Is Industrial Engineering worth majoring in?

Inmotion12
Wed, 05 Jan 2011 04:14:19 +0000

This is the broad field I’ve decided to go into, although I haven’t decided on which specialization yet- there’s operations research, supply chain optimization, systems engineering, and old school industrial- and I have been doing some intense research on the subject for the last week or so. There will be a lot of opportunities, good salary, and career growth for you if industrial engineering is something you are good at and enjoy doing.

From everything I’ve read it sounds amazing. What the hell do you care what other people think about it? From what I’ve seen, it takes a certain personality type to like industrial engineering and I feel lucky to have finally found something that fits me and is in high demand in the economy.

I like how it combines business, technology, math, and economics, which are all subjects that interest me, because I’ve never been able to decide which one to study. I love how the subject takes a big picture approach because that’s how I think. I love how it is geared towards solving problems using a holistic approach and the way it requires collaboration with a cross-functional team and good communication skills to solve those problems. I love how the whole point is finding an optimal solution to a complex problem because that is how I spend my free time. I am an eccentric personality who is in need of constant mental stimulation and I believe industrial engineering could help satisfy that need of mine. I also love how the career path often leads to consulting and management positions.

I don’t know why the other engineering disciplines talk crap about industrial. I guess because it is so business oriented and/or because it doesn’t require as much physics and chemistry.

Keep in mind that industrial engineering is one of the engineering disciplines not expected to experience a serious slowdown in employment growth over the next decade and beyond. The reason has to do mainly with outsourcing, advancements in technology, and the decline in domestic manufacturing. Although these changes will have an adverse effect on engineering disciplines such as electrical and mechanical, those same changes will in fact be a boost to industrial and systems engineers. These engineers will be needed to manage the complex global supply chains of tomorrow and to optimize the labor and technological processes in firms of all sizes and types in order to keep those firms competitive in what is an absolutely cutthroat economic environment. With all that in mind I think that industrial engineering would probably be one of the best choices you could make.