Which degree should I choose?
Relax
Don’t get lost in the complexity of things. The number of engineering degrees available in the UK alone now runs into hundreds, each one comprising different combinations and permutations of pure or applied subjects and claiming to be shorter, more effective, or more (or less) intensive than the others.
The good news is that this matters less than you think. With a few exceptions, all this creation is largely artificial. It proliferates from educational establishments’ needs to increase their numbers of student ‘customers’ rather than by the segmented technical needs of the industries they ultimately serve. At this level, all engineering has a fairly stable core of mathematics, chemistry, and physics; equations, concepts and techniques that describe the engineering-related parts of the natural world.
Early years
Strangely, in years 1, 2 and 3 following graduation with a technical degree the pattern of knowledge ‘feedstock’ picked up during your degree will feature in only about 5% of the inspection-related activities in which you are involved. The rest will, for the moment, be forgotten. Sadly, it is impossible to know in advance exactly which 5% of your initial knowledge upload you will need, so you more or less have to do it all.
All change
In about year four of a post-graduation career, everything changes. Only about 20% of graduates will still be with their initial role or employer and the demand will now almost certainly be for a completely different pattern of knowledge than the 5% you used when you first started. A lot of the information you learned will be forgotten.
It works the same for the people around you; they soon forget the title of your degree, its artificially-created specialisms, and the name of the hallowed institution from whence it came. So, don’t worry about your precise choice of degree too much. If you are any good you will eventually float to the top
OH, forgot to mention; you’ve got to pass your degree first. Read our article on this subject How to pass your degree
Moving on
If you want to know more about how to develop your career once you are already in the integrity industry then go to our Integrity Job Roles page and have a look at the articles there.You can take a look into the future too; have a look at Success Stories and Lessons learned
We offer a TRIAL TECHNICAL INTERVIEW
If you want to check your knowledge for a specific job role in the integrity industry then try our trial technical interview. Its purpose is to test you on the technical aspects of the job you are thinking of applying for. There’s no time limit on it but expect it to last at least 20 minutes. After the discussion we’ll give you honest feedback on how you did. Just let us know the type of position you are going for; we’ll do the rest and respond with at time slot for you to call us.
There’s no charge, but we will expect you to call us at the allocated time and be ready to answer technical questions.
Remember your trial interview is on a purely technical subjects. We are not interested in you personality traits, do-gooding activities or any wonderful extra-curricular interests you may have.
