BlackboardEngineering a Really Good Future
According to the July 24, 2009 CNN Money Report article entitled, Most Lucrative College Degrees, an engineering degree is a good investment.
The CNN Money Report article drew on the results from a recent survey, conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), that tracks job offers to college graduates. The NACE survey revealed that 12 of the 15 top-earning degrees are in engineering. Technology jobs pay higher salaries to graduates with engineering degrees than fellow liberal arts graduates. And math is the reason why. And note, the three non-engineering degrees that made NACE's 15 top-earning degrees list, require math skills.
Ed Koc, Director of Research at NACE, remarks in the CNN article. "It's a supply and demand issue." He added, "So few grads offer math skills, and those who can, are rewarded."
Commenting on the CNN article, Jeff Garis, the Director of the Career Center at FSU, offers his thoughts. "Engineering and other mathematics-based technical careers have consistently been among the most marketable top earning college degrees for many years. The current challenging economy coupled with the continued need for energy development contributes even further to the demand for engineers. There is no question that engineers will be among the top earning graduates in achieving comparatively high starting salaries."
"However", Jeff Garis adds, "to avoid reaching a plateau in career advancement and income, many engineers may want to consider adding managerial experience to their technical prowess including leadership, communication and teamwork skills."
In regards to Petroleum Engineering being the highest earning degree according to the NACE survey, Bruce Locke, Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering has this to say, "Chemical engineering is a broad based engineering field with traditionally deep roots in chemistry as well as physics and it has been expanding significantly into the biological sciences over a number of years. A chemical engineering degree is technically very challenging, however the efforts are generally rewarded with well paid positions in industry and other organizations. There are many career opportunities for chemical engineers with bachelors, masters, and doctorate degrees in chemical, energy, pharmaceutical, and many other types of companies."
Ultimately, the decisions behind pursuing one degree over another, whether it is in the sciences or the liberal arts, are made by the individual student. To paraphrase a seasoned engineering professor, "if they (the students) are not motivated to work hard and enjoy and learn the material, first they will not get a high paying job because their grades are not good and second they will not find satisfaction in the career choice."
We all want a job that pays well and also gives us personal satisfaction. And while the college graduate's degree does determine what kinds of jobs will be open to them, so too does the current job market. How does a graduate decide? Take advantage of the career services at your college and university. Find out what's out there for you in the real world by attending recruiting fairs, and employer info sessions and job interviews. For engineering grads, follow your bliss and a great paying job by preparing now.
Engineering Day at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
Engineering Day is the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering's main recruiting event and will be held on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering from 9am to 3pm. The Fall 2009 event will host over 50 companies, non-profit and government agencies. These organizations will be recruiting for full-time, co-op, and internship positions. More than 700 students are anticipated to attend this event. The event is open to all majors, however, the focus of this exposition is engineering and technology-related majors. Some of the organizations that will be attending the event include BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC, Chevron Products Company, Frito Lay, Harris Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, MillerCoors, Northrop Grumman, Siemens, Southern Company, Syn-Tech Systems, Inc., and United States Navy. For more information about the Engineering Day Career Exposition and a current participant list visit http://www.career.fsu.edu/expos/engineering/. Please contact Candace Ford, at cmford@fsu.edu or (850) 644-8625 with any questions regarding Engineering Day!
Career Services at the College of Engineering is located in B226 and will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Engineering Day to assist you with resume and cover letter writing, job search strategies, interview preparation, and career exposition tips. No appointment is necessary.
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