My Path to “Real” Life
No job, other than electrical engineering, suits me. Electrical Engineering is a job that involves researching and testing modern technology, such as cell phones and laptop computers. This particular job, in present, is becoming a job that make people prosperous, and that is the type of career I have been looking for.
My own meaning of success is making a large quantity of money, and becoming an electrical engineer is my first step toward the goal “success.” As a girl born in a family who majored in physics and or have jobs related to physics, I know I have much more advantages in applying for this career than anyone else I know of. My father is an astronomer, my mother is a physicist, and my sister has majored in electrical engineering. They provide me information on what is required to get in an engineering college, such as the grade I need to get in physics and math classes, and what I need to know in school, especially those two classes. Because of my family’s effect, I have started studying physics since I was in middle school. My path to electrical engineering is wide open.
I am interested in science and math, but that does not necessarily mean that I cannot do anything else. I know three languages, Korean, English, and French. Although I am living in Korea, I have been taught these three languages. Fluent I have become in English and Korean, and I am still in progress in French. Musical instruments cannot be an exception from all the education I received. I have learned how to play flute for almost six years, which allowed me to make articulate sounds. Taking language classes and music lessons made another section of knowledge in my head other than math and science.
My knowledge on math and science are not the only factors that would make me an electrical engineer. My personalities also qualify me as an engineer, which I am proud of. I can pour my energy and drill into one specific goal, which is useful when I am proving a theorem in mathematics or physics. People like me are “So single-minded and easily caught in some project or campaign that they can easily block out other areas,” (Keirsey 3). In other words, I have the ability to drill into one specific goal. I had had one more testing, and this test came up with a similar result. My result was “Investigative,” (Holland and Powell 4) and almost all jobs related to science were under that section, including engineering. These were my tested results on my personality. After testing, I matched a lot of jobs that are related to science, and engineering was one of them.
Today, the 21st century, technology is water to this world. As more technologies are forming and developing, more people with my future career are needed. The rate of “Overall engineering employment is expected to grow about as fast as the average (Engineers).” The world always wants the most comfortable way, and electronics are always involved in this. I will get what the world wants, and that would make me successful.
Engineers develop with technologies. A person who works in that area has to learn and learn until she can quit or retire, because people “Find that the technical knowledge can become outdated rapidly (Engineers),” and this is one of the reasons why I put interest in this career; I have thirst for knowledge on modern electronics. The reason why technology becomes old so quickly is because new suggestions on electronics are being suggested. For example, “There are more researches on wireless communication. Physicists and engineers are looking for a cell phone’s memory chip that can hold more memories. They are also trying to develop cameras on cell phones so that they can show more clear pictures than they do now,” (Park) which naturally makes people learn more by having this job.
What process do I have to go through to become an engineer? Engineering is mostly about physics and math, but I cannot become an engineer by simply concentrating only on those two particular subjects: “Courses in English and humanities are required (Engineers),” which means that I also need to learn how to speak English fluent enough. After receiving these required educations, I need, at least, a Bachelor’s degree to become a real engineer. Then I can get a Master’s degree, and then a Ph.D. The difference among these three degrees is the amount of yearly payment an engineer can receive. Ph.D. gives the most, almost $80,000 a year.
Working toward a career I want is like a big journey. I am only in the “packing” stage, where I get all advices I need. With experienced family beside me and skills on physics and math, I am supported until I get the job I want so much. Three years later, I would be having my first step toward electrical engineering.
