7 Reasons Why Moms Can (and Should Be) Engineers

If you’re a mom who has been tinkering with the idea of becoming an engineer, you might be hesitant to follow through on this goal because it just doesn’t seem practical. After all, how many mom engineers have you heard of? While it’s certainly a journey away from the beaten path that moms are expected to travel on, if you have a passion for inventing and designing things, it might just be a career you should pursue. You could probably think of plenty of reasons why being an engineer and a mom would be difficult, but then again, challenging careers are also some of the most fulfilling. With that said, here are 7 reasons why moms can (and should) consider engineering as a serious career path option:

1. There Are Degree Programs That Will Teach You How to Manage an Engineering Business

If you’re a good sketch artist who excelled at engineering-related topics in high school or college, you might feel confident in your ability to become an engineer. However, before you rush into obtaining an engineering degree and entering the workforce as an employee, consider the advantages of starting your own engineering business instead. Earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) through a program that’s geared towards engineering will prepare you to take an entrepreneurial approach, which would give you greater control over your schedule and free time – something that every mom wants. For example, Kettering University provides an engineering MBA through a fully online degree program.

2. You’re Already Engineering Your Child’s Future

Whether you know it or not, you’re already a social, emotional, and intellectual engineer as a mom. Every significant parenting decision you make has a direct effect on who your kids will become as adults. With that in mind, you can give yourself credit for already being one of the most important kind of engineers – a parent. In realizing that you’re already engineering the life of a human being, you should have the confidence needed to start engineering products, buildings, and other aspects of society.

3. Attention to Detail is One of Your Strong Points

It’s a well-known fact that many moms develop a heightened attention to detail as part of their maternal instincts. While you won’t be able to use your motherly premonition to solve complex engineering problems, your ability to spot the small things could certainly help you excel in this field. By noticing slight imperfections or flaws within a design, you can take steps to implement improvements proactively instead of responding to problems that have already become apparent due to complaints.

4. Kids and Teenagers are Great Brainstormers

If you’ve ever had a brainstorming session with your kids, you know that they can come up with some of the most off-the-wall and unexpected ideas. Fortunately, those are exactly the kind of wacky insights that come in handy when you’re looking for creative ways to solve engineering problems. You might even find that your little ones are primed to follow in your footsteps as future engineers. While you can’t ask them to assist you in solving advanced mathematical equations, kids are great at reminding you of those subtle solutions that were right under your nose but which you overlooked due to their sheer simplicity. Since young people are usually more in-tune with social media, they can also help you come up with trend-worthy invention ideas that will give you an interesting starting point for your next independent engineering project.

5. The Engineering Industry Wants to Hire More Women

Did you know that only about 20% of engineers are females? As a result of this industry-wide gender inequality, many employers are actively searching for qualified engineers who are women. Essentially, that means you’ll have an excellent chance of being hired for a high-paying position as soon as you graduate. Plus, you’ll be part of a new wave of women engineers who are not only in high-demand but are also responsible for facilitating the destruction of stereotypical, gender-based occupational biases.

6. Creating a Better World for Your Kids to Live In

As a mom, you know what you want for your kids and you have a direct understanding of what could make your job easier as a parent. As such, you’re in the perfect position to invent and engineer products that are geared towards other mothers and their children. In this way, your engineering contributions could very easily make certain aspects of parenting and family life easier and more enjoyable. The ability to shape the world around you not only feels great, it will also give your kids and grandchildren something sentimental to remember you by when they reflect on the inventions and projects that you helped to engineer.

7. Showing Your Kids That Anything is Possible

The bottom line is, deciding against any career path out of fear or uncertainty is just a form of self-defeatism. By making the bold decision to go forth with your engineering career aspirations as a mom, you’re teaching your kids that they have the freedom to choose their own path. Engineering is an inherently challenging field of study, so just by opting for a route that isn’t the easiest way out, you’re teaching them that difficult goals can be reached with persistence.

Tech Engineering is a Rapidly Expanding Field

Finally, let’s not forget the potential financial benefits of knowing how to engineer your own tech inventions. The Internet of Everything (IoT) is expanding quickly, with new smart devices being invented every year. By learning the skills necessary to create amazing new tech products, you’ll give yourself the opportunity to earn a fortune and equip your kids with an amazing financial future. Plus, mom-oriented gadgets are quickly becoming a niche in and of themselves, so your insider’s perspective will certainly help when it comes to formulating new product ideas within sectors related to parenting and children. Ultimately, becoming an engineer as a mom is a commendable aspiration that you should seriously consider, especially if you’ve already been leaning in that direction in your career planning.