Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
(OP)
I am a licenced plumber from Ontario. I am seriously considering getting a mechanical engineering degree. Will employers find my 6 years of on the field pipefitting experience and certification an asset with a mech eng degree?





RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
On the other hand, if you go into the mechanical engineering specialities to which you have already been exposed in the workplace, e.g. HVAC, process systems, etc., the specific experience might be perceived as a slight advantage, if for no other reason than you can communicate with pipefitters in their own vocabulary, using the correct rude words to describe problems and solutions.
The practical experience also implies that you are willing to get your hands dirty, and that you know which end of the wrench to pick up. This may or may not be a a good thing for your career. It may cause employers to assume that you can't do the blue-sky math that you will learn in engineering school, and to only consider you for certain kinds of engineering work. I.e., you may be typecast as "Marmaduke Surfaceblow".
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
And if the experience is somewhat related to the job, that makes it quite a bit more attractive.
I work as an engineer in a power plant maintenance environment. We (plant engineers) try to figure out how to spend our resources wisely to improve equipment reliability. I think any experience brought in as a tradesman working in a similar environment would have been very beneficial to me in this role.
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RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
If you want to do machine design or something similar, your experience won't count for much though I'd always hire somebody with trade or military experience over somebody with no experience.
If you want to be a plant engineer, I think you'd probably be a step ahead of many of your fellow graduates.
Now the tough question: Why do you want to give up your trade and become an engineer?
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RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
I would caution you about engineering. It can be very boring, and many times your workmates are not nearly as interesting as tradesmen.
Maybe you should get the degree and stay in the trade. It's always nice to see tradesmen who are smarter than engineers.
Also, you might want to ask about the retirement plan for engineers versus the trade unions. Most of the tradesmen that I know have a much better retirement plan.
One last word is that engineering work is very easy to ship overseas and your Canadian jobsite will always be in Canada.
RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
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How much do YOU owe?
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/
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RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
That made me think of my pre-engineering days. I was two steps away from being a Power lineman. The reason why that job caught my attention is being outside and the physical requirements to climb poles/structures. Then after I graduated from college the last thing I wanted to do was sit behind a desk in front of a computer. Twelve years later what am I doing sitting behind a desk in front of a computer.
Jplumber - I think you should get that ME degree then use you knowledge to run your own Plumbing Business focusing on design/build. Go Engineering
RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
Best Regards,
Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SW2005 SP 5.0 & Pro/E 2001
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Never argue with an idiot. They'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience every time.
RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.
On the other hand I dislike many of the non-technical parts of my job, but am now senior/grumpy enough to be able to ignore the meetings that I am not interested in, mostly.
In an average week I probably manage about 30 hours of real work that interests me.
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Trade certification and mechanical engineering degree.