Best Return to Engineering Path
Best Return to Engineering Path
(OP)
Thanks in advance to you all for your upcoming suggestions. I have read several other threads that were similar in some respects, and really thought the assistance from everyone was great. This is a great community.
Anyway, my situation appears somewhat unique on this forum, as I have a BSME and seven or eight years of experience in different engineering capacities, but a seventeen year gap of relevant engineering work. Kids, other jobs, a very well paid wife that traveled extensively, stay at home father, make me less attractive to potential employers as a Mechanical Engineer. I am 49 and want to return to mechanical engineering, but need to find what path might help prepare me for employers best: continuing education, certificate courses, or something else.
I don't have to find a job now, but really need to find a path to engineering again. I don't think a quick refresher course in a 3D modeling class would do it, but I don't know. I am not against pursuing an advanced degree in engineering or computer science, and have read some great comments about other older students. I am not set on anything, other than wanting to get back into engineering completely. Stints in other fields has not fostered my engineering knowledge, but has strengthened my desire to return to it.
Again, I am not pushed by immediacy, although a clear direction would be great. Please shoot me your ideas for the best ways a mechanical engineer can prepare himself for engineering after such a lapse, and at my age. Life does throw us curve balls every now and then, doesn't it?
Thanks to all that read and comment on this thread.
Kurt
Anyway, my situation appears somewhat unique on this forum, as I have a BSME and seven or eight years of experience in different engineering capacities, but a seventeen year gap of relevant engineering work. Kids, other jobs, a very well paid wife that traveled extensively, stay at home father, make me less attractive to potential employers as a Mechanical Engineer. I am 49 and want to return to mechanical engineering, but need to find what path might help prepare me for employers best: continuing education, certificate courses, or something else.
I don't have to find a job now, but really need to find a path to engineering again. I don't think a quick refresher course in a 3D modeling class would do it, but I don't know. I am not against pursuing an advanced degree in engineering or computer science, and have read some great comments about other older students. I am not set on anything, other than wanting to get back into engineering completely. Stints in other fields has not fostered my engineering knowledge, but has strengthened my desire to return to it.
Again, I am not pushed by immediacy, although a clear direction would be great. Please shoot me your ideas for the best ways a mechanical engineer can prepare himself for engineering after such a lapse, and at my age. Life does throw us curve balls every now and then, doesn't it?
Thanks to all that read and comment on this thread.
Kurt





RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Maybe start with your own business?
Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
I am not trying to take the Devil's advocate stance, but want to use my money wisely to help me get back into an engineering job. $2500 and a week in a hotel will acquaint me with solid modeling and I will add it to my resume, but I am thinking that that isn't the challenge with employers.
Is there more extensive courses that might integrate other engineering tools that would be better? I guess I really should talk with recruiters about their ideas too.
Thanks for the suggestion though Chris. I am a sponge and will take all input.
Kurt
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
I suggest getting in touch with a recruiter, or temp agency, and get your foot in the door.
True you may get pigeon-holed somewhere, but if you are serious about back into the field, you may take what you can get. A lot of companies these days are hiring young people that will accept a low pay.
Get into any engineering company, some will help you gain back your experience and sometimes train you on CAD.
Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
I am quite a bit older with outdated experience, but much better at communicating and developing contacts. Sure, it is a tough time for many now, but I will will nurture professional contacts old fashioned ways - face to face or over the phone.
Keep all comments coming. I will be part of this forum for many years.
Kurt
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Rafiq Bulsara
http://www.srengineersct.com
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Rb's idea of sales is a good one too. You could try outside sales for whatever type company you are interested and at the same time brush up your skills by watching them do the actual work part of it.
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Greg, I was thinking this way about CAD too, so glad to read your comments.
Part of what I want to do is find a direction to pursue, as I have been out of engineering for a while. Sorry to be vague, but I want to find what is out there now, select a direction to pursue and then prepare for it, and then develop and maintain contacts to help get in that industry.
My past engineering has been project related, manufacturing, and some design work. Most of my experience was as a project engineer in a manufacturing environment though.
What I am doing now is developing contacts in different engineering industries to talk to about what preparation would be best for my return. I will do the same with recruiters and temp agencies.
I know there may not be an opportunity for some time, but I want to find paths that would prepare me the best for a strong return.
Again, thanks for all and I hope my new comments might help direct your comments in the future.
BTW, I have passed my EIT exams but am not a PE. Are there engineering classes other than 3D modeling that might assist me?
I appreciate all your help.
Kurt
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Kurt
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
One way to get back up to speed would be a Masters, but obviously this would be a significant investment on your part. Perhaps instead, maybe you could think about doing a postgraduate certificate in Mech Eng.
The certificate itself doesn't really qualify you for anything, but it could be proof you're up to speed and ready to drive right in.
Typically here (Queensland, Australia) they are four courses, studied by distance education and can be done part time. I did two papers, not for the certificate, but to improve my skills in a couple of areas which opened up more scope to undertake different tasks within my company.
Might be worth looking into.
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Disagree. I don't touch CAD, drafters do that for me. I do calculations. I'd be better off improving my solid mechanics skill set than learning the ins and outs of Solid Works.
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
I was very impressed with the 3D modeling abilities many years ago and wouldn't mind learning this sometime, but would like to do more engineering than modeling. Also, I am pretty sure I can't keep up with some of the 3D modelers I have seen. However, I am reading and can imagine knowing these tools might be mandatory in some positions.
Keep them coming. I appreciate all of them, especially new options.
Kurt
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Yes, most universities in Australia (and I assume the US too) have some sort of distance education program. Basically for the stuff I did, I downloaded the course notes from the universities website along with the assignments due. Any software required was made available through the uni also.
So basically I spent my weekends and time after work doing these assignments, and uploaded them to the uni website as they were due. Pretty painless, and I did learn a surprising amount of stuff.
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
How are these certificates used? I understand you doing it for you, and I would for me too but the certificates must be for something, right?
Thanks to all with traditional ideas, but also to those with creative ideas.
I appreciate them all. This forum is great.
Kurt
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
To be honest, I am not sure what the certificates are used for. I think they are more of a record of your continuing education, or can be used as a stepping stone into a Masters.
The one I did was to improve your 'specialisation' without going into any great depth that you might be required to doing a Masters.
I am sure there will be unis in the US offering programs similar to what I did. And yeah, I am sure if you lived in say New York, you could study 'at' a Californian uni without leaving your home.
I have attached a pdf of the course I did. I am a Mechanical Engineer, but I did a couple of papers in the Advanced Structural Engineering Design major. Obviously I didn't get a certificate as I only did two of the required four papers (these two were directly relevant to my area of work).
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
I will look through your program tomorrow and then begin checking if there are similar programs here.
I really appreciate the help. Keep ideas coming as you think of them please.
Have a nice Friday.
Kurt
Kurt
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
I don't mean just 'drafting', it's a big part in design, FEA, CAM, etc.
Engineers still need to know calculations to understand, but also to do double checks.
To not know any CAD application, you are falling behind the times, or close to retirement, or are in management.
Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Peter Stockhausen
Senior Design Analyst (Checker)
Infotech Aerospace Services
www.infotechpr.net
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Wow, what a run on paragraph that was. Sorry. Keep your ideas coming please. They all help me form my return to engineering.
Kurt
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
They are pricey, but I have had good experience with Columbia's distance program, through which they offer several degrees and certificates:
http://www.cvn.columbia.edu/cert.php
But as someone said before, many big schools (in the US)will have something like this. Roughly where are you located?
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
TTFN
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RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Kurt
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Pretty good with SolidWorks
RE: Best Return to Engineering Path
Thanks.
Kurt
Kurt