How To Identify The Best Engineering Sectors To Work In: Your Quickfire Guide

Wondering which direction your engineering career should progress in? Learn more about choosing your speciality and discovering your passion. 

The world of engineering is vast, offering a huge number of different specialisms and niches to ambitious prospects. 

Finding the right engineering sector can feel like a daunting task, but it’s also incredibly important for your career in the long run. 

By finding a niche within engineering that excites you, you can tackle projects that are genuinely engaging and enjoy the process of developing your skill set. This is vital for long-term job satisfaction. 

In this guide, we’ll explore a few of the largest engineering industries, outline the opportunities available within each sector, and help you to discover your ideal specialism. 

Infrastructure

Infrastructure engineers are responsible for the planning, design, execution, and management of key infrastructure services. This includes many projects that benefit the public, from transportation services to building construction.

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There are several key disciplines within the infrastructure sector, including:

Rail

Rail engineers use their technical expertise to design, construct, and operate more efficient rail systems. At Matchtech, we’ve helped talented rail engineers to work on major projects including Crossrail, London Underground, and the Riyadh Metro. 

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Buildings & Construction 

Buildings engineers are responsible for the planning, construction and maintenance of new building structures. This can include both small-scale projects and massive developments in various sectors, from residential units to industrial sites.

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Highways & Transportation

Highways and transport engineers play an important role in the civil engineering field, working to build more efficient and accessible transportation systems for both the public and private sectors.

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Town Planning

Town planning engineers develop plans for land use in towns, cities, and other metropolitan areas. They use their skills to evaluate the public utilities and transport services that may be required for new projects, as well as the potential environmental impact of construction.

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Water & Environment 

Water and environment engineers create solutions for challenges around clean water supply, wastewater management, flood prevention, and more. They also work to improve environmental conservation during major construction projects. 

Below are some of the typical job titles that you’ll find in the infrastructure engineering industry: 

• Structural Engineer
• Station Engineer
• Civil Engineer
• Highway Technician 
• Urban Planner 
• Water Resources Engineer 

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Mobility

Mobility engineering is all about designing, managing, and evolving mobility systems, from automotive technologies to shipping vessels. There are plenty of exciting specialisms available within mobility engineering, including electric and autonomous vehicle systems.

There are a few key disciplines within the mobility sector, including:

Aerospace

Aerospace engineers work to design, construct, and test aircraft and aerospace solutions. These engineers frequently work with highly advanced technologies and often specialise in a specific area such as spacecraft, aerodynamics, or guidance systems.

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Automotive 

Automotive engineers are essentially tasked with designing and building new vehicles. This can involve working on specific vehicle parts (e.g. engines, aesthetics), improving fuel efficiency, and designing safety features. 

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Maritime & Shipping 

Maritime and shipping engineers are responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of various maritime vessels. This can include cargo ships, oil rigs, submarines, and cruise liners. 

Below are some of the typical job titles that you’ll find in the mobility engineering industry: 

• Mechanical Engineer
• Aircraft Designer
• Electrical Engineer
• Industrial Engineer
• Marine Technician 
• Naval Architect 

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Energy

Engineers in the energy industry need to combine scientific knowledge from multiple fields with technical engineering expertise to create energy solutions. This often involves projects revolving around improving renewable technologies and managing natural resources. 

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There are several key disciplines within the energy sector, including:

Renewables

Renewable energy engineers are tasked with producing new renewables solutions, using energy sources including wind, solar, hydroelectric, and biomass. They may work on individual parts and components, or manage the construction of new energy facilities. 

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Nuclear

Nuclear engineers design technologies, equipment, and processes that can be used to harness the power of nuclear energy. Matchtech is an Associate Member of the National Skills Academy for Nuclear, meaning we’re dedicated to furthering careers in this space.

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Transmission & Distribution 

Transmission and distribution engineers use their technical knowledge to build systems that can generate and transfer energy. They often work on projects such as constructing wind turbines and maintaining power stations. 

Below are some of the typical job titles that you’ll find in the energy engineering industry: 

• Alternative Energy Engineer
• Energy Infrastructure Engineer
• Environmental Solutions Engineer
• Energy Efficiency Engineer
• Industrial Energy Engineer
• Renewable Energy Engineer

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Defence & Security 

Defence engineers are responsible for designing and creating solutions that can be used to protect national security. They can work alongside both government agencies and private defence companies, producing technologies that are utilised across the globe.

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There are several key disciplines within the defence & security sector, including:

Air, Land & Sea

Engineers will usually specialise in a particular area within defence. For example, they may work to improve fighter jet technology, manage the construction of new tanks, or build components for naval vessels - there are plenty of opportunities across air, land, and sea.

Communications 

Engineers working in the defence sector may also pursue a career path in communications. This often involves developing communications solutions that keep different military departments connected, as well as working on systems for intelligence analytics. 

Below are some of the typical job titles that you’ll find in the defence & security engineering industry: 

• Defence Engineer
• Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
• Systems Engineer
• Navigation Systems Engineer
• IT Security Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer 

There are a huge number of different career branches available within engineering, and choosing a speciality can feel overwhelming sometimes. 

By evaluating your unique skills, passions, and career ambitions, you can make the decision much easier for yourself. Find a field within engineering that aligns with your personal interests, and learn more about common roles across that industry.

If you’d like more information on the different career opportunities within engineering, or the availability of jobs within certain sectors, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Matchtech. Our recruitment experts can help you to discover the perfect career path as an engineer. 

 

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