Any Mechanical Engineers in here?

[Dr.Olds]

Hey guys, I'm working towards a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology with a minor in technical sales here at Penn State. The minor just gives exposure to alot of the business and marketing classes the straight engineering guys never see. I think this is a pretty powerful way to go, because now you've got the engineering and a pretty good insight to the "other" side of the job. I personally think this is a very good way to go to give yourself the opportunity for advancement down the road. As for a job, I have been working over the summers (I live in Connecticut when I'm not at school) at a bearing manufacturer doing anything from running machines to CAD work to ISO accreditation and it's been going very well. They have a lot of business in the automotive and aerospace field, so I still have the satisfaction of a "car related" job but it's like everyone else said, you don't want to get burned out and have your job and hobby overlap. I think this is a good way to balance it because the job's not just cars, it's a bit of everything. So that's just my two cents, hope it was useful towards this discussion for somebody!

[JoshStratton]

If anyone is in Columbus, Ohio or wants to move to Columbus, Ohio, drop me a PM or email (osutraditionATyahooDOTcom). I work for Battelle Memorial Institute and there are always engineering openings available. I will hook you up with a login (i get referral bonuses )

Right now we have openings for:

• Sr Project Engineers
• Software Engineers
• Systems Engineers
• Research Engineers
• Sr. Pipeline Integrity Engineers
• Sr. Electrical Engineers
• Senior Software Medical Product Development Engineers
• Senior Electrical Medical Product Development Engineers

[Jewce]

I have a BSME,MCL from U of Kansas and an MSME from Michigan. I have worked for DCX for 5 years now and love it. The industry sucks right now, but my area is fairly exciting and I'm too much of a grease monkey to turn away. I currently work in the gasoline turbo engine group (SRT4, PTTurbo and some unmentionables). In the 5 years I've been here, I've done a year with Dodge Motorsports Road Racing (mostly Viper Comp Coupe with a little SRT4 - World Challenge, Viper Racing League, etc. - none of that toilet bowl crap), 6 mo with Viper engine group, and have 2.5 yrs at my current position. Also did time with sheetmetal at an assy plant and some crash engineering - I was in a destructive phase.

Overall, I'd actually say stay away from Big 3 automotive unless it is your passion. There are no retirement benefits for new hires anymore and the attitude has gone down hill in the last few years. Everyone is cynical about almost everything. It only took me 3 days on the job of seeing all the red tape and bureaucracy when I started asking the question "How to we get cars off the end of the assy line?" We aren't allowed to do anything novel or different. Part of the reason Japan OE's are cleaning house. I can't knock it too much though. I get to do what I love as opposed to plumbing a power plant like I could have done and it pays for me to race shifterkarts and do my LS2 conversion.

On a side note: Any undergrad ME's out there should do Formula SAE. It was a stepping stone to my job and many industries are taking note of it now. It's no longer just auto companies that recruit from it. You'll learn much more there than all your classroom work combined. Do it. Live it. Love it.

Jewce

[72SSAbody]

I have a BSME,MCL from U of Kansas

Jewce

I also have a BSME from the University of Kansas.

Aaron,
I know I've spoken with you in the past about what you plan on doing in the future. Just keep in mind that you don't have to work for the Big Three to keep the "passion" going. As others have pointed out there are plenty of avenues to take that are rewarding.

I work for the largest American heavy weight motorcycle manufacturer. I've spent several years in Quality, design, testing, manufacturing & resident roles.

I'm currently in Milwaukee working on the next gen. big twins, middleweight & "other" powertrains that you'll see in the next couple of years. The work is rewarding but some days you want to do this: or this (with a co-worker):

The job does allow me to travel and do things that friends and family have told me they wish they could do....all on the company's dime.

I'll be in Daytona this spring for bike week and possibly other rallies (hopefully Laughlin if the schedule opens up). I've even had the opportunities to ride first production event motorcycles straight off the line and head down to test tracks on public highways before the bikes have been introduced to the public. You get stares everywhere you go & some brave souls start to ask questions and take pictures. We're always flying down to test tracks in Florida, Talladega & Arizona so the travel opportunities are there.

I think the best way to find out what you like and don't like is to grab an internship or co-op somewhere. That will quickly show you what you do and do not want to do.

The best thing you can do (which you are on your way to accomplish) is to get that degree.

Joe

[dannyho]

I'm working towards a Mechanical engineering degree with a minor in metallurgy and material science from U of Connecticut. I've done a couple internships, both in aerospace with a helicopter company. They've been interesting but overall I'm also become disinterested in working there again.
I'm working on getting an internship somewhere, I don't mind moving for the summer or whatnot, but I feel I'm limited by what I can get. Internships around here and generally gotten through connections, someone who knows someone. But these places I'm applying to are too far removed for me to get anywhere. Essentially I think it's easy to get blackballed, and left in a pile at the HR department. I'm trained in CATIA V5, which no interns are, and I think a lot of companies are switching to it.
Maybe it's taboo to throw it out there, but I was looking for suggestions of where to look for an internship. I'd like to stay aerospace or automotive, but honestly any type of design job would be fine. It's tough for someone without a degree to go and apply for theses, especially since the req's weren't even posted on their websites until recently.

[Tim_in_NC]

No ME here ... but I do have a Masters in IE ... no, not imaginary engineering, but Industrial Engineering ...

However, I do work with several ME's ...

Does that count?

[rolltide]

No ME here ... but I do have a Masters in IE ... no, not imaginary engineering, but Industrial Engineering ...

However, I do work with several ME's ...

Does that count?

Does an IE count? That's hilarious! That's precisely what they do! ...sorry...I couldn't help myself...

Advice: Big companies have big company problems. Small companies have small company problems. Identify these common problems and figure out which ones you can live with.

Most ME jobs are in manufacturing. They're production managers, reliability managers, quality managers, and maintenance managers. There's a few project engineers who do a little bit of design work and a few design engineers. Manufacturing isn't always about making the very best product. With today's global competition, it's all about making a product profitably. This can be frustrating for a perfectionist ME.

My best advice: Co-op. There are tons of opportunities. They will pay you. You get to try out an industry without the long term commitment. You'll have mentors to help you get your feet wet. A graduate who co-ops will have a 100% placement rate and will have more options. And finally... you'll learn more in the co-op role than you'll learn in school.

You've made a great career choice. You will have lots of choices and an opportunity to have lots of fun!

Terry

[Tim_in_NC]

Terry ...

Maybe my sarcasim wasn't that obvious

I enjoy managing and working as an engineer ... but if I had it all over to do again, I think that I would be leaning closer to some sort of Medical field ...

As manufacturing goes away, it gets harder and harder for us ...

BUT, people always get sick!

[Dr.Olds]

I agree with what Jewce said about the Formula SAE thing, companies put alot of weight onto the SAE competitions now. I'm actually part of the SAE Supermileage team here at Penn State which is just another type of competition sponsored by SAE. It is an incredible experience, where you really do learn alot by applying the classroom stuff to an actual vehicle. So anyone still in school where they have an SAE team, DO IT!!! It's alot of fun, very educational, and it carries weight with companies for sure. I interviewed with Honda for an internship in September and he actually asked specifically about whether I had done any SAE competitions....so they must care about it!

[WS6]

On a side note: Any undergrad ME's out there should do Formula SAE. It was a stepping stone to my job and many industries are taking note of it now. It's no longer just auto companies that recruit from it. You'll learn much more there than all your classroom work combined. Do it. Live it. Love it.

Jewce

This is another reason for my desire to transfer to Ga Tech. I want to do this. I hope to not be working at the shop then though and that will suck because I'll almost be letting a business die, but I want to do Formula SAE. So if I get accepted to Tech we will see what happens.

[dannyho]

I tried to get a formula SAE team going here at UCONN, but apparently a few years back a group of bad apples got caught partying it up at the garage they were given, and now they won't trust us with any funds. It sucks how a couple idiots can ruin it for everyone

[Wall]

Hey I work at the Talladega Testing Facility, I'm a technical specialist. Are you at the PDC? I spent a week at the structures lab last year in the PDC, that is a cool place.

I also have a BSME from the University of Kansas.

Aaron,
I know I've spoken with you in the past about what you plan on doing in the future. Just keep in mind that you don't have to work for the Big Three to keep the "passion" going. As others have pointed out there are plenty of avenues to take that are rewarding.

I work for the largest American heavy weight motorcycle manufacturer. I've spent several years in Quality, design, testing, manufacturing & resident roles.

I'm currently in Milwaukee working on the next gen. big twins, middleweight & "other" powertrains that you'll see in the next couple of years. The work is rewarding but some days you want to do this: or this (with a co-worker):

The job does allow me to travel and do things that friends and family have told me they wish they could do....all on the company's dime.

I'll be in Daytona this spring for bike week and possibly other rallies (hopefully Laughlin if the schedule opens up). I've even had the opportunities to ride first production event motorcycles straight off the line and head down to test tracks on public highways before the bikes have been introduced to the public. You get stares everywhere you go & some brave souls start to ask questions and take pictures. We're always flying down to test tracks in Florida, Talladega & Arizona so the travel opportunities are there.

I think the best way to find out what you like and don't like is to grab an internship or co-op somewhere. That will quickly show you what you do and do not want to do.

The best thing you can do (which you are on your way to accomplish) is to get that degree.

Joe

[72SSAbody]

Hey I work at the Talladega Testing Facility, I'm a technical specialist. Are you at the PDC? I spent a week at the structures lab last year in the PDC, that is a cool place.

Yep, I'm at the PDC.



I'll trade you jobs for the next couple of months! Its too cold up here right now. I could use some temps that are above freezing

[Happyfunballs]

I'm a graduate in ME from UMR, the aforementioned small engineering school in Missouri, and my dream job was to work in an automotive plant in the paint shop. Well, I got my wish, a first line supervisor in an assembly plant paint shop, and it turned out to be the biggest mistake and the best learning experience ever. It took me almost 2 years to come to that decision. I'm now a Project Engineer at a steel tubing manufacturer and my job is great.

[Project69]

Well its almost time for me to decide on what college I want to go to out of high school, and I already know the greatness of MIT...but what other colleges offer some of the best engineering courses?

[WS6]

GA Tech. and I can't think of the others right now because I am brain dead. actually just farting more than anything else

[Project69]

GA Tech. and I can't think of the others right now because I am brain dead. actually just farting more than anything else

I go through the same thing and i wonder how im able to keep a girlfriend lol...

well it looks like ill be looking into GA Tech. thanks a million

[Jewce]

Well its almost time for me to decide on what college I want to go to out of high school, and I already know the greatness of MIT...but what other colleges offer some of the best engineering courses?

No MIT for undergrad. MIT focuses on grad and postgrad work and therefore skimps on undergrad. I know alot of people that would disagree with me, but I personally know a few grads from there and I learned more going to tiny U of Kansas than they did at lofty MIT.

As for good schools, GA Tech, Cornell, Michigan, Purdue, Carnagie Melon, and of course Kansas.