CATEGORY | Engineers

The field of engineering has grown drastically in the past couple of decades, as has the overall demand for engineers in the workplace. Well over 100,000 students graduate with a degree in engineering each year, according to ASEE – that’s in the US and Canada alone. Engineers are sought after by many companies for their problem solving abilities, discipline and technical backgrounds. There is a caveat worth mentioning, though – many of these companies aren’t engineering firms. Statistics vary, but I’ve heard as many as ~50% of all engineering degree holders are not actually working as engineers. Supply and demand dictates that the more engineers there are in the workplace, there’s less of a demand for them all, and the job market gets more saturated as the pace of supply outruns the pace of demand. If you’re an engineering graduate, it’s a coin toss chance as to whether you’ll work as an engineer or not. There are, however, many alternative careers that engineers are a good fit for. Onto the main focus of this article: can an engineer become a project manager? Let’s explore it.