Major mechanical

What can you do with a Major in Mechanical Engineering?

Career options for aspiring mechanical engineers

Practically every company that designs and produces a product employs a mechanical engineer. But mechanical engineers can also be found in research labs, the military, government, and preparing for other professions such as medicine, law or teaching.

Most mechanical engineering jobs require design experience. When a need comes about for a new or improved product, companies call upon mechanical engineers to do the job. Engineers have to push beyond the limits of their previous work and use innovative technology to meet project requirements successfully.

A second major area of employment for mechanical engineers is in manufacturing. Manufacturing positions are concerned with everything involved in producing a product, from selecting the appropriate materials to developing the correct machinery to manufacture the product.

Most mechanical engineers are employed in industry at equipment manufacturers, aerospace companies, utilities, material processing plants, transportation companies, and petroleum companies. They also work with small firms, consulting practices, universities, and government research.

Specific assignments might involve research and development, design of equipment or systems, supervision of production, plant engineering, administration, sales engineering, the testing and evaluation of machines and entire plants. Some mechanical engineering titles and their functions include:

• Automotive engineer: Mechanical engineers design many car parts for the automobile industry. As an automotive engineer, you could solve transportation problems by creating better and more efficient engines or by developing more secure door locks.
  
  
• Biomedical engineer: Mechanical engineers work with a variety of medical professionals to design aids, prosthetics, and artificial organs for improving the quality of people's lives.
  
  
• Consulting: Once mechanical engineers have gained significant on-the-job experience and developed a high level of expertise, they might choose to work for themselves as consultants or independent contractors. Here they can work on projects of their choosing for clients they respect. Consulting offers mechanical engineers opportunities in large and small engineering service firms and in private practice.
  
  
• Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) engineer: Design refrigeration systems for making frozen foods, or air-conditioning and heating systems for businesses and industrial buildings, residential homes, autos, hospitals, and schools.
  
  
• Nuclear engineer: The design of nuclear power plants requires the services of a mechanical engineer. The engineer must understand the fundamentals of nuclear design, know how to operate the plant efficiently, and evaluate the environmental factors associated with nuclear plants.
  
  
• Robotics engineer: A mechanical engineer may design machines that build other machines. For instance, a robotics engineer may be involved with creating the devices that are used in assembling automobiles. Engineers are concerned with the robot's structure, its joint mechanisms, bearings, and heat transfer characteristics.
  
  
• Teaching: A desire to help mold the next generation of engineers motivates some mechanical engineers to move into academic careers. Engineers in colleges oversee research activities, manage laboratories, and mentor students. They also write and publish books and technical papers about mechanical engineering.

Other mechanical engineering job titles:

• acoustics engineer
• design engineer - mechanical
• energy conservation engineer
• engineer, power generation
• fluid mechanics engineer
• mechanical maintenance engineer
• piping engineer
• thermal design engineer
• tool engineer

Did You Know?
Samuel Colt (who patented the revolving pistol with a rotating cylinder) and Richard James (who invented the Slinky) were mechanical engineers?