Subjects for Career 1

[deveng100]

Do you not think ..it is end of subject engineering
The jobs are highly defined nowadays.
I mean a particular job is generally amalgam of all various disciplines of engineering each having separate weightage.
I mean lets say..Robotics Engineer will read some of Mech,,a bit of electrical and some of electronics.
Most of the studies which we do in undergrad grad is not used in job. The same time can be spend in displines and courses which helps us in job..saving years...
In any case very few of us changes nature of job
A robotics engineer afteer 10 years of job don't go to mining and then after 5 years go to Aerospace.
So if it is decided right before undergrad (most of us by then are aware of our inclination towards any job) about typical job..we can save doing 6 years mechanical and then 10 years studying small portions of electronics electrical.
The process of value addition never comes to an end. But offcourse we can have very solid foundation before career launch.

 

[KENAT]

thread731-195603

I started out in aerospace/defense and am now in precision machine design.

While it's not always easy people do still change fields.

I studied Aerospace Systems at Uni but have worked as basically a mechanical engineer.

Degrees typically don't limit your options of career that much, at the expense of not covering many things in much depth.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[deveng100]

Yeah some of the people (very few in percentage does a change like that)

Even in my grad i took design ..did thesis on Noise and took my first job as thermal engineer in Automobile ,,shifted to FEA group in automobile and then in service sector which handled off highway trucks and industrial equipments and now I am in boat engines FEA..I mean over the years the variation is hugh

But I felt if i had just concentrated on FEA.. it would have saved much a time of un necessary studies on subjects like production engineering, power engineering, fluid mechanics etc..

I could have raised higher in my career (with an PRO or EXPERT title) earlier

 

[ivymike]

At my company, it's practically guaranteed that if you're not a slouch, you'll hop from one technical role to another for the first 12 years or so after uni. You might work in engineering design for a while, then hop to performance development and test, then over to manufacturing, then back to a design role but in a different functional area... If you're good, you might even get to do a stint in purchasing or marketing, or get sent overseas for a couple years. Most don't "settle down" until they're committed to a longer-term area of work (technical expert on ___, or alternatively "I wanna run this place someday").

 

[MikeHalloran]

As an ME student, I studied power generation, and then worked in:
- automotive axle manufacturing
- military electronics, fluid power & structures
- medical microfluidics and mechanisms
- medical electronics
- refrigeration tools manufacturing
- embedded firmware
- marine exhaust
- overhead cranes

... and now, 41 years out of school, I'm getting started in marine power generation.

Tomorrow is not written in stone.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[electricpete]

I'm not sure what you are advocating.

A more well rounded broad program? For example various parts of electrical, mechanical, chemical?

Or an industry-focused program? For example automotive engineering?

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[KENAT]

Yeah some of the people (very few in percentage does a change like that)

Well it's only anecdotal but everyone in my department has done that. They all have spent time in Defense/Aerospace and some have also spent time in other fields. The same goes for at least a few other engineers at my place.

While I do feel there is room for improvement in many degree courses (at least mine) I don't think I agree with what I understand to be your idea of more specialization as soon as possible.

It may pay off for some but not for other. Also it's very frustrating dealing with someone who's an expert in one specific field but has no understanding outside of it. The specialist has to be VERY good to make the effort of dealing with him worthwhile..

I certainly don't feel just concentrating on FEA would be a good idea. Maybe Stress generally, with a lot of time on FEA but not just FEA. That path would to my mind not create much of an Engineer, just a software operative.

Out of interest, how far into your career are you?

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...