If you had to choose a different career to use your engineering background in, what would you choose and why?

That’s an interesting question, as it makes me curious about what you imagine is a “traditional engineering role.” Quickly off the top of my head I know of friends with engineering degrees who work in sales, product design, quality assurance, testing, marketing, teaching, art, real estate, medicine, library science, data analytics, writing, programming, human resources, and own their own shops/stores. And even within those buckets there’s a ton of different industries, geographies, and paths that people took to get to that current career. Engineering degrees are great for developing so many different skills like problem solving, communicating information, thinking critically, working on teams, and doing research, all of which are applicable to a million careers.

But back to the original question of what I would do with my engineering background if I had all the choices in the world (i.e., time, money, and no other roadblocks would keep me from being successful), I would LOVE to be a science demonstrator for kids – maybe travel to schools with my engineering contraptions and entertain and teach kids all about science and engineering a fun, engaging way!

If the first engineering (or any) path you take isn’t what you want, you will have many opportunities to find a different path, so don’t feel like you’ll be stuck in a narrow direction just because you picked a certain degree or are in a certain role in that moment in time. Best of luck!

An engineering degree prepares you for a plethora of career opportunities. The fundamentals that you learn can be applied in the world of fashion, entertainment, medicine, and many more. I personally have several schoolmates who are now doctors, Imagineers (at Disney), CEO at clothing brands, and even SVP of Caesars Palace.

You have the capability to make your career in any field you personally love or want to be involved in. In my case, I’ve always loved cars and spent my career in auto. But, when I left automotive, I went into smart cities and smart mobility which spanned all modes of transit and how transit can really improve people's lives.

When I think of “traditional engineering,” I think of a role that is very technical. There are a vast amount of roles that engineers can have that are far from the technically detailed roles.

I am a Chemical Engineer and have been a Project Manager, in charge of organizing/executing/leading capital projects for new installations in a production facility, as well as a Continuous Improvement Leader, who is responsible for organizing a team around a common goal and driving the team to take action and unlock additional capacity in the current facility. I am currently moving into a Supply Chain Planner role, which is responsible for reviewing production and sales inputs to ensure that we are able to fulfill our customers’ orders and meet our contractual obligations.

Lots of great opportunities that aren’t related to thermodynamics and kinetics!

An Engineering degree is a great way to launch so many careers! I have friends that went on to be doctors (especially Chemical Engineers), lawyers, librarians, teachers, pilots, politicians, accountants, and the list goes on! Engineering involves a lot of problem solving, which is used in basically everything we do in life. After 15 years working as an engineer, I got into project management and program management. My problem solving skills were a great help when things didn't go as planned, and when confronted with difficult problems.

If I had to choose a different career to use my engineering background in, it would probably be teaching. Ever since my first year of college, I've gravitated towards STEM Outreach and frequently volunteer and lead these types of events, so teaching would be a natural transition. Fun fact: I even got to put together and teach a full lesson plan for a 4th grade classroom as part of my classes during undergrad through Drexel's DragonsTeach program.

Regardless of what field you choose post college, an engineering degree is an excellent foundation for any career! Through your degree program, you will learn critical thinking skills which are key to breaking down any problem. The type of problems will change of course depending on what field you choose, but that core skill will be helpful if you choose a non-traditional engineering role.

The short answer is whatever strikes your fancy. Reason: Engineering provides you with a plethora of skills most people don't have.

You know how to size up and analyze a situation. You developed critical thinking skills. You know how things work. And you know how to fix a variety of things both tangible and not tangible.

So you can go anywhere and do most anything.

This is a great question! What would you like to do? I've known engineers that have moved into supply chain management, operations roles, human resources, and marketing. I think it is the best career to launch and have the opportunity to move into other disciplines.

As a senior manager, people in my team were often asked to move into other areas. Many of the groups at John Deere, wanted at least one or two people with engineering backgrounds to move into their groups. You take with you an understanding of products, (usually) the business and strong problem solving skills, which is needed in most careers!

Actually, this is a bit of a problem for companies: females in engineering have such great opportunities in other areas that they often move out before they get to senior levels. Keep this in mind: you can always come back to engineering and represent women in senior engineering roles, even if you take a detour. I did!

If I had to choose a different career path from traditional engineering, I would choose Geoinformatics and in fact, that’s exactly what I’m doing!

Originally trained in Civil Engineering, I was always passionate about understanding the physical world and building things that serve people. But over time, I felt drawn toward something more data-driven and analytical, a field that still connects with the environment, infrastructure, and society, but with a broader and more technological perspective.

That’s when I discovered Geoinformatics and I like to say, “Geoinformatics, oh, Geoinformatics!” because it truly changed the way I see engineering and its potential. It merges spatial data, satellite imagery, mapping technologies, and GIS tools to analyze everything from urban planning and disaster management to environmental monitoring and smart cities.

I’m currently pursuing my M.Sc. in Geoinformatics through distance learning while building my skills in GIS tools like ArcGIS. What excites me most is how geoinformatics empowers engineers to make smarter, real-time, data-driven decisions, a career path that feels both innovative and deeply impactful.

To anyone considering something beyond a traditional engineering job: there’s a whole world of interdisciplinary opportunities out there and Geoinformatics is a powerful bridge between engineering, data science, and societal needs.

I’m really pleased that I chose solar energy, but if I were to choose a different career, it would be medicine – there is so much about our bodies that we don’t understand. Today’s medicines are good at prolonging our lives, but how can we use our knowledge to improve our quality of life?

What problems in the world do you care about? What do you enjoy doing in your free time — building things, helping people, creating art, solving puzzles? Connect that to how engineering skills can apply.

Engineering teaches you how to think in systems, solve problems, and build real things. That’s a superpower you can use almost anywhere — from space missions to designing apps, making movies, or helping people live healthier lives.

Here are some exciting careers where engineering is useful, but not always obvious:

• Product Designer: Combine creativity + tech to design apps, gadgets, or fashion.
• Robotics for Healthcare: Build devices that help people walk, see, or move again.
• Tech & Storytelling (e.g. Pixar, VR): Use coding and physics to tell visual stories.
• Sustainability Specialist: Design systems to fight climate change.
• Space Mission Analyst: Plan what goes on a Mars rover!
• Entrepreneur: Build your own product or startup around something you believe in.

Your engineering background is a toolbox. What you build with it depends on your interests and imagination. You don’t have to follow a straight line — the world needs creative thinkers everywhere.