Let's Bust Some Engineering Myths
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Lesson
Summary: |
Think engineering is for geeks? Think again!
Fact: In spite of engineering being a
well-known, prestigious profession, many people have a lot of
misconceptions about studying engineering.
Fact: I'm going to bust these myths.
Myth 1: Engineers don't make any $$$
Fact: Some people think engineers don't make a lot of money, and
that other jobs (like business) will make them richer, and
faster.
Wrong! Engineers consistently make the Top-Paid Job category, and
with an average salary of over $140,000 in the US for top
engineers, engineers have a lot to be happy about. Yes, surgeons
and CEOs do make more money, but they also require a lot more
training and luck. Engineers enjoy a very high salary without
studying for 15 years or trying start a company.
Myth 2: Engineering is for guys only, no girls.
Fact:
A lot of girls feel that since engineering is a
predominantly male profession, girls aren't welcome to study
engineering.
Truth is, girls are more than welcome, and in fact in some
engineering schools females may have a better chance of
admissions, because
female undergraduate enrollment is declining. Women may still
represent a minority, but the number of professional females in
the field is actually on the rise. And come on, these days, women
can do everything men can do, and it's not uncommon at all to see
working mother and stay-at-home fathers. If you're a girl and you
like math and science but also want to express some creativity,
become an engineer and show those chauvinists who's boss.
Myth 3:
Engineering is for geeks, not for cool
poeple.
Fact: Huh. Would you call Leonardo Da Vinci a geek? How about
Archimedes? Or Dilbert?
Well, maybe Dilbert. But truth be told, engineering isn't a pure
geek squad. There are many fields in engineering, and while some
may sound a bit nerdish, others are really really awesome. How
about being an earthquake or wind engineer and finding ways to
combat natural disasters? Or a genetic engineer, manipulating the
very genes of organisms to solve world hunger? Even plain old
mechanical engineers can build really cool machines! And hey, if
that's not cool enough for you, become a software engineer and
get involved in video games and computers. How cool would that
be?
Myth 4: An engineer can't manage people or run a company.
Fact: It's a common myth that engineers are always the low-level
or consultant type who can't handle management, they rather sit
behind a computer all day.
That's not true at all! It depends on your personality- sure,
some engineers like sitting at the computer and following
instructions, but other engineers would rather be in command,
making decisions and running a business. And engineers
can do that! In fact, a very large percentage of
MBA students come from an engineering
and technical background, and when they graduate these
prospective managers can combine their technical knowledge with
their MBA management skills and become
highly effective managers.
Math 5:
Engineers don't have soft skills. They have no
teamwork/communication/leadership skills.
Fact: These days, engineers work in teams more than ever, so they
have to develop good people skills. And not only that- every
engineering project needs a leader, so engineers need great
leadership skills to make it in today's world. Matter of fact,
you can't get anywhere without great soft skills, and schools
know that- in an engineering program you'll be taught to think
logically yet creatively, you'll work in teams in several
courses, and you'll deliver presentations. Don't be afraid that
if you become an engineer you won't be able to develop
transferable skills, it's really the other way around.
So, are you convinced yet?
Engineering is a smart choice!
Adapted from "What's Really Behind Those Engineering Myths?" by John R. Platt, at http://s2b.experience.com/alumnus/article
Image Credits: tinyfroglet, allspice1, Engineers having fun
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