5 Unusual Engineering Jobs You Didn’t Know Of
Looking for an exciting job in the field of engineering? Check out these unconventional yet interesting engineering jobs that exist around the world.
Updated 23 May 2022
You may be familiar with the typical engineering jobs you can pursue when you study engineering — you could be a civil engineer who designs infrastructure, a chemical engineer who optimises large-scale processes in manufacturing plants or a mechanical engineer who designs machines.
But, what if we told you that there are some exciting engineering jobs out there in the world?
If you’re interested in pursuing a unique engineering career, this list of cool engineering professions is just what you need!
#1. Motorsport engineer
Does the sound of revving engines excite you? Fancy the thought of being a part of glitzy races such as the Motorcycle Grand Prix or Formula 1? If so, then becoming a motorsport engineer could be your dream career!
Getting a race car on the race track takes the effort of many engineers, from design and testing to production and racing. Engineers specialising in design are responsible for improving the vehicle components and bodywork — think suspension, aerodynamics and controls.
Once the prototypes of new designs have been built, they will need to be tested rigorously for performance and safety. Finally, on race day, race engineers will determine the setup of the vehicle based on historical data as well as weather and track conditions.
Degrees related to this career: Automotive engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering
#2. Chocolate engineer
Did you know that your favourite candy bars from the store require the work of skillful engineers? Yes, that’s right — making chocolate is more complicated than you think!
While chocolatiers take on the creative role of creating yummy chocolate recipes, chocolate engineers bring these recipes from the test kitchen to the general public through design, testing and mass production — all at an affordable cost. After all, producing millions of innovative chocolates in various sizes and shapes (chocolate reindeers, anyone?) is no easy task.
A unique challenge for chocolate engineers is to design the tools that make the moulds for the chocolate, which can be tricky if the moulds require precision to the nearest millimetre. Engineers working in production, on the other hand, work on complex control processing systems to monitor the production of chocolate — imagine having to keep track of over a thousand pieces of chocolates produced each minute!
On top of that, their brilliant minds are needed to make sure the chocolate stays fresh in its packaging, which may require a little taste testing (yum!).
Degrees related to this career: Chemical engineering, mechanical engineering
Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)
Bachelor of Petroleum Engineering (Hons)
✓Dual-award degree – one from De Montfort University, UK, and one from APU
#3. Roller coaster engineer
If you’re a smart cookie who is passionate about building extraordinary fun structures such as roller coasters, becoming a roller coaster engineer might just be your calling!
Roller coaster engineers play an integral role within a design team when designing, constructing and testing roller coaster rides for amusement parks. They must have extensive knowledge in computer-aided design (CAD) software to design safe yet fun roller coasters that are fast and exciting without causing whiplash to riders.
In order to develop a thrilling ride experience, engineers often integrate special designs into roller coaster structures such as adding heart-stopping drops, loops and inversions.
Degrees related to this career: Mechanical engineering, civil engineering
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Start now#4. Paper engineer
Remember those fascinating pop-up books you used to read as a child; the ones that bring a story to life with every flip of the page? Well, you can thank paper engineers as they are the ones putting the ‘pop’ in pop-up books.
While pop-up books may look simple, they actually require good engineering skills to ensure the mechanics of each intricate fold and tuck work. Paper engineers often work with illustrators, who first create concept sketches and determine the various movable actions. It then falls on the paper engineer to build these paper mechanisms, breathing life to the illustrators' drawings.
Besides children’s books, paper engineers can also create stunning art pieces for brands and clients.
Degrees related to this career: Mechanical engineering
Fun Fact: Paper engineer Matt Shlian, uses geometry and paper tessellation for his unconventional crafts. His clients include Apple, Facebook and Levi’s.
#5. LEGO engineer
Do you remember building your first structure out of LEGO blocks as a child? Do you also remember the agonising pain when you accidentally stepped on a LEGO brick? Ah… good times. Cool enough, your favourite childhood toy can actually be a part of your future career!
It takes many engineering roles to bring LEGO sets to the stores. There are specialist engineers working in mould development, where they construct the moulds for LEGO bricks. Equipment engineers ensure machines run efficiently and reliably, while industrial engineers work on developing quality packaging and boxes.
Additionally, there are also mechatronics engineers who develop LEGO technology elements, such as power functions, light effects and digital play experiences.
Degrees related to this career: Mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, mechatronics engineering, industrial engineering
Fun Fact: If you’re looking to create LEGO brick models, that would be the job of a LEGO model designer. Most of these designers have backgrounds in 3D arts, industrial design and architecture.
Don’t worry if you think you haven’t got the skills to be any of these engineers. All you need is a credible degree in engineering and you’ll be able to achieve your engineering aspirations.
All set on becoming an engineer? Find out more about studying engineering in Malaysia here!
Josephine Serena
Media studies and journalism graduate. Buy me coffee and I'll spill the beans. Also really tall.
