*shakes head in disbeleif that a person from an engineering magazine said this...*
Who needs glamour? I for one would rather be in the background knowing that my job is important than be a figurehead for some project and not know much about it.
Money = Young kids interests
Sadly this is true because at the time kids feel that money can do anything and it is the most important thing of all. But when we grow up and begin our carriers we finally see what we will be doing for the rest of our lives. Some may like it others may not. I would rather know what my future is going to be like rather than dive in head first. At a young age we don’t necessarily feel that job satisfaction is important but now that I’m older I can see how much it means to me.
You can't get glamour from being an engineer.
Wrong. When was the last time the president commended an actor or sportsman for their actions? One of our mentors was congratulated two years ago for being a part of FIRST and for all of the things he has done engineering wise. (
article ) A bit of a test: How many actors can you name off the top of your head in One minute. Now do the same thing with engineers/inventors. Yes we may be in a position because of our personal backgrounds that we may be able to name more engineers, but the fact that there are people we can name means that there is glorification in being an engineer.
Engineers moving on.
The person in the article states that many people move on to jobs outside of engineering altogether. But what he fails to mention is how these job are related to engineering. Engineering lawyers, accountants, sales and managers are all needed with backgrounds in engineering so they can know what is going on. Yes it may be a title outside of engineering but the knowledge is still there.
The article (IMHO) is full of holes that are covered over with the touch of media. Media is what drives this society and helps push people in certain directions. We cannot help that some people find it more interesting to watch MTV over Tech TV. But we can push for more coverage on things relating to engineering in the media, news, and education. It is my opinion that engineering is not cut out for everyone and that not many people have the talent for it. But that does not mean that it isn't a necessary staple in our society and that it shouldn't be pushed for. A person might not know that they have a talent for something until they try it and you may never know if you like something until you try it. So getting people interested is key to finding good engineers.