Here’s Why Now is a Great Time to Get into the Engineering Field

If you want job security, check out software engineering. There are about a million unfilled software engineering positions right now with only 165,000 potential applicants. Gartner reports 63% of senior executives are quite worried about the shortage of qualified engineers to fill their open roles. Another 60% of CIOs say the skills shortage is making it hard for their company to innovate and keep up with their competitors. If you’re considering entering the engineering field, now is the time. Here are our top three reasons for learning IT engineering right now.

Reason #1 Job Security

Whether you’re a software engineer or skilled with hardware, or are even a civil or mechanical engineer, Forbes says, “The shortage (of engineers) is very clear and should concern all players in the industry.” The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports massive job growth in nearly all engineering fields, whether they focus on the digital world or in the mechanical space. In 2016 the median annual wage for engineering positions was $91,000. Given today’s demands for more digitization, skilled software engineers can use that outdated average as their baseline, not their top salary. In some of the most competitive markets, software engineers with an established set of skills will make $150,000 a year.

Reason #2 Continuous Learning

If you’re looking for engagement, consider software engineering. Technology is ever-changing, so to stay on top of the field, you should be constantly trying new things and learning new skills, from programming languages to libraries to cloud-based storage tools. This state of constant change and innovation is what keeps many people in the field. It’s an opportunity to keep your mind sharp and your skills fresh. You also get to collaborate with a lot of very smart, intellectually curious people who are building great tools. It’s the excitement of the field that keeps many software engineers happy. If you want job engagement, this is the place.

Reason #3 Creativity

Once you’ve nailed down a software language, the job can be highly creative. That’s because no two problems in software engineering are the same. This job requires a high level of creativity to solve problems. Then, because these problems can be solved in all kinds of ways, you get to use your creativity to solve them as elegantly as you can. There is cleverness and creativity even in the way you end up problem-solving. For example, some problems may require you to think like an end-user, while others may strictly be an issue related to data or simply broken code. Your job is to use your available skills and brainpower to design a well-crafted solution to get the job done.

Engineering is always about solving real-world problems through theory and then application. Your job may entail a quick fix or a series of tasks focusing on a long-term solution. This career path isn’t for everyone; it’s not a job you can sleep through, but instead one that engages all of your skills and intelligence to solve problems. If you love to solve problems but are missing some of the engagement that comes with that kind of “Ah-ha” moment, software engineering is a career path to consider.

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