Job outlook for engineers, crushing apathy and uncertainty, and asking better questions

Today, we’re going to talk about the job market and career fears.

Do you worry about job security?

I’ll give you two reasons why not to worry:

1) Engineering jobs continue to grow. More on that in a minute.

2) Worrying about it doesn’t do you any good. Instead, put your energy into remaining valuable, skilled, and employable, and you’ll be fine.

So today, let’s discuss the facts and some tactics for changing how we think about the things we face.

In today’s newsletter:

• 2024 job market predictions for engineers

• Tough emotions in our careers and how to deal with them

• The power of transformational questions

• Hot Job – Software Engineer

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MUST READ

The 2024 Outlook for Engineering Jobs

We all know engineers are smart, talented, and employable, right? For many, that’s why they got into the industry!

But in times like the one we’re experiencing now, there is still plenty of uncertainty in the job market.

Here’s a bit of happy news - things look pretty good for 2024 for engineers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, engineering jobs are projected to increase by about 4% in 2024 or 65,000 jobs in the USA. Not bad!

Now, when you look at the numbers, this looks better for some engineering disciplines and less so for others.

For example, Biomedical engineers are projected to grow the most, about 23%, while Nuclear engineering is projected to shrink by about 4%.

As you can imagine, there is plenty of growth in the areas of artificial intelligence and machine learning because of the demand and opportunities there. They are getting paid well too! According to a Bloomberg article, some AI engineers are getting paid nearly $800,000! Not bad!

As always, find ways to upgrade your skills to stay employable and relevant as industry innovations continue!

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CAREER TIPS

How to Break Through Apathy and Uncertainty in Your Career

There are moments in our careers where we will feel stuck, apathetic, or just bored from all the things that we do. Being a seasoned and tenured individual in a certain industry can do that to you.

I am certainly not exempt from this feeling.

Frankly, all of us, at one point or another, have felt this way. We are humans, after all (even though some people have a hard time believing that about engineers).

When we are in this state, we seek a change and an improvement in some parts of our lives and careers. To fight these feelings of apathy, we can find new things that we can do, look for new challenges that we can take on, and broaden our expertise by exploring other tasks that are not in our current line of work.

As engineers, we are purpose-driven individuals. We always need to look for initiatives to help our companies thrive and improve, which gives us more responsibility and a variety of projects to work on.

So, rather than just taking what comes your way, be proactive and assertive in what you can do to overcome these feelings. Ask your leaders and colleagues for additional work that might help you to get more motivated and to fully utilize your strengths. Besides that, seek chances to gain more experience and become an expert.

Last but not least, have patience. If you have gone through a lot in your career, there are likely things that you wish had happened that may not yet be true. Our careers are a process.

Rather than just focusing on the start and finish lines, learn patience and find joy in the journey. Measure backward and notice the growth and learning you have already experienced.

Still can't fight these feelings off? Above all, take action. You can be assertive, move through this, and look for opportunities to learn and grow.

 HOT JOBS OF THE WEEK

> Engine Loads Analysis - Principal Engineer: (Apply)

> Software Engineer II (Machine Configuration): (Apply)

> Mechanical Engineer (Diesel Engine): (Apply)

> Senior Mixed Signal Design Engineer: (Apply)

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