What Drove You Towards a Career in Engineering?

Question

As we're using this space to explore the various routes towards turning a passion for engineering into a business, I thought it might be interesting to hear from members who have already made, or are in the process of making that leap.

Were you a childhood enthusiast or did your interest come later in life?
Was it your first career path, or did you switch from something else?
What attracted you to your chosen field of specialism - special interest, career opportunities, salary?
Did you gain a professional qualification at University or go back for mature/post-graduate study?
Did you experience any setbacks or personal doubts about making engineering your profession?

Share your stories in the comments section below, we may collate the most interesting answers for a feature later down the line.

Happy Friday!

jack.chaney56 · Answer

...sort of a family business. My dad was an EE for "The Phone Company" from after he left the military (WWII). My brother is mechanical, and I am embedded systems. I was pretty good in math and most of the sciences, so engineering seemed like a good fit. That, along with the knowledge that, as an engineer, you never get super rich, but you can always have a job, made the choice pretty logical. But the question is "what drove you to engineering"... When asked "How did you find America?" by a reporter, John Lennon said "We made a left at Greenland"... so to answer "what drove you to engineering" it was the family station wagon Jack I just reread the list of items, and it is more of a survey, so to answer "all" the questions,.. My brother and I used to wrap wire around nails and hook them up to a battery to make electromagnets Not my first, I spent 9 years in the restaurant business. Computers, led to video games, led to control systems Went back to school and got a BS in computer science Never about choosing engineering, several about the choice of companies To a person, engineers are the most interesting people I encounter. Confrontation is in the form of intellectual discussion, and not personal attack, mostly because someone thinks they have a better solution.

johnbeetem · Answer

Google Translate did a good job with most of Jose's comment, but I'd translate the last line as: "There are many things I could add for you but I don't want to tire you, I'll say goodbye with a big hug."

What Drove You Towards a Career in Engineering?

Top Replies