Engineer Job Description

An engineer is a professional career where an individual uses scientific knowledge to find solutions to technical problems. Engineers are mainly concerned with innovations to improve systems and the day-to-day lives of people. Engineering is a broad field; types of engineers include automotive engineers, chemical engineers, biomedical engineers, civil engineers, computer engineers, electrical engineers, industrial engineers, material engineers, mechanical engineers, nuclear engineers, and petroleum engineers.

What would I do?

The primary duties of engineers includes designing, developing, evaluating, testing, modifying, and installing products and systems. There are various engineering specialties allowing work with different materials in fields such as electronics, nuclear power, or transportation systems. 

Am I suited for this job?

Successful engineers have strong math and science skills, excellent communication, good teamwork skills, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. They are also detail-oriented and imaginative. 

The Environment/Typical Day

A typical day for an engineer will depend on the area of specification, but there are some general roles and job duties. Engineers create, design, and review plans for machines and/or products to solve problems. They also spend their time creating the financial budget to execute the plan, and monitoring it to ensure they stay within the proposed budget. They may also hold a supervisory role, and therefore, their day-to-day work includes supervising the project team to ensure they keep to the schedule and deliver quality work. Additionally, after completing a project, they must meet with clients to ensure the project meets the required standard and is satisfactory for the client. Due to the technical and problem-solving nature of engineering, no two days will ever look the same. 

The work environment depends on the specialization area. Some engineers work in office buildings. Others work in laboratories or manufacturing plants. Others work outdoors in construction sites, and some, such as marine engineers, even work underwater or in submarines. Depending on the specialization, engineering work involves a lot of travelling between the site and the office. 

Much like everything else, typical hours for engineers also depends on the specialty. According to Job Bank, engineers work between 35 to 40 hours weekly, with some specialties such as petroleum engineers, materials engineers, and refinery engineers working more than 40 hours in a week. Most positions are full-time, but some are part-time or short-term contract opportunities. 

What are the Wages and Benefits?

Salary will vary depending on area of specialization, industry, and years of experience. According to Job Bank, the average salary of an engineer is $93,634 per year, or $48.02 per hour. Randstad also states that earnings in entry-level roles begin at $69,886 per year, and with increased experience and educational qualifications, one can make up to $147,769 per year. 

Through Engineers Canada, engineers have access to many benefits as a perk of their profession. These include insurance, financial security programs, health and dental care, disability income replacement, home and auto insurance, car rental, pet health, professional liability insurance, term life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance, rail travel benefits, retiree health and dental benefits, secondary professional liability insurance, and shipping. Depending on the organization and the benefit package, there may also be additional benefits provided. 

What is the Job Outlook in Canada?

According to Randstad, research predicts that from 2018 to 2028, the engineering industry will see an increase of 11,300 mechanical engineering jobs, 18,900 jobs, and overall, 25,600 job seekers. 

Job Bank similarly makes predictions on the job outlook for engineering, but for a wider variety of specializations. It predicts the prospects for 2022 to 2031 for the following engineering fields:

• Civil Engineers: There will be 26,100 job openings and 32,300 job seekers
• Mining/Mineral Engineers: There will be 6,100 new job openings and 7,700 new job seekers
• Chemical Engineers: There will be 2,000 new job openings and 2,200 new job seekers
• Computer Engineers (excluding software engineers and designers): There will be 12,400 job openings and 13,900 new job seekers
• Software Engineers and Designers: There will be 44,300 job openings and 48,800 new job seekers
• Electrical and Electronics Engineers: There will be 12,600 job openings and 13,700 new job seekers

How do I become an Engineer? 

To become an engineer, you must complete an undergraduate engineering program, which takes three to four years on average. The program must be accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board, the official organization that accredits undergraduate engineering programs in Canada. Once completed, you become an engineer-in-training by registering with the regulatory board in your province or territory. 

You can then gain work experience by working under the supervision of a professional engineer for four years to qualify for the engineering exam. This exam, called the National Professional Practice Examination, allows you to get a Professional Engineer’s License, in all provinces except British Columbia and Ontario. In British Columbia, you register with the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia to receive your License, and in Ontario, you register with the Professional Engineers Ontario. 

Some fields of engineering may require more than a bachelor’s degree and in that case, you would pursue a master’s program which is one to two years on average. 

Where would I work?

Engineers work in both the public sector and the private sector. Those in the public sector typically work on large-scale, long-term, complex projects that serve the public interest. These projects may involve various stakeholders and constraints, and require collaboration across several agencies and levels of government. On the other hand, engineers who work in the private sector usually work on smaller, short-term, and more specific projects with the goal of meeting the expectations and needs of a market or particular client. These projects may allow for more flexibility and creativity, requiring that the engineer adapt to changing demands. 

How do I Find a Job?

There are various websites dedicated to engineering jobs. Some of them are: Randstad, EngineeringCareers.ca, and Job Bank. 

There are also various job boards that you can search for jobs such as Indeed, Jobilico, CareerBuilder, Monster, and HRDC. 

Many companies also have their own career sites listed on their website. If you have a specific organisation or company that you would like to work for, visit their website regularly to keep up-to-date on new available jobs. 

Applying for a Job

To get an interview, your resume and cover letter must be engaging and relevant to the role. Pay attention to the presentation and layout, focusing on readability, clean formatting, and no spelling or punctuation errors. Your cover letter should complement your resume, rather than duplicate it. It should be customized to each company and position you are applying to, highlighting your interest in the role and organization, and how your skills and experiences align with the requirements of the role. 

The hiring process is usually split into multiple rounds. These rounds can include screening which is usually a telephone call where the interview focuses on your resume, past experience, and reason for wanting the position. The next round is on knowledge and skill testing, and could be in-person or over the telephone. If you pass screening, you may have one to three more rounds of conversations evaluating your knowledge and skills. In the final round, the focus is generally on cultural fit with the workplace and soft skills. 

It is important to prepare for the interview process, by finding and practising common interview questions, dressing professionally, and researching information on the different types of interviews ahead of you in the job search process. 

Where Can This Lead?

Engineers have great job prospects due to the various roles in the field. An engineer can work in any industry sector, ranging from energy and information technology to manufacturing. Starting at a junior-level position, after some years as an engineer, one can become a senior engineer or obtain a chartered status and become a consultant. At the peak of their careers, many engineers go into management positions or take on teaching positions as lecturers in universities. 

Other alternative careers with an engineering degree are:

• Consultant: A consultant is an industry expert who provides advise to businesses or individual clients. Their guidance may relate to assisting clients to make strategic decisions including optimizing processes and expanding operations. 
• Product Manager: A product manager supervises the creation of new products from their development to launch. They identify consumer needs, features of the product, evaluate progress, and work on the rollout. 
• Data Scientist: A data scientist collects and analyzes information to help organizations set goals, market products, determine prices, and consider expansion. 
• Technical Writer: A technical writer creates technical content for websites, journals, manuals, and handbooks. They can work in different industries such as government, health care, and information technology. 
• Construction Project Coordinator: Construction project coordinators plan, organize, and direct the activities of a construction project. 
• Supply chain management: This role involves managing raw materials, manufacturing processes and logistics, and production lines to maintain a supply of high-quality products to customers.