Before you finish your studies as an engineering design technician, you’ll want to consider which kinds of opportunities are available to you. You’ll also want to ensure that this environment is a good fit for you, and you’ll want to be aware of its expectations. There are several types of workplaces that are suitable for this type of career, and ones where students can use their knowledge of BIM, design data analysis, design production, and problem-solving to help work on a variety of projects while pursuing their passion for engineering design.
Any of these environments can be where students build a brighter future for themselves as an engineering design technician, whether working directly alongside engineers and architects, or mostly alone. Here are some possible work environments you are likely to encounter during your engineering design technician career.
Architectural Offices: Why They’re Great
Working in an architectural office as professional helping architects bring their projects to life, whether commercial or residential, is a great environment for engineering technicians after their studies. Here, you can work alongside architectural professionals, analyzing design data and assisting in the production of models for different architecture projects.
You can find yourself working for a smaller or larger architectural office during your career in engineering design technology, both of which have their set of pros and cons. Smaller offices may be more selective with their clients, and allow you to foster a greater sense of community with your colleagues. In a larger architectural office, you may have opportunities to work on larger-scale projects, as well as potentially work with more expensive technology and resources.
Construction and Homebuilding Companies: Building From the Ground Up
The opportunity to work in the world of construction and home building is another possible destination on your journey in this career. This can involve you working on residential homes, buildings, roads, highways, and factories. Here, engineering technicians can be involved with construction projects by contributing their technical and creative knowledge. An engineering design technician will have learned about BIM and the role it plays in the execution of building projects and can bring this knowledge to help a construction company transform its ideas into reality. You can work for a team that provides feedback and insight to construction owners, architects, and others about the look and/or structure of what is being built, and any problems that may hinder its development. Furthermore, you can use knowledge from your studies to help fix different problems that may arise.
Engineering Firms: Helping to Bring Ideas to Life, Both Big and Small
An engineering company is another great environment where you can gain valuable experience, particularly since these firms can be quite different from one another depending on the discipline the engineering company focuses on. Choosing this option can allow you to work in a more engineering-specific environment. The company you work for could be one that specializes in civil, chemical, mechanical, electrical, or environmental engineering, to name a few. If you have a particular interest in any of these disciplines, working for an engineering firm might be the right choice for you. After your hands-on engineering design technology program, you could help to develop designs for a variety of engineering projects. These could include machinery, buildings, and other relevant products.