very interesting comments and observations..thought i would add my 2 cents as i did an engineering degree as well.
i did engineering as it was probably subconsciously ingrained in me since young that i should be an engineer. Prob that i do better in maths and science subjects in school led me thinking that as well even though i had more fun in humanities subjects. So i did electrical engineering in uni but took up a first job in IT. it's been 7 years since. my starting pay was just over $2K. I earn about $200K annually in total doing IT sales. I am sure I will definitely not be earning that amount if I were to take up an engineering job. My annual is significantly less than many folks in the finance industry but i am currently happy at what i am doing. Of course, i dream about the bungalows and the maseratis but i am contented for the time being.
In hindsight, (as I went through my academic career without much thought), i would have taken up Business studies in uni and focussed on reaching for a MBA or a CFA after graduation. The reason for doing this is that I could enter the financial industry. From a salary perspective, it would have been much more lucrative.

some advice for folks. 2 key criteria for success from academic perspective - Language and Maths. With a strong command of the language, you can be effective in communications i.e. hear and be heard. Maths is a no-brainer. What you actually study in uni will not have that much a bearing on our career anyway as I always believe the course work in Uni just kinda "learning how to learn". An inquisitive mind, a courageous heart and pure, unadulterated hard work goes a long way in career success as well. So if I were to go through uni again, I would choose something I would enjoy and easily excel in and spend the rest of uni time building up strong networks and basically enjoying that part of life. All this before the big plunge into working life.