Factors Influencing the Choice of an Engineering Career

In two National Engineering Career Development Surveys, engineering students (N = 960) and graduates (N = 2401) were found to be quite similar in their ratings of the relative importance of various factors which influenced them to pursue careers in engineering. Work-related factors (especially challenge, creativity, independence, problem solving, and salary) were found to be most important followed by school-, people-, and hobby-related factors. In selecting engineering as a career, graduates were more apt than students to cite related work experiences, and students were more apt to cite security and rapid advancement. Other differences were noted when comparisons were made by sex, ethnic group, and field of engineering. Women and minorities tended to rate independence, challenge, female role models, and precollege programs to be of greater importance than did men and majority students. Differences among engineers in different fields were observed primarily in their ratings of related hobbies. For example, electrical and mechanical engineers were more influenced in their career choices by electrical and mechanical hobbies than were engineers in other fields. Electrical and computer engineers were influenced strongly by computers, chemical engineers by high school science and college chemistry courses, and civil and agricultural engineers by outdoor activities.