How do you decide which career is best for you?

From Apprenticeships to University degrees, to internships, volunteering and travelling abroad, there are more career choices for young people than ever before.

Whilst applying for your first job remains competitive – recruiters will see an average of around 200 applications for each job advertised – many industries are suffering from major skills shortages. Sectors that specialise in Engineering and technical areas are urgently looking for thousands of young people to help them deliver the exciting and innovative projects that will revitalise whole industries.

Here are four Engineering-related industries that offer interesting jobs working in design, technology, AI, marketing, manufacturing and more.

1. Marine – Saving our Oceans

Every year nearly 9million tonnes of plastic ends up in the sea – experts predict that in 25 years, there will be more plastic in the world’s oceans than fish. Maritime and Marine sectors around the world are committing never-before-seen investment into research and development to reverse the environmental emergency.

The European Commission project CLAIM (Cleaning marine Litter by developing and Applying Innovative Methods) and the proposed American Blue New Deal are leading the fight to save our seas. During the next decades, engineers, technicians and scientists will be working together on projects including:

• Creating equipment that collects and safely breaks down microplastics to reduce the amount of plastic eaten and breathed by fish, birds and sea creatures
• Designing and building boats and ships that use greener fuels to eliminate pollution
• Harnessing wind energy and solar power
• Reducing ocean acidification by preventing fossil fuels releasing carbon into the sea
• Electric ships that reduce emissions from the Automotive industry by replacing 40,000 truck journeys every year
• Smart ports that enable Marine specialists to share and analyse data and continually improve environmental standards.

Marine careers are vital to protecting our oceans and saving the planet. Find out more about the Marine industry.

2. Formula One – Gaming, Social Media Interaction and Revolutionary Design

Motorsport is perhaps the most exciting industry of all, with tech driving rapid developments across three areas of car racing.

Social Media in Motorsport

Formula 1 is at the forefront of using digital and social media in sport. Using the ability to connect with anyone, anywhere, and in real time, new fans around the world can access Motorsport for the first time.

Motor Racing fans can now enjoy:

• Live Streaming – Watching from your phone, tablet, computer or smart device
• Competitions – Fans can predict winners of upcoming races
• Behind the Scenes Content – Exclusive interviews with drivers and close-up video footage revealing how race officials make penalty decisions and how pit teams repair cars on the track at lightning speed
• Talking to Drivers – Direct conversations with champions such as Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen mean fans can take part in driver Q&As and get an insight into the real-life world of a Formula One racing driver
• Direct Influence on Race Outcomes – Fans can vote for their favourite racer and give Formula E drivers a speed boost during the race
• Gaming – From Daily Fantasy and Grand Prix Fantasy Tournament, to playing as an F1 Manager and building your own team, F1 offers no fewer than 8 different ways to game.

Gaming in Motorsport

Esports is now in its 4^th edition, with virtual racing skyrocketing in popularity and continually advancing in quality and interactivity. The Esports Series enables anyone in the world, of any age and background, to compete for the chance to become a F1 champion. The competition is open to anyone, whether professional gamer or complete amateur, who has a copy of the official F1 videogame on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network or Steam.

Those who qualify in early online races will be selected to attend the Pro Draft, where prospective racing drivers compete to be signed by an official F1 teams and race in the Pro Series Season. In addition to global fame, a place in the Motor Racing history books and an unforgettable experience, Esports champions will gain invaluable skills and knowledge working directly with Formula 1 teams.

Revolutionary Automotive Design

When it comes to revolutionary car design, electric cars are only the beginning. The recent Concorde Agreement will require unprecedented changes to Formula One in 2021: the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and F1 governing body have announced a $175million budget cap. Current racing team budgets range from $120million to $500million, meaning a significant change to design, engineering and championship results.

Engineers and technicians will be forced to think even further outside the box for innovation, with Virtual Reality (VR) a likely solutions. VR would enable unlimited new vehicle designs and upgrades in an entirely virtual space, where teams could create and test different car models, weather conditions, tyres and situations before making a single prototype.

The rule changes will likely encourage competition: race results will no longer be dominated by famous names and those with the most money, and reigning will champions face tough competition from smaller and newer contenders.

Formula One isn’t only enjoyable for fans – the sport also provides a fast-paced, exciting career filled with international travel, up-close interaction with pit crews, cars and drivers and new experiences every day. Find out what it’s really like to work in Formula 1.

3. Aviation – Diversification and Innovation After Covid-19

The Aerospace and Aviation industry has suffered more than most during the effects of Covid-19. The pandemic saw over half the world’s airplanes grounded, unable to fly for months, airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair experienced huge financial losses, and carriers like Flybe went into administration. However, with global lockdown restrictions lifting and many other industries around the world keen to get their staff travelling for business once again, Aviation is stepping up to regain success – with new restrictions, challenges and opportunities.

Social distancing, hygiene regulations and millions of nervous travellers are requiring rapid innovation from all those working across Aviation. Simultaneously, advancements in technology are enabling the industry’s engineers and technicians to be more creative than ever before.

Aviation careers are already involving:

• Airport Redesign and Architecture Programmes – Rebuilding airports, hangars and large indoor and outdoor environments to allow for social distancing measures, as well as improving the experiences of customers and employees. Airports are beginning to revamp lounges, retail areas, arrival and departure locations and bars and restaurants, incorporating the natural environment and the latest technology to make the onboarding and disembarking process as enjoyable and efficient as possible.
• Diversification – Ambitious creation of new products and services to drive business growth and protect company success during times of crisis, such as aircraft maintenance companies building decontamination guns to clean planes and airlines expanding into other transport sectors.
• Safety – Whilst 2017 was the safest ever year recorded for the sector, with no crashes around the world, the coronavirus pandemic has combined with increasing flight demand and threats of terrorism to renew the importance of industry safety. Facial recognition software is being designed to screen passengers before and after travel, machine learning will help analyse passenger behaviour to predict customer trends and fully autonomous planes are in development to eliminate human error from the risks of flight crashes.
• Digitalising the Travel Experience – Facilitating social distancing, whilst improving efficiency and shortening waiting times, includes a wealth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other innovative technologies. Airlines are digitising as much of the pre-flight and post-flight journeys as possible by allowing passengers to pre-book specific check-in and security timeslots, moving communication to apps and digital channels, and providing virtual assistants to help personalise the experience for each passenger.

The Aviation sector has one of the most pressing skills shortages of all UK industries. Those with an interest in marketing, design or AI will find an especially exciting career path waiting for them. Find out more about working in the Aviation industry.

4. Engineering – Artificial Intelligence

The Engineering industry will become unrecognisable in the next five years, with AI being increasingly utilised to solve problems and challenges around cyber security, globalisation, consumer shopping habits, ethics and moral attitudes and the climate crisis.

Those interested in a career in AI can expect to work on initiatives such as:

• Communication – Helping people around the world communicate with each other online and in person instantly using language tools. Scientists are also seeking to use machine learning and predictive technology to derive insights from animals and plants that can effectively form a method of communication and drive improvements to our interactions with the natural world.
• Medicine – Surgeons, doctors and nurses are increasingly supported by artificial technology. Engineers are building equipment that can identify physical and mental illnesses many years in advance of any symptoms, designing robots that can perform surgeries without human involvement, and even altering DNA to prevent parents passing on genetic diseases to their children.
• Sustainable Energy – Replacing existing fossil fuels with more environmentally-friendly options such as wind, solar and water power, and scaling these up rapidly to fuel entire cities and countries in the next few years. Predictive weather technology can utilise insights from these smart energy providers to anticipate weather changes such as hurricanes and floods and warn local communities well in advance, or even attempt to alter the effects of the forthcoming weather.
• Autonomous Transport – Transforming the Automotive sector by building cars that are fully electric and fully autonomous, without the need for a driver, that can safely transport people, animals and materials around the world. Engineers are also developing this technology to create fully autonomous planes, trains, boats, helicopters and one-person vehicles such as bicycles.

Unsure which industry would suit you? Take our Career Personality Test to find out.