What To Do After Engineering? [Answered]

“What to do after engineering?”

This is a question that haunts a lot of engineers during their 4th, 3rd or even 2nd year of engineering. There could be a lot of reasons that you’re asking yourself this question, but we’re not here to figure out the reasons. We’re here to help you figure out the solution to this question.

Before we get to that though… We need to make sure which category you fall into:

1. You know which career path you want to take
2. You have no idea which career path you want to take

The steps to make a career transition after engineering are pretty simple (not easy) once you know which career path you want to take.

(You can skip the 1st step if you fall into the 1st category)

1. Explore on Google

The first step to anything is research. If you don’t actually know what are the different available career paths out there, then you’ll have a hard time making a decision. Google is your best friend during this period!

Block out a few hours from your schedule to look up various things on Google. The goal is to just explore the different options that are out there and get aware. Try finding at least 1-3 career paths you would be interested in pursuing further.

Maybe it’s something that you’ve always wanted to pursue, maybe it’s something completely new. Just note it down on a piece of paper and go to the next step.

Here are some ideas to get your thoughts going:

• 5 Best Career Options After Engineering
• Best Career Options After Graduation

2. Start Thinking Backwards

Now that you’ve found 1-3 career paths that you want to pursue, start thinking backward. This is a very simple concept that goes something like this…

The world is a huge place and it’s very likely that someone else has already done what you want to do.

Example: You just graduated from engineering and you want to transition into something extremely specific like becoming a movie director. If you look hard enough, you’ll find someone who has already done this.

This is a great thing because now you can take inspiration from what he/she has done & how he/she has done it. To get to where he/she is, you just need to replicate the steps that he/she has taken. Once you know your end goal, it’s easier to plan backward.

Basically, it’s just these 3 simple steps:

• Find the closest real-life model of what you want to do
• Look at what he/she did & how he/she did it
• Take inspiration & do it better

SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES

You don’t have to do something completely different. The fastest way to succeed is to model someone who is already successful.

3. Take Consistent Action

The hard part with anything is taking consistent action.

Whether you want to lose weight, learn a new language, succeed in your career, do well at your job, or learn a new skill, everything takes consistent action. That’s where most people fail.

Once you find a path, you need to acquire the skills needed to follow that path. To acquire the skills, you need to take consistent actions that help you grow & get better each day.

Most people fall into the analysis-paralysis trap and overthink without engaging with the real world. Block out an hour or two daily to take relevant actions on your career change plans.

4. Look for Internships

Internships are probably the fastest way to get into the corporate world and figure out if you’d like to do a particular job or not. Within 2-3 months you’ll have a rough idea about any industry & you can decide to pursue it further. (or not)

You’re basically getting paid to learn a new skill, it’s a win-win situation.

You might even like the work and want to continue working in some cases. It’s not uncommon for companies to hire their best interns for full-time roles.

Internships are like a short-term training process where you learn the job’s ropes, understand how to conduct yourself in the workplace, and become aware of your key strengths and weaknesses. They present the perfect opportunity for you to learn and grow as a professional. Not for nothing do employers value internships/apprenticeships so much!

5. Don’t Be Scared to Dream Big

If you’re going for very unconventional career options after engineering, don’t let anyone stop you. This is your career, your work, so you’re allowed to choose whatever makes you happy.

Remember that you shouldn’t have to change your decisions just because someone else told you to, even if it’s someone that you look up to.

You should keep your ears open to opinions, but don’t base your decisions on that. Do your own research, build your own opinions & be 100% accountable for the decisions that you end up taking.  

Don’t be scared to DREAM BIG!

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