engineering advice 1

[jpv7]

I am recent graduate and currently a mechanical design engineer for a large aerospace company. However, despite the great opportunity I have been given I am not happy in my current position. Other than design engineering what other types on mechanical engineering exist and what are their general duties. I would like to pursue a branch requiring more of a hands-on approach or something requiring research and development. I would appreciate any feedback that some more experienced engineers may have.

Thanks
Jpv7

 

[swertel]

There are many facets of mechanical engineering. You are going to have to be more specific as to your current interests. You may even be able to find them within your current company.

I know when I worked for a small aerospace company in Seattle, WA we had a lot of different opportunities just within our group: design, laison--which is on the floor aiding manufacturing in producing a part that the designers screwed up on, planners--which organizes materials and scheduling, quality--inspecting the part to meet the design, test equipment, and R&D.

If you have a good relationship with your manager, you may be able to put in for a transfer.

 

[mark20]

JPV7,
You have really answered your own question, When you say you want to do more of an R&D hands on job.
The best thing you can do is look around your current work place and see if the R&D test side is what you want (if you have one)if it is, request a transfer.
There are a lot of aspects to mechanical engineering and the status will also open a lot of doors for you in other professions that you might wish to go for I.E. quality or management.
If you really want to go for a more hands on job, most hands on professions will gratefully recieve a mechanical engineer.
Regards,
Mark20

 

[GregLocock]

I am a development engineer. I 'contribute' to the original design by suggesting architectures and likely problems, and try and figure out analytical solutions to those problems. That, for me is the best part of my job.

However, we only spend 25% of the time inventing new stuff. The vast majority of my time is spent testing and modifying prototypes, and analysing those results, and then getting the design guys to respond.

Other good hands on jobs are Test Engineering (which is the rig-based version of my job), and if you are really brave, why not get a job as an assembly or manufacturing engineer?

One reason I prefer automotive to aircraft is that our new product cycle is much quicker, say 4 instead of 12 years. If that isn't fast enough for you then you might want to look at consumer goods, or equipment designers for mining comapnies and oil exploration firms. One project I worked on was a massively innovative product, that went from spreadsheet to manufacture in two and a half years.

Cheers

Greg Locock