I am thinking of going back to school. I currently have a Technitions degree in Civil Engineering, but for some reason my parents and friends think I should go back and become a Mechanical engineer.

I am just wondering if there are any Mechanical engineers on the site that could explain a bit about their job and what they do. I really haven't sat down and looked at anything yet, but I would sure like to hear from someone that is currently a Mechanical Engineer.

 

i'd like to know to, i'm a senior next year and i'd to know what kind jobs they hold and can get and what they do in these job.

 

Ok, I graduated from Washington State University (GO COUGS!!!!!!!!!) with a BSME in 1987 and from Spokane Community College in 1982 with a AAS in Mechanical Engineering Technology. This could be a very lengthy reply, so I'll try to trim it but if any of you want to know more email me and if ya wanna talk by phone I'll be glad to. This would be much easier done by talking rather than typing. First off, I'd have to say that you should only go for "the ticket" (ie, your BSME) if you really want to do it. Don't let someone else tell you what is right for you, but you should consider their input and maybe ask them why they feel that way. You have to like what you are doing because you will be dealing with it 40+ hours per week and if you burn out you will suffer not only personally but your coworkers will be pissed at ya too, which will make life unbearable for everyone.

My first real engineering job was at Boeing Commercial Airplane Company where I worked as a Airframe Structural Engineer for almost 10 years. I worked on most all of them, 737, 747, 757, and the 767. In that time I learned MUCHO about stress/fatigue analysis, failure analysis, FEA, manufacturing technology, and design to build, just to name a few. I had the unique opportunity more than once to work in crash investigation, man is that ever an experience!!! I've also got to travel plenty and I've been in Australia (3 months), Spain (10 hellish, miserable, brutal weeks), England, and around the USA. After that I went to work for a company that manufactures food processing machinery. I've designed custom machines for companies such as Ocean Spray Cranberries, Campbell Soup, Pace (salsa, mmmmmmm), Bolthouse Farms, Grimmway Farms, Peter Rabbit (carrots for snack food), Ore-Ida, and Simplot (both potato processors) just to mention a few. Every customer is different with special requests, dreams, and wants. Some you can deliver, some are pushing the envelope but when $$$ are on the table then somehow, with patience and persistance generally it can be made to happen. After that I went to work for a company which designs and builds custom heavy machinery. I've worked on a proposal for an automated petroleum pipeline laying system for a major global petroleum company, guided by GPS, and clean up of nuclear crud located at Hanford, WA. Chances are, my work has been received by the majority of the people reading and using this forum.

From all these experiences I'll have to say that dealing with those around you can be the most challenging part of the job. You will, at times, deal with people that are not of an engineering background and there will be situations where if you can't win them over to your way of thinking your company will have much to lose. People skills are crucial, probably more so than technical skills, and you will at times have people from many different backgrounds challange your decisions and direction. Be sensitive to them and their concerns, but when you know you are 100% right you will need to deliver the "courage of conviction" in a professional manner. You may need the support of management to get things done so don't keep the boss in the dark if a storm cloud is on the horizon. As a side note, you will be surprised by just how little of what you learn in college will really be applied to what you do on the job. You may think you know a lot when you graduate, but you really won't know s**t until you are actually on the job and have been there awhile. Also, I find college kids who just got hired and who think they know everything just because they had a high GPA to be very irritating; I'd suggest therefore having a VERY open mind and to be a good listener. Those old farts (as it may seem) have a lot of good information to share with you; don't shine them on. They also may carry a big stick and have political infulence too.

Finally, you will probably want to focus on a few key areas which may be of interest to you. Myself, I like machine/concept/proto design, stress and failure analysis, and FEA, but the ultimate reward for me is being on-site when a new machine(s) is being set up and placed into service. Being part of a team is great and working together for a common cause is fun in my book. Besides, I usually learn something new from working with the guys around me and they pick up some new information from me. I also have another principle by which I live; if I design it I feel that I should also be able to got out to the shop, on DEMAND, and be able to build it too. I'm tired of fixing mistakes caused by whimpy text book engineers that can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

My brother is a Mechanical and Brake systems engineer at Caterpillar Diesel in Peoria Ill. He gets to crash stuff and then make it better. Makes more money than I can imagine. gets all the time off in the world, ya know the good stuff. Anyways its a good way to go. I have a friend that was a nascar safety engineer for a while until he got bored and went back to school to become a doctor. He said there was a lot of washout in the career because it was tough, I thought he was full of it. eh

 

What i want to do is be in the powertrain engineering part of vechiles wether it be bus to the prototype racing cars to your superduty in the garage. I want to be able to say "i made that car" when it passes me by on the road. The workload does not bother me one bit cause i live on a farm and help my dad with everything and i regularly work 12 hour days.

CowboyBilly9Mile:
I would be very interested in contacting you although it won't be till Monady because i'm going on a trip to to see my sister and i leave today.(also where are you located?)

mattsbox99: Your brother, what type of courses did he take? Also where did he recieve it at?

P.S. Does anyone know of a school in western canada/north western u.s that offers a highly reconginized degree? Or any place for that matter?

 

My brother went to the College of Technology in Butte, Montana. He took nearly every engineering course they had. They specialize in engineering so if you want to go that way I'd give them a call to see what they have to offer. As far as I know its the best engineering school in the northwest. You have to be real smart to excel there, they let everyone in but the workload is high and its difficult to get ahead. You have to be really dedicated. good luck

 

I'm a mechanical engineer, too.
BSME 1984
MSME 1989
PhD 1996
-- all from University of Minnesota.

My emphasis was in applied thermodynamics and internal combustion engines.

Currently I work for a major oil company ensuring that the performance of their gasoline is top notch. We have an engine lab full of dynamometers where we do repeatable experiments and compare our fuels to competitors. It's pretty fun.

My only advice is to pay close attention in your calc and calc-based physics courses, no matter how painful (or irrelevant) it seems. Once you have those as a foundation everything else is a breeze.

Good luck and post back if you have more questions.

--Matt

 

I'm a EE, but I totally agree with cowboybilly and mlf....here here!

-Brents

 

If your parents are footing the bill, go for it. The more education you can get, the better.

 

...I work WITH Engineers on a daily basis...literary *Rocket Scientists*....
Everything cowboybilly9mile says and then some is true...

1)Work on your people skills because you will be part of a team...

2)Work on your common sense principles and apply them...

3)Remember, many of the people you'll be working with are NOT engineers and wont have a clue about what you may be saying...be careful using the *Engineer Speak*...some layman down the line will have to translate it...

4) Say what you do...
Do what you say...
And prove it!!!

5) Keep it SIMPLE, there is such a thing as OVER analyzing something...

6) Graduating school is the BEGINNING of your education...listen to the Craftsmen who've been milling steel for the past 30 years etc etc...

7) And last but not least...financing the project is ALWAYS an issue...somebody has to pay for the project.

Good Luck...

 

If your folks apr paing your way that's great, but if not... there are other options that can help.

And you can very often get internships or co-op positions that alternate school and a decent paying job every other quarter. -- that's what i did.

AND -- if you decide to go to graduate school, you can often get paid positions as a TA (teaching assistant) or as an RA (research assistant). -- i did that, too.

 

I absolutely agree with wabiker!!!

Some of the best things i've learned have been from the craftsmen and trades folks. Listening to them will really help your projects work well, look cool, and be manufacturable.

And let that part of your education be on-going for the rest of your career.

In fact, this year i've been mentored by some of our master machinists on the finer art of motor machine work. It's been a blast. I think running the sunnen (CV-616, I think) cylinder hone has been the best so far.

Good luck!

--Matt

 

Learn to love calc. + differential equations and things will go that much smoother. Try and finish up all the calc and be in diff eq before starting your 300 level courses.
My recommendation is grab a calc book start on chapter one and work your way though the book to the end. If it becomes second nature to you, you'll be able to focus on applying course content and not just doing math. I found learning math is like learning welding practice, practice....

My other recommendation is to take a speed reading course. Speed reading courses teach you to gloss over bulk text matter quickly. Getting the jist of whats going on before lecture time will help in retention and also help you identify the profs. that are strictly by the text and in mine a waste of time.
If you really want to get a head of the curve buy the course books a month before the semester starts.Using a previous semesters outline(usually on file in library or the prof will give you) and the speed reading course read the chapters or suggested reading. Amazing what you retain - especially if you keep up with it. (Speed reading won't help with your math)

I studied applied math undergrad getting a MSME after the fact. Took a Evelyn Woods speed reading course while traveling for business out west (same hotel I was put up at). Wish I took the course before I started college. MSME was a breeze compared to what my classmates went through thanks to the Applied Math Degree.

Added below...
I fogot to tell you about the job. Working in a team engineer,design, test,redesign stuff. Have worked on satelittes,tank scopes, surgical equipement, automation equip, PD - R&D type of stuff. I took the technical career path and not the managerial path - that decision you'll decide a few years out of school. All the posts I've read so far have been on the mark.

 

I'm located in Spokane WA, out near 9Mile Falls. My email addy should be public.

 

A few more classes you will want to take are speach and people skills. I don't care how well you get along with people, you will eventually be faced with some very difficult, trying situations and how you handle them is going to make all the difference. This is where the class will help. They didn't have that class when I went to school, I had to pick it up on my own and develop strategies to handle tough situations. If the college you are going to doesn't offer it, see if you can take the class elsewhere and sub it for the diversity crap class that they seem to be forcing people to take nowdays. Besides, your future employer will probably have a class for you on that one anyway.

When you do get the job, be very flexible. For example, when the shop calls you out because something went amuck, don't instantly say "scrap it", but rather see if you can make it work. If the guy(s) in the shop that are working on the problem are involved with the solution you will have scored points. After all, when there is a crisis everyone really just wants to help. BTW, chances are the shop has seen problems similar to those you will face and they already know, more or less, what you are going to say.

On another note, you may want to consider where the companies/industries that you are thinking about working for are located. I don't much care for big cities but that's where the better paying jobs tend to be. I loved my job at Boeing, but I could no longer handle being a prisioner in my car and house due to the LARGE number of people crowding everything. As you think about this, consider not only how you feel now, but where you may want to live down the road, say in 20 years.

Finally, many companies will give you a plant tour just for the asking. You can talk to people there and learn mucho. Don't hesitate to call/email the HR department and tell them what you're thinking about doing; most companies are generally supportive and will be glad to help you.