Practicality vs. Passion: Which Has Driven Your Career Choices?

This Thursday will be my first speaking engagement at a High School for Career Day.  I will be speaking to senior students about my profession: how I chose to pursue my career, what programs and courses I needed to take, what my career has been like thus far and what my future career opportunities are.  And this has got me thinking about my original motivation/desire for pursuing a career in engineering.

Why did I decide to go into engineering? 

Engineering is one of those little known professions to high school students.  Doctors, lawyers, pharmacists, psychologists, and teachers are common aspirations, but not too many students ever say they want to be engineers.  Maybe it’s because it’s more the “geeky” profession associated with bookworms and computer nerds.   Or maybe it’s because not enough people know how cool an engineer’s job can be?!

Regardless, the pattern seems to be that no one really aspires to be an engineer unless his or her dad, uncle or cousin is one.  It’s just one of those things…Engineering, in my opinion, isn’t well marketed to students…and don’t even get me started on how unattractive promoters make the engineering profession seem to girls!  So how did I choose to pursue a career in engineering?