Engineering

"Half of the time you're sitting on the edge of your seat, hoping things are going to work, but it's hard to put into words the feeling you get at the end of it"

Flight Engineer – Female

Only 8% of those working in engineering are female.

Engineering can cover a host of different jobs:

Civil engineer
They are involved in the designing, building and maintaining structures such as roads, bridges, airports. Civil engineers are normally part of one of many teams working on gig projects, planning designing and construction for transport, natural resources and industry.
Chemical engineer
They are involved with changes in materials in chemical and physical ways; solving problems with chemicals. Chemical engineers work in food processing, brewing, manufacturing (anything from paracetamol to paint and fuel)
Mechanical engineer
They are involved in designing and producing moving machine parts ranging from bikes and toys to spaceships and cruise liners. So they are involved in almost everything that is designed and made.

Being good with people, having a second language, good at planning, technical drawing, science and maths are all desirable skills. Engineering is such a huge area with so many different kinds of jobs! But you do not have to be male!

Working hours

Engineering is often project based which can mean the hours that are worked, the days that are worked and the times that people start and finish vary greatly depending on the project and its demands.

What qualifications do I need?

Different types and levels of qualifications may be required depending on the area you would like to enter, and are especially helpful for Apprenticeships.

What's the pay like?

Pay varies hugely depending on the area of work and whether training or qualified. Engineering technicians can expect to earn on average around £27,000. A newly graduated civil engineer or architect will start on about £20,000 per year which can rise to over £45,000 over time. A chartered surveyor can start on £15,000 and top salaries can be over £100,000.

Links

The Engineering Careers Information Service (ECIS) is a dedicated service where you can obtain free literature and useful unbiased advice about starting an engineering career.

www.enginuity.org.uk

The Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE), is the UK's largest and most lively multidisciplinary engineering Institution

www.iie.org.uk

Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Schools/University Liaison Service is the United Kingdom's qualifying body for mechanical engineers and has been the home of Mechanical Engineers for over 150 years.

www.imeche.org.uk

WISE promotes science and engineering as a career among girls and women across the UK.

www.wisecampaign.org.uk

Young engineers club

www.youngengineers.org

Case 
                  Study: Emily

Engineering student, Edinburgh

Office jobs just didn’t appeal to me. I remember my careers test saying I should be a hairdresser!

What does a Flight Engineer actually do?

A Flight Engineer assists the pilots by monitoring and operating many of the instruments and systems, making minor in-flight repairs, and watching for other aircraft.