What are different job options for mechanical engineers?

Mechanical Engineers are needed for many different types of jobs - from designing medical devices (implants through arm and leg prostheses), to automotive parts, to the housings for electrical devices. Mechanical Engineers are needed by nearly every company that designs and manufactures "things". Often you can specialize in your Junior and Senior years to focus on areas of particular interest such as electro-mechanical, robotics, bio-engineering, etc... An article that you may find of interest that discusses this topic is: http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/oct/02/degree-mechanical-engineering

I'll add to this - in addition to the fields that Robin Husslage outlined, there is a significant need for good mechanical engineers in the design and construction industry. This includes heating/ventilation/air-conditioning (HVAC) engineers, plumbing engineers, fire protection, etc. Mechanical engineers are needed both in the engineering design firms and in the contractor firms that construct buildings.

Just to add on to what Robin and Ben have already discussed, Mechanical Engineering is probably the most broad of all the engineering majors- you can really get involved in many different industries with the degree! It is a very versatile degree that can allow you to apply for many different job opportunities when you graduate (and in today's economy that is a huge plus!).

You can do many things- from designing in computer-aided design software (CAD), developing manufacturing systems and/or processes, all the way to building complex robotics. The degree gives you a background in many areas; you will be taking all sorts of classes during school, including (but not limited to) programming, fundamental engineering topics and concepts (i.e. statics, fluid dynamics, etc.), and machine shop work.

In general, after graduation, you can be a design engineer, manufacturing engineer, test engineer, and sometimes other more specialized job positions if you have identified a specific field you really want to be in (for example, being a Battery Test Engineer for a company like Tesla that makes electric cars). In conclusion, if you enjoy math and science, and feel like you enjoy being hands-on and seeing how things get built and taken apart, mechanical engineering is a great major!