Consider Non-Engineering Careers for Engineers…is it a good thing to do?
Q: Is Considering Non-Engineering Careers for Engineers even an Option?
Welcome to episode #33 of Engineering Career TV. The theme for today’s episode is: Considering non-engineering careers for engineers.
I spend almost all of the Engineering Career TV episodes answering questions that have been submitted from engineers around the world. The questions are typically focused on professional development for engineering professionals, especially relevant to practicing engineers.
You can submit questions for the show by clicking here.
Let’s jump into today’s topic: Considering non-engineering careers for engineers. This topic is based on a question from Adam, who asks the following:
Q: I work for an engineering procurement and construction firm as an engineer at a project site. Due to the type and stage of the project, I am scheduled to be laid off. There are possibilities that I could extend my employment with the firm by taking a position in a non-engineering role.
Would you recommend to a young engineer that wants to stay in engineering that they take on a non-engineering role while they seek another engineering position with a new firm or should they avoid the non-engineering position and take the layoff while seeking new engineering employment (assuming they have some savings and weren’t living pay check to pay check)?
Either way, I plan to seek a new engineering position, I’m just concerned what would look better to a future employer.
A: The full answer can be seen in the Engineering Career TV video above, but here are a few of the main points:
- There is no reason to put yourself into financial debt just because you don’t want to take a non-engineering role temporarily.
- In terms of your career overall, a more relevant question would be, should you take a role in a non-engineering job for a long period of time for whatever reason?
- I think ultimately the answer to that question comes back to you and your goals.
- The last thing you ever want to do is to get off the track to your goals.
Resources mentioned in today’s Engineering Career TV:
Ask a Question
The Engineering Mastermind
The Engineering Management Accelerator
I hope you found this episode of Engineering Career TV helpful.
Finally, to watch some of our other episodes, and get alerted to new ones, please subscribe to our show: YouTube (click here) and/or iTunes (click here).
What questions do you have about considering non-engineering careers for engineers?
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To your success,
Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success
