Almost every gadget or built object you see has had a contribution from an engineer. The engineering field in the UK employs 5.6 million people. So there are plenty of different job roles within the sector to choose from. Engineering careers include: 

• Mechanical engineers: Design and build all kind of machines, from your dishwasher to a Formula One car engine. Mechanical engineers can also specialise in manufacturing – developing the machines that build our products, or building systems to generate and store energy including solar power and wind. Aeronautic and aerospace engineers specialise in planes, missiles and spacecraft.
• Chemical engineers: Create products from raw chemical materials and have been behind some of our biggest discoveries from nuclear science to paper, plastics, drugs, and even new kinds of food.
• Software engineers: Design computer programmes and applications for consumers like you and me, as well as for companies, governments, and medical and scientific research.
• Biomedical engineering: Develop the latest robotic limb technology or new tools for surgeons.
• Environmental engineers: Protect the environment, for instance by designing a structure to protect the coast from erosion.
• Electronic engineers: Look at circuitry and ways to make our gadgets smaller and more efficient. Without electrical and electronic engineering, computers would still be as big as houses and your phone wouldn’t exist.
• Civil engineers: These engineers are needed for big construction projects like bridges, hospitals, skyscrapers and roads. There are lots of civil engineering jobs within this area, including structural engineers, who work closely with architects to choose the right materials to make sure buildings stay standing.

Learn more: what are the different types of engineering jobs?