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STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) are the most technical and highly fulfilling jobs you can go for. I have worked as an engineer for many years. With my experience and other people’s experiences in several STEM fields, I have found very common and compelling reasons to pursue any of those technical fields. At the same time, I have found common reasons that can discourage you from pursuing STEM. However, knowing the rewards and challenges can be helpful to know before making any major life decisions, such as doing a STEM degree.
In general, doing a STEM profession is being a part of a sophisticated people that improve a product, invent, and discover new things. By doing any of these fields, you are contributing directly to the advancement of human civilisation. There are no limits to innovation in STEM where you become part of a team that offers something of value through research and development.
The following are 5 reasons to do STEM, followed by 5 reasons not to do STEM. In the end, I will provide my experience and why I like my profession. You will have a much better idea before entering any STEM field.
Top 5 Reasons to Pursue a Career in STEM
1- Passion for change and improvement
There is always something to be done to make the world a better place. There is no better way to serve humanity than doing something in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. People who work in those fields are either involved in research, development, manufacturing or delivery. They analyse risks and evaluate the effectiveness of something before they make decisions. Those decisions and ideas can take years to reform and develop before being mass-produced and used.
2- High degree of satisfaction
STEM is among the most satisfying careers because people are actually involved in making big decisions in innovative things. We are a proud bunch and always like to take ownership of our work, and many devote their lives to the cause. The satisfaction always comes from the fact that we are doing extraordinary things that few people can do.
3- Become part of a team
You can not do anything by yourself, so you need a team to make things happen. STEM people always work in teams and collaborate to achieve the impossible. Many get the chance to exchange information, work together, and share success. Becoming part of the team is to effectively communicate and show confidence. For more reading: How To Show Confidence In The Workplace.
4- Offer something of value to people
There is nothing more honouring than seeing what you have designed and made is used by many people. Most of what STEM fields do is offer a form of service to the public. Working on those projects first-hand and making those critical decisions can impact many people’s lives. Therefore, this can potentially give you a chance to change the world.
5- Learn how to analyse things and grow in thinking critically
Those fields can give you a chance to make a breakthrough in science or technology. Whether you work in a lab or the international space station, you always try to provide value through your way of thinking. You are more likely to develop high mental acuity and have a very sophisticated viewpoint. This gives you authority and trustworthiness.
Top 5 Reasons to NOT Pursue a Career in STEM
1- It is not a simple 8-hour job
Because of the responsibility placed, there is a lot of work to be done. Most jobs usually work 9-12 hours long or more. It may not be a just Monday to Friday job. If you work in manufacturing or labs, you might have to work on weekends and even night shifts if required. Work never ends, and there is always something that needs to be done before a certain deadline, which makes you too busy.
Therefore, working in such jobs with long hours can require lots of time management and other personality traits to be successful. Doing long hours can be dreadful, and therefore, such people must have a high tolerance for stress and be able to keep up with the work demand.
2- Success is not that easy
This is extremely common for big cooperations and can also apply to medium and small companies, there is just too much competition to get to the top, and the people who end up getting the best promotions are the highest performers, the ones who have good communication or people skills, problem-solving skills and excellent time and self-management skills.
The path to success is long, and it takes years before you are acknowledged for your efforts because all STEM jobs are scaleable, which means you can climb the corporate ladder by being the best there is in what you do.
3- It will not make you rich, at least not quick
This is very true but also not quite right. You might not be paid handsomely for the number of hours you put in. Yet, the salary can guarantee a reasonable and comfortable life. Based on my experience, you should not go for such a high technical career for financial gains only. It will be tough to go for such careers if you do not have the slightest passion for them. For more reading: Which is more important: High salary or job satisfaction?
On average, engineers can make between $60,000 and $90,000 annually, which guarantees a reasonable living. Engineering will not make you rich, at least not quickly. Those who work hard and climb the cooperate ladder to more senior and management positions can earn a high salary. You can read a few examples of famous CEOs and salary comparisons in this post: Can Engineering Make you Rich? Are CEOs rich?.
4- You will not get much credit for your work
It is the final product, not the people who make it. Maybe your organisation and friends and family will know you and Praise you for your work but not much beyond that. People may use what you designed and developed every day, but you will always be anonymous to them.
Do not expect any credit for your achievements if you go for STEM. No one will know who you are if you build the most famous bridge in your city; people will use it every day, yet not many will ask what bright minds build such a magnificent structure. Is it sad? Yes, but that should not stop you from going for STEM careers.
5- It is not always mind-blowing
It means that it is not every day you invent a new drug that saves millions of lives or launch a new satellite to space. Most jobs it is not as technical as you think. Even the very technical careers, you will still have some soul-crushing tasks that you spend days doing.
It is fun to work on one problem and spend as much time on it as possible, but when you are on a tight schedule and juggling a few jobs simultaneously, it can go from fun to stressful. If your job requires you to work with many stakeholders and clients, everyone will be looking at you for answers. The demand of those industries can easily put you in a stressful environment, which makes many things uninteresting.
Is there a demand for STEM Fields in the future?
With the current increase in technology and development, it is almost a no brainer that there will be an increase in STEM fields in the future. As humans, we keep finding new ways to innovate. As we innovate, we create new problems that require intelligent and sophisticated people to develop solutions.
The demand for innovation comes from consumer choices. Therefore, there will never be a point in history where we will just create everything that needs to be. This is why STEM students are easily employable across various industries.
The Bottom Line
If you want to get into any STEM field, it is a highly self-fulfilling career. Choosing a STEM field comes down to your passion and interests in life and what you want to do in the future? What your ideal workspace will look like? Which fields are in demand in your city? In the end, choosing STEM should be based on your passion and calling in life. Do let others influence your decisions. You can find success in anything in life if you put your mind to it and work hard.
