What do you want to be when you grow up? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Does anyone else dread those questions or is it just me?
I wanted to be a million and one things growing up. Firefighter, astronomer, marine biologist, pilot, astronaut, artist, horticulturist, carpenter… you name it. So, how did I end up studying aeronautical and astronautical (aka aerospace) engineering? That’s what the first part of this post is all about! In the second part, we’ll fast forward a decade to the present day where I’ll share why it was the best decision I’ve made.
I have a confession to make first though. While I absolutely love being an aerospace engineer today, I still don’t have a clear answer to where I see myself 10 years from now. Every year I take some time to think about my dreams. The problem is, I have so many dreams I can’t possibly achieve them all… unless I figure out a way to live for hundreds of years like some sci-fi plot…
Anyway… back to reality…
Because I have so many interests and can see myself heading down so many different paths in the future, it makes me even more grateful that I started with engineering. The flexibility that an engineering degree offers is one of many reasons I’m glad I started my career pursuing engineering.
Getting an engineering degree may or may not be right for you, but hopefully, this page will help with your own decision.
Related posts: Career path exercises and selecting the right engineering degree.
Why I Choose to Study aerospace engineering
Trying to figure out what you want to do with your life in high school is rough. I mean, seriously, how many people know exactly what they want to do with their lives before they even turn 18? I didn’t have all the answers back then (and still don’t today). Instead of planning out my entire future, my goal was simply to take a step in the right direction.
Ultimately, I decided my first step after high school would be an aerospace engineering degree for the following reasons:
I love space.
I may have had a ton of interests (and still do), but I’ve always loved space. It started with learning about the universe and astronomy back in elementary school. And then I became fascinated by human space exploration when I started reading about astronauts, like John Glenn and Sally Ride. In high school, I won a scholarship to go to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. That one week at Space Camp fueled my interest in space further and introduced me to aerospace engineering for the first time. That week also sparked my desire to work for NASA one day and to contribute to human space exploration.
I grew up building, designing, and creating things.
From helping my dad on home construction jobs to building theater sets in high school to creating clay sculptures, I just really enjoyed mixing technical skills with artistic creativity. Along those same lines, I liked discovering how things work.
I enjoyed solving problems and finding practical solutions.
When I learned that this is one of the main things engineers do, it started to get more and more obvious that engineering could be a good fit for me.
I wanted to make a good salary after college.
This meant I spent a lot of time in high school looking up salary statistics for various careers. I wanted to be able to quickly pay off student loans after I graduated. I also wanted a career that had the potential for salary growth over time. Aerospace engineering seemed to fit the bill for both.
I wanted the option not to pursue a Masters or PhD.
While I’m naturally curious and love to learn, I simply didn’t want to be forced to stay in school for a long time. The stress of pushing myself too hard academically (starting with too many AP classes in high school) was starting to wear me down. Plus, I was excited to get out in the “real world” and start my career. Note: there are definitely benefits to having advanced degrees in engineering, but not having one hasn’t held me back yet. Consider the industry you want to work in and what kind of career path you want to take in engineering before making that decision for yourself.
I like breaking stereotypes.
Aerospace engineering was (and still is) a male-dominated field. Instead of being intimidated, I found breaking stereotypes to be empowering. How cool would it be to inspire other girls in the future to go into the aerospace industry?
Why Getting An Aerospace Engineering Degree Was The Best Decision I’ve Made (Reflecting on it a Decade later)
Looking back a decade later, I’m still happy I chose to pursue aerospace engineering. Even though there were tough classes that made me question if I was heading in the right direction. Even though I’ve had my fair share of ups and downs throughout my career at NASA. Overall, I’m satisfied with the path I’ve taken so far. I’m happy with the lifestyle I’ve built around my career. I’m excited about where I might head next, whether I stay in an engineering field or not.
Here are the reasons why I’m happy that my younger self chose to get an aerospace engineering degree:
I am still passionate about human space exploration.
I can’t imagine being any closer to that “human” side of space exploration than training astronauts or designing their spacesuits like I’ve been doing at NASA… at least without becoming an astronaut myself. I love working with the International Space Station program that orbits the Earth today and I’m incredibly excited to be part of the new Artemis program that will take humans back to the moon. It’s also been amazing to be able to share some of my experiences with the next generation of space explorers.
Engineering has provided me with a lot of useful skills that I can apply to almost any field.
Key engineering “skills” like critical thinking and problem-solving can be used in any career… and in almost every aspect of my life outside work too (well, until all my friends get tired of me trying to solve their problems).
I still love to learn new things and continue to enjoy new challenges.
My engineering career today has no shortage of knowledge I can acquire and challenges I can conquer. Even better, I don’t need to know everything right away. It’s more important to have a “can-do” attitude and learn as you go. Great engineers never stop learning. Technology is constantly changing. New problems to solve are always popping up. Simply put, it’s exciting!
Engineering allows me to combine my creative side and my analytical side.
Engineers are often known to be analytical and methodical. And while that may be true, many successful engineers are also incredibly creative… and that creativity comes into use when solving complex problems. My favorite work tasks are strategic planning, contingency planning, and rapid-response troubleshooting. All of which benefit from out-of-the-box thinking. One of my first experiences with rapid-response troubleshooting at NASA resulted in news headlines that said things like “how astronauts used a toothbrush to save the space station”.
I love the teamwork involved in engineering projects…
… and seeing what amazing feats we can achieve (and this is an introvert speaking here!). It’s so neat to see all the different strengths people bring to the table, especially on complex engineering projects. And you don’t necessarily need to be an engineer to be part of the team. Many “engineering” projects include a lot of non-engineering specialties, from technicians to procurement experts to scientists. These projects can even include companies and agencies from across the world.
I love the lifestyle I’ve built because of my career.
While working for the government isn’t the highest paying career option out there for engineers, it allowed me to pay off my debts and save money. More importantly, it allows me to take time to travel and enjoy other hobbies outside of work. Today, I truly believe the “best” job is one that builds a satisfying life. I’m very grateful that my current career has allowed that to happen. Building a lifestyle that I enjoy is probably the largest contributor to my overall happiness.
Engineering gives me a lot of different career options…
… which means more flexibility to shift my career path if I want to. “Engineering degree” is posted as a requirement or desired attribute on a lot of job applications, even when the position doesn’t explicitly say “engineer” in the title. For example, having an engineering background can give you a leg up if you want to pursue management in technical-focused industries, quality assurance, technical sales and marketing, logistics, consulting…and the list goes on. While I haven’t actually tried all these different career fields, I love having options out there. Partially because it feels like a security blanket (in case I need to pursue something different) and partially because it creates exciting new possibilities (in case I want to pursue something different).
Share your thoughts in the comments below
Are you thinking about becoming an engineer? If so, what aspect of engineering are you most interested in?
Are you an engineer today? If so, what do you love the most about your engineering career?