Do we have any mechanical engineers in the house?

[ilanimaka]

Career/job-wise, I've done several different things. I've done haz-mat cleanup for Boeing, sales, owned my own janitorial business, picked up & delivered dead bodies, and even worked in currency trading. Presently, I'm in computers. I like computers. I like them better than most people. But you know what? I'm sick of computers.

I don't want to become a windows, linux, or unix engineer or programmer. Anybody able to follow instructions can do hardware. And my boss' boss' boss told me once a "trained monkey could do my job." So, I start looking around at different career prospects and I come across an article about jobs that companies can't seem to fill. In the article, the #1 job is an engineer. Something to do with the Obama steal-money-from-the-next-10-generations-of-Americans stimulus package and new construction. Anyways, I figure I always liked the thought of being an aerospace engineer and do some reading.

I came across the WSU web page for mechanical engineering and my brain cells start to buzzing. I could really get into something like this. I like working with my hands, have a talent for figuring things out, love math & science, and blah blah blah. So, now that I've found something that interests me, I'm looking for anybody out there who actually IS a mechanical engineer. What kind of work do you specialize in? How's the pay/benefits? Any travel? What's your schedule like? How is your job satisfaction?

Any insight would be greatly helpful & appreciated.

[blueeyes]

not a mechanical engineer, don't know any but

WSU I BLEED PURPLE

[James_B_Wads2000]

I'm in school to be one, I will graduate from the U in two years. I work for a lot of them, them seem happy and compensated well. I hope to be promoted once I finish school.

If you go to WSU make sure you don

[blueeyes]

[quote=James_B_Wads2000]I'm in school to be one, I will graduate from the U in two years. I work for a lot of them, them seem happy and compensated well. I hope to be promoted once I finish school.

If you go to WSU make sure you don

[UTJetdog]

There are a lot of possibilities and opportunities for mechanical engineers. I'm not of the mechanical persuasion (something persuaded me towards civil), but I work in a multi-discipline heavy industrial engineering office that employs quite a few of them.

I would suggest staying away from aerospace, the market is saturated and has been for several years.

One thing to realize is that the land of opportunity for most ambitious engineers eventually leads them more towards management and away from engineering. Most engineers don't spend their entire careers designing stuff. That's ok unless you really want to spend all of your day trying to build a better mousetrap - some do. Are you good at managing people, information, and ideas as well as things technical? How are your writing skills? There are many engineers that are great with technical things but have all the personality of a turnip. Can you handle working in that kind of environment? Given your computer background, I would guess you probably can. Or at least I assume that's not really why you want out.

I have a friend that used to work as a mechanical engineer for Boeing (he's from Seattle). He came to Utah with Boeing, but when times got tuff he had to look elsewhere. He now works for a major archery products manufacturer designing and perfecting archery equipment. The pays isn't the highest (~$80k with decent benefits) but its good. And he absolutely loves his job! Part of his responsibilities are to participate in archery tournaments in order to market products and gather information. There aren't a lot of jobs like that around, but there are some.

If you were to get educated in mechanical engineering and also get a strong background in manufacturing, you may have a good chance at hiring on with an outdoor equipment manufacturer. Engineers with a strong background in composites design are sought out for many interesting jobs too.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[ilanimaka]

Blue eyes, do you think you could recommend a few good advisers?

UTJetDog, thanks for the info. Sounds like your friend has one of those jobs I could really get into and gives me some ideas.

[Last Child]

Engineering wise? I would think that electrical and civil would provide more job opportunities. I'm in the civil field and the opportunities there are endless. But hey engineering is a great field for job opportunities. One of the best college education choices. IMHO. Engineers get jobs.

Good choice.

Hope you like math?

[jman]

My older brother - just turned 30 - and he's in civil engineering. Not quite the same path but same in principle.

He first started working for a small company in Park City - Jack Harris. He didn't really like it a whole lot there - as in not much job potential or growth there. But it did pay really, really well. Plus, he was always busy working and flying to new places all over nevada designing airports, roads, and sewer systems for smaller cities - such as like Battle Mountain in Nevada and a few others in Michigan, and Alabama.

Recently he saw a AD in LA working at L.A.X for a 5yr commitment. He signed up for an interview and got the job working at and designing new runways and buildings. He got double the pay (now making close to $100k a year he says) plus awesome benefits, plus the company will reimburse him to fly home 1x a month for his National Guard duty, and he can have family dinner with the rest of us that following Sunday.

Anywho, he loves the job, and is about a 1/2 mile away from the beach, and just bought a house in NSL. He's actually here in town this weekend, and he says Civil engineering is the way to go if you love math and they are in demand (although not high demand) he says.

And at Jack Harris - he worked 7-5pm M-F.
Now @ LAX - he is working 6-4pm M-W.
Travel a lot with Jack Harris.
Travel never with LAX.
Overall Satisfaction (just asked him 30min ago): satisified, although not fully satisified or completely satisified.

And he only has a bachelors degree, but working on his masters currently.

[blueeyes]

Blue eyes, do you think you could recommend a few good advisers?

I have never met any of the faculty in Engineering. It looks like they assign you an advisor. Call up (801-626-6305) and make an appointment. Don't be afraid to ask questions, get the persons e-mail and don't be afraid to send them questions as you think of them.

I am happy to help if you need (just send a PM). I have learned a lot of useful information that I wish I would have known as a student.

My biggest piece of advice is PLAN! Plan every semester from the moment you start up to the last semester at the very begining of your college career. So you know exactly when you are taking a class and have all pre reqs for upper division classes accounted for.

Do you have previous college classes? How are they going to help you with full filling Gen Ed requirements? Did you take the ACT? It expires within 2 years. You will have to take an Accuplacer test for the school to determine your English and Math placement. If you study for these test you can test out of both requirements. All things you need to discuss with your advisor.

[Kent K25]

Got my degree last year in Mechanical Engineering but decided not to pursue it. All of my friends in the program and all the people I didn't like too :) got jobs after graduation. They need Mech. Engineers everywhere.

If you lean more towards the Math and Science, go with Mechanical Engineering.

If you like the "working with your hands more" go into Manufacturing Engineering.

They are closely related degrees. If you aren't sure...go with Mechanical as it is the "better" degree. Obviously not a "better" degree, but most employers looking for a Manufacturing Engineer will accept a Mechanical Engineer. Those looking for a Mechanical Engineer will often refuse Manufacturing Engineering applicants.