2012 Career Outlook for Engineers
Posted December 29th, 2011
The engineering profession, like so many others, took a hit during the 2007-2009 recession, but many engineering specialties will have been bouncing back and will continue to do so in 2012.
What’s Hot
Aerospace, biomedical, computer hardware and mechanical engineering are among the specialties that have been adding engineering jobs in recent years.
Companies are showing interest in college graduates of engineering programs. “Out of 70 employers that came to our fall 2011 campus job fair, 25 were specifically looking for engineering students,” says Bill McCarthy, associate director of the career development center at Binghamton University in New York.
Those firms were hiring for positions in computer hardware, mechanical, industrial, materials and electrical engineering.
The upshot for qualified engineering job seekers in 2012? If you knock on doors in the right industry sector, you’ll be in demand.
Auto Industry Comeback Creates Engineering Jobs
The Detroit automakers and their business partners are beginning to get credit for improving their products, and engineers are being hired to further that effort.
“The in-demand engineering jobs are in mechatronics, LED lighting and lithium-ion batteries,” says Jim Bazner, global vice president of human capital solutions at MSX International, a managed service provider specializing in auto industry talent.
Competition is fierce to hire the few individuals with a background in both mechanical and electronic engineering, according to Julie Lustig, recruiting manager at MSX. “Folks with this experience can work for a lot of different organizations,” she says.
Despite Strapped Governments, Civil Engineering Shows Bright Spots
Recovery Act money is on the wane, but civil construction projects are creating work for engineers on projects that can’t wait any longer. “We’re projecting that we will be hiring about 30 engineers as program design managers, project managers and construction managers as well as civil engineers,” says John Robak, COO of Greeley and Hansen, an environmental engineering firm based in Chicago.
“New funding opportunities in green design, particularly for sustainable infrastructure facilities, will also support growth in 2012,” he says.
Unconventional Engineering Career Opportunities
Engineers will also find novel niches of opportunity in 2012. “We’ll probably hire two to three more engineers in 2012, with advanced degrees and experience, mostly mechanical engineers, because they can work across areas,” says Jeff Richard, president of CED Investigative Technologies, a forensic engineering and accident reconstruction firm in Shelton, Connecticut.
Richard’s firm looks for engineers who can communicate: His employees might be called on to introduce concepts to clients who don’t understand the technology, or to get in front of a jury.
Relocation May Be Less Than You’re Hoping For
Engineers will be on the move in 2012, some on less favorable terms than they might like. Many companies don’t even give their current employees help with moving expenses if their jobs are relocated.
And new entrants to the field may not find jobs in the engineering hot spots of San Diego, Seattle or Chicago. “Young grads might need to go to Detroit or Texas or Fargo [North Dakota] for a few years to accumulate technical skills,” says Paul Kostek, a former president of IEEE-USA.
