I would like to go into mechanical engineering. What kind of job opportunities are available? Is there a range of types of jobs you can take?

All engineers are problem solvers, but Mechanical Engineers are the ones with probably the most adaptability and choice in what they can do.

I studied as an Aerospace Engineer at Virginia Tech, and thus took about 1/2 of the same classes Mech Engineers would. Upon graduating, I took a job as a Hydraulics Engineer on a helicopter, which my Aero studies did not really help with, but my Mech studies did. Then I moved up to Failure Analysis, like CSI but for dead airplane parts instead of dead people, and again, it was the fracture mechanics, stress/strain Mech classes that gave me a theoretical footing, not my wind-over-airfoil Aero classes.

Electrical engineers can work on anything with wires. Civil Engineers tend to work mainly on construction and bridge type projects. But Mechanical Engineers can work on almost anything physical. There are a huge range of jobs, from start-up product design, to working at Boeing on super complex systems.

But as always, college will only teach you about 1/3rd of what you need to excel at your job, the rest you bring with you, or learn on the job. When picking an Engineering major, choose what type of problem you'd love solving for the rest of your life and do that. When the studies get tough, it's that love of the field that will get you through, not any job prospects you have waiting on the other side.

And besides, most great engineers draw from 2-3 different fields, so being "just" one type of engineer isn't enough anymore.

Great question Jake... I think Gina and I may be able to help you. Check out our posts here:

https://careervillage.org/questions/3674/as-a-mechanical-engineer-what-is-a-possible-career-opportunity?page=1#3738

Many of the best engineers I have worked with over the years in the biomedical industry have also been mechanical engineers. They have branched out to include skills in EE, software and biology, but at their core the knowledge of physical systems has served them well in the Bio industry where everything we do is being made smaller and less invasive. Starting at a place like NASA or any aerospace sector, which is a regulated industry, would make it fairly easy to jump into other regulated industries like the medical and biomedical industry.

Mechanical engineering really allows you the most flexibility with your engineering career. You will learn a little about everything which is all you really need. As Shuvom mentioned school can really only give you about 1/3 of what you actually need to know for any job. Every job is unique and will require a very specific set of skills and unless you work for a competitor you will need to learn these skills on the job. I started in the power industry designing hydraulic, water, and pneumatic components. I now work for a company designing water filters. In my spare time I like to work on software development. The point is, the most important skill that you take away from school is the ability to learn and adapt to any situation and mechanical engineering is a good place to start