Are you interested in product development, do you have great communication skills and are you up for travel? If you answered ‘yes’ to all three questions, becoming packaging engineer might just be your career of a lifetime! Find out what it takes to become a packaging engineer and learn more about the major job duties.
Although most companies prefer packaging engineers with a bachelor’s degree in packaging engineering, a bachelor’s degree in a related field of engineering is appropriate, too. If you’re about to enroll in a related bachelor’s degree program and want to keep your options open for a career as a packaging engineer, it is advisable to take the following courses:
As packaging engineers must have great communication skills, participating in extracurricular group activities will look great on your resume. Additionally, if your program offers courses on presentation skills, technical writing skills or any other subjects related to communication, it is wise to take them.
Last but not least, most employers require job candidates to have work experience in packaging engineering or a field related to packaging engineering such as packaging design, sourcing, distribution or even project management. In other words, it is crucial to gain as much relevant work experience as you can through summer jobs and/or internships.
What does a packaging engineer do?
Packaging engineers are responsible for choosing packaging materials and developing production methods in order to create packaging that is not only practical, but also sustainable and cost-effective. Packaging engineers often have to travel and meet with various business professionals, such as manufacturers, suppliers, product managers and marketers.Steps to become a packaging engineer
Companies looking to hire a packaging engineer are usually looking for someone with a degree in engineering, a broad range of skills and relevant work experience.Step 1: Earn an appropriate bachelor’s degree
Although most companies prefer packaging engineers with a bachelor’s degree in packaging engineering, a bachelor’s degree in a related field of engineering is appropriate, too. If you’re about to enroll in a related bachelor’s degree program and want to keep your options open for a career as a packaging engineer, it is advisable to take the following courses:
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Materials science and engineering
- Study of materials
- Marketing
- Mathematics
- CAD
- Automation
- Economics
- Supply chain management
Step 2: Develop your communication skills
As packaging engineers must have great communication skills, participating in extracurricular group activities will look great on your resume. Additionally, if your program offers courses on presentation skills, technical writing skills or any other subjects related to communication, it is wise to take them.
Step3: Gain relevant experience before you graduate
Last but not least, most employers require job candidates to have work experience in packaging engineering or a field related to packaging engineering such as packaging design, sourcing, distribution or even project management. In other words, it is crucial to gain as much relevant work experience as you can through summer jobs and/or internships.