Aerospace Engineering Contracting

[cyt4]

To give some background I have about 10 years of analysis experience in total.I have worked for small companies throughout these years given a lot of responsibility.
Currently, contracting seems lucrative due to the rates and OT and dangerous due to easier fireability. Couple of questions to the veterans of this industry or contracting:

-When did you know that you were ready to do contracting?
-Were you ever let go after few months? How does the job security look like?
-Educating myself is quite important. Have you stopped seeing growth in your capabilities after you became a contractor?
-Have you continued working on interesting projects or were they dull compared to full time positions?

Thanks

 

[Sparweb]

Well a question like this kind-of puts the laser-dot on my forehead.

The contracting you are asking about is just one of many ways to practice engineering in aerospace. As you're posed the question, I believe you are interested in working as a contractor within a corporation for 6/12-month contracts to do a very specific skill (I assume CAD/FEA/CFD or similar). Does this mean you have ruled out being an employee on staff, or an independent consultant, or seeking professional credentials that would give you standing with the FAA through their delegation system? Maybe locally for you, there's more such contract work available than the other kinds I've listed. And I'm thinking in civilian terms - are you actually talking about contracting in defense aerospace?

You have to hustle, in both senses of the word. Hurry up and get the job done, you might get paid more for taking twice as long - but you won't be renewed. And you also have to sell your abilities for the next job while doing the one you are on. Every time you are in the customer's hangar you are representing your skill and interest in their problem. If you can keep up your keen interest in solving their problems, then they will call you for the next project, and you won't die of boredom, even doing the 999th GPS antenna.

More specific questions:
What kind of talent do you intend to offer? Design? Computation? Certification? Fabrication? Make sure it's in demand.
Are you a DER? If not, do you want to be one? If not, do you even know what that is? If you haven't found out about this, I suggest you investigate it. It can be a "rabbit hole" but there's a lucrative prize at the bottom. Again, this is my point of view on the civilian side. If you are talking defense this doesn't matter.
Are you a CAD/CFD/FEA specialist? If so, why don't you want to work for RAND or a similar company? They can go from project to project doing a specialized task, too.

http://www.sparweb.ca

 

[cyt4]

Thanks for your very detailed answers sparweb.I have fea and stress analysis experience. I think I can leverage some of these skills in my assignments. I think I would prefer space or defence but civilian would be ok too. Becoming a der is probably not a path I am willing to take right now. Too much bureaucracy for my taste...
It is probably very rewarding though.
The last option you mention is very appealing to me as well but generally you take a pay cut doing the exacct same work, at least from what i have seen. I am trying to understand what each path brings and takes away.in your experience, has it been rewarding? how long did assignments on average take? are there any other resources, websites(cjhunter) that I can read?
best regards

 

[Sparweb]

Actually, I'm trying to draw out more information about what you expect to get from contracting, before getting into making suggestions.

My experience in a different country, in purely civilian work, and in roles that lead to becoming a DER, is not exactly applicable to the goals you state. Maybe close though. I have worked with many contractors, and as they say, some of my best friends are contractors. Based on their experience doing it, I have deliberately chosen not to do this, myself.

My reason is that if I'm a member of a group, I want to have full membership. Many times, contractors are not given agency in the decisions made by management, or a role in the "culture" of the company. I know many people hired on contract who have suffered from being excluded in these ways. There are even companies that hire new university graduates on short-term contract - denying them training in either skills or safety or how the industry works, so they languish doing mindless tasks.

Your situation has some advantages. 10 years gets you over the experience hump, if it's been as varied as you say and you've been able to manage projects on your own. As a contractor you will be less likely to manage a team or be a project leader. Instead you'll get your assignments from them, and maybe when you're done it will be time to leave. It may be in your personality to always push to do better, train yourself, overachieve, and if so then you will do fine. I can do that too, but it's not enough to make me want to become a contractor. From my point of view, I want to have some way to exercise direction over the projects I do, and I'm looking for more and more of that (speaking with 20 years experience myself).

http://www.sparweb.ca