Differences Between Engineering And Architecture As A Career Choice
You know you are interested in working somewhere within the construction industry, but should you be an Engineer or an Architect? Do you really understand the difference between the two and what your lifestyle would be like doing either one? Which one makes the most money and what does the work involve? Each profession suits a different type of person and the most important thing is to pick the right one for you.
To become an Engineer or an Architect you need to complete the relevant college degree. Some course content may be similar, but only in the early stages. If you think you may want to be an engineer, you need to ask yourself if you have the right personality and interests for the job. The same goes for an Architect, which is a job not just anyone can do. As each position is extremely important in the world of construction, you want to be sure you pick the one that suits you best.
An Engineer needs to be able to identify, analyze and find solutions to problems. They need good communication skills and a natural talent with computer design software. You want to be someone who is practical, creative and a team player who works well unsupervised. Unless you are willing to take on a huge amount of responsibility and work within important safety guidelines, Engineering is not for you.
To become an Architect also takes drive and dedication, so you want to be sure it’s a good career for you. If you love designing and have a natural creative flair, you are half way there. You also need great problem solving skills, to be a logical thinker and an excellent communicator.
An Engineer is responsible for a vast range of extremely important tasks. They could investigate a site for safety and suitability pre-construction including risks associated with weather, conduct research on costs and budget suitability, create designs for the engineering sector, organize material and machinery, supervise workers and laborers, put coordination procedures in place, communicate with architects, landscapers and environmental scientists and plan drainage systems. They would design aerodromes, sewerage and car parking areas, oversea drafting and calculate engineering requirements, prepare computer designs, coordinate material testing and supervise tests on finished projects.
An Architect looks after many aspects of design, structure and purpose for building projects. They also have many important areas of responsibilities: design new structures or modify existing ones, prepare sketches or drawings with CAD equipment, be artistic while utilizing structural and mechanical rulings, allocate lifts, atriums, air-conditioning, decks and decorative finishes. Architects also discuss designs and related costing with engineers, quantity surveyors, landscapers and town planners. They organize relevant permits and approvals, specify materials to be purchased, equipment for builders and carry out evaluations on completion.
Engineers usually need to work between an office and the site. They work long hours without supervision and have very important and strict deadlines to meet. They deal with a range of laborers and professionals throughout the whole construction process. Some contracting or consulting engineers travel a lot with work and some even take long term over seas contracts that require them to move for a year or more.
To be an Architect, you would need full use of your hands, have good vision and an excellent ability to read and write. You would work a lot of your time in the office and some time on site and meeting with other contractors. You would want to have good problem solving skills and be able to stay in touch with changing trends in the industry. Architects usually have a lot of face-to-face contact with the public. You would be solely responsible for developing plans, concepts, specifications and detailed sketches for structures. Good negotiation skills are also a positive for communicating and bargaining with builders and other planners. A job is usually complete once the Architect has carried out final inspections and checks.
As you can see the two roles are unique in their own rights. You really want to be sure you have a very clear understanding before you embark on a long, challenging college degree. You also want to be sure you pick the right profession for you, because the two work very closely together and you don’t want to live a life envious of your co-workers. Pick the one you admire the most, have the required and desired skills and talents to do, and feel some level of passion and motivation towards making it a big part of your life. Neither one is better and pay can vary across both professions depending on experience and responsibilities.
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