Career as a Project Engineer

Different industries have varied projects which have to be completed within a stipulated time. This involves formulating a blueprint, managing a team, overseeing product quality, and liaising with various stakeholders while keeping the industry standards in mind. But have you thought about how that happens? Project Engineers are the ones responsible for this! By applying subject knowledge and business acumen, such professionals accomplish project objectives. However, to be adept at this, one needs to have requisite academic qualifications. Having an Engineering degree in disciplines like Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, etc is an ideal way of kick-starting your career as a Project Engineer! So, in this blog, we will shed light on various facets of this field and how you can establish a career in it!

Who is a Project Engineer?

In order to manage, create budgets, schedule timelines, and monitor engineering projects, a professional adept with managerial skills and knowledge related to his domain is required. Such experts are known as Project Engineers. Apart from performing calculations and drawing specifications, Project Engineers are also tasked with reviewing proposals, conducting equipment bids, and formulating blueprints. So, in order to establish a flourishing career as a Project Engineer, it is necessary to equip yourself with management and soft skills!

Roles and Responsibilities

If you wish to establish a career as a Project Engineer, then there are certain duties and responsibilities which you need to handle. Enlisted are some of these duties.  

• The main role and responsibility of a skilled project engineer are to develop project objectives.
• A Project Engineer frames specifications for all the requirements including equipment.
• In order to come up with effective methods and practices, a Project Engineer works in coordination with senior engineers and managers. 
• They interact with the clients for effective interaction in order to interpret their requirements. 
• They draw bids as well as create drawings.
• They have a duty to review the proposal  & perform calculations.

Skills Required for a Project Engineer

The expertise of a project engineer can help assure the effective completion of a project. They have a mix of engineering and project management expertise, as well as technical and soft abilities. Common project engineer skills include:

• Project management
• Project design
• Requirement analysis
• Process improvement
• CAD
• Problem-solving
• Attention to detail
• Math
• Creativity

How to Become a Project Engineer?

Know what are the steps to become a project engineer:-

Complete an Undergraduate Degree

Typically, project engineer positions demand at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant area. Engineering management, construction management, and business management are some examples of potential degree programmes. If you wish to specialise in a certain engineering subject, such as civil or structural engineering, you can seek an engineering degree in that field. The coursework in these programmes will provide you with the skills and information you need to succeed as a project engineer.

Gain Relevant Experience

Typically, employers seek individuals with several years of professional experience. As a student or recent graduate, you can start building your experience by engaging in internships.

Continue Building Your Skills

Take advantage of opportunities to expand your knowledge and abilities as you advance in your project engineering career. If your bachelor’s degree programme concentrates on a specific engineering sector, seek courses or seminars that can help you acquire project or business management abilities. Because this position has numerous duties, you might consider taking classes to strengthen relevant soft skills such as leadership or communication. Pursuing additional training outside of your compulsory education demonstrates your enthusiasm for and dedication to professional development.

Seek Certifications

Obtaining relevant credentials in your sector will help you demonstrate your commitment to this profession while also developing your abilities and knowledge. When hiring people, some organisations may prefer or demand specific certificates. These certificates may be related to project management or your specialised engineering field.

Apply For Project Engineer Positions

You can research project engineer job vacancies to become acquainted with businesses’ typical applicant needs or preferences. When you believe you meet these requirements, you can begin drafting your résumé and searching for positions.

Consider a Master’s Degree

While not necessarily required, a master’s degree can help you develop your work and earn more money. Consider pursuing a Master of Engineering Management (MEM) or a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Both degrees provide advanced business and management skills and knowledge, while an engineering management degree focuses on applying these techniques in engineering domains and projects. If you want to move into management, an MBA degree is perfect, and you may discover schools that offer specialisations such as project management.

How to Start Your Career as a Project Engineer? 

Being an interdisciplinary field, there are scores of degree and diploma courses that can help you start your career as a Project Engineer. Tabulated below are some of the programs: 

Level	Courses
Undergraduate	1. BSc (Hons) Building Services Engineering Project Management 2. Bachelor of Project Management Engineering 3. BSc (Hons) Construction Project Management with Sandwich Year 4. BSc (Hons) in Project Management 5. BSc (Hons) Building Services Engineering Project Management
Postgraduate	1. MEng Project Management 2. MSc Engineering Project Management  3. MBA in Project Management  4. MSc Construction Project Management 5. MSc Commercial Project Management 6. MA Arts and Project Management 7. MEng in Civil Engineering – Project and Construction Management 8. Master of Property Development and Project Management 9. MSc in Engineering Projects and Systems Management
Doctoral	Ph.D. in Project and Supply Chain Management Ph.D. by Published Work Project Management Ph.D. Project Management Ph.D. in Civil Engineering – Project and Construction Management
Diploma	Diploma of Project Management Graduate Diploma in Project Management Advanced Diploma of Program Management

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. The courses can vary from one university to another.

Popular Universities 

With a plethora of degree courses, diverse curriculum, and opportunities to gain industrial exposure, there are scores of universities from where you can kickstart your career as a Project Engineer. Some of them have been given a rundown below: 

• Griffith University
• University of Leeds
• Lancaster University
• Texas State University
• Coventry University 
• University of British Columbia 
• Federation University Australia
• University of Manchester 
• McMaster University 
• Kingston University London
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• University of Houston 
• University of Maryland 
• University of South Alabama 
• RMIT University
• The University of Auckland 
• Wichita State University
• University of Memphis

Career as a Project Engineer: Areas of Employment

Now that you are familiar with universities from where you can pursue Project Management courses, let’s now go through the list of areas or sectors where you can find employment opportunities.

• Construction
• Energy
• Engineering
• Software Development
• Information Technology (IT)
• Healthcare
• Pharmaceutical
• Marketing
• Consulting

Salary

Project Engineers in the United States earn an annual income of $75,050 (INR 62.23L) or $36 (INR 2,900) per hour. The top 10% earn more than $100,000 (INR 82,92,855) per year, while the bottom 10% earn less than $55,000 (INR 45.61L) per year.

FAQs

Hence, the scope of pursuing a career as a Project Engineer is immense. Want to kickstart your career abroad in this field? Not sure how to proceed with the application? Then let the experts at Leverage Edu provide a helping hand. Reach out to our experts through an e-meeting and get assistance right from crafting an SOP to completing the admission formalities!