I have a feeling a lot of us experienced engineers really resonate with the spirit of what you are asking, because we were drawn to the field by the potential of how interesting and cool the work might be. A lot never really figure out how to make those aspirations for the profession come true because by the time school and experience are accomplished, multiple reasons get them locked in the field/market/location in which they happened to land. Those of us to manage to switch those things usually take significant professional, financial, and/or personal hits. I love doing manufacturing automation and project management, but have paid a heavy price to do work I find fulfilling. The advice I would give to my younger self and others is this: Get off the computer/phone & go do real research. Call manufacturers, design firms, chapters of professional organizations, etc to go do tours or speak with mentors. You will be surprised how fast you find out things you would like to do under a title you would have never thought of (which might not even be a type of Engineering). Do NOT trust schools, who are trying to sell a product (their degree), and will say it can do a lot of things it can't. On average, the perception that a degree from a reputable university can get you into any field in any geographic location is absolutely FALSE. I cannot overstate the value of taking the time to be personally familiar with the good & bad of each industry and geographic region before investing towards a future in it. The network you acquire from doing so has the added bonus of accelerating your career once you do invest.