Career change û Build on existing experience or retrain?

[greenspruce]

Hello,

This is partly related to the “What else could you do?” thread which was posted in July. I wonder if there are any career changers here who could advise on something I’m planning?

I’m a mechanical engineer with almost 9 years aerospace industry experience, mostly in fatigue and damage tolerance analysis of structures. My background is a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in fatigue / fracture mechanics.

At the moment, I’m looking for a career change for a number of reasons, including:

• Aerospace jobs tend to be geographically restricted
• I’ve done this for a while and feel ready to move on
• Looking for work with a bit more human interaction


I’m trying to assess which routes I might follow that would build on my experience, and which paths would require retraining of some kind.

For the moment, I’m thinking of staying in engineering. I’ve long been interested in environmental matters and I think that’s a direction I might move in. Recently, I’ve been looking at part time, distance learning courses in environmental management / sustainability / renewable energy.

I thought that one way to move to the environmental / sustainability side would be to work as an “energy engineer”, which means moving from the structural mechanics to thermodynamics, broadly speaking. As I have a mechanical engineer’s general understanding of thermofluids, I wonder if it’s feasible to make such a move with my existing skill set? I suppose it’s also a question of finding an employer who wouldn’t mind someone learning on the job to a certain extent. I’ve been looking at the larger civil / environmental engineering consultancies, and working with their sustainability divisions, for example, appeals to me.

I’m currently based in Britain, but have worked overseas in the past and am prepared to do so again. I’m particularly interested in moving to the Middle East (e.g UAE), but I appreciate this may require gaining additional experience / qualifications.

Have any of you been through a similar change?

Thanks!

 

[KENAT]

My degree is BEng Aerospace Sysemts Engineering from the UK. I worked in the UK aerospace/defense for about 5 years as a Design Engineer.

I now work in the US effectively in machine design initially as a Design Engineer but now largely as a Design Documentation Verification Analyst (OK, really drawing checker but I'm trying to make it sound fancier).

I didn't do any formal training but have read relevant sections of a few books, researched online, asked questions here got to know the relevant standards etc. Som of this in work time some in my own.

Maybe not as dramatic a change as you're looking at but hopefully of some use to you.

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

 

[carnage1]

One piece of good advice I have been given about changing career paths is that no matter what you choose to start doing always approach it as an expansion of your skill set.
you have your bsme, you have a maters degree, you know how to think in terms of long term problems and their less than obvious solutions, and you have had several years to improve your problem solving skills. It sounds to me like you are qualified to try to tackle anything anyone throws at you.

 

[GregLocock]

Look at it another way. you have 'almost nine years' call it eight years of industry experience. Wipe out two years as being kindegarten. That means that at worst you are throwing away 6 years of experience, and in practice you should be able to use half of that experience in a new field.

I've 'specialised' in three different areas in 25 years, what didn't kill me made me stronger.


Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[greenspruce]

Thanks guys, you've given some good suggestions there.

Your advice is in line with what I've been thinking myself. To me, engineering skills enable you to systematically approach problems in areas you may be unfamiliar with. I also spend my spare time reading up on subjects from pipe stress to electronics, out of interest and in case it comes in handy some day. I think the thing to do is to see if this cuts any ice with prospective employers...

 

[DHambley]

I went from electrical design engineer to building homes; I got my license and bonding and had a good gig going.
Built several homes, had a lot of fun.
Engineering paid more though, so I'm back at that.

 

[rmw]

I did a career change once into a completely different field-from heat-power to heavy duty truck transportation and eventually found my way back to heat-power. I thought I would just have to blow those years off, but amazingly, I use what I learned from that experience extensively in what I do in the heat-power field now. I never would have believed it.

My regrets changed to thanks.

rmw

 

[Comcokid]

Greenspruce - I think you stated it pretty clearly - engineering skills enable you to systematically approach problems in areas you may be unfamiliar with .

You indicated your background is Aerospace. I assume that means you work for a large company and have highly specialized skills in a narrow engineering area. The best way to broaden you skills is to work at a small company where you may have to 'wear a lot of different hats'. I've had to re-invent myself several times. Most recently, I was hired by a new company for my low-level sensor, analog and RF skills, but as soon as I hired on, the owner decided he wanted a high-power DC/AC inverter specialized to the market they were in, so I'm now re-inventing myself into a high voltage switch-mode power supply and magnetics engineer.

Good engineers have "The Knack". (You can also reference the "Dilbert" animation series, Season 1 Episode 9, by the same name). Engineers with this ability can re-invent themselves and/or reasonably solve technical problems outside of their skill/training area. People who don't have this ability usually migrate to other areas - like sales or mid-level management.

People with "The Knack" who migrate to management usually do so as entrepreneurs, or as executives in leading technical companies, and change the way entire industries operate - bascially becomming engineers re-inventing business.

 

[PSE]

Greenspruce,

I have spent time as a Manufacturing/Industrial Engineer, Department Supervisor, and am now working as a Project Manager all in companies with around 1000 employees or less. My first thought with an Aerospace background and an interest in renewable energy was wind power generation.

Even the most "specialized" disciplines end up interacting with others. This can provide various evolutionary paths for a career.

Regards,