When you are looking to change career paths, whether it is because you feel like you want a change of direction to follow a different career path or have not been able to work out what you want to truly do, it is never too late, especially when you get past your thirties. There is still to this day far too much emphasis on having everything all worked out and planned for career wise, by the time you are 25 years old. Realistically, life is not like that and you cannot always meticulously plan what will happen in your life. So, you do not always get the opportunity to follow your dream at a particular moment in your life.
If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything in 2020, it is to really reevaluate your life and really think about what you want to get out of life, and have you done all those things you said to yourself you would. If the response to that last question was no, then now is the opportunity to seize that moment and follow through.
So here are some suggestions for career changes within the engineering field.
Aerospace Engineer
This field of engineering deals with designing and building spacecrafts and aircrafts. You would also be testing the prototypes to ensure that everything runs smoothly. This profession is predominately sought after in regions like Texas, Alabama, and California where the numbers of Aerospace Engineers in California alone are 11,450. Texas is second with 7,030 and then Alabama the third highest with 4,660.
Artificial Intelligence Engineer
With the advancement of technology ever changing, the future of technology will be very much prominent in years to come so there will certainly be a need for Artificial Intelligence Engineers. This would cover computer science, data science and anything relating to IT. You could either pursue this with a bachelor’s degree in artificial intelligence and machine learning or sign up to a coding bootcamp program that covers aspects like Programming skills, applied mathematics and neural networks.
Possessing the ability to multitask will certainly be useful in this field. The projected growth of this field is estimated at 344% with an average median annual salary of $146, 085, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor, ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and PayScale.
Chemical Engineering
As the name suggests this would be a career option within the Chemical Engineering sector. There are different elements to the Chemical Engineering spectrum as you could have background knowledge on subjects like chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, or economics. You would mainly be processing raw materials into a finished product and designing and operating equipment machinery.
Opportunities for the best chemical engineering programs are plentiful. By 2026 there is projected to be an 8% increase rate of those taking up this career path, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Mechanical Engineer
With regards to this you would be designing and developing physical products, so items such as cars, airplanes, refrigerators, HVAC systems and controls on an airplane. So, you would be a creative person that can envisage the final product. It is perhaps considered the lowest paid salary wise across the sparse engineering sector, but if you are somebody that enjoys designing and creating manufacturing products and carrying out tests on them, then it is certainly ideal for you.
In order to become a Mechanical Engineer you would need a bachelor’s degree, and a license for the State that you want to work in. A Master’s degree is preferential but not obligatory.
Software Engineering
If you have a general interest in anything regarding technology and how technological improvements will change in future, then perhaps Software engineering is the career path for you. It can be quite a lucrative job as the more experience you gain over time the more technical the service you can provide. It can be quite labor intensive when you have parts to physically fix but generally as a job it is based in an office environment.
Telecommunications Engineer
This area of engineering focuses on installing, testing, and repairing any related communication systems which could include things like mobile or fixed line telephone networks but it can also relate to digital satellite systems. There are Wireless telecom jobs available to look at in more detail and useful information to bear in mind when pursuing this career path.
The ranges of opportunities that are possible within the Engineering field are expansive. This list does not cover all of the different areas, so it is definitely worth looking into if you are fed up with your current employment and want to learn a completely different skill or just try out a different area within the engineering world.
It is also worth noting that although many might claim to want a Bachelor’s degree do not be put off by this, as experience can count for a lot in this field when you are asked to develop software applications. Even if you did just have to enroll in one of the bootcamp programs, it’s the ideal opportunity to do something new, particularly if you have never studied before, so do not underestimate your abilities.
The working world is evolving around us. We have already seen an increase in artificial machinery such as self-check outs in grocery stores and increasingly sophisticated robots. So, it is looking like machinery will overtake human workers in certain industries in the workplace. As a result, many of the engineering jobs are projected to increase opportunity wise as there will certainly be a high demand as our working world adapts to these new technological changes.
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