Future Career Research Paper

AJ Moore

Mrs. Wilcox

English - Pd #3

17 October 2016

Future Careers

You are missing both a hook and context in your introductory paragraph. Both electronics engineers and drafters need to have strong problem solving skills and prior work experience. However these occupations are substantially different in work environments, job outlooks, education and salary.

Drafters and electrical engineers require a worker to have strong problem solving skills and previous experience in the field. The education and skills needed to succeed at these jobs are closely related, while the work environments have merely nothing in common. To be successful in both of these jobs’ having strong problem solving skills and previous work experience is almost necessary.

Engineers must deal with real world problems on daily basis and think creatively to solve those problems. Because they are usually real world problems they are generally more complicated than those normally studied, due to real life factors (“Problem Identification In Engineering Design.") This means that efficient problem solving skills are necessary. Because the problems are real-world oriented, previous work experience would become in key in knowing how to approach and solve the problem productively. Similarly, drafters need to use up to date knowledge of real life situations, and apply that knowledge to their job (“Mechanical Drafter Career"). Through previous experience in solving problems, a drafter would have better knowledge. Both these careers require a worker to apply their problem solving skills to real world issues.
Although Drafting and electronics engineers have similar skills their work environments and job outlooks differ completely.

For me, the work environment is what would turn me away from certain job occupations. Especially if in the future, if the job won’t be employing many people. Electronics engineers mainly work in office settings. They may occasionally be required to work outdoors at installation sites (“McDavid 89-91”.) The idea of having a work environment that could be different daily interests me in this career. However, the work place of a drafter is not as intriguing to me. They work in office settings, where they must sit and concentrate at drawing tables or computer terminals for long intervals (McDavid 250-252”.) Sitting and focusing for long periods of time does not interest me as much as the work environment of an electronics engineer who occasionally gets to work outside. Job outlooks for these careers are not promising but an electronic engineers is more manageable. According to the BLS, the job growth for electronics engineers should increase by 9-17 percent (“McDavid 89-91”). Because the job outlook is predicted to rise slightly I would have to have all the required elements for the career such as education and skills. On the other hand, careers in drafting are expected to barely increase by only 0-8 percent. This means that a career in electronic engineering would be a better choice because in the future there will be more job

openings.
Job openings for electronics engineering and drafting are tight so it is imperative to have a good education.

Later in the career a higher education can lead to an increase in an employee's paycheck. A career in electronics engineering requires a bachelor's degree and several years of shadowing for experience. ("Electronics Engineer Education Requirements"). Whereas a drafter requires much less education and only has to have minimum of a high school diploma. However, an associate’s degree or even a higher education will make you more valuable for employment (“Mcdavid 250-52”). Salaries for each occupation are very different and salaries for different fields can vary. An electronic engineer makes an estimated $95,230 annually. When starting in this occupation as a junior engineer an employee will make $49,000. But by getting a higher education, and becoming a senior engineer an employee can make upwards of $114,000 (“McDavid 250-52”). A drafter, however, has a substantially lower paycheck. Like all jobs, different fields make more or less money than others. Architectural drafters make $25,960-59,100. But by going back to school or by obtaining more experience a worker can make more, such as an electronics drafter who makes $29,110-73,160. Clearly a good education is important to making more money in these

careers.
Now that I am in highschool I have started taking the question , “What do you want to be when you grow up?,” seriously. Before I would say, “I don't know, I am just a kid”, and still am. But after comparing and contrasting the main priorities and needs in each job, I have come to the conclusion that an electronics engineer is better suited for me. The future outlook is better than a drafter which means their is a higher chance for me to get the job. The salary is plenty to support my wanted lifestyle, maybe with a little money left over. I’m still not certain but at least now I have an idea of what I want to do in the future.

Works Cited?