Engineering is today a field of study on which over 3, 50,000 students set their eyes on every year in India. But, should you really become an engineer? Like for all questions, the answer to this question too is biased. In the sense that whether or not you should do a particular degree depends on what your passion is. To get a degree in engineering is very tough and unless you have a passion for Physics and Calculus or are interested in understanding how things are built, how they work and what can make them better, you are not on the right track. Engineering is not for you. But, for those of you who are interested in these things and more, you are bound to become one of the best engineers there is.
Now, once you have decided you want to become an engineer, you will wonder what specialization you should choose. If you think the answer is you specialize in that field which has more job opportunities or base your decision on the companies that come for campus interview you are way off the track.
The IT industry has much to take blame for in this respect. Since IT industries recruit in bulk and seemingly offer good packages, most students tend to choose Computer Science or Information Technology as their specialization. And if your only aim in life is to earn, then this is most probably the best choice for you. But there are students who would like to actually ENJOY working. They will enjoy working only if they like what they do. So here are some engineering specializations that can broaden your thinking.
Civil engineering is deals with the design, construction and maintenance of bridges, roads, canals, dams and buildings amongst other infrastructure. Its sub-disciplines include
- Environmental Engineering
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Structural Engineering
- Transportation Engineering
- Municipal Or Urban Engineering
- Water Resources Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Coastal Engineering
- Surveying and Construction Engineering
There is no one typical career path for civil engineers. Graduates of civil engineering can work all over the world, either as consultants with their own companies or as employees of large international companies, or as volunteers in developing countries. Most engineering graduates start with jobs of low responsibility, and as they prove their competence, are given more and more responsible tasks. Senior engineers can move into doing more complex analysis or design work.
Civil engineers held about 379,000 jobs in 2008. Almost half worked for architectural, engineering and other firms. Almost one-third were in some level of government. The rest mostly worked in the construction industry.
It is expected that civil engineer jobs will increase faster than average through 2016. More civil engineers will be needed to design and build things as the population grows.
Mechanical Engineering is one of the broadest engineering divisions. It is considered an ever-green field of study. Mechanical engineers are engaged in researching, developing, designing, manufacturing, and testing mechanical devices like tools, engines, machines and others. Mechanical engineers are also involved in designing tools and equipment that other engineers require for their work. Mechanical engineers are assisted by computers and by performing accurate and efficient computations and by completing the modeling and simulation of new designs as well as facilitating changes to existing designs. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) are used for design data processing and for converting mere designs into goods and products.
