5 Facts you didn’t know as a Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical engineers play an essential role in the automotive, aerospace, biotechnology, and manufacturing domains. They’ve always been regarded as the epitome of a hard worker for the effort they put in their respective domains. A successful mechanical engineer is a problem solver, a creative thinker, a good communicator, and an excellent collaborator. In this article, you will learn 5 facts that you wouldn’t have known which will make you a better mechanical engineer.
1. Tool test and its significance
The ability to design a model using a tool is a brilliant way to showcase your unique skill-set. Tool knowledge is indispensable expertise that every mechanical engineer requires in order to be successful. In fact, it has become a prerequisite for securing a full-fledged core job.
This is because every design that a mechanical engineer outline requires two essential components, an idea at the outset and a tool to execute it. Having an excellent project idea will be ineffective and will not translate into a durable design if you don’t have a tool to complete it.
College graduates and mechanical engineers with inadequate experience are saddled with an improper understanding of the tools used in the industry, and this is a direct impediment to the student as they do not get recruited.
For instance, let’s say you are attending an interview, you will certainly be tested based on your performance in these rounds,
- Aptitude Test
- Technical Round
- Tool Test
Only after clearing all three rounds will you get a job. In some cases, the companies might skip the aptitude round. But you should definitely pass the other two rounds.
From our experience, students with tool knowledge have aced all their interviews when compared with engineers with limited tool knowledge. As a mechanical engineer, if you haven’t concentrated on gaining sufficient hands-on experience with industry tools, this should be your priority.
2. Understanding the theoretical concept and designing a model using a tool always helps
Mechanical engineers often come to the conclusion that mugging up the theory concepts help one’s chances of getting a core job.
I’m sorry folks.
It no longer works.
It might help you in cracking the technical round. But it will not get the job you want.
Life is all about practical experience. Isn’t it?
The more you experiment, the more challenges you face and the better insights you will have when you have to troubleshoot a problem.
Yes!
Theoretical concepts play a significant role in the interview process. Sometimes, you need to be prepared with important definitions that will help you to get your foot in the door, but my point here is that mere theory concepts won’t be a big help.
However, the only way to overcome this gap is by learning different techniques and knowing how and when to apply them in a real-life project that will produce significant results. This way, you will face a new challenge every day, which, in parallel, allows you to find new solutions, and you will end up learning new things every day.
3. Hand-on experience on the industry-oriented projects
The research says that if you work on multiple industry-oriented projects, you’re more likely to ace the interview and get employed in the top OEMs. A few weeks back, we had the good fortune of interacting with industry leaders.
They stressed the term “project experience” several times during our chat.
How can you start working on industry-oriented projects?
Well, it’s simple. You have to follow these steps.
Step 1 — Sign up to any platform that allows you to execute your project ideas
Step 2 — Pick a model that you primarily want to work on
Step 3 — Predict and analyze the results.
Step 4 — Showcase your work to your community.
Doing these four steps will get your work noticed by the industry, and you increase your chances of getting your dream job.
With mechanical engineering software priced at high rates, the easiest way to gain hands-on experience is to choose a platform where you can work on projects with their licensed tools.
4. Only 6.4% of Mechanical Engineers are employable
Out of a lakh of mechanical engineers graduating every year in India, it’s unfortunate that only 6.4% of them are employable. When I say employable, it essentially means they are either employed in the core jobs, or they work in the teaching domains with respect to their core subject.
Where do the rest work?
Some people are comfortable with IT jobs with minimal job satisfaction. While some are hustling hard to get a core job, and some don’t come under any of these two categories.
As a mechanical or an automotive engineer, it’s important to know that there are interesting projects to work on and a fair number of jobs openings available in industries. All you need is the courage and drive to upskill your skill sets and apply for these roles.
The secret sauce to success?
Hard work. Nothing else.
If your academic curriculum doesn’t prepare you to face industry challenges or if it doesn’t prepare you to become job-ready, it’s your responsibility to break the barrier and experiment with different ways to achieve your career goal.
5. Pick your domain of interest and master it
We see a lot of people struggle in the early stage of choosing the domain of interest. In fact, many reach out to us for career guidance. We’ve interacted with 1000+ students who were clueless of what the future holds for them but then turned out to be the most successful ones.
Remember, if you select a wrong domain that doesn’t interest you, you will surely be drained out in the long run. So, picking a domain of interest becomes crucial in one’s career and it depends on two critical things,
- Analyzing your strengths and weaknesses
- Your passion and interest in the field you choose
Analyzing your strengths and weaknesses becomes an important part of selecting the right domain. You might go wrong initially, but that’s fine. Experiment with different techniques, work hard and see if this is the right domain for you.
Mechanical engineering is a vast domain with endless opportunities. There is a wide range of areas that you can choose to work on. It’s not about choosing multiple domains and trying to master them all.
Please, don’t do that.
It’s about choosing one domain that you’re passionate about and then trying to master it.
Mechanical engineers in India have yet another propensity, and that is they fail to stay updated with the latest trends and technologies in the domain that they chose. In a world with evolving technologies, constantly updating your skill sets is necessary for survival.
Conclusion
There will be millions of job opportunities in India post lockdown and millions of candidates all vying for the roles. The question is, will you succeed, or will you let this golden opportunity slip you by?
Diligence and consistency are two things a lot of young people seldom take seriously. As a mechanical engineer, it’s your responsibility to work on all the aspects of your career goal. Not to forget, every little step of yours is taking you one step close to success.
As a mechanical engineer, I would highly recommend you to
- Engage with professional platforms like LinkedIn, Quora, GrabCAD
- Get connected with industry leaders, peers, and other brilliant industry minds
- Observe what they are up to
- Reach out to them and have a chat about your expertise
- Constantly lookout for ways to showcase your skill sets
These are some of the key ways that will help you stay updated with industry trends and requirements.
Last but not least, choose your career wisely, give it your best shot, be patient and stand out from your peers. Good luck folks.
Also, I would like to take this opportunity to mention some of our top job-leading master’s programs that will make you a better mechanical engineer.
- Post Graduate Certification Program in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Design and Analysis
- CFD Engineer Master’s Certification program
- Design Engineer Master’s Certification Program
- CAE Master’s Certification Program
