When you read the word "engineer", what do you think of? I personally think of a person designing a bridge, with steel girders and beams. My grandparents might think of someone who operates a train. My friend, who is in sales, would think of (and I quote) "guys with glasses who write computer code". But all of these are stereotypes. Let’s look at the social trend plaguing perceptions of some of the most hard working and (at times) dangerous jobs in the world.
Different kinds of engineering
Where to begin? When the word "engineer" was made, it was referring to a newly invented device, the internal combustion engine. The engine was probably the most complicated device that most people encountered, and required great understanding of physics, of mathematics, of chemistry (for the fuel), and extreme craftsmanship, not to mention wealth, to create one. It was such a distinctive mix of skills and talent, that anything difficult, technical, and hands on, that was discovered in the following centuries fell under the umbrella of "engineering". The person who built the engine of the train, became the one to drive it (of course), and so he was called the engineer.
Creating
These days, almost anything that is both creative and technical is called engineering. There are even examples that are not physically constructive tasks, such as a person who works in a TV or radio studio, or who records voice overs: they’re called a sound engineer. People who create software by typing away on a keyboard, would have been called clerks, typists, or stenographers, in a time gone past. Not today, they’ve joined the engineering club. But you wouldn’t call an artist a "paint engineer". So what attributes are required for a field or skill to be considered engineering then? I suspect it boils down to three things:
- It has to be technical
- It has to be a recognized field, that you can be trained for
- It has to involve planned or designed creation (or destruction, in the case of a demolitions engineer)
If you fit these three, I’d say there’s a fair chance that you’re already an engineer, whether your title says it or not.
Variety
Let’s turn our attention to two enlightening examples of engineering disciplines, and nearby fields, for comparison.
Electrical engineering is the discipline of designing, debugging, and building electrical circuits, products and appliances. Is an electrician an engineer? He’s certainly technical, with an understanding of voltages, currents, AC/DC, and other technical aspects of the job. He’d better be certified if he’s wiring up your house, you don’t want a fire! And finally, he’s probably doing some planning before his creation, in the sense that he can wire up a newly framed up house, or he can design and retrofit a new power socket in your kitchen. The only difference between an electrical engineer and an electrician is in who their customer is, their certification, and the level of hands-on work that they do. The electrical engineer may work for a private company who is building a washing machine. The electrician, on the other hand, is working for the owner of a new washing machine that needs a power socket installed.
Another example is a civil engineer. Civil engineering is the discipline of designing, building, and maintaining the physical and naturally built environment. Civil engineers do everything from designing a house, to building a dam, to helping in the reconstruction of a country, to planning a city. A lot of civil engineers will do some work on the field, but the more senior ones will work in offices, writing reports or working with computers. The field of civil engineering is huge, and the tasks and skills required to do them are vast. But the main difference from other engineering disciplines is the lack of variety of tasks requiring the same skills. A structural engineer may design a building, design a bridge, or design a road, without getting their boots dusty. On the other hand, in the field, a building certifier or safety inspector may then be called to inspect and certify the building before renovations are carried out, inspecting the masonry (brick work) using a high-tech device to locate rebar, so that it can be safely drilled into by laborers. That said, being a civil engineer doesn’t mean you aren’t getting your hands dirty, often civil engineers are right at the front lines of construction projects, making sure that their designs are being translated into reality accurately.
Stereotypes
While we often think of engineers as a one-size-fits-all role or profession, there are many variations and specialties within the field. I hope this article helps to dis-spell some of the assumptions that people make about engineers, and helps to bring light onto the (often) unsung heroes of our modern society. I hope that in future, engineers will be held up high as the champions of growth and progress in our society. That’s a social trend I can’t wait to see.