Engineering Careers Management

First of all, 49 is NOT too late. But whether you are 19 or 49, you must craft a plan that suits your circumstances and your goals--positive vision tempered with realism.

So, what is your goal? To be employed as an engineer by some enterprise? If that is the case, you will probably need an engineering degree. Depending on your academic background, this could take 2-4 years.

Can you afford to go to school at this time? There are ways to acquire much of the knowledge without the certification: MIT and other schools, for example, have most of their courses available on-line for free.

Many community colleges offer two-year programs that can serve as a good basis for an engineering education.

If you have contacts and relationships in your community with people who know you and who need engineering assistance, you might be able to arrange for a sort of apprenticeship/internship.

If you have developed specific skills or products that exercise your engineering abilities, you might be able to set yourself up as a small business--a consultancy or manufacturer.

The world of engineering is very broad, and there are often needs for people of every educational background. "Scratching" your engineering "itch" may be quite feasible. Talk to a few local engineers for more ideas. And see if there is a SCORE office in your region (www.score.org); it is a non-profit organization of retired executives that offers help to small business.

Warmly,
Joel