At its heart engineering is about using science to find creative practical solutions. It’s a noble profession.
– Queen Elizabeth II
Engineering is growing as a field of study in colleges around the world as people continue to realize how important, interesting and lucrative this field is. Engineering uses many different areas of knowledge in the construction of machines and devices. Students in engineering are well prepared to put their skills to use in a variety of interesting careers, from building cars, spaceships, and computers to designing environmentally friendly electrical systems.
Few engineering majors in the U.S. decide to study abroad, which makes sense -- an engineering courseload is enough work as it is! However, there are quite a few top-rated engineering programs internationally that would be the perfect place to continue your technical studies, while also having the opportunity to study another language and explore a new country.
Go Abroad Before Settling In To Your Career
Engineers may have few times to travel once settled into a career, unless you’re one of the lucky few employed as a field service engineer or are involved in a lot of consulting. If you have a penchant for travelling, engineering can be difficult position to be in. A great way to fulfill your wanderlust is to take advantage of engineering study abroad opportunities before securing a position in the field. The world of professional engineering is somewhat difficult to break into, but once you do, most engineers stay with the same company for five to ten years before they have enough experience to move up in their business or move onto a different company.
Study Abroad Experience = A Stronger Resume
When trying to secure your dream job in a highly competitive market, like engineering, a study abroad experience truly can set you ahead of your peers. As the world itself becomes more global, employers are looking for those who are willing to travel, have experience doing so, and can represent their brand in a positive manner all around the world. Having engineering study abroad experience on your resume can indicate you have exceptional communication skills, you just have to make sure you are able to demonstrate the skills you’ve gained to employers as well as find a way to put the skills on your resume. The most important part of studying abroad for engineering majors is being able to apply what you have learned to your field of interest.
Once you’ve returned, be sure to reflect on how your education was improved by studying engineering abroad, in order to effectively convey the positives to future employers. If you know another language or if you learn a new language while studying engineering abroad, make sure to add that to your resume as well. Be proud of having the foresight to organize your course demands in order to travel abroad (don’t forget about the possibility to studying engineering abroad in the summer).
Consider talking points on how engineering courses in your country of choice differed from domestic classes and what that taught you about the subject itself.Your study abroad experience can be a monumental talking point about your assets if you’re able to talk about it thoughtfully.
Solidify Your Goals
It all boils down to what you want out of your education. If you’re open to learning new things, taking on new challenges, and solving problems in new and informative ways, studying abroad can only benefit your engineering skills. An engineer is someone who looks at problems, considers the risk, and plots the best course of action.
When considering studying engineering abroad, the obstacles are surmountable, the risks are low, and the rewards are limitless. Studying abroad, therefore, has the power to take an engineering student and turn them into an engineer.
