×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Mech/Aero to Subsea (UK) - Career Change

Mech/Aero to Subsea (UK) - Career Change

Mech/Aero to Subsea (UK) - Career Change

(OP)
Hi all

I'm currently working as an engineer for a small mechanical/aerospace company here in the UK, but the future of the company does not look so good.

I've been an engineer for 15 years, lots of hands-on experience, good CAD skills, FEA...

So I've been thinking about working in the Subsea/Offshore sector (seems to have plenty of jobs) and I need to know, what kind of skills do you need in subsea? Is it difficult to change from one industry to another?

Some of the jobs that I have been looking at are, Subsea Design Engineer, Structural Design, Intervention Engineer.

thanks







 

RE: Mech/Aero to Subsea (UK) - Career Change

A lot of your skills are probably transferable.  Most of the engineers I work with started out in a different industry (Civil, Mechanical, Aerospace, Naval Arch, Electrical to name a few) and just seem to have drifted into the industry.  Some of the subsea contractors actively recruit engineers from other industries.

The subsea sector is beginning to show a downturn with the effects probably beginning to show themselves in 2010/2011.  There are certainly redundancies being made within the industry at present.

You dont state what your looking for, but generally the engineers fall into two catagories Project or Discipline.  Project Engineers are responsible for working out how to do the job, writing the procedures and method statements, sourcing the materials and equipment, and finally going offshore and  doing it.  I always draw parallels with a site engineer, less technical more management.  The Discipline Engineers are the guys who do the calculations and designs, produce the reports and drawings.  These include structural, pipelines, piping, flow assurance, controls.   

RE: Mech/Aero to Subsea (UK) - Career Change

(OP)
Thanks Ussuri,

I'm probably going to apply for both Discipline Engineers and Projects Engineer jobs. There are parts of each job that I like.

I didn't realize that the subsea sector was going into a downturn. Thanks for this info, I will start looking into other industries.  

RE: Mech/Aero to Subsea (UK) - Career Change

I have a degree in Ocean Engineering. Currently I am working in aerospace, engineering skills are engineering skills, they do transfer. You just need to get the interview and wow them.

Peter Stockhausen
Senior Design Analyst (Checker)
Infotech Aerospace Services
www.infotechpr.net

RE: Mech/Aero to Subsea (UK) - Career Change

If you are actually "I want to fish" you've answered your own question: Underwater work seems to be attractive.  

Ain't no difference bewteen aero-engineering and water engineering.   One's a bit heavier than the other, but otherwise ......    8<)

Personally, I'd rather keep the hot high pressure water in the pipe, rather than find ways to keep the cold high-pressure water outside of the pipe, but each to his own .... 8<)

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources