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Day in the Life
 Beginning engineering
graduates usually work under the supervision of experienced engineers
and, in large companies, also may receive formal classroom or
seminar-type training. As new engineers gain knowledge and experience,
they are assigned more difficult projects with greater independence to
develop designs, solve problems, and make decisions. Engineers may
advance to become technical specialists or to supervise a staff or team
of engineers and technicians. Some may eventually become engineering
managers or enter other managerial or sales jobs.
 Teams
and Coworkers
 Almost all jobs in engineering require some sort of interaction with
coworkers. Whether they are working in a team situation, or just asking
for advice, most engineers have to have the ability to communicate and
work with other people. Engineers should be creative, inquisitive,
analytical, and detail-oriented. They should be able to work as part of
a team and to communicate well, both orally and in writing.
Communication abilities are important because engineers often interact
with specialists in a wide range of fields outside engineering.
Tasks
 Aerospace engineers develop new technologies for use in aviation,
defense systems, and space exploration, often specializing in areas
such as structural design, guidance, navigation and control,
instrumentation and communication, or production methods. They often
use computer-aided design (CAD) software, robotics, and lasers and
advanced electronic optics. They also may specialize in a particular
type of aerospace product, such as commercial transports, military
fighter jets, helicopters, spacecraft, or missiles and rockets.
Aerospace engineers may be experts in aerodynamics, thermodynamics,
celestial mechanics, propulsion, acoustics, or guidance and control
systems.
 The
Workplace
Aerospace engineers typically are employed in the aerospace product
and parts industry, although their skills are becoming increasingly
valuable in other fields. For example, in the motor vehicles
manufacturing industry, aerospace engineers design vehicles that
have lower air resistance and, thus, increased fuel efficiency.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Photos are courtesy of NASA.
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