Page 33 - Engineering Career Guide for UT Austin

ENGINEERING CAREER GUIDE 33
But, in order for this theoretically ideal
car to make it from the engineers’ com-
puter screens to the showroom floor,
manufacturers need to identify and source
materials that can be used for the design.
Assistant Dean Terri Talbert-Hatch of Indi-
ana University Purdue University India-
napolis (IUPUI) observes, “It’s possible to
come up with all kinds of cool stuff on a
computer, but if there isn’t material that
works for that design, where are you?”
“ET’s are literally hands on, research-
ing and finding materials, running experi-
ments, troubleshooting, and doing all that
is needed to build the prototype. They
are at the computer, too, but they see the
final product,” says Talbert-Hatch. Gener-
ally, the work of the engineer is based in
the office, whereas the work of the ET is
based in the field. But, in smaller compa-
nies, engineers and ET’s tend to do a lot
of the same things. In bigger companies,
roles are more distinct and specialized.
So, look into Bachelor of Science pro-
grams in both engineering and engineer-
ing technology. Many community colleges
offer two-year associate degrees in engi-
neering technology, along with industry
certifications. And if you are not sure
which career path is for you, keep in mind
that you can change your degree pro-
gram from engineering to engineering
technology more easily than vice versa.
So, you think you might want to be
an engineer. But you’ve also heard
of careers in engineering technol-
ogy. What’s the difference, anyway?
Engineers and engineering technolo-
gists, or ET’s, often work together but
have different roles in the design and pro-
duction of ... pretty much anything! Cars,
buildings, transportation networks, and
robots start with a design for the functions
to be performed and end with an actual
product that performs those functions.
Having a good design is essential, and
that comes from the engineer. But so is
having what’s needed to make the design
a reality, and that’s where the ET comes in.
For example, engineers designing a
fuel-efficient car will look at many factors
— how weight and size affect velocity and
how much fuel will be needed to power
the car. They think about what the car
looks like as well as the aerodynamics
that affect fuel consumption. They use
principles of physics to determine the en-
gine’s fuel burn rate. Plus there are safety
requirements and an electronics system
in the mix, as well as special features con-
sumers want. In the end, there is a design.
Engineering technology offers
an opportunity to work on site
and bring designs to life.
Hands-On
Engineering