How do people avoid being pigeonholed?

[That1Guy]

How long can engineers or other technical professionals work in a given industry before they are pigeonholed into that industry? An example is if a mechanical engineer works in a shipyard, how long can he work in said shipyard before other prospective employers think of him as only being able to work in ship fabrication or some marine related field? Are there any guidelines for avoiding such things? This comes as a result of my current job requirements and the fact that in my geographic area (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA), there are not many other companies that need a mechanical engineer with significant sheet metal experience. I'm concerned about future job opportunities.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Regards,

ByronT

 

[PSE]

A lot may depend on how you present your qualifications on your resume. If you are applying for a position in a widely different industry, take a look at what experience that you can directly transfer to that position. Build your resume around these highlights. If you receive an interview, draw correlations between the work you have done and the requirements for the position you are applying for.

Get to know fellow engineers working outside your current industry. Networking can pay tremendous dividends should you decide to move on.

Regards,

 

[IRstuff]

I find that many engineers are self-pigeonholing. By that, I mean that many engineers do not or cannot work outside of their own comfort zone.

Part of breaking out of the pigeonhole requires that YOU take the initiative to ask or demand tasks that are farther afield than normal. While it can be difficult, scary, etc.; it can also be rewarding at a personal level as well as a good adrenaline rush.

As you gain more experience in other areas, you'll find that people will ask for you even if you have nearly zero track record, simply because they're confident that you'll pick things up and do a good job.

TTFN

 

[buzzp]

I found myself changing industries rather smoothly. I believe my previous experience helped with this transition. I believe it all depends on what you are doing at your shipyard work. I imagine you are doing lots of things that will useful to other industries. As far as working there for 10 years or something, I believe it will start to impact your options to change industries. Again, greatly depends on what you do now. I imagine sheet metal skills would be beneficial to building/HVAC consultants (I am sure there are others). I am sure you use some CAD tools. Keep your confidence high and try to get involved in projects that utilize different engineering problems to broaden your experiences.

 

[profengmen]

You might find that it is difficult to take part in other projects simply because they are not available within your firm. You can always do outside consulting on your own time. You should also attend seminars and/or engineering courses to keep your skills current and flexible. Even work toward another degree in a similar field, or get an MBA.

 

[That1Guy]

I appreciate all the helpful advice. I've already got quite a bit of varied experience as it relates to engineering (commercial consulting, industrial consulting (chem/petrochem), shipyard, oil/gas consulting, and lastly sheet metal design in a switchgear manufacturing company). Considering I've been out of school for only 9 years, that's pretty varied.

I am keeping an eye open around New Orleans for other opportunities just to keep up to date on the status of things. I just don't want to stagnate professionally. I certainly hope the economy turns around soon.

Again, thanks for the opinions and advice.

ByronT