Calling All Engineers

[Snapple]

Hey people, i'm studying engineering in college and im just entering my second year so its about time for me to pick a major. Right now i'm torn between mechanical, aerospace, and systems engineering and i'm leaning towards systems.

I was wondering if there are any engineers in these fields (or others) either in university or out in the real world who wanted to share their experiences.

 

[blackbelt2k]

if you choose aerospace, get ready to go work in the middle of nowhere, like kansas.. mechanical, you'll be seeing lots of factories, so i'd say systems is a safer bet... Also don't bother with aerospace unless your graduating from an aernautical university, like Embry riddle or something, simply because they have their hands in aeropace companies pockets like lockhead, boeing, nasa, etc.

 

[~attrACTION~]

if you choose aerospace, get ready to go work in the middle of nowhere, like kansas.. mechanical, you'll be seeing lots of factories, so i'd say systems is a safer bet... Also don't bother with aerospace unless your graduating from an aernautical university, like Embry riddle or something, simply because they have their hands in aeropace companies pockets like lockhead, boeing, nasa, etc.

Not necessarily. Those are really stereotypical...

You can go to work in San Diego...where there are a lot of aerospace jobs/industry. You don't have to go to an aeronautical university either...

You should stop spreading this kind of misinformation. It can really be misleading. Mechanical engineers don't just work in factories! LOL. There are tons of mechanical engineers that are CEOs of companies and work in business environments. These days your degree means little about the type of work you will do.

You'll go get a degree in mechanical engineering, then your company may pay you to go to school and learn other types of engineering, or management, etc. Paid training. But that's why I didn't go into engineering. I don't like to keep having to update myself with new information...it's a very fast-paced field. How do I know? Because my parents and many other people in my family/friends circle are engineers. None of them work in factories. In fact, a few of them are millionaires.

At this time in America, our country needs engineers more than any other field of professions. With more jobs moving overseas, there is actually something called an "Engineering Crisis" going on. We need engineers in America.

With that said, if you graduate in engineering you can easily find a good job, especially if you graduate from a good school. I didn't go the engineering route, because personally, it's not my thing. I just don't like math, etc. But job market-wise...it's great! I know guys who graduated with 2.1s and work at NG and other huge companies, making good money. Most of them can get jobs before they graduate (if they do internships and network well).

Sorry I don't have much advice on which type of engineering. But if you PM me, I know a few people who can give you advice.

 

[blackbelt2k]

Not necessarily. Those are really stereotypical...

You can go to work in San Diego...where there are a lot of aerospace jobs/industry. You don't have to go to an aeronautical university either...

You should stop spreading this kind of misinformation (or shall I say, utter BS). It can really be misleading. Mechanical engineers don't just work in factories! LOL. There are tons of mechanical engineers that are CEOs of companies and work in business environments. These days your degree means little about the type of work you will do.

You'll go get a degree in mechanical engineering, then your company may pay you to go to school and learn other types of engineering, or management, etc. Paid training. But that's why I didn't go into engineering. I don't like to keep having to update myself with new information...it's a very fast-paced field. How do I know? Because my parents and many other people in my family/friends circle are engineers. None of them work in factories. In fact, a few of them are millionaires.

At this time in America, our country needs engineers more than any other field of professions. With more jobs moving overseas, there is actually something called an "Engineering Crisis" going on. We need engineers in America.

With that said, if you graduate in engineering you can easily find a good job, especially if you graduate from a good school. I didn't go the engineering route, because personally, it's not my thing. I just don't like math, etc. But job market-wise...it's great! I know guys who graduated with 2.1s and work at NG and other huge companies, making good money. Most of them can get jobs before they graduate (if they do internships and network well).

Major companies look to only a few universites when it comes to aerospace, i know because they pull almost all graduates from my school. MORE than liekly, an aero engineer is going to end up in some middle or nowhere state. Just because you don't have your facts straight, doesn't mean its BS

 

[~attrACTION~]

^I apologize, I didn't mean to say you're lying or any of that. That is true, aerospace is a more narrow field than mechanical, but that doesn't mean you will end up in the middle of nowhere.

I do have my facts straight, and I don't feel like proving it, but I could if you really want me to. San Diego is very huge on aerospace. Most places that are big on aerospace are actually NOT in the middle of nowhere. Your location says Florida...you more than anyone should know that Nasa is not in the middle of nowhere.

Most big companies are in industrialized areas, big cities, or near naval bases.

Maybe we just have different opinions of what you mean by "middle of nowhere."

Right now, I live in the middle of nowhere. A no-name college town with less than 20k population. No shopping malls. This is the middle of nowhere. But somewhere like Houston is not the middle of nowhere. I don't consider any city with over 500k people to be the middle of nowhere. That's just my opinion. What's yours?

 

[bigjohnson]

I love it when the folks in school think they have all the facts about how employers pull from .... schools. Hahahahaha. Who here has ever pulled and reviewed resumes and than given job interviews for an engineering position? Anyone?

 

[~attrACTION~]

I love it when the folks in school think they have all the facts about how employers pull from .... schools. Hahahahaha. Who here has ever pulled and reviewed resumes and than given job interviews for an engineering position? Anyone?

I didn't. But I know people who run companies, and do it. So, yeah, I think I have some facts about it. I don't ask them specifically, but stuff like this comes up in conversations a lot. The whole job market, placement for engineers, different types of engineers etc. I'm not trying to prove anything, just trying to tell blackbelt2k to stop giving engineering a misguided representation (but I am not trying to offend anyone either, so I apologize if it came across that way).

If you really want facts, then go to these sites...

http://www.aaas.org/
www.engtrends.com

etc. I could tell you facts and figures all day. But hey, I'm not really qualified, so you probably wouldn't listen to me. I'll shut up now.

 

[blackbelt2k]

my fault attraction, didn't mean to take out work stress on you, although it did relieve some .. but as for the topic, attraction is right; I WAS an aerospace major, and after 2 years, i said f*uck that shiet, and moved over to software engineering. You have to LOVE math, i mean you must love it more than you love your sanity. I LIKE math, and interestingly enough have to take all but one of required math classes a aero major as too. But i just did not want to work in just a narrow job market. I have a 2.5 gpa, (2.7 is average for engineers, well its above average acutally, lol) but you are almost GUARNTEED a job. With my 2.5 i'm making $23/hr right now as an intern in NYC. Engineering is hard as balls, but its worth it in the end, but make sure you pick a field where you'd like to work, I wouldn't recommend aero though, that just my opinion.

 

[~attrACTION~]

my fault attraction, didn't mean to take out work stress on you, although it did relieve some .. but as for the topic, attraction is right; I WAS an aerospace major, and after 2 years, i said f*uck that shiet, and moved over to software engineering. You have to LOVE math, i mean you must love it more than you love your sanity. I LIKE math, and interestingly enough have to take all but one of required math classes a aero major as too. But i just did not want to work in just a narrow job market. I have a 2.5 gpa, (2.7 is average for engineers, well its above average acutally, lol) but you are almost GUARNTEED a job. With my 2.5 i'm making $23/hr right now as an intern in NYC. Engineering is hard as balls, but its worth it in the end, but make sure you pick a field where you'd like to work, I wouldn't recommend aero though, that just my opinion.

Well, looks like you do know what you're talking about. I was Mechanical...but switched out. Failed dynamics and then I just couldn't take it any more. I guess I can feel your pain, LOL. I even tried some Computer Sci, but decided that wasn't for me either. Software Eng is still challenging...good luck with that...and good thing you're sticking to it.

 

[insomniac]

My company, in particular the group of electrical engineers I work in, regularily hires from a few specific schools. These are mostly the local large universities, but also a good number from one technical school out east How it happened: we hired one guy from there, he turned out to be pretty good. This guy has a few friends from that school, we hire them and they're good too. So, now the school has a good reputation and we send recruiters there.

Regarding GPA...easily overlooked IF you prove in the interview you understand what you've been studying the past 4+ years. You'd be surprised at the number of people we see, who in spite of their GPA, clearly don't have a clue. HR is not good at picking out qualified people, so we usually have to rely on word-of-mouth or on campus screening interviews to find candidates.

I can't comment on mechanical, aerospace, or systems, but getting a co-op or internship in your field while in school is the best thing you can do for yourself. If you know what you're doing, they'll want to hire you when you graduate, as will others.

 

[Snapple]

attraction, yeah i know what u mean, my dad did nuclear engineering then did an MBA and is now a consultant. But as for me i'm looking more towards engineering jobs right after college and have no plans for a graduate degree at the moment (engineering or otherwise). There are a lot of engineering companies in Cleveland (i go to Case Western Reserve University) that recruit out of my school since at least half of us are engineers. My friends and I all want to take a break after our 3rd year to do a coop program and get some good experience. I'm a little worried about getting internships for the summer because my gpa isnt that great (sitting at 2.8, but hey its only the first year...i hope). Might just work for my dad's friend's company next summer so I can have an engineering job to put on my resume.

But enough about my crap...i have heard that aerospace can be fairly limiting, people say that you can only work for a small number of big companies. But then again, isnt pay usually better with the big guys? A lot of people here are doing biomedical engineering as its supposed to be the big new thing, kind of like nuclear engineering way back when. Its also supposed to be a great undergrad for premeds. Are the people you guys know mainly in aerospace/mechanical? I'm also curious about chemical/material science engr, ive never liked chemisty but the stuff their doing in those fields sounds really groundbreaking (new technologies etc).

Also to insomniac, here the systems program is in the electrical engineer department so a lot of the classes are the same, do companies like yours hire strictly electrical engineers or pick people from other fields that are related? I heard that aerospace/mech majors get hired for the same jobs often, is it the same with electrical/systems/computer majors?

I just read that big rant post about the lack of jobs for college grads, I dont have any close friends that are recent graduates, but im guessing that the demand for engineers cant really be compared to that of liberal arts majors.....but do american taught engineers have greater opportunity outside of the US?

 

[Ricky]

this sounds like a good discussion for one of my favorite sites...

eng-tips.com

 

[spesmilitis]

With mechanical, you can probably get a job in any location. I don't think you can just work in factories . . . anything that needs to be designed, there needs to be a mechanical engineer.

 

[Suicide]

Since when do mechanical engineers work in factories in the middle of nowhere? I know several and they all have very nice downtown offices. Sure, they visit the places where their designs are being produced but it's not like they actually work on the factory floor.

 

[Taviii]

I'm gonna be a mech engineer in 3 years if I finish my university

 

[Snapple]

i think some people are confusing engineers with technicians. For example, a civil engineer may visit a construction site to go oversee the production, but it's not like he is going to be one of the guys carrying around steal beams.