Fuel Cell Technology Workers

As fuel cell engineers gain more experience, they are given greater responsibilities and tougher problems to solve. At this stage, the engineer will be involved in more decision making and independent work. Some engineers advance to become engineering team managers or supervisors of entire projects. They also may enter administrative or sales positions. In addition, many high-level corporate and government executives started out as engineers.

Advancement for engineers depends on their level of experience and education. The more experience engineers get, the more independence and responsibilities they will probably gain; however, an engineer with a bachelor’s degree will, in all probability, not make it to the highest levels of the field. Engineers who are interested in going into corporate, industrial, or executive positions often go back to school to earn degrees in law or business. Those who want to teach at the college level earn doctorates.

As fuel cell technicians remain with a company, they become more valuable to the employer. Opportunities for advancement are available for technicians who are willing to accept greater responsibilities, either by specializing in a specific field, by taking on more technically complex assignments, or by assuming supervisory duties. Some technicians advance by moving into technical sales or customer relations. Others pursue advanced education to become fuel cell engineers.