Ever take apart a mechanical toy to see how the parts work? Do you tinker with gizmos or get a rush pondering physics problems? Is math your second language?

Maybe you should get in touch with your inner engineer. No longer is this field just about bridges and beams. It encompasses an astoundingly diverse set of specialties from nanotechnology to chemical, mechanical and biomedical design.

And lucky for those with nascent tech talent, the demand for graduates these days is growing, especially in the areas of environment and public policy.

Know as well that all those guy-heavy engineering stereotypes just don’t wash any more. According to the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering, there were 10,268 female engineering undergraduates in Canada in 2009, 17 per cent of all engineering students, and many large tech companies that hire grads have put diversity policies in place.

What they say about the job
“I have a PhD from the University of Toronto in Civil Engineering. I’ve always been interested in environmental issues and the link between the environment and public health. I have an interest in keeping things clean and our planet livable.

“Drinking water’s a fascinating area of work, in that it combines very strict science with public health, politics, social issues, economics.

“The environment is always going to be an issue, and there’s a need to use the tools we have. One of those is technology, and engineering focuses on the technological side of the solution, but we’re also integrating social tools into our solutions. You can’t just do the equations – you have to bring people into the equation.”

– Ron Hofmann, Assistant Professor at U of T and a graduate of Concordia University, with a PhD from U of T. He is part of U of T’s Drinking Water Research Group.

Read the full article at NOW Magazine .