Werksmoontlikhede

Mechanical Engineer

If you’re looking for work that offers the perfect blend of right- and left-brain thinking, consider mechanical engineering. In this line of work you’d get the chance to shepherd devices from the theoretical design phase (hence, the right brain) to the technical production phase.

Mechanical engineers often have an innate curiosity about the way things work. For J. Robert Sims, president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, this curiosity reared its head at age 10. "I repaired an old radio and used an old power supply to experiment with the electrolysis of water. I produced a small amount of hydrogen that I proceeded to ignite," he wrote in an email. "Good judgment is not inherent in the young – that comes later with experience."

An enthusiasm for solving problems is a vital trait of mechanical engineers, says Warren Seering, a professor of mechanical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It takes creativity to shepherd a theoretical device into a practical reality. To do this, mechanical engineers research, design, develop, build and test various devices.

Computers have changed the way mechanical engineers do their work. Computing tools now "allow complex analyses to be performed in seconds that once required days or weeks of hand calculations," Sims writes. But to produce a fully refined product, mechanical engineers use grittier items, such as electric generators, industrial production equipment and material-handling systems. When confronted with the more complex and analytical portions of the occupation, being a wiz in areas like calculus and trigonometry is a major advantage.

Mechanical engineering is an exciting professional field, thanks to innovations like 3-D printing and the development of new engineering materials like carbon fiber composites. And as a result of globalization, Seering says many mechanical engineers now work in teams and create designs for communities throughout the world.


Civil engineer

Want one reason civil engineering makes for a cool job? Part of the payoff comes from stopping to take a look around. The fruits of civil engineers’ labors are seen everywhere – they have hands in building bridges, retrofitting buildings and damming reservoirs.

The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and “Spaghetti Junction” in Birmingham, England, all have something in common: talented civil engineers. Civil engineers are responsible for the world’s most inspiring buildings, bridges and roads, as well as some of the less thrilling –yet no less structurally sound –buildings, bridges and roads.

According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the scope of the profession is “the design and maintenance of public works such as roads, bridges, water and energy systems as well as public facilities like ports, railways and airports.” Civil engineering dates back centuries and is one of the largest sectors in the engineering field. Civil engineers are involved with these projects at every step, from the beginning designs to the construction to the oversight when the project is complete. Job responsibilities include analysis – especially in the planning stage – of survey reports and maps. A civil engineer’s duties may also include breaking down construction costs and considering government regulations and potential environmental hazards. Civil engineers also perform experiments, whether that’s testing soils to determine the strength of a project’s foundation or assessing building materials to determine whether, for instance, concrete or asphalt would work best for a certain project. They also need financial acumen, since they provide cost estimates for equipment and labor, as well as knowledge of software programs for use in planning and designing systems and structures.

Civil engineering is a broad field. Specialties include architectural, structural, transportation, traffic, water resources and geotechnical engineering. Environmental engineering is another specialty, and it uses engineering principles to both protect the health of nature and people. Civil engineers may work for state or local governments or in the private sector at consulting or construction firms. Some civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions, while others pursue careers in design, construction or teaching.