Changing industries? 1

[nocam1334]

How do you go about getting into a new area of engineering once you've been working in one for a while?

I graduated with a BSME in 2003 and have been working in manufacturing environments (3 ½ years (1st job) in designing shipboard components, currently about 1 year (2nd job) designing pumps used in construction and wastewater). I’m really much more interested and would like to get involved in a job related to alternative energy (wind, solar, etc) or possibly design of medical devices, but am finding my skill set not suited for those jobs.

Have any of you changed industries mid-career? And how did you go about it? I am finding (in my job search) that once you have experience in a certain engineering area it is a challenge to move to another area because of my lack of developed skills in those areas.

 

[ctopher]

With today's economy, if your company seems to be doing good today, I suggest stay where you are for two more years. It would be a gamble switching right now.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 08; CATIA V5
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
ctopher's blog
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[nocam1334]

Yea, I'm not planning on jumping ship right now. We're not doing great (money wise) but I like the people I work with and don't dislike the job that much. I am friends with our CFO and he tells me we are at least ok financially for another 2 years.

More or less looking for ideas at this point.

 

[KENAT]

This has come up a few times, for example thread731-238364 just lately.

Have a dig around on this forum and maybe Overcoming Obstacles Getting My Work Done or even Where is Engineering Going In The Next 5 Years

I went from Aerospace Defense to precision machine design a few years ago. It happens.

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at posting policies:

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[jmw]

....but I like the people I work with and don't dislike the job that much.

You need to watch that attitude, it can be dangerous. I stayed far to long with my first company because of it and I wish there had been people around to tell me then the things the members here will tell you.

It is great when you like the people and the work.
BUT: never let it become an excuse for not moving on.

You need to tell yourself that if you like the work where you ate and like the people where you are, then you will find it just as easy to like the work elsewhere and the people elsewhere.

The 3.5 years 1st Job will look good on your CV/Resume; not too short a time, possibly a little bit too long but 1 yr is definitely too short for the 2nd job.

You need to plan these job changes to take place at regular intervals for a while so you can build some experience not just of different jobs but also different companies. In fact I guess you need to plan your career just as you would a project. It can be as flexible as you like but if you aren't setting goals and working toward them you'll wake up one day and wonder where the years went and why you are still struggling to make ends meet.

You need to be looking at each company you work with and trying to assess, for your own benefit, what makes each one good or bad, what makes one manager good and another bad and so on. You can take a look back at your first company and detail the good and bad and look for similarities and differences in each company. Look to what are transferables... liking your work and liking the people you work with is far more to do with you than it is to do with the company you work for or the people you work with; these are transferables.
If you know what you are looking for you will recognise it when you come to it.

You will anyway need to use job changes to build your salary level (annual cost of living increases will keep you poor) until you finally find where you want to stay and grow within one job or company and where that will keep you interested and rewarded to your satisfaction... just try and learn which are the companies that will last you.



JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[Ron]

Consider using the time while the economy resets to get a Master's degree in an area more closely related to what you want to do....biomed engineering, machine design, etc.

Stick with your job while you go back to school.

 

[Japher]

^Good advice. Decide which it is you want to do and get a masters in it, or you can look for a certificate program that relates to the field, or just apply. You might be surprised at how many of your skills are transferable to different industries.