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What type of work does an entry level aerospace engineer typically do?

I am a high school student interested in going into the aerospace industry but I have no idea about the work the engineers typically do.

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PRASANJIT’s Answer

Aerospace engineers are employed primarily in manufacturing, analysis and design, research and development, and the federal government.
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Karim’s Answer

There is a lot of variety in engineering as a whole that you'll be surprised in whichever company you decide to join. Aerospace companies need Mechanical (myself), Electrical, Computer Science, and others apart from specific Aerospace Engineers to complete their products. You even don't need an Engineering degree as Supply Chain work is massive in these companies as well, you could spend a year and not look at a single drawing for a part and just look at excel and work with suppliers here and overseas to meet demand.

I entered with the expectation that it would be everything that I studied, when in reality it just depends on the openings that are available that best suit your experience. If you like CAD/modelling in 3D, there is a spot for you. If you are interested in aerodynamics/air flow, you might even need to pursue a masters/PhD as that level of experience would appear to be the norm to deal in that realm. It all just depends on what you like about the aerospace industry as a whole. I would start by seeing if you like more practical applications or theoretical ones. My internal test was during my physics class, I liked the mechanics portion much more than electricity/magnetism only because it was more enjoyable to see the effects of mechanical forces than the theoretical applications on atoms I couldn't see. That reflects in my job today where I'm in the manufacturing side of the Aerospace Industry dealing with mechanical assemblies mostly, and when I get electrical components I'm thankful I needed those classes to graduate otherwise I'd be pretty confused!
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Peter’s Answer

In a small company, I have seen entry-level engineers assigned to tasks like running stress tests on components and analyzing failure data. In a larger company, one might have an assignment involving the collection and compilation of input from several teams to produce regular reports of project progress. Another common pattern is a rotation of brief assignments with each of several different projects or business units to create familiarity with the overall company and begin building a personal network. In the course of applications and interviews, "Can you tell me what kind of assignments I might anticipate during my first year here?" is therefore a totally reasonable question.
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