Career Options
Graduate StudiesBuilding a Strong FoundationWhere’s your career headed? While a bachelor’s degree makes you an attractive candidate for employers, grad school could be the way to go if you’re looking for extraordinary opportunities. by Patrick Lavery |
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 [ 2009-08-25 ] |
Tristan Doherty
Race engineer, Dale Coyne Racing
Photo: Tom DiPace©
I was about to graduate and there was a fear,” says Tristan Doherty, who completed a degree in Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo in 2004. “I wasn’t sure if this was something I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Fine arts seemed like something I’d want to try.”
Acting on a hunch, Doherty entered a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program at the same institution. He was able to apply his computer skills and engineering background to this venture by designing installations on a computer. “Everything I did was interactive, kinetic,” he explains. The MFA paid off, since Doherty now works for an automotive racing team in Chicago, Illinois, creating computer simulations that help the team improve the car’s performance.
Doherty’s story is exceptional, of course, but it illustrates how engineering grads can use higher education to advance their careers, in whichever field they choose. Many will choose to get a Master’s degree or a PhD in Engineering, but sectors like law, management, environmental sciences, education and even medicine also welcome the analytical minds of engineers who are willing to go to school a few years longer.
Having a BEng or a BASc shows that the grad school candidate has the discipline to complete what they set out to do. It also hints at their creativity, logic and ability to correctly identify and resolve problems.
Not always optional
In some branches of engineering, a master’s degree or a PhD is not considered optional. Nuclear engineering and aerospace design, for example, are complex disciplines that require graduate studies. Certain types of jobs, regardless of the field, also make grad school an obligation.“If people want to get involved in activities such as product development, product design, system analysis or something similar, they will often need to have a higher degree,” asserts Andrew Kirk, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education at McGill University’s Faculty of Engineering in Montreal.
Maryse Deschênes, Director of Polytechnique Montréal’s Internship and Placement Services, adds that most engineering research positions, such as those available with Hydro-Québec, require at the very least a master’s degree. “A PhD would be an asset,” she says.
Since many large companies, like 3M and Bombardier, invest heavily in research and the development of new products, different types of engineers are needed: it can mean getting a Master’s degree or a PhD in Mechanical or Physics Engineering to enter the manufacturing sector, in Chemical Engineering to enter the pharmaceutical sector or in Chemical, Mechanical or Computer and Software Engineering to get into the medical field.
To enroll or not to enroll?
In fields where jobs abound for engineers with bachelor’s degrees, the decision to go on to grad school should not be taken lightly. After all, the amount of work involved is considerable. For some, however, it may be worthwhile. Among the pros to consider: graduate students can establish a network of contacts in the research community, as well as build relationships with corporate recruiters interested in their research, which in turn leads to better employment and salary prospects.“An engineering degree indicates that the holder is capable of hard work and self-directed study, which is always attractive for an employer,” adds Andrew Kirk. David Hastings, a manager at 3M, believes that recruiters often prefer candidates with advanced degrees or some sort of supplemental certification or diploma, even if it’s not a requirement for the job.
“[When you do a graduate program] you’re working all day, plus you’re most likely teaching undergrad classes as well.” Juggling those responsibilities really impresses potential employers. “It shows that you have the discipline to stay on task, and it shows you have the necessary critical thinking skills and the leadership skills a lot of companies will be looking for.”
What about compensation?
“Generally, graduate degree holders can expect to find a job that will require them to use their analytical and technical skills, and which will have a high level of responsibility,” explains Kirk. And according to Hastings, that in turn leads to a higher salary. In fact, for a position that requires only a bachelor’s degree, “some employers will consider a master’s degree the equivalent of one additional year of relevant work experience in calculating the new graduate’s salary,” says Darlene Hnatchuk, a career counsellor at McGill’s Engineering Career Centre.
What’s more, she believes that an engineer with an advanced degree can expect to see their salary increase at a faster pace than that of an engineer with an undergraduate degree, “assuming that the engineer takes on challenging roles with increased levels of responsibility.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
Pursuing an advanced degree could turn out to be a good investment during tough economic times.
In early 2009, amidst the recession, Maryse Deschênes noted that engineers with graduate degrees in hand had no difficulty integrating into the job market. However, she concedes that when the economy is uncertain, graduates may have to accept work at a lesser salary.
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