Engineering is a very large profession. Almost two million people are employed in this country as engineers, and the field will continue to expand as long as there are technical problems to solve. Engineers are problem-solving people who invent new products and make things work better, more efficiently, quicker and less expensively. They turn ideas into reality.

Engineers have a variety of career possibilities from which to choose and may specialize in research, consulting, planning, design, manufacturing, construction, management, teaching, writing, or sales. Engineering graduates have excellent prospects for finding employment in private industry, government, military service, or academia.

Engineers receive rigorous training in the basic sciences, mathematics, and the engineering disciplines. Students choose to major in chemical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, or mechanical engineering. While pursuing their undergraduate degrees, students also have opportunities to participate in undergraduate research with faculty or to gain work experience through engineering internships.

One of the frequent tendencies that students in technical disciplines have is to inextricably link their career possibilities with their academic major. They seldom realize that a major is largely an administratively convenient tool used by a college or university to categorize students.

There is not always an obvious parallel between your engineering major and an occupational field. In the same way that accountants are used as computer information systems analysts along with those having computer science backgrounds, engineers work in capacities other than hands-on engineering. Just as the same job can be filled with individuals from a variety of academic backgrounds, individuals with the same major can qualify for many different jobs.

While the realization that more career options are open to you as a technical major than you previously were aware of can be uplifting, it also poses the dilemma of identifying and narrowing down the appropriate options. To remedy this confusion, it is helpful to approach your career selection in terms of the types of functions you wish to perform within an organization. An example might be a mechanical engineer who determines that he/she would like to function in a sales or marketing capacity instead of in a manufacturing role due to his/her interests, persuasive skills, and outgoing personality.

Job titles differ from industry to industry and company to company. Because job classifications are not standardized, trying to determine your fit among seemingly endless lists of titles can be very confusing and frustrating. Thinking of jobs in functional terms provides a way of organizing the multitude of job titles you will encounter in company literature and employment ads. Thinking in terms of functions will, therefore, allow you to clearly indicate to potential employers exactly what you want to do regardless of the job title.

Career Sources and Professional Organizations

	Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology
	American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
	American Council of Engineering Companies
	American Indian Council of Architects and Engineers (AICAE)
	American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES)
	American Institute of Architects
	American Society for Engineering Education
	American Society for Healthcare Engineering
	American Society of Civil Engineers
	American Society of Mechanical Engineers
	Association for Women in Science (AWIS)
	Aviation/Aerospace Job Openings - Jobs in this list are from the Engineering/Technical/Computers: Aerospace/Defense/Aviation category.
	Brown & Caldwell - Environmental Engineering and Consulting (offices in San Diego, nationwide and international)
	Building Industry Exchange - Architectural, Engineering & Construction Directories
	Career Exposure
	Eagan McAllister Associates (EMA) - a leader in engineering, management and logistics support contracting for DoD, the federal government, industry and international clients.
	Engineering News-Record
	EngineeringJobs.Com
	Ford Motor Co. Corporate Recruitment
	JobSite - real estate finance, construction and engineering in the U.K.
	Junior Engineering Technical Society
	Lucas Digital Ltd. LLC - Recruiting
	Manufacturing.Net
	Michael Latas & Associates - a placement agency specializing in architecture, construction management, and engineering.  There was no mention of a fee.
	National Academy of Engineering (NAE)
	National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME)
	National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM)
	National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
	National Engineers Week
	National Science Foundation
	National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
	National Society of Professional Engineers
	NationJob Engineering & Manufacturing Jobs Page
	Niche Jobs
	Prime Source - Engineering Careers
	Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network
	Shell Group
	Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
	Society of American Military Engineers (SAME)
	Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
	Society of Manufacturing Engineers
	Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists (MAES)
	Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
	Women in Engineering Programs and Advocates Network

SAMPLE JOB TITLES

Entry Level:		Experienced:
	Computer Programmer		Architect
	Drafter		Computer Software Engineer
	Engineering Manager		Geoscientist
	Engineering Technician		Mathematician
	Natural Science Manager		Physicist

ENHANCING EMPLOYABILITY

Participate in internships

Computer-related skills

Strong problem-solving, decision-making skills

Ability to communicate ideas in writing, visually and verbally

Strong ability to work under pressure

Strong research skills