Engineering and fabrication

Engineering?

I am in High school and I am taking all regular classes and a 4 year pre-engineering high school class. I was wondering if I could get any advice from engineers on what they do, how much they make, how to prepare, etc.

Public Comments

1. Wat we do is Real Time projects. Something like a project used in different sectors. An engineer is always behind every thing u see in this world.

   Generally, the work is divided into many parts and it is then done by individuals. It is then assembled together which forms one single complete unit. That's how it works. This is applicable in all fields of engineering.

   To be a successful engineer, you have to be strong in your basics and should have a good knowledge about certain subjects, corresponding to the field that you want to go.

   All the Best.



2. What kind of Engineering?

   You should specialize in a certain area.

   I suppose that will come later, but it is something you should be aware of.

   Pick something that interests you. Somethin you like to do.

   Then apply your learning towards that particular interest.

   Even after you finish college, you will have to pick an area, or one will be picked for you, just like after high school.

   Some Engineers go on the get Masters, then Doctorates in a specialized field.

   I suppose you can generalize like I do.

   I know a little bit about everything and a lot about nothing.

   There is the good and bad in both choices.

   Somebody could specialize in a specific field, but then it is harder to find work and sometimes those fields just up and disappear due to the rapid change in technology.

   There are Doctors, but there are all kinds of doctors.

   General Practitioner - Just a general doctor. The kind you normally see for a checkup.

   Pediatrician - Specializes with babies

   Ear, Nose and throat -

   Female Parts doctors -

   Orthapedic Surgeon - Works with bones

   etc.

   This is typically what an engineer does.

   There is a problem. Your job find a way fix it.

   You may work on your own, or with a variety of other engineers in different engineering disciplines.

   Decide what you need to take care of that responsibility.

   Determine the time and cost to do such a project

   Go to review meetings each week to check on your progress and the progress of others.

   Make the necessary changes as required.

   Test your engineering job.

   Fix stuff that doesn't work.

   Finalize it.

   Ship it.

   Shift the project to support engineering.

   Support engineers take care of any problems that may develop in the hands of the consumer.



3. Depending on where you live, the salary of an engineer varies. I live in Huntsville, Alabama where there are a lot of engineering jobs, especially with NASA and the Army. Coming out of college with a BS in engineering, one can possbily start out at $50k/yr. here.

   I work for a government contractor, basically supporting the Army. If you go the contractor route, I suggest staying on your toes as far as job openings. Contracts run out and you can get laid off. It happened twice to me last year...if you go private, then you don't have to constantly be looking for jobs.

   Make sure you like what you do. If you like working with your hands, then you can go into Test and Evaluation. If you like to design, then you can get into Mechanical or Civil Engineering.

   I suggest talking to an engineering school to see what their graduates are currently doing.



4. hey Kid I was just where you're at a few years ago. Engineering can be involved with just about any industry, whether it be aircraft, computers, theme parks, buildings, etc. Depending on the type of engineer you want to be, you'll be helping whichever company you do end up working for to minimize their costs, come to the best solutions for their problems, and improve things in general. The money is good, you'll never be RICH, but you'll never be poor either, it's a solid career with plenty of benefits.