Getting back into engineering 3

[cjfinn]

I'm a mechanical engineer, but other than a stint in the Peace Corps building water systems and my co-op jobs during school, I haven't practiced actual engineering for more than 12 years. Instead, I went to law school and now write patents. But, I'm tired of the law and would rather get back to actually making something (or at least helping a group of folks make stuff). Nothing wrong with the law and I do intend to get as much mileage out of that oh-too-expensive degree as I can, I just don't want to be an attorney any more.

Now that I've made my mind up to switch careers (again), I'm having problems identifying job slots that would fit my talents and experience. Plus, I'm a bit rusty on whatever it was they taught me. You might call me the engineer with skills a mile wide and an inch deep. I'll get back up to speed quickly, but that first step is a doozy.

Any pointers will be appreciated.

Thanks,

CJ

 

[HgTX]

I feel like such a shill for the academic industry but...

Going to grad school, even just a 9-month MEng, will give you an up-to-date credential that makes you every bit as acceptable an engineer as your classmates, plus kewl real-world experience. There are some online master's degree programs that you might be able to do without quitting your current job. (Though I strongly recommend spending a few months with your old textbooks before attempting any further classes.)

Otherwise I can't imagine. You could bone up on the book stuff on your own, but you'd be asking potential employers to take your word that you've learned it all again. And you'd be competing for entry-level jobs with kids just out of school who still have it all fresh in their minds.

Have you figured out exactly how rusty you are? Have you tried to work any problems? I went back to engineering school after five years away from it. It took me a couple of months just to regain the calculus, physics, and statics I needed to take the engineering courses. I can't even imagine what it would take to regain a full degree's worth of material on one's own. (Not that I mean to discourage...you might have paid better attention in school than I did my first time through.)

Hg

 

[cardoso115]

Hello,

I believe that when something is understood, it never leaves us. The brain just tucks it away under a big matress inside our heads...
What we have to do is just lift the matress and see what's there. It's easier said tha done, though... LOL

If you're planning on doing construction projects, then you must go back to school and freshen things up. Otherwise if you're planning on doing something inside the civil engineering other than projects I don't think it's really needed to.
However, an employer may consider otherwise...
So either way, the best option is to make some certified study.

 

[Beggar]

I'd prepare a portfolio of work that you've done, both engineering and legal, and then develop a line of reasoning where you can show that the skills and experience were similar to those needed in a new job that you're interested in.

Can you find a position in a company where your legal background could be useful in addressing product liability or IP issues? If so, perhaps you could get your foot in the door that way and then work toward transitioning into more traditional engineering.

One of the biggest issues may be that you'll take a big hit in compensation because of your lack of engineering experience.

Depending on your engineering skill set and how well you could demonstrate your knowledge and aptitude, you'd be an ideal person to work for a company like mine - a start-up where we have only six folks who do everything and where I, with little experience in IP, have been tasked to manage our international patent applications and our IP protection.

I WISH I had an engineer with your legal background working for me, as long as they were a *real* engineer.

--------------------
Bring back the HP-15

http://www.hp15c.org

--------------------

 

[Tobalcane]

cjfinn

I agree with HgTX on that getting a quick credential to show that you still have the theoretical knowledge may get your foot in the door to an interview. Another quick credential may be to take the EIT/FE. This is a well rounded exam and when you pass, it shows that one you still retain the theoretical knowledge and two you are serious about getting back into engineering.

Hope this helps!


Go Mechanical Engineering
Tobalcane

 

[cjfinn]

Thanks for the responses guys.

My skills aren't completely dead, but I worry about whether they are up to being thrown in at the deep end of hardcore engineering. Some refresher courses are likely in order.

I already have the EIT out of the way as I made a point of taking it just before graduation from college (does that thing expire?). I can't imagine taking that test now.

I'm a fairly good draftsman and though I am limited to 2D Autocad type systems, I could get up to speed on something like Inventor pretty quick I'd imagine. I do a lot of woodworking and have kept the brain working on mechanical problems with this avocation. And, as you might have guessed by my current profession, I'm fairly good at getting to the point of a technological problem and then desribing both the problem and the solution. While I'm not prepared to work the classical mechanics problem for a solution, I'm more than comfortable assessing relative designs and the technical data that go with them.

Ideally, I'll be able to find something that uses my current skills (contracts, patents, etc.) and that allows me time to get up to speed as was suggested. The pay issue isn't really all that difficult as I've been at this patent law thing for long enough that my wife and I have dug ourselves out of the initial pits of debt are now onto the somewhat less onerous pay 'em off in 30 years slog.

However I go about it, I will be picking up a Calculus for Dummies book real soon!

Thanks again.

Chris

 

[automatic2]

Dream job just steps away. How many engineers wish they could escape to dawn the tie and suit for just one day a month. I will admit that writting patents seems like a jail sentence (I have several years of technical writing somewhere in the past). If your an engineer, then you'll be aware of the fact that every other engineer has a thing or process that they need patented. Not only patented, but further developed to be market ready, then of course marketed. Many of these concepts can be cash flow generators. Writing patents has the wonderful concept of not just technically describing a 'thing', but offers one to council another on developing thier 'thing' to be better protected. Sounds like some huge opportunity for you my friend.

 

[Comcokid]

After being out of school for a number of years I think all engineers are a 'bit rusty' on what was taught. Much of engineering is logistics and knowing what is important and what to ignore.

However, with the patent background, there are opportunities that show up on the job search engines from time-to-time for technical people with patent and IP skills. I sometime use "patents" as a searchword when browsing engineering jobs. There there is a need for patent skills with some engineering teams, especially those teams that are pushing the leading edge. Your patent, IP, and law background can be the key to getting back closer to the engineering side.

 

[RustyEE]

CJ,

I understand where you are coming from.

I just feel like I've become a paywork monkey and I just get to support all the other people out there who are actually doing things.

Then there is also the clients that want to patent everything they happen to be involved with regardless of whether it is patentable. That is even more dissatisfying.

I'm a EE patent attorney and I sure wish I could go back to engineering. The student loans are the holdback though. I've considered just going back to school, but it would be a practical disaster.

 

[cjfinn]

Rusty:
I actually made the move from a patent firm to an in-house position about three weeks ago. I like it much more than the life in a firm. While I'm not doing the actual engineering, it's a much more active job than what I was experiencing and I love it. I recently visited the firm doing most of my company's legal work and while the attorneys and staff are great people and the office is nice, I was struck by the absolute silence of the place and wondered if that is the way my old firm was.
Try in-house, it's working for me.
CJ

 

[svanels]

Mechanical Engineering is a broad field

I'm fairly good at getting to the point of a technological problem and then desribing both the problem and the solution. While I'm not prepared to work the classical mechanics problem for a solution, I'm more than comfortable assessing relative designs and the technical data that go with them.

What about maintenance? No, not taking a sledge hammer and start dismantling a non-performing equipment
If you are already familiar with paperwork, contracts, regulations etc, this can be a plus for your CV.

 

[cjfinn]

When this thread was revived yesterday, I did consider how I might do this. Sales and service are the two simplest ways for me to exit the law and get closer to engineering. Luckily, the step from a law firm to a manufacturing firm has made my life much more interesting and I'm going to try this for a while.

Thanks for the input.

CJ

 

[Beggar]

Don't disregard the IP protection issue. As you surely know and I'm trying to learn, there's a whole lot more to protecting IP than just filing patents in every country under the sun.

I work for a tiny start-up and would be all over hiring somebody who could spend 25% of their time managing our IP portfolio as well as purchase agreements and other contracts.

--------------------
Bring back the HP-15

http://www.hp15c.org

--------------------

 

[waskillywabbit]

I left a 10-year established career making good money that I was no longer enjoying to go back to engineering. Moved my family back home to live w/ my parents, no job, no insurance, sold my car to cut expenses, and w/in 2 weeks I had found a job in engineering through a local family acquaitance. I found out the reason I got the job was that I WASN'T a college fresh graduate but a 30+ year old mature adult who had a family to support and wouldn't just be using the job as a temporary stepping stone. Yes, there were lots of cob-webs, but that is what textbooks are for! I would think a person with your well-rounded education and background would have little trouble scoring a job. Best choice I ever made career-wise was going back to engineering. I used to live to work, now I just work to live and live for other, much more worthwhile things.

Good luck!

 

[Heckler]

CJ,

Have you considered teaching? With you experience I would think that would be a great resource either at the community college level or a four year institution.

 

[cjfinn]

Heckler,
Funny you should mention that as part of my job is teaching the engineers about IP. There is so much rumor, misinformation, and fear surrounding what can and can't be done with or to IP that this is a sometimes daunting task. After taking on senior engineers that are trying to prove they know what they are talking about, college students would be an easy transition.
Hopefully I won't have any hecklers in my upcoming, in-house seminars.

CJ