Is There an Engineer Inside of You?

by Celeste Baine

The following is Chapter 1 from Is There an Engineer Inside of You? taken from http://www.bonamypublishing.com. You may purchase the book from their website.

Engineering is one of the most progressive, challenging, and rewarding fields that can be studied today. Many people want to be an engineer. Almost everyone has the ability, but few possess the drive and perseverance. You might be asking yourself, "how do I get drive and perseverance?"

Simply stated, you have to be willing to make the effort and not let anything stand in your way. You have to know what you are getting into and have a clear idea about what you want. This book will show you why you already have the ability to be an engineer, how to prepare for an engineering education, what to expect in college to give you an edge over your classmates, and what resources are available to aid your college preparation. The differences between each branch of engineering and what traditional and non-traditional opportunities exist only for engineers are also in this book. In addition, there is an extensive society reference in the appendix to enable you to find more information on the particular branch or specialty of engineering that interests you and an engineering camp directory to assist your early preparation.

Individuals with a bachelor's degree in engineering enjoy some of the highest paychecks of all baccalaureate graduates. The classified ads of every newspaper typically have several ads, if not whole columns, or pages of fabulous job opportunities for engineers. Engineering is the second largest profession in the nation with more than 1.8 million engineers in the workforce.

So, what is engineering? According to Jeff Lenard of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the role of the engineer is perhaps one of the least understood in society. In any poll asking what engineers do, the responses invariably include "fix cars" and "drive trains." We see doctors, lawyers, and police on television, but what are engineers doing? According to the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), "Engineering is the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences, gained by study, experience, and practice, is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind."

Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic strip, is trying to debunk the mystery of engineering. In an interview with the American Association for Engineering Education (ASEE), Adams said, "When I grew up, if you had mentioned engineering, I wouldn't have known what it was. But when you read Dilbert, whether you like it or you're afraid of it, you know what he's doing. You know he's in meetings: you know he's doing things with his computer: you know he's inventing things: you know he's working on things with marketing. You actually have a pretty good idea of what an engineer does."

Engineering is all around us and is most likely the best way to make the biggest contribution to society. Engineers work to improve the quality of life and to make life more efficient or comfortable. They strive for constant improvement by applying scientific principles to solve everyday or specialized problems in a practical way. Engineers may design products such as automobiles or design systems such as the roads, bridges, overpasses, and streets the automobiles travel on. Not all engineering students are alike, and the engineering marketplace is no different. With more than 25 major branches of engineering and 100 specialties, there is something for everyone who pursues the engineering field. Your personal goals, skills, and personality will determine which branch or specialty of engineering is right for you.

People have always held engineers in high regard; after all, engineers make the world go around. The majority of all technological advances, such as televisions, computers, the internet, the space shuttle, and airplanes, can be attributed to the work of engineers. Prestige is also associated with the knowledge engineers have acquired through their commitment to finish college.

There is no standard of intelligence needed to complete a degree in engineering and there is no imit on the amount of time it takes to complete a degree. Some students take it slowly because of part-time jobs, family responsibilities, or simply the desire to excel in their classwork. An engineering student who is willing to work hard, to develop the necessary math and science skills to keep at it when things get tough, and to work smart can expect a nice paycheck as well as a challenging and stimulating career.

A degree in engineering can open many doors. People who want to improve society, reduce pollution, end world hunger, invent exciting cutting-edge technology, make life more convenient, or develop new theories to change the ways we think about the world need to consider a career in engineering seriously. Anyone who is up to the challenge and has a genuine interest in taking things apart, solving puzzles and problems, or understanding nature can succeed. The necessary skills to succeed in engineering school are attained by determination, perseverance, effort, and creative problem-solving (just like the skills necessary to be a competent engineer!). Excellent grades in math and science through high school (although nice to have) are not prerequisites to becoming a good engineer. Many high school students do not apply themselves but find out that, when they try to work on a stimulating problem, they enjoy the problem-solving process and the solution comes easily. If you feel you have the aptitude and make the commitment you can and will succeed in school.

Engineers apply math and science to solving problems. Suppose you are a B student in math and science but you excel at communicating. Traditionally, people would have steered you away from engineering. If you have the drive and motivation to get through those math and science courses, you could become one of the most valuable types of engineers because not many people can communicate the language of engineering to other non-technical persons. There is a tremendous need (just scan the job descriptions of most engineering positions) for the engineer with excellent verbal and written skills.

With a solid foundation provided by an engineering degree, a career in engineering can take you anywhere you want to go. Who Chooses Engineering and Why

The engineering field is made up men and women from every different culture who want to help solve the world's problems. The only element that all engineers have in common is a desire to make the world a better place. Engineers can be married or single, they can have disabilities, and they often have different perspectives. Problem-solving orientation is the common factor. Engineering students can be right out of high school, just out of the military, returning to school after several years, or seeking a second degree.

Engineers also receive valuable preparation for a host of other careers such as finance, medicine, law, and management. These professions require analytical, integrative, and problem-solving abilities, all of which are part of an engineering education. Thus, engineering is an ideal undergraduate education for living and working in the technologically dependent society of the twenty-first century (The Green Report, Engineering Education for a Changing World).

A primary reason people choose to study engineering is personal happiness. On the average, people spend eight hours a day, 40 hours a week, 50 weeks a year at work. With only 24 hours in a day, the largest amount of time will be spent working, getting to work, and talking or thinking about work. Studies show that the leading cause of unhappiness in the United States is job dissatisfaction. With this in mind, why not beat the odds by finding a career that will keep you happy by providing great financial security, diversity, flexibility, prestige, intellectual development, a challenging career, and personal satisfaction? People who enjoy working with other people and traveling may become sales or field service engineers. People who enjoy life's big picture may become the systems engineers who put all the pieces together. Creative people or people who constantly have new ideas about everything may enjoy working as a design engineer. People who enjoy conducting experiments or working in laboratories may enjoy working as a test engineer.

People who choose engineering can also pursue a career in medicine or law. According to the American Medical Association, biomedical engineers have the highest acceptance rate into medical school over any other undergraduate degree. An individual may also obtain an undergraduate degree in environmental engineering on the way to becoming an attorney specializing in environmental law. Engineering also lends itself nicely to those entrepreneurial types. Many engineers form construction, environmental, or computer consulting firms because their knowledge is in demand. Some become inventors, and some become teachers or writers. Three engineering students even went on to become the President of the United States!

Many engineers obtain higher degrees in business to become better managers and to receive a broader understanding of the inner workings of engineering companies. Many graduates are working for financial companies writing software programs or constructing financial models to predict Wall Street activities.

An engineering education teaches you how to think through a problem in order to solve it. These mental agility skills will help you solve problems for the rest of your life. The fascinating aspect about problem solving in engineering is that there is almost never a "right" answer. You access several different approaches to solve a problem, and then it is up to you to show everyone how your solution meets the needs of the design.

Let's consider a very elementary example of an systematic problem-solving. You walk into a room and cannot see anything. The room is dark, but the switch is in the "on" position. There are many possible solutions to this problem. Remember that engineers want the best solution. You postulate that the switch could be faulty, the breaker could be flipped, the bulb could be out, the socket could be defective, or the wiring from the switch to the socket could be bad. What would you do first to find the best solution? Most people start with the easiest solution and work to the most difficult. In this case, the easiest solution would be to change the bulb. If that does not solve the problem, you might then check the switch. Are you getting the picture? If the switch is working properly, you would then check the breaker and so on until you discover the cause of the problem.

A bachelor's degree in engineering can lead to a multitude of opportunities. Engineers are on the cutting edge in industry, research, consulting, management, teaching, sales, business, and government. Engineering can require a tremendous amount of time and effort, but, as technology continues to develop, the need for engineers will increase too.

Your Success Depends On You

If you are considering a career in engineering, keep in mind that it will be a lifelong learning experience and everything you do to prepare for it will help you reach your intended goal. The more you expose yourself to the world of engineering, the more opportunities you may have. According to George D. Peterson, the Executive Director of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), "employers claim that engineering success today requires more than up-to-the-minute technical capability, it requires the ability to communicate, work in teams, think creatively, learn quickly, and value diversity."

It is important to examine the shape of the career that you want. Identify what kind of career you really want, and try to picture yourself in that role. There are two primary categories that engineers fall into. One shape focuses on doing engineering and one focuses on applying engineering. For example, do you want to be on the engineering team that designs the next space shuttle, or do you want to be on the space shuttle? Do you want to be the engineer who oversees production in an automobile factory, or do you want to be the expert engineer who gives presentations and answers technical questions on the new specialized suspension of that automobile? There are so many doors open to engineering graduates that this book cannot begin to list them all. See the section on famous engineers to glimpse some popular engineers in traditional and non-traditional fields.

You can never begin preparing for this career too soon. Get involved in extracurricular activities that involve math or science. Part-time and or summer jobs also show college admissions departments that you are serious. There are numerous science and engineering camps (see Appendix) available to the motivated student as well as a junior engineering society that offers several ways to get exposure to engineering.

Important Early Preparation

Remember that this book is only one source of information for deciding whether you want to become an engineer. Right now, you need to begin reading everything you can find about engineering and talk to every engineer or engineering student whom you know about the challenges ahead and how to prepare for them. Try attending a summer camp or any programs pertaining to engineering at your school. Obtaining this information now may save you lots of heartache if you decide later that you are on the wrong path.

Academic preparation is also essential to exploring engineering as a career. In addition, getting involved in extracurricular activities pertaining to engineering can give you invaluable exposure. In high school, classes in algebra I and II, trigonometry, biology, physics, calculus, chemistry, computer programming, or computer applications can tell you if you have the aptitude and determination to study engineering. All of the above courses are not required to get into every engineering school, but early preparation can mean the difference between spending four or six years in college. Some universities also require two to three classes in a foreign language for admission. Check into the programs that interest you and begin to fulfill their requirements. Advance Placement or Honors courses are recommended as well as an ACT score of 20 or SAT of 1000.

JUNIOR ENGINEERING TECHNICAL SOCIETY (JETS)

JETS is a national society dedicated to providing students with guidance information about engineering. The Society offers many programs that will help you decide if engineering is the career for you. JETS provides activities, events, competitions, programs, and materials where students can meet engineers and see what they do. Teachers and parents also gain exposure to the social, political, and economic aspects of the impact that engineering can make upon our lives.

JETS offers an academic program called Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and Science7 (TEAMS) that enables teams of high school students to learn team development and problem-solving skills. TEAMS is the only national competition for pre-engineering students. Students learn how math and science concepts are applied to real-world problems. Teamwork is promoted in an open-book, open-discussion environment, and students often have an engineering mentor.

Past competition problems have included real-world difficulties such as bridge design and rehabilitation, flood analysis, food preservation, solar-powered vehicles, and air transportation. The diversity of the problems shows students the diversity within the engineering field and the diversity of problems that exist in the real world.

Two other programs that are offered by JETS are the National Engineering Design Challenge7 (NEDC) and the National Engineering Aptitude Search+7 (NEAS+). The NEDC7 program is a competition that challenges high school students to design, fabricate, and demonstrate a working solution to a real-world need. The purpose of the NEAS+7 program is to help individual students determine their current level of basic engineering skills. Students can determine if additional math, science, or reasoning skills should be acquired.

If JETS interests you, they have an excellent web site at http://www.asee.org/jets/. The site is packed with additional information about the different careers in engineering, programs offered, competitions, activities, and events. They are an excellent resource for obtaining more information about almost any aspect of exploring engineering as a career.

Feature Article: Camp Changed Student's View - Involved Engineer Alters Perception, Succeeds in Major Nancy Fleming was exposed to engineering early on. "My interest in engineering came from my father, who's a quality-control engineer," Fleming, senior in industrial engineering, said. She also had the chance to learn about engineering in high school through a National Science Foundation engineering camp at Wichita State University. Fleming spent her time at the camp learning about science and research. "I think before that I had the perception that engineers were male and on the slightly nerdy side," Fleming said. "That camp changed my perception." Throughout her time at K-State, Fleming has been an active part of the engineering program. During her freshman year, she was recruited by the Society of Women Engineers and has been an active member ever since. Fleming was president the first year she was a senior. "She's one of those people you instantly like," said Ruth Dyer, SWE faculty adviser and associate professor in electrical and computer engineering. Fleming said people might believe SWE and related organizations are available as a crutch for women engineers. "They're not," she said. "The reason I got in was strictly to meet other women engineers."Fleming said she hasn't always had such an interest in engineering. "Thinking back to fourth grade, I hated math," she said. In college, Fleming has had to change her perception of herself as an engineer. "I can remember sitting in classes thinking I've got to be the dumbest person here," she said. "Then I started getting good grades in those classes. I had to change my perception." Fleming has also participated in the Engineering Ambassadors program, the Institute of Industrial Engineering and the Honors Reseach program. After living in Smurthwaite House for two years, she now serves as the living group's kitchen manager 20 hours a week. she was chosen as an executive member of the Ambassodors her junior year and said she believes the program is much different than the other ambassador programs at K-State. "I had the chance to plan out some goals and objectives for the ambassadors," Fleming said. "We were able to increase visits to high schools by 250%." In her job at Smurthwaite House, Fleming has had the opportunity to incorporate total quality management into the kitchen situation. She is in charge of the facility and scheduling workers, helps train dietitians and works as a trouble-shooter. "I make sure everyone does their job," she said. As part of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, Fleming was able to present a paper on the inclusion of total quality management at Smurthwaite House during a paper conference hosted by the Institute. Dyer said she's been trying to get Fleming to go to graduate school here. "Nancy has the effect on people where she puts them at ease," Dyer said. "She will definitely be missed." When she's not presenting papers or working at Smurthwaite House, Fleming said she's looking for a job or trying to squeeze in a little free time. "It doesn't seem like I have any free time. I like to be involved in community service. I'm still involved in Smurthwaite projects, and with SWE's Girl Scout Engineering Day," she said. Fleming said she believes that it's one of the most important things SWE does. "I can see how a direct application of a Girl Scout day like this can influence girls for the better," she said. Copyright 1995 Student Publications Inc., Kansas State University.

SUMMER CAMPS

Summer camps are another innovative approach for preparing for a career in engineering or evaluating if that career is right for you. Residential and commuter summer engineering camps are offered by numerous universities across the country for high school students and are becoming more popular everyday. Students can develop leadership, professional, and personal organizational skills in addition to meeting and talking with engineers in visits to local engineering companies. Check with the college of engineering at a university near you to see if any summer programs are offered or scan the Engineering Camps Appendix to find a summer program that is right for you.

Universities are not the only place you can find engineering camps; some camps are also offered by industry. The Boeing Company offers an annual Discover Engineering Summer Science Camp consisting of two weeks of hands-on science, math, and engineering workshops taught by Boeing engineers. Want to know the best part of all? The camp is free thanks to the thousands of hours volunteered by Boeing engineering and technical support personnel. Call a few of the largest companies in your area and ask about engineering education sponsorship.

An example camp program is the Mother-Daughter Saturday Academy. It consists of six Saturday morning sessions of experiments, contests, lectures, and demonstrations provided by Cal State L.A. women faculty or students and women engineers working in industry. The program focuses on mechanical, civil, electrical, and manufacturing engineering: the four most common engineering branches. Participants subject a raw egg to a two-story bungee jump, for example, to help girls and mothers understand how engineers test for mechanical properties such as elasticity and toughness (ASEE Prism, Feb 1998). Engineering camp is a highly recommended introduction to the profession.

MATCH YOUR PERSONALITY

Choose a career that matches your personality. Find out as much about yourself as possible by taking personality assessments at career guidance centers and talking to friends, family, guidance counselors, and your math and science teachers. Check the want ads to see what employers are expecting, and contact a local college of engineering to see if it offers tours or has programs for high school students.

There is a primary assessment offered by career placement and counseling centers that may give you some insight into who you are, what conditions you may prefer to work under, and how you think about things, such as the Myers-Briggs type indicator. The test is designed to match your interests with the interests of people who are already in a particular occupation. Some people are ideally suited to be "doers" in engineering, and some are better fits for applying their engineering background to contribute to society in other beneficial ways.

Evaluate your personality closely before you choose a career. Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Do you thrive on change, challenge, consistency, or adversity? Are you a leader, or do you prefer to let someone else lead? Are you willing to work the long hours sometimes associated with a career in engineering? Are you ready for a lifetime of learning? Can you work under pressure, and can you communicate effectively?

Friends and family are also excellent career advisors. Typically, it is very difficult to be objective about your own personality. Friends might see strengths in your character that you never noticed, or they may see weaknesses you hoped they wouldn't notice. Family members may see a "good fit" more easily than you.

Consider things that you have done in the past. What have you enjoyed the most, and what have you found the most frustrating or disliked the most? If someone helped you solve that frustrating problem, would you still dislike it or would you feel as though you rose above the challenge? What does that tell you about yourself?

A word of caution: there is no "right" personality for a career in engineering just as there is no "right" type of engineer. If you have a genuine interest and desire to solve problems, and you are willing to put forth the effort to excel in math and science, then science and engineering have something to offer you. The engineering profession needs all types of engineers and consists of all types of engineers.

The chapters that follow will describe what to expect in college and some of the traditional as well as some of the non traditional paths that are available to engineers. They will also describe several of the major branches of engineering and many of the specialties.