Aerospace Engineer

Aerospace engineers perform duties such as testing, developing, and designing missiles,
aircrafts, and space crafts. They develop criteria for aerospace products or systems which include
quality standards, production costs, completion dates, and testing methods. Aerospace engineers
direct and coordinate activities involved in modifying, designing, and testing of aircrafts or
aerospace products. They write reports for use by staff management and customers alike. They
also maintain records of performance reports for future reference.
To be an aerospace engineer, one needs to have many skills and abilities in order to
succeed in the field. One needs to be a critical thinker and complex problem solver. An expertise
in mathematics and science is essential in aerospace engineering. Oral expression is a key
component as one would need to communicate well with his/her peers. Aerospace engineers also
need to have the ability to understand information and ideas based in writing and spoken words.
A bachelors degree in aerospace engineering or another field of science related to
aerospace systems is needed to enter the field. San Diego State University and University of
California, San Diego are two colleges that offer training in these fields. The starting salary in
California is around $69,080 a year. As one gains more experience, he/she can earn more. The
average salary in California is $108,750 a year.
A career that is related to aerospace engineering is validation engineering because they
inspect equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or
defects. Unlike Aerospace engineers they also handle complaints, settle disputes, and resolve
grievances and conflicts. Validation engineers communicate with people outside the organization

and represent the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources.
A validation engineer is a career that also interests me because it is said to be growing in the next
few years.
Based on my personality survey results, I believe I would be very successful in this
particular career. I am very detail oriented, and I like using my creative thinking to provide
answers to complicated problems. It would allow me to do a thorough job and not make
mistakes. It would also be good because I would get to work with other people. Not only is it a
great fit for me, but it is a career I would love.

Works Cited

"Aerospace Engineers." Bureau of Labor Statistics. U.S. Department of Labor, 8 Jan.

2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
"Aerospace Engineers." ONet Online. ONet Online, 2011. Web. 13 Mar. 2015.
Explore Careers: Aerospace Engineers. Family Connection. Naviance, n.d,
Web. 17 Apr. 2015.