With so many different types of engineering jobs, hiring the right engineer for your next project can be a challenge. Depending on their field of study, engineers will exhibit different sets of skills and duties that they can provide to your company.
To ensure you’re hiring the right engineer, you’ll need to know what kind of work you need done and what the various duties are for different branches of engineering. Once you know this information, Austin Nichols Technical Search can help you make an informed decision about which engineering candidate you should hire next.
Determine the Type of Work You Need
Engineers work in all different types of industries. Different kinds of engineering degrees can lead to different types of jobs, and some engineers even choose to work in manufacturing jobs or construction positions.
Because there are so many branches of engineering to study, engineers must pick a field they want to specialize in. It can be challenging to know what type of engineer you need to hire, but you first must consider what work you need completed.
Electrical engineers aren’t going to work on a construction job site, just as manufacturing engineering jobs may not require sitting at a computer all day. If you can narrow down what skills your project needs in order for it to succeed, you can look for the right engineer to hire without wasting time on engineering specialties that can’t help you.
Understand Duties of Each Type of Engineer
There are numerous types of engineering services you can look into for your next project. While the list of different engineering specialties could go on forever, there are four main categories to look out for. Here is a list of engineering disciplines that are very common and that you should consider for your next hire.
1. Mechanical Engineering
As one of the most applicable engineering fields, mechanical engineering is a discipline that requires skills in creativity, problem-solving, and computer technology. Typically, mechanical engineers design, manufacture, and test products and machines. They will also investigate why certain equipment fails and what they can do to repair it.
Mechanical engineers can work in many different industries and use their analytical skills to develop products such as car parts, microscale sensors, or even spacecraft. Because these types of machinery are very important, they must be developed and designed accurately and correctly.
2. Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering is a very broad field that covers all different types of specialties and skill sets. Many electrical engineers work in computer-aided design, fiber-optic networks, circuits, car sensors, power generation, communication and navigation systems, and more.
In these industries, electrical engineers mainly design, test, and implement electrical schematics. They may create software programs to test their product and run simulations to see if it’ll work. They also look for any problems in electrical systems and troubleshoot to fix them.
3. Civil Engineering
Civil engineering tends to be more hands-on. Many civil engineers split their time between an office setting and a job site since they mainly work on major construction projects. These projects can be in the public or private sectors and include designing, building, and maintaining roads, tunnels, bridges, dams, water systems, and sewer systems.
Those working in civil engineering must keep up to date with all regulations to ensure all projects are done correctly. They must also have interpersonal skills, management skills, and an analytical mind. If any infrastructure problems arise, they must be able to troubleshoot and fix the problem.
4. Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineers rely on the basic foundations of engineering—physics, math, and chemistry—to work with chemical components and processes. They are usually employed by large plants in industries such as manufacturing, architecture, pharmaceuticals, energy sectors, biologicals, fuel production, food production, and more.
Engineers in this specialty must be able to work with chemical elements while in a lab and apply their knowledge to practical applications for commercial production. They use chemicals to develop processes for products that must be tested and improved over time.
Decide If One Engineer Will Be Able to Do What You Need
Sometimes, you may need to hire more than one engineer to get the job done. Your project may even require two or three types of engineering degrees if it has multiple facets that need to be completed.
For example, electrical engineers will handle more of the programming side of a project while engineers working in manufacturing put it together. Because skillsets vary, you may need to look for more than one engineer if the job requires it.
Keep in mind that there are dozens of engineering disciplines beyond the four listed above. “Engineering” can mean different things depending on the context, so if your project requires multiple skill sets to be completed, you may decide to hire more than one engineer to get the job done.
Understand Salary Expectations for Each Type of Engineer
Every engineering discipline has varying salary expectations. When hiring an engineer, you’ll have to consider a candidate’s degree and skillset, as well as how much experience they have. Many engineers with higher experience levels will expect to be paid more.
Here are the average salaries for each main engineering discipline as of 2020:
Many companies who can’t afford to hire an engineer long-term may look for contract-to-hire candidates. These types of engineers can fill short-term positions when their expertise is largely needed on a project.
At Austin Nichols, we specialize in finding job candidates in all different branches of engineering. If you’re a company looking to hire an engineer for your next project, we can help you find the perfect candidate. Contact us today at 816-471-5575 to get started.
