Turning Ideas Into Reality!
That's what engineers do, in a nutshell! L. Sprague DeCamp said of engineers, "The story of civilization is, in a sense, the story of engineering - that long and arduous struggle to make the forces of nature work for man's good."
What Do Engineers Do?
The best answer to this question may be "What don't engineers do?" The engineers of today are solving tomorrows problems, but in a variety of fields and ways. Some engineers create new products like combines, computers, and food products. Others conduct scientific research, working in laboratories or outdoors, perhaps monitoring water quality or developing safer food handling techniques. Other engineers test and evaluate new systems;
Competitive pressures and advancing technology are forcing companies to improve and update products designs more and more frequently. Employers are also relying on engineers to increase productivity. Another key growth area is in the environmental engineering field, as engineers are called upon to correct the environmental mistakes of past generations.
Engineering permeates all aspects of our day to day lives - from when we get up and have a shower (an engineer has designed the shower unit which contains a pump and heat exchanger, and an engineer will have been responsible for designing the process to produce large amounts of the shower gels you use); to eating your breakfast (engineers will have designed a process to produce your flakes or weetabix and pasteurize your milk); to driving or cycling or taking the bus or train to school or work (again engineers will have designed your mode of transport) and the transport system it will run on (roads, bridges, railways) and the system it will run to (the automation and control of the railway lines, traffic lights and the traffic control systems). They will also have designed your mobile phone, your computer, television or laptop.
Innovation
The diversity of engineering means that whether your interests lie in film, music, gadgets, travel, health, sport, design or the environment, there is probably an engineering role to match. These jobs frequently provide the opportunity to work at the very cutting-edge of thought and innovation, and not only here in the UK. An engineering career may provide a real opportunity to either travel with your job or to permanently relocate abroad.
Future generations will depend on your expertise. Engineers shape our world. Their input will have contributed to the making of every object you can think of. They are creative, imaginative and innovative.