What else can I do with an engineering degree?

Question

I am an engineer, and have been fairly successful in my career.. However, I'm not really that excited about engineering and haven't been for some time. Does anyone know what else I could do with my Bachelor's in Computer Engineering besides engineering? It's hard to let go because it pays so much better than anything else I could do, but it's also slowly destroying my soul. Thanks.

Answer 1

You could try taking the specialized knowledge that you have from your degree and get a job as a stock analyst for companies in that field. If you got an MBA, you'd be in a really good position to do so.

How about teaching math and science? There's a shortage of teachers who are really qualified in those areas.

How about taking your expertise and getting a job with a nongovernmental (or even a governmental ) aid agency? You could help teach other engineers, or become an administrator of aid projects in your field. There's a shortage of engineering knowledge in many countries, and you'd have a chance to travel and experience other countries.

Go back to graduate school. An engineering degree is a good thing to have in many fields. Some pretty famous psychologists (my field) have undergraduate degrees in engineering, especially in areas like cognitive psychology.

If you're in something like electrical engineering or computer engineering (or even mechanical engineering), there's a fascinating field called "human factors research" that combines things like computers, psychology, and industrial design to make products that are more useable. Not enough people are paying attention to making products useable by ordinary human beings, and it's a growth area as companies are becoming aware that this is an issue. It's creative and scientific.

Sort of like the last recommendation, see if there is any interdisciplinary field in which your knowledge would be useable. You don't have to give up what you know and might like the challenge of learning something new.

Sales might be interesting too; see if there is a job selling products that require your expertise.

A lot of engineers don't like writing, but if you're good at it, perhaps you could become a technical writer. There's always a shortage of people who can communicate technical concepts to the rest of us in things like user manuals.

Answer 2

Sounds like you're ready for grad school. Just kidding (but not really). I can't offer a lot of advice since I'm in the same boat. But seriously, you should consider a graduate degree. It can be a way to reinvent yourself. If nothing else, you'll be able to earn more, and hopefully doing something you actually want to do.

You're lucky in that computer engineering is such a marketable degree (if you want to still be able to use it). I can't think of an area where computer savvy isn't a plus. Any kind of hard science research requires a good amount of computer skills. I worked (briefly) in a biomedical lab doing work on epilepsy and they wrote all of their own software, and I'm sure it was a computer engineer who wrote it and not one of the students. Science students, in my experience, don't have a lot of skills in that area, so already, you have an edge over them.

Sorry if you've already ruled out grad school.

Outside the box: music producer, graphic designer, web designer, teacher (anywhere, any kind, always in high demand)

Also, you could be an air traffic controller. My parents keep trying to sell me that idea. I don't know why. I guess they make good money or something.

Also, talk to someone slightly older than you who seems happy with their life. It can help.

Good luck

Answer 3

What do you want to do? If you find something you really love you might choose to ignore your degree.
I know someone who has a PhD in botany who teaches crafts in an elementary school. Of course with a PhD teaching was probably in her future anyway, but I guess when she had her own kids she decided kids where more inteesting than university students. The point is that just because you have a degree in one thing doesn't mean you can't do something completely different.

Answer 4

Well. not really/
Since there's a lot of us with masters
degree in engineering. Wondering
what to do with an MS degree in engineering
when the moron computer engineers
from GM have exported all are jobs
to Hindu retards at Halliburton.

Answer 5

I understand. I found having a massive heart attack was the way out. I don't have any suggestions but your doing the right thing.

Think hard about what you like to do. Managment isn't a cakewalk.

Answer 6

If you work for the U.S. Patent Office as a patent examiner for two years, they pay for your law degree.

Or you could just study for the patent bar, and become a patent agent (doesn't pay as well as a lawyer, of course).

Or you could go into sales.

Answer 7

It means going back to school, but engineers can be good at technical fields of law such as patent law.

Answer 8

Use it to wipe yourself when your done your number two or you could light your cigs with it or maybe make it into a real cool looking high school diploma or hang it on your I love me wall or rip it to shreds or stop freaking worring about it and get a motherfreaking job with it, einstien.

Answer 9

Listen up..................we all struggled............... You can make it.................Good Luck.