What Does an Engineer Do?

Engineers design, develop, and build materials, machines, and systems by applying the principles of science and mathematics to create economical solutions to technical problems.

What specifically engineers do depends primarily on the type of engineer. There are mechanical, civil, chemical, electrical, and more types of engineers, which are further broken down into subcategories, leaving you with thousands of possibilities of what an engineer does. Engineers have a plethora of possible career paths and job opportunities, all of which can positively impact people’s lives.

What Does an Engineer Do on a Daily Basis?

Some of the most popular careers in engineering include electrical, mechanical, chemical, and civil engineering. Below, we describe examples of relevant industries these types of engineers work with, what they create, and projects they may work on:

1) What does an electrical engineer do?

Electrical engineers can find jobs in a wide range of engineering industries, such as aerospace, automotive, and consumer electronics. For example, electrical engineers design the interfaces that transfer electricity from an engine to an aircraft.

2) What does a mechanical engineer do?

Mechanical engineers, on the other hand, perform tasks like designing infrastructure, manufacturing personal hygiene products, or developing railways.

3) What does a chemical engineer do?

Chemical engineers carry out their careers inventing pharmaceuticals, running food processing operations, or even creating new electronic and advanced materials and polymers for future technologies.

4) What does a civil engineer do?

Civil engineers design, build, and supervise both public and private construction projects, such as airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and water supply systems. There’s also a new sub-discipline of  civil engineering referred to as geotechnical engineering, in which engineers deal with the science of soils and rocks. So these kinds of engineers are busy analyzing and designing foundations, slopes, roadways, and anything else that’s made of soil and rock.

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Examples of What Engineers Create and Develop

Now you’re probably wondering, “But what do engineers do that will get me excited about a career in engineering?” Here are some interesting examples of how our daily lives are impacted  by the work of engineers.

Engineers Create Fashion Items 

The shoes on your feet were designed with the help of engineers. Companies like Nike have recruited teams of shoe engineers (yes, shoe engineers) to design shoes that meet certain biomechanical requirements while still maintaining comfort and protection.

Engineers Develop Experiences

Amusement park enthusiasts will be interested to know that engineers have made critical contributions to theme parks as well. Developing roller coasters, thrill rides, and controlling other aspects of the park itself, like lighting and crowd flow, are all left to engineers. The next time you go to a water park, you can thank a civil engineer for the slippery part of the water slide you’re gliding down.  In fact, the first Ferris Wheel, created in 1893 and containing 140-foot steel beams and a 45-foot axle, was also created by an engineer (George W. Ferris).

Engineers Create Special Effects

We’ve certainly all indulged in some good movies in our lifetime. Well, have you ever seen Jurassic Park, Star Wars, or Avatar? Computer engineers play a monumental role in the development of special effects for films like these.

Engineers Make Space Travel & Research Possible

If you’re a space enthusiast, take a moment and think about NASA’s manned Mars mission, scheduled to take place within the next decade. Aerospace engineers are working feverishly to develop the software, spacecraft, robotics systems, food, medical supplies, and other life-sustaining technology to support this mission. These engineers are at the forefront of making it possible for humans to survive on other planets.

Engineers Enable Technological Advancement

Drones, cars, smartphones, computers, aircraft, robots—any device or gadget you can possibly think of—has been imagined, designed, created, or overseen by an engineer.

Skills Needed to be an Engineer

Some of the soft skills that are most helpful in becoming and excelling as an engineer include being:

• collaborative.

• creative.

• fastidious.

• communicative.

• solution-oriented.

Technical skills for engineers are also critical but vary depending on your specialty. Some common technical skills for engineers include:

• Programming

• Data analysis

• Computer science

• Mathematics 

• Software development

We can’t possibly list every amazing thing engineers do or all of their attributes, but if you have the desire and drive to do something impactful yourself, engineering certainly gives you plenty of room to find your niche.