10 things to do to plan before engineering career..

1. Make a list of the jobs that interest them and rank the jobs in order of interest with their favourites at the top of the list.
2. Spend some time researching each job one at a time. Sites such as http://engineersoption.blogspot.in  provide good information about the requirements of each job, the personality characteristics required, the study requirements and other details.
3. Identify anyone who works in this field or job – students can think about parents, cousins or neighbours, parent’s friends. Talking to these people about what is really involved in the job will enable students to understand the good, the bad and the ugly about that job.
4. Job ‘shadowing’ is when students spend a day (or part of a day) at work with someone in a career that interests them. Job shadowing is a great way to begin learning about careers that students think they might like.
5. Volunteer for community service for the opportunity to learn about different careers. For example, volunteering at a local engineering firm, local government office or company can give students some excellent personal insights into engineering.
6. Lend a hand on projects such as Habitat for Humanity provides the chance to learn about construction or environmental engineering.
7. Find a summer job or internship to explore different industries and earn money.
8. Locate a mentor in engineering – a mentor is someone who has done something students would like to try and is willing to share their experience with them. They can offer advice and encouragement to help students achieve their goals. Alternatively, if students don’t know someone directly they could read biographies or find TV documentaries on famous engineers.
9. Contact the professional association. Most jobs nowadays have a professional association. Most have information for students about the actual tasks involved in the job, the study requirements, and the job prospects.
10. Make a list of the positive points and negative points for each job. Students should then review their lists and see if any job ‘jumps out at them’.