Name

Date

Career Planning
We have looked at the different career paths (directly entering the workforce, military,
apprenticeships, technical school, and college) and you have been told some career options that
you might like from Naviance.
Here, you will start to figure out a plan for how to attain three possible careers. Use the
Occupational Outlook Handbook provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to complete the
following chart. www.bls.gov/ooh
Career #1:
Mechanical
Engineer
$80580 per year
Bachelors Degree

Career #2:
Aerospace
Engineers
#103720
Bachelors Degree

Career #3:
Industrial Engineers

None

None

none

5% vs 11%

7% vs 11%

5%

Mechanical engineers
design, prototype and
test various types of
machines using
sketches and
software. They will
often visit sites or
work with prototypes
hands on to test and
observe the machines
they designed.
They generally work in
professional office
settings but will often
also have to observe
their creations in
person on site.

Assess proposals,
design, prototype and
test aircraft and
aircraft parts; assess
the safety and quality
of aircraft parts. A sub
branch of this,
astronomical
engineers, work with
spacecraft.

Industrial Engineers
work to try and
improve industrial
processes and make
them more efficient.
They also try to work
with

They work in an office

environment more
than they had in the
past, working with
CAD software and
other complex
computer programs.

Work Schedule

Most engineers work

full time and 1/3 work
over 40 hours a week.

Most of these work full

time and often have to
work extra to ensure
designs meet
deadlines and
standards.

Industrial Engineers
must be able to work
in both the office and
in the areas they are
trying to improve.
They must observe
processes to see how
they can be improved.
Most work full time,
but their hours vary
based on what they
are working on.

How to Become One

(Education,
Licenses/Certificatio

You will need a

minimum of a
Bachelors Degree, but

You need a Bachelors

Degree to enter the
field, and some who

2010 Median Pay

Entry-Level
Education
On-the-Job Training
Job Outlook 2010-20
(Percent &
Comparison Rate)
Duties
DO NOT COPY &
PASTE

Work Environment

$78860
Bachelors Degree

You need a Bachelors

Degree to enter this
field, but experience is

Name
n, Advancement)

Job Prospects

Similar Occupations
(Choose 3)

to advance to higher
positions you will need
more degrees. In order
to work you need a PE
license from obtaining
a degree and to pass.
They need to take a
FE and a PE exams.
Graduate degrees are
needed to advance to
higher management
positions.
This career grows very
slowly, but you need
to keep updated with
the latest technology
and software in design
and 3D printing will
advance the fastest.
Architectural and
Engineering
Managers, Drafters
and Natural Science
Managers.

work for the

government need
security clearance.

Jobs will most likely

stay in the US,
especially those with
security clearances.
This career grows at
7%, slower than
average.
Electrical and
Electronics Engineers,
Materials Engineers
and Computer
Hardware Engineers.

Date
valued. Cooperative
programs help to
created experience
before work. You will
need to pass the FE
and PE exams for this
as well.

This career is growing

more slowly than
other careers, but is
valued by all fields
and are flexible. They
work for all fields,
even nonprofits.
Architectural and
Engineering
Managers, Industrial
Engineering
Technicians and
Quality Control
Inspectors.

Questions: Answer each question in a short paragraph.

1. Which career seems like the best fit for you after knowing this information?
Mechanical Engineering seems the best for me because industrial engineering seems
boring to me and I would not want the responsibility of being an aerospace engineer
on my shoulders (what if my part fails?). Mechanical Engineering may not pay the
most, but it seems the most interesting to me. I think I would enjoy the fact that you
leave the office at times to see how your creations are working, without being an
entirely hands-on/physical occupation.

2. What college were you thinking about going to? Does it offer the major needed to
attain this career?
I was thinking about going to Lehigh University for this career. Lehigh offers majors for
all of the career fields I am thinking about, and is a notable engineering school. They
have all the classes that I would need to get a degree in these fields at any level.
Assuming I can get into this school and pay for it, I should have all of the resources I
need to become a mechanical engineer.