31/08/2015
With so many engineering fields to choose from, how do I pick the right one.
“Many students look at job statistics to help guide their choice,” says Eric Grimson, MIT chancellor, the Bernard Gordon Professor of Medical Engineering, and former department head in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
“The problem with this approach,” warns Grimson, “isin making a major life decision based guesswork about the future.” Given today’s rapid advancements in science and technology, he says, predictions of what the job market will look like a decade or two hence are likely to be inaccurate.
,“Select your field by passion,” he says.“What gets you excited? How do you like spending your free time? Projections may show a future need in certain fields, but do you want to work very hard for the next four years in order to get a job in an area you don’t really like?”Identify your true interests, he says, and selecting an engineering specialty becomesworlds easier. Do you like tinkering with devices? Mechanical engineering or aeronautical engineering are good choices for you. Are you passionate about solving the energy crisis? Then you might consider nuclear engineering, chemical engineering, or electrical engineering. And if you spend all your spare time writing code, computer scienceis an appropriate career path. “If you end up in an area you’re excited about, you’ll be much more likely to excel and willing to put in the hard work needed to be an expert in your field,” says Grimson. “And you’ll certainly enjoy the results of your work.”Still in the dark? “If you feel that you don’t know enough about the various engineering fields to make a decision, don’tpanic,” Grimson advises. “Talk to upperclassmen about their classes and their career plans. Think about global issues you care about, and what disciplines might be relevant tothem.”He also suggests exploring introductory-level courses to learn about possibilities you may have never even considered. You never know —the course you sign up for on awhim might just be the one that sparks the passion that leads to your ideal career in engineering. —Sarah Jensen
