Explore STEM - The Working Realm of Engineering

Engineers are people within the realm of STEM who turn new discoveries and scientific knowledge into items with practical use. With the help of mathematical formulas and data, they find solutions to many of the world's problems. Most engineers are creative, mathematical and analytical and the best possess great interpersonal and leadership skills. Engineers typically garner salaries above the national average and many top the six figure mark at the peak of their careers. Like most STEM degrees, the first two years of engineering coursework is relatively general in scope but becomes highly specialized in the third academic year. If you are a future engineer, it is extremely important to be clear on your preferred area of focus before your junior year in college. Internships are a great way to get your feet wet in the real world of engineering. Through internship experience, you'll have the opportunity to make sure your projected course of study matches up with your career goals. You'll also make professional connections and pave your career path with work experience to develop a stellar resume.  
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The Working Realm of Engineering
All engineers are problem solvers and many supervise engineering technologists, technicians and/or others involved with the project(s) at hand. Most roles involve extensive use of computer simulation during the product design phase. Depending on the type of engineering, your working environment can range from a remote outdoor location to an office building, with some positions requiring extensive travel.

Although there are sub categories within each area of specialization, the following engineering branches are recognized within the Federal Government's Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system:

1. Civil - the design of roads, bridges, tunnels, airports, water and sewage transport systems and more fall under the realm of civil engineering. Geotechnical engineers are also included in this category since geology must be taken into account during the development of civil infrastructure.
2. Biomedical - the development of medical devices to improve quality of life (ie prosthetic limbs), detect diseases (ie biomedical imaging), create artificial organs and beyond are handled by biomedical engineers.
3. Electrical and electronic - electrical engineers design electrical systems ranging in scale from automobile wiring to national energy transport grids while electronic engineers work specifically with devices such as GPS units, communication devices and more.
4. Computer hardware - closely related to electronic engineers, computer hardware engineers specialize in the design of circuit boards, routers, printers and other electronic devices used specifically with computers.
5. Aerospace - within two sub categories of aerospace engineering are aeronautical engineers who design and supervise the creation of all types of aircrafts (airplanes, helicopters, etc.) and astronautical engineers who are responsible for the design and manufacturing of spacecrafts.
6. Chemical - the steps or stages of manufacturing processes of commercial goods are designed by chemical engineers. They are responsible for maintaining balance between production economy, general safety and the environmental impact(s) of the process at hand.
7. Environmental - solutions to the world's pollution issues are often found by environmental engineers. Whether they are protecting the natural environment for wildlife, discovering methods to produce clean water or improving a recycling process to create new, useful products, these engineers play a critical role in keeping our planet habitable.
8. Agricultural - biological principles form the basis for careers in agricultural engineering. Agricultural engineers evaluate and develop systems to effectively utilize natural resources required to grow food for the expanding population.
9. Nuclear - the generation of electricity within nuclear power plants, the use of nuclear fuel within spacecraft and the use of radioactive materials within the field of medicine are all managed by nuclear engineers. Disposal of radioactive waste is also handled by these specialists.
10. Mining - within the realm of geological engineering, mining and mining safety engineers are involved with all aspects of metal, mineral and coal extraction to provide industrial raw materials needed to maintain our current standard of living.
11. Petroleum - professionals within this branch of geological engineering focus on the extraction of petroleum resources. They design the equipment and processes required to remove this natural resource from beneath the Earth's surface in a relatively safe and economical manner.
12. Industrial - a branch of engineering with a broad focus, many industrial engineers end up filling managerial roles since their work involves determining the most efficient use of resources involved in the production of physical products of virtually any type.
13. Material - these engineers are responsible for selecting the best material for the application at hand. Most specialize in a certain category of materials, such as metals, plastics, semiconductors, etc.
14. Health and safety - the evaluation, recognition and anticipation of hazards associated with industrial processes is handled by health and safety engineers. Their work involves reducing dangers which may occur during and/or after the manufacturing of physical products (as opposed to safety associated with the extraction of raw materials which is handled by mining engineers).
15. Marine - in conjunction with naval architects, engineers with an interest in submarines, aircraft carriers, tankers, sailboats and any other type of ocean going vessel have the opportunity to design, test and improve such vessels throughout the course of their careers in marine engineering.
16. Mechanical - engineering students who love working with mechanical devices in general may be interested in pursuing a career within this broad category of engineering. In addition to positions involving the design and/or implementation of equipment within manufacturing facilities, mechanical engineers often fill managerial and/or administrative roles.

Engineers Specialize Early in Their Degree Programs
Most engineers are able to obtain gainful employment with a comfortable salary after attaining a bachelor's degree. While many appreciate the ability to enter the workforce after four years of study, engineering coursework is said to be challenging at the undergraduate level and specialization begins sooner than other courses of study. As a result, it is absolutely critical to know which branch of engineering is most appealing to you by the beginning of your junior year as an undergraduate. Mechanical, industrial and civil engineering degrees are more versatile than other engineering degrees, yet nothing beats working as an intern to really narrow down your preferred area of focus.

Start looking for your first internship during your freshman year to reap the most benefit from these resume enhancing positions; you're sure to make professional connections that may even lead to an offer for full time employment! Some internships, including those offered through G.E.M. Environmental, provide living stipends and/or salaries.

G.E.M. Environmental supports STEM students through the provision of scholarships, paid internships and field experiences. We utilize our blog to share suggestions to help you attain the career of your dreams. If you're a STEM student, consider applying for our upcoming scholarship. We'll be reviewing the next batch of applications in March of 2019. Don't forget to scroll down to the bottom of our website and sign up for our newsletter (under "Follow Us") to stay up to date about our upcoming programs and opportunities! 

In next month's blog entry, we'll wrap up our overview of STEM fields by highlighting careers in mathematics. Mathematicians put the "M" in STEM! 

References
https://typesofengineeringdegrees.org/highest-paid-engineering-jobs/
https://www.topuniversities.com/courses/engineering/which-type-engineering-should-you-study
https://studentscholarships.org/salary/679/engineers.php#sthash.rM212TCr.dpbs

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