What does an engineer do?
What are the duties of an engineer?
An engineer can work with almost anything, from designing products such as mobile phones, footballs and spacecraft to developing apps and vital medicines.
If you need to take a project from idea to finished solution, the engineer's job is everything in between. We usually say that an engineer comes up with creative solutions to technical problems.
For example, you can work in
- Energy and environment
- Mechanical engineering
- Industrial Engineering and Management
- Built Environment
Who is suitable as an engineer?
Problems are not solved alone, but together.
Being an engineer is often a very social profession where you collaborate in teams, with several other professional groups and colleagues to find the smartest solution to the challenge you are facing.
It's a hugely creative profession that allows you to try new solutions and think outside the box like no one has done before.
It's great if you like to
- analyse and solve problems
- Study for a few years before you start working
- Finds technological advancements exciting
- Have a lot of choices in your career
Does an engineer have to love math?
After all, there is math and math. If we only talk about the four operations, it quickly becomes quite monotonous. But calculations are important in several areas of the engineering profession and can be seen as a basic prerequisite.
Mathematics at university/college differs a bit from that at high school. In high school, math is an isolated subject, but in engineering education, it is more of a language that allows you to communicate in other courses and subjects. It is an important tool and a crucial part of the process. Therefore, commitment and good study habits are required to succeed.
You don't need more prior knowledge than what you learned in high school. Many choose to study together with other students and solve assignments in groups. It's a great way to give each other support and help when you get stuck.
So no, you don't have to love math to become an engineer. However, you need to be comfortable dealing with some math during your education on the way to your degree.
What does an engineer earn?
The demand for technical skills and engineers is very high. Therefore, you are almost guaranteed a job when you finish your studies and also have a good chance of getting a very good starting salary.
The Swedish Association of Graduate Engineers recommends a starting salary of around SEK 40,000 per month for a civil engineer.
