Getting the first job
Getting the first job
(OP)
hi,
I have been reading these forums on and off over the last 4 years while I got my degree in Mechanical Engineering. Hopefully I am not violating any of the posting rules by posting this
Now that I am a graduate I am wondering is there anything I can do that will set myself apart from the rest of the graduates across the country in finding a job. So far the only thing I can think of is, I have passed the FE exam and should get my license number in 2 months
I already have an IT degree and in that field it was commonplace for someone who just graduated to do some open source work to build up a portfolio. Is this possible in engineering?
I have been thinking of taking up programming again and just make a few calculators in visual basic or some other language. Would that be a good idea?
Also I still have access to my schools computer labs should I go back and self teach myself programs like SolidWorks, Ansys, or Matlab?
I was able to get an internship during school, but I mainly did drafting the entire time. It did give me some exposure to the engineering field, but I am not sure it was enough to set me apart.
I have been reading these forums on and off over the last 4 years while I got my degree in Mechanical Engineering. Hopefully I am not violating any of the posting rules by posting this
Now that I am a graduate I am wondering is there anything I can do that will set myself apart from the rest of the graduates across the country in finding a job. So far the only thing I can think of is, I have passed the FE exam and should get my license number in 2 months
I already have an IT degree and in that field it was commonplace for someone who just graduated to do some open source work to build up a portfolio. Is this possible in engineering?
I have been thinking of taking up programming again and just make a few calculators in visual basic or some other language. Would that be a good idea?
Also I still have access to my schools computer labs should I go back and self teach myself programs like SolidWorks, Ansys, or Matlab?
I was able to get an internship during school, but I mainly did drafting the entire time. It did give me some exposure to the engineering field, but I am not sure it was enough to set me apart.





RE: Getting the first job
Congratulations on passing the FE. That's a big step, but many other graduates have done so as well.
Your IT background should serve you well, particularly in areas where you might immediately contribute (process controls,etc.)
Good luck.
RE: Getting the first job
Learning other software packages is a good idea but you will need to be good at using them not just familiar for it to get you a job.
The best way to set yourself apart is to know what you want to do.
RE: Getting the first job
RE: Getting the first job
My internship was with an oil and gas consulting firm and that work did not seem too bad.
I also like the HVAC field. All of my electives I took touched on that field in some way or another so I am pretty familiar with that field
The manufacturing side of things, I did not really care for. But that could have been because of the way we were presented it. I do like using the 3d modeling packages, mainly as a hobby. I find it interesting to see what I can build
RE: Getting the first job
The value of being proficient in Solidworks, Ansys, and Matlab will vary with any employer. I might suggest becoming comfortable with the basics of each, so you can reasonably say that you have some experience. Going beyond the basics, IMHO, is probably not worth your time. Again, different employers will value skills in different software packages differently, so you don't want to waste a bunch time. Also, being self-taught will make any knowledge hard for a potential employer to verify. Certainly an employer may accept that you have some self-taught experience, but they may question your honesty if you proclaim to be a wizard (even if it is true).
To set yourself apart from other graduates, I might suggest doing some volunteer work or "hobby-type" engineering. Get involved in appropriate groups (i.e. ASME). Building a robot in your garage may not be of much value to the HR person, but if you get to the interview, the other engineers may take an interest and remember you.
Also, we recently had our on-site IT person laid-off. We have a "consultant" we can contact by phone, but that's not much use for the "my mouse suddenly stopped working" problems. Luckily we have an drafter that was able to take over some of the issues that arise. I think by having a background in IT, you have already set yourself apart to some degree. As software becomes increasingly advanced, it is definately a benefit. I have written more spreadsheets to do calculations than solved problems with calculus in my (short) career.
-- MechEng2005
RE: Getting the first job
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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
RE: Getting the first job
(In my opinion...)
And yes, I know there's more to being a field-service engineer!
RE: Getting the first job
I am active with the local chapter of ASHRAE, but no one is hiring or they are looking for people with experience..
Hobby-Engineering is something I would like to get into, but I really do not know where to start. Though I have been curious about the Lego Mindstorm stuff.
I do like building objects in Cad programs, but not sure if I want to do it for a living. More of a hobby, I like to do architectural designs like buildings. I use to create levels for video games as a hobby. It was fun,
PLC programming seems interesting. I looked at some tutorials I found online and it does not seem too hard to learn that language. Just wondering how well does a engineer who does that type of work do. Or what to look for to get a job description
What exactly is performance engineering? I did some searches on it and most of what I could find was related to software engineering
RE: Getting the first job
Just in case it has gone before you read it, here's the (possibly) interesting bit:
"Our client is looking for a Thermal Performance Engineer with 7-15+ years of power plant thermal performance modeling experience. You need a BSME or BSChE degree and a strong background with thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and statistics. You will be expected to develop and maintain thermal performance models that translate detailed operating characteristics covering all aspects of plant equipment into useful information. This information is used to support business decisions that impact fleet economic dispatch, production planning, performance monitoring, plant betterment, and equipment availability. You will assist plant managers, commercial managers and energy traders in understanding plant operating characteristics to help optimize the profitability of the company. You will assist plant operations by providing expertise in the area of the thermal performance modeling. This may include the identification and quantification of operational enhancements to the plant equipment or operating cycle. You will assist in the development and implementation of power plant performance monitoring and data validation system(s). You need to have experience with thermal performance applications such as EPRI's Performance Monitoring Workstation, Westinghouse's EnergiTools, PowerGen's PROATES, or a similar tool. You need experience with steam turbines, cooling systems, instrumentation, data acquisition/archival techniques, and error propagation. You should have some experience with gas removal systems. Client prefers candidates local to California, but is willing to provide relocation for the right candidate. Our client offers excellent medical benefits, 401k, performance bonus, and a relocation package."
And it's not my company and I'm not trying to recruit!
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If we learn from our mistakes I'm getting a great education!
RE: Getting the first job
I have had a class that dealt somewhat with that. The class was called Energy Management. I remember at the end we were looking at flue gasses and how to improve efficiency.
I will look into that software and see if I can find a demo version to get some experience on it.
One thing that does still amaze me is how many different sub-fields of engineering there is. Real hard to choose just one when you like 5 or 6 of them
RE: Getting the first job
RE: Getting the first job
It takes roughly 2000 hours to get proficient in any CAD software package, but some companies require specific CAD packages, so if you spend 2000 hours on the wrong package, yes, you can still do CAD, but the HR manager and/or engineers interviewing you might just see black and white, and if they have 10 other candidates that know the exact CAD software and you dont, then more than likely they'll chuck you resume away and move to the next guy.
Sometimes all you need is Excel, PDF and Word in some engineering positions.
Having said this, do what you like doing. If you like CAD, research the most common CAD packages in your particular field, pick one, and just go with it.
For example in Aerospace you either do CATIA V5 or Pro/E. You can't really go wrong if you become good at one of these and want to go into Aerospace. Solidworks, not so much. But each industry is different.
GL
RE: Getting the first job
Peter Stockhausen
Senior Design Analyst (Checker)
Infotech Aerospace Services
RE: Getting the first job
RE: Getting the first job
I was able to get hired on as a contract worker, with the possibility to go full time. I think I won over one of the owners, but the interview with the other owner lasted about 2 minutes. He looked at my resume said I had no skills or experience in HVAC then walked out.
So come Monday I get a chance to prove how good I am. I am hoping to impress the bosses to be hired on fill time in 3 months
RE: Getting the first job
RE: Getting the first job
RE: Getting the first job
I have been trying to learn as much as I can at work and on my own. Just wondering if there is any good book I can use.
Not sure what part of the MEP I like the most and would want to try and specialize in. I might look at plumbing, from what I have seen at work, there is no one who is specialized in that area. The last person who did the plumbing retired