Career Prospects For Mechanical Engineers

Introduction
Mechanical engineering is one of the most sort after stream in engineering and studying mechanical engineering is the dream of nearly all aspiring engineers. Various reasons make this a favourite stream, including the attractive salary packages, challenging work environment, exposure in the field and many more.

 

Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest and vast branches of engineering. As mechanical engineering involves design, development and production, mechanical engineers are usually hired in manufacturing industries. They are hired by both private and public sectors.

Coursework in Mechanical Engineering
As most mechanical engineers will be required to complete a bachelor's in mechanical engineering. The fundamental courses at college or university level for mechanical engineers are majors in the following courses:

  • mathematics,
  • calculus,
  • chemistry, and
  • physics.

After the completion of these fundamental courses, courses in engineering are as follows:

  • Materials Sciences
  • Manufacturing Processes
  • Thermodynamics
  • Heat Transfer
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Mechanical and Structural Design
  • Kinematics and Dynamics of Machinery
  • Instruments and Controls
  • Advanced computer programming

It is always better for a students to land in a paid or unpaid internship, where he/she will be able to apply the theoretical knowledge in the real world. Internships also helps students gauge his/her professional strengths and weaknesses.

Qualification and Work Designation
Most companies hire aspirants who have a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, either B.Tech/BE is a mandatory criteria. A master's degree or a post-graduation in mechanical engineering gives you a higher designation. Not only this, a candidate with mechanical engineering degree can find jobs in administration and managerial positions in production firms. Interested candidates can also take up teaching or research.

Career Prospects For Mechanical Engineers

The job profiles of a mechanical engineer can be in the following fields:
  • Research and Development (R&D),
  • Production,
  • Design,
  • Analysis and Testing,
  • Installation and Maintenance.

Job Opportunities for Mechanical Engineers
Well trained mechanical engineers are in huge demand in India and abroad. This industry has seen immense growth and it is said that by 2015 Mechanical Engineering will be the highest paid career option.

Almost all sectors of the engineering industry sought mechanical engineers. Some of these are as follows:

  • Aerospace industry,
  • Automotive industry
  • Chemical industry
  • Construction
  • Defence
  • Electronics
  • Consumer goods
  • Marine industry
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Railways
  • Utilities and metal industry

Mechanical engineers will find relevant job opportunities in sectors including manufacturing, construction, aerospace, automotive, energy, railway, medicine, sports. Mechanical engineers can also work in business and management sectors, IT, finance and law.

Job roles of a mechanical engineer
The following duties are to be fulfilled by a mechanical engineer:

  • Designing and implementing equipment modifications to improve safety and reliability
  • creating projects and project management
  • developing, designing, testing, etc.
  • monitoring and commissioning plants and systems

Non-engineering careers for mechanical engineers
A degree in mechanical engineering opens a path to various other job opportunities outside engineering industry. A mechanical engineer can always take up a job in the following fields outside engineering:

  • some employers run graduate schemes in areas such as finance and management, where you can consider jobs in supply chain and technical sales.
  • you can always start a career in mechanical engineering and move into a more business focused role at a later date.
  • mechanical engineers are given high level of numeracy and problem solving roles in other industries
  • if you have programming skills, you can always explore IT companies and technical consultancies.
  • you will also go well with finance, management and business or management consulting recruiters.
  • teaching with technical knowledge is always in demand.
  • other unrelated professions you can aim for are intellectual property, construction or energy, transport and infrastructure or technical publishing or science journalism.
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