting green engineering to improve sustainability and reduce the carbon footprint in manufacturing The U. Addressing climate change through engineering innovation By , six of the 10 cities with the largest annual flood costs will be in Indian and China.

The challenge is to reach this goal in a sustainable way and ensure food and water access. Improving health and well-being through life sciences , nanotechnology , and bio engineering By , the population of Americans aged 65 and older will have more than doubled in size from This puts a lot of pressure on new drug creation and on engineering techniques to deliver drugs.

Universum surveyed approximately , engineering and IT undergraduates in 12 countries and asked them to choose the companies and organizations they would most like to work for.

It then compiled a ranking of the most desirable employers across the globe. Airbus Group This aerospace and defense corporation is based in Leiden, Netherlands.

Novartis Novartis International is number one in sales among the worldwide pharmaceutical industry. PwC PricewaterhouseCoopers PwC is the largest professional services firm in the world, operating a network of firms in countries.

Volvo Cars Based in Gothenburg, Sweden, this luxury vehicle manufacturer was established in Schneider Electric Schneider is a French corporation that focuses on energy management and electricity distribution.

PepsiCo This American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation is based in Purchase, New York, and was formed in Adidas Group Based in Germany, Adidas is the second-largest sportswear manufacturer in the world. Bayer This pharmaceutical company was founded in Barmen, Germany in Schlumberger With 95, employees working in more than 85 countries, Schlumberger is the world's largest oilfield services company.

Lenovo This Chinese technology company was the world's largest personal computer vendor by unit sales in Pfizer This pharmaceutical corporation produces a wide range of medicines and vaccines and was founded in Bosch This multinational engineering and electronics company was the world's largest supplier of automotive components in Accenture Accenture, the world's largest consulting firm by revenue, is a global company of approximately , employees, with offices and operations in more than cities in 55 countries.

Unilever This Anglo-Dutch consumer goods company owns brands and is one of the oldest multinational countries in the world. Dell With over , employees worldwide, Dell develops, sells, and supports personal computers. Oracle This American corporation specializes in creating database software.

IKEA This Sweden-based ready-to-assemble furniture giant became the world's largest furniture retailer in Cisco Systems Cisco Systems specializes in networking equipment and is the largest networking company in the world. Toyota Toyota Motor Corporation is based in Japan and employed , people as of Mechanical engineering graduate, Nia Simpson, founded her own business and is taking her product a digital white cane for the visually impaired to the commercial market.

Chemical engineering graduate, Jack Jones, developed an innovative toilet design and waste recycling process to improve living conditions at Kakuma refugee camp.

University of Bath. Open search. Taster talk series for schools Women in Engineering Choosing your engineering discipline Book recommendations. Engineering is the designing, testing and building of machines, structures and processes using maths and science. Studying it can lead to a rewarding career.