Benjamin
Is the field of Computer engineering (or frankly any field of engineering) a fun and interesting job?
I'm asking this question just to learn the insight of an engineer and maybe the daily routine they go through. #engineering #engineer #computer-engineering
4 answers
Peter Sturtevant
Peter’s Answer
Hello, Benjamin. I can tell you from personal experience that the general Field of Engineering can be a personally very rewarding career. Few careers offer greater potential to directly improve the lives of people than engineering. Whether you are designing a new road, planning a water supply for a town or city or developing software (or hardware) for the next great computer application, there are numerous opportunities in the Field of Engineering to improve the quality of life for a community or even an entire country. I am a water engineer with a Civil Engineer professional license. During my career, I have had the opportunity to help design a water treatment plant, carry out environmental field studies in far-away places as Saudi Arabia and Alaska (as well as numerous sites in the lower 48 states), perform stream restoration work that benefitted salmon and develop flood studies to protect the lives and properties of thousands of people. These contributions have provided me with great sense of achievement. Whether you would also call that "fun" is up to you.
To be successful in engineering, it does help to have certain attributes. One important attribute is a proficiency in Math. You will be generally expected a complete at least a year of Calculus to obtain an engineering degree. In addition, you should have an innate curiosity as to how things work. At its core, engineering consists of carefully defining a problem and then developing and analyzing solutions to that problem. In addition to a high-level understanding of a problem, an Engineer must pay close attention to the details and not be afraid to "get into the weeds". If you have these qualities, then engineering can be a great choice for a career. This Field also has the dual advantages of high demand for graduating students and higher-than-average salary expectations.
Thank you for your time. I'm a sophomore in high school and I'll be hopefully taking an AP Calc class my Senior year.
Benjamin
Nicole Baillie
Nicole’s Answer
So I am going to switch two words around in my answer to you. Interesting? YES...Always...Fun? Depends. In my opinion, the field of computer engineering is definitely exciting. Rarely boring. Always changing. For some, that highly dynamic environment might be fun. For others, maybe not.
There are also times when working in the computer engineering field is downright hard. Trying to understand how something works, or how to fix something that is broken or creating a new design to meet the needs of client partners...those things can be incredibly challenging...but the "fun" can come when you get to work through those problems, with others who are working just as hard to learn and fix. The ultimate satisfaction is meeting or exceeding a goal...that is understanding and fixing the problem or creating something that users can't live without.
People who work in the engineering discipline do like to have fun. I can confirm that fact :). And often time that fun and interest is related to exciting work that we get to participate in.
Best of luck to you!
Ken Simmons
Ken’s Answer
Hi Benjamin!!
Here are some sites that will tell you much about becoming and engineer:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marjorie-hansen-shaevitz/so-you-want-to-be-an-engi_b_5508385.html
http://tryengineering.org/ask-expert/how-will-i-know-if-engineering-right-me
http://www.engineergirl.org/what_engineers_do/WhyBeAnEngineer.aspx
Please let me know how you are doing. i would like to follow your progress!
John MacGugan
John’s Answer
Great Question Benjamin,
I am a Field Engineer supporting DirecTV. I love my job, and I often see the benefits of my work immediately in the communities I support. Of all the jobs I have had in my life, this one is the most rewarding. Please remember to follow your heart, embrace your professional passions and ANY job you do will be most profitable to yourself and those around you. Good luck in your future endeavors.