Engineering is defined as the application of knowledge in the form of mathematics, science, and empirical evidence to the construction, design, innovation, and operating and maintenance of structures and machines. Although engineering is a term that is commonly used in many fields, it is a broad term that encompasses many areas of work.
Software engineering is a common job title today and has become far more popular than the job title of a programmer. A software engineer is an individual who programs or maintains software, either for a company or as a freelancer, with both roles being common in the current job climate. As software often has a limited lifespan, due to innovation and improved practices, software engineers can usually expect to be working on the same piece of software for years at a time, until either their skills outgrow their job or the software is ‘retired’.
Physical engineers are engineers that work on practical projects, such as designing a structure or being part of the team assembling a structure. There have even been attempts to call shoe makers engineers, although many prefer more traditional titles. There are often cyclical demands for engineers, as building structures sometimes require large amounts of financial investment, something that can disappear when global finances are in a downturn. Other fields of engineering often require continuous employment and are often always in high demand. Engineers who focus on maintenance are usually still in demand, particularly as large numbers of students are opting not to study engineering in favour of other, less challenging subjects at university.
Device engineers are engineers whose role sees them either designing, building, or maintaining devices. As the consumer electronics market has changed, there are often devices that are so cheap that the cost to repair them makes it pointless to do so. But other devices that are more expensive, such as a second hand macbook with a fault, are often worth the cost to repair as they would cost far more to purchase new. This has meant a rise in the number of companies that are able to remain profitable solely through repairing electronics that others are unable to do. There are even a number of videos available on the internet that have been created by engineers showing the public how to repair their own devices as it is often wasteful simply to dispose of electronic devices that could be repaired easily.
Recycling engineers are relatively new in the field of engineering but are becoming more and more necessary as time continues. Recycling engineers are responsible for finding ways to recycle materials that are difficult to recycle. This has led to significant developments in the field of plastics as governments around the world have sought to reduce the use of plastics.