Are you in the middle of evaluating your career options? What is your biggest motivation? Many students today are driven by the economic aspects of a profession simply because of the lingering financial crisis that continues to impact our lives.

1. Working Your Way Through Forensic Engineering Practice
Are you in the middle of evaluating your career options? What is your biggest motivation? Many
students today are driven by the economic aspects of a profession simply because of the
lingering financial crisis that continues to impact our lives. However, there are also those who
long to be challenged and want to pursue their interest. The good thing is that many challenging
careers also pay quite well. If you are considering a career in forensic engineering, it is
promising, economically speaking, and is also one of the more challenging jobs you can have.
Think of how challenging it could be to pinpoint the main reason a product failed to do as
intended. That is the main responsibility of a forensic engineer, and if you're up for the
challenge, you need to learn how to work your way to a forensic engineering practice. Just as
with any other profession, education is the first step. A bachelor's degree in engineering is the
minimum education requirement. Electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and civil
engineering are good options. Basic engineering courses include an introduction to engineering,
distributed systems and field and advanced math and control theory. Aside from this, each
engineering specialty can offer more specialized coursework. This degree will then be reinforced
by taking up subjects related to civil law and criminology. Any upgrade in education from here
on, say a master's degree, will allow you to earn higher salary.
Aside from earning your degree, it is important that you become a licensed engineer. It would
help if you can check the licensure requirements in your state so you can prepare. These
requirements can vary but usually it requires several years of experience that would conclude in
the passing of the Principles and Practice of Engineering exam. Once you've earned your
engineering license, you can start working on your certification for your chosen specialty in
forensic engineering. This may take a year to complete where you would have to display your
experience in the field, your technical knowledge and your ethics. Following this, you have to

2. complete an oral and written exam. Doing well in your job doesn't end with being a licensed
forensic engineer. You have to keep in mind that there are skills necessary in forensic
engineering practice. Because you are bound to spend most of your time on forensic
investigation, you need to have an eye for detail and a critical mind. These two, along with
technical knowledge, are essential to making the right judgment. Other than these skills, one
should develop and hone his communication skills, both in written and oral form. Written
communication is an integral part of the job since you would be putting down into writing your
investigation findings. As with public speaking skills, these are crucial in cases where you have to
testify in court or discuss matters with an insurance company. It is also not impossible for a
forensic engineer to work with other engineers and should you be in-charge of the team, then
you have to be good at expressing yourself because you are bound to give instructions. Other
skills that can help you to perform your duty are being methodical and task oriented. You should
have the ability to prepare a scheme that will make the investigation more organized and more
leading to the correct findings.
Working your way through forensic engineering profession also means that you are aware of the
job market. Part of what you have to know is that there are different jobs that you can choose
from. You can choose to become an electric forensic engineer or computer forensic engineer or
whatever specialty you are most interested in. It is also noteworthy that engineers like the
mechanical engineers are among bachelor's degree graduates who are receiving highest starting
salaries. For forensic engineers, annual median salary ranges from $66,000 to $90,000. Again it
pays to know that the pay could vary among cities and according to the qualifications of the
applicant, among other factors. There is also a promising job outlook for this profession, in that
the employment growth is projected to be at 20% within the period of 2008 to 2018. There are a
lot of reasons why becoming a forensic engineer is an excellent career choice. And if you would
choose to be one, it makes sense to know what it takes to lead you to that career path.