In this fast-changing world, knowledge is power and education is a necessity. In its different shades, engineering is one of the fields that is still very much relevant in today’s world and will remain so for centuries to come.
To excel in this age, you need to build a career in your field of interest and engineering is a discipline with various facets, one of which might interest you. Join me on this journey to learn more about engineering, its various fields of specialization, and why you should build a career in one.
Table of Contents
What is Engineering?
Engineering can be defined as the application of mathematics, natural science, and engineering development processes to increase the productivity and efficiency of tools, machines, and manufacturing processes in order to improve systems and solve technical problems.
It is also the application of scientific principles in constructing machines designed to operate and behave the same under specified operating conditions.
Who is an Engineer?
An engineer is a professional that uses scientific knowledge and principles to construct, design, and maintain tools, machines, structures, and data systems to increase productivity and improve human day-to-day activities. In Nigeria, engineers are well-paid professionals and highly respected people in society.
The Engineering Industry
Engineering industry is a term used to describe the industry devoted to the manufacture of machine tools, engines, and machinery through the application of mathematical skills, scientific knowledge of nature, and the utilization of engineering design and analysis. The engineering industry can also be referred to as the various engineering fields or industries in which engineers can work to design innovative solutions that can assist industries in creating positive changes that will move society forward.
Why You Should Choose Engineering As a Career Path
The course “engineering” and the title “Engineer” is one of prestige! Engineering as a discipline is a diverse industry with a wide range of specialties. Being an engineer assures you of financial security, flexibility of schedule, and job satisfaction. As an engineer, you can make a real difference because you possess the skill to design and create things that matter.
Engineering brings out the potential in you! It helps to build and improve problem-solving skills and the ability to think outside the box. Pursuing a career in engineering is highly beneficial not only because of the financial rewards but also because of the opportunities and appealing benefits associated with it.
However, you must acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to become a successful engineer. Not only that, you must have the passion to pursue a career in your chosen engineering field, because when the road gets rough, the passion will keep you going!
Career Paths in Engineering
Engineering as a profession consists of various careers in which one can specialize. Careers in engineering are the same as engineering courses and types of engineering. To be an engineer, you must find your field of interest and obtain the requirements to become a professional. Here are some of the main courses in engineering:
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Electrical engineering
The term “Electrical engineering”, also called Electronics engineering, is a field of engineering focused on building, designing, and maintaining electrical control systems, devices, equipment, and other machines that utilize electrical energy and electromagnetism.
Electrical engineering consists of 3 major fields:
> Power engineering: This is also referred to as power systems engineering, it deals with the operation of turbines, boilers, generators, and other equipment to generate, transmit, and utilize electrical power for the provision of heat, refrigeration, power supply, and other utility services necessary for commercial and institutional buildings, industries and work sites.
> Control engineering: This sub-field of electrical engineering is a discipline that concentrates on control systems (a set of devices that controls or regulates the behavior of other devices or systems) and their analysis, design, and optimization. Control engineering is of 3 types: output control, behavioral control, and clan control. They are all aimed at the efficiency and optimization of control systems.
> Electronics engineering: This is a modern engineering discipline centered on developing devices and machines using electrical energy. It also deals with the study of and real-life application of electricity and electromagnetism. Electronic engineering is a key force driving the growth of telecommunication and information technology today.
Electrical engineers are highly employable as they can work in any organization that uses electricity, such as indoor offices, industries, and sites.
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Civil engineering
This professional engineering discipline deals with the planning, construction, design, and maintenance of physically and naturally built infrastructures in the environment.
It also involves supervising infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, tunnels, dams, canals, airports, pipelines, sewage systems, structural components of railways and buildings. A professional civil engineer can work as a surveyor or consultant for government and privately owned construction companies.
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Chemical engineering
Chemical engineering is a field built on the principles of chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, and economics and the utilization of chemical processes to manufacture products. It involves the conversion of nanomaterials and nanotechnology into large-scale industrial processes that convert raw materials, chemicals, and microorganisms into useful forms and products.
Chemical engineers can work in breweries, refineries, plant activity and plant surveillance industries.
Read also: Automotive Engineering: All you need to know about it.
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Mechanical engineering
This broad engineering discipline combines the principles of engineering physics, engineering math, and its application to material science. A mechanical engineer builds, designs, and develops anything that moves, from machines to components to the human body.
Mechanical engineering is focused on creating technologies to make daily human activities much easier and to meet human needs. To ensure the proper and safe functioning of their designs, mechanical engineers use the principles of force, energy, and motion to analyze their work.
Mechanical engineers are employable in offices, research and development institutes, and manufacturing companies.
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Biomedical engineering (BME)
Biomedical engineering is the application of the principles of engineering and physics to solve medical and biological problems. Biomedical engineers build and design machines, equipment, computer systems, software, and devices to diagnose and solve certain health issues.
Many of the standard health instruments used in hospitals and laboratories today were created and designed by biomedical engineers. The primary aim of biomedical engineering is to improve healthcare in our world today. Biomedical engineers are mostly found in laboratory and clinical settings.
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Environmental engineering
This broad engineering discipline, formerly known as Sanitary engineering, is focused on developing solutions to environmental and planetary health problems. Environmental engineering applies the principles of mathematics, chemistry, physics, geology, hydraulics, ecology, hydrology, and economics to create solutions to adverse environmental effects.
The focus of this profession is to protect humans, protect the ecosystem, and improve the quality of the environment. Environmental engineers are highly employed in government environmental agencies and construction companies.
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Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is a professional discipline primarily concerned with the building and development of aircraft and spacecrafts. It is mainly divided into 3 parts:
> Aeronautical engineering: This sub-field of Aerospace engineering deals with the manufacture, design, maintenance, and testing of flight-capable machines.
> Astronautical engineering: Astronautical engineering is the construction, design, analysis, and testing of rockets, satellites, and spacecraft.
>Avionics engineering: This aspect of engineering deals only with the electrical part of aircraft and spacecraft.
Aerospace engineers can work in Airports, Aviation firms, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
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Petroleum engineering
This field of engineering deals with the extraction, exploration, purification, and refining of hydrocarbons such as crude oil and natural gas. A Petroleum engineer develops and designs methods for extracting oil and gas from sub-surface reservoirs. They are involved in all the stages of oil and gas extraction and field evaluation.
Petroleum engineering applies the principles of science and geology to the exploration and expansion of natural hydrocarbons. They are employable in refineries and oil and gas companies.
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Nuclear engineering
This field of engineering focuses on the application and science of nuclear and radiation processes. It is primarily concerned with building, designing, and maintaining systems that use nuclear energy. The utilization of atomic power is eminent in the generation of electricity through nuclear fission.
Nuclear engineering is concerned with the maintenance of power plants and also how to build and design new power plants. This discipline covers various fields, including defense, medicine, security, and research. A nuclear engineer can work in research institutes, power generation companies, and space regulation organizations.
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Materials engineering
This deals with the study of materials at the atomic level. Material engineers use their knowledge of the qualities of materials to conduct research and to test how such materials can be used to develop technology. They also develop manufacturing processes and explore the impact of different materials on the environment.
Materials engineers can solve problems in engineering fields such as electrical, mechanical, chemical, nuclear, civil, and aerospace engineering. Hence, they can be employed in laboratories, factories, and industries.
Read also: Adult Education in Nigeria: What it is and Why it matters.
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Computer engineering
Computer engineering is a field of electronic engineering and computer science that deals with building, designing, and integrating computer systems. It is divided mainly into 2 parts:
> Hardware engineering: This sub-field of computer engineering centers on designing, developing, and testing new computers and devices.
> Software engineering: Software engineering involves the application of engineering principles and programming knowledge to build, design, test, and maintain software solutions for end users. A software engineer can also be called a Computer scientist.
Computer engineers are employable in indoor offices, companies, banks, research institutes, and other clerical organizations that use computers.
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Food engineering
This is an academic, scientific, and professional field that interprets and applies principles of science, mathematics, and engineering to manufacturing food. Food engineers design and develop methods of food production and conservation.
Food engineering relies on food science and other engineering disciplines such as mechanical, electrical, agricultural, and chemical engineering. It also combines the study of more chemical and physical concepts such as food chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry, and agriculture.
Food engineers are employed in food industries, beverage factories, and flour mills.
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Conclusion
Making a decision to go into engineering is one that you can never regret. It offers many advantages and opportunities here in Nigeria and other countries. Feel free to explore any career path in engineering that may interest you.
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Edited by Oluwanifemi Akintomide.
About Author
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Obafaiye Precious is a content writer by skill. I love to articulate ideas, thoughts and memories into words, and am a deep lover of poetry. I'm Nigerian by birth, I love to write about my country and Africa at large!
I hope to become one of the best professional content writers.
So help me God!
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