Your new mobile phone or your tablet computer? Electronics engineers have had a hand in making it. What about the make-up or deodorant you’re wearing? Chemical engineers will have tested out the product in a laboratory. The car you travel in? Automotive engineers have worked in a team to make it happen.

Engineering is central to an exciting range of businesses and industries, including space, construction, transport, cosmetics, medicine, food, fashion and much more. With engineering, you can follow your interests – if you like sport, you can work as an engineer improving the performance of new tennis rackets.

Engineers work in offices, laboratories, film studios, in the outdoors and underground. Engineering today is closely linked with technology, and plays a major role in many technological advances and new device production. You might be reading this on your phone, and that will be thanks to engineers.

As an engineer you could be designing colour-matching technology to determine the best make-up for different skin tones or working as part of a team to improve the performance of artificial hip joints. Meanwhile, the perks of a job in the food industry may include tasting the chocolate prior to production!

FAQs

What is engineering?
What does an engineer do?
What jobs are there in engineering?
Do I have to be good at physics,chemistry and mathematics?
If I only choose science subjects, doesn’t that limit my options?
Can I earn good money if I go to university?
Are there apprenticeships in engineering?
Can I earn good money through an apprenticeship?
Do we need more engineers in this country?
Is it a good job?
Isn’t it just for men?
Will I get my hands dirty?
How much money do engineers earn?
How can I get work experience in engineering?
Sounds interesting! So how do I get into it?

Discover more about the wide variety of careers in engineering...

Engineers influence every aspect of modern life and it’s likely that today you will have already relied on the expertise of one or more engineers.

Perhaps you woke to a DAB clock radio, or used a train or a bus? Maybe you’ve listened to an iPod? Or watched television? Did you wash your hair today? Do you have a mobile phone in your pocket or trainers on your feet? 

These have all been designed, developed and manufactured by engineers. Here are some examples of where engineers work to get you started.

Sound and acoustics engineer
Food engineer
Safety engineer
Transport engineer
Medical engineer
Systems engineer
Environmental engineer
Aeronautical engineer
Textile engineer
Renewable energy engineer