Chinedu
Standing out in the Mechanical Engineering field?
I've been introduced to a lot of mechanical engineers and none of them have done anything real spectacular like owning a business or something of that sort, they've all just worked for good companies. What should I look towards in order to be a boss in a big company or just make a lot of money in general?
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7 answers
Spruce Cox
Spruce’s Answer
This is a good question. I had to ask it of myself and my two kids (all three of us engineers), and have asked it of others as well. For me, it always comes down to personality type and personal goals.
You mentioned that you’ve met a lot of mechanical engineers but none have done the kinds of things that you want to do and think are spectacular. You know what, that’s fine. Maybe subconsciously you don’t really want to do engineering, and that’s fine too. Most people have found that having a career doing work they enjoy is more important than how much they make. I’ll address your other questions below.
An engineer working for a medium to large company, like I did, will probably have an 8:00 to 4:30 job with some overtime, receive a pretty good salary with annual increases, and if you do well, little chance of layoff. For the other half of your life, you’ll have a pretty regular schedule for kids, vacations, and spouse.
I received satisfaction from working on projects that were much bigger than me but where I could still contribute significantly. For example, I worked on spacecraft to launch vehicle integration on space shuttle and Titan, space station, development of sea launch system and launch of four commercial spacecraft, and development of the U.S. Navy’s P-8A maritime surveillance aircraft.
I’ve never started a business nor worked at an upstart, but my perception is that to do so as a new engineer I would need to work 10-12 hours per day and 6-7 days per week for several years until the company got on solid footing at which time I could slowly cut back my hours a little bit at a time. Of course, I’d be right in the middle of a brand-new company which is pretty exciting. And it would be better still if I had invented or helped invent the new product being built. My home life wouldn’t be much at least at first, but that’s okay if a person is willing to make that trade.
A lot of engineers join larger companies as engineers with a specific goal of working up the management chain, but please realize that management work is completely different from engineering and requires a different skill set and sometimes personality type. In my company, it was also required to have a Masters degree to advance very far. And then of course, there’s the competition. But if you’re very, very good, you can work yourself up quite a way.
My experience is limited to engineering groups within engineering companies. There are other parts of engineering companies and even some non-engineering companies where an engineer with the appropriate business skills can do well. Examples are business, finance, manufacturing, sales, training, and people.
In order to make a lot of money in a big company, you have to get pretty high up, say management level 6 out of 9. But the best way to make money according to what I’ve read in Entrepreneur magazine and several other similar sources, is to go into a business where you can own capital, reinvest everything to increase your capital, and never go into debt. There might’ve been another rule to avoid partners, but I’m not sure.
Best of luck.
Michael Jones
Michael’s Answer
Chinedu,
Let me start off by saying that there is nothing wrong with working at a good organization in engineering related fields. While you won't likely "get rich", you will be able to live a comfortable life. You also won't have to deal with different aspects of a business, such as sales, marketing, finance, supply chain, logistics, and all of the other intricacies of running a business.
If you want to advance into a senior position at an established firm, you will need to be more than just a good mechanical engineer. Most engineering managers, directors, and executives also have experience and expertise in other fields, such as business or management. If you look at the top managers and CEO's, many of them have multiple degrees and most of them have and MBA. Although these senior level positions do come with higher pay, they also have more responsibility, more stress, and greater time commitments. Getting to these senior level positions also requires having connections.
If your goal is maximizing your income as quickly as possible, I'd recommend checking out careers in finance, business, or sales. Starting your own business is also an option, but does not guarantee a high income.
Michael recommends the following next steps:
Christopher Rutledge
Christopher’s Answer
Chinedu,
While I am an Electrical Engineer, my brother is a Mechanical Engineer. He owns his own Mechanical contracting company and is having an absolute blast finding and winning business for his team. When he and I tour the sites where he sometimes works, we find ourselves on the top of skyscrapers, in the middle of HUGE sports arenas (e.g. Cowboys Stadium) and alongside people who are developing large swaths of the State of Texas. He loves people, loves getting great results and is made for the challenges that each job brings. Note: He didn't come directly out of college into his company. His journey looked like this:
- BSME
- Professional Basketball player in Europe
- Substitute Teacher, Public Schools
- Engineer/Project Manager at a small Mechanical firm
- Owner of his one business
So while his path seemed to be indirect, meeting different people and getting different experiences helped him a lot. And by you asking such a question...I feel that you will be just fine...Now look into some pre-engineering (STEM) programs that are offered during the summers so that you get a 'feel' for what ME is about, narrow down a list of Engineering schools that fit for you...then go for it :)
Drew Peake, MSME, M.Eng., MBA, PE, FNAFE, DEE, CIH, CSP
Drew’s Answer
I studied Environmental Engineering and went to work for US EPA. While there I earned my MBA and for each course my project was how to set up and run Peake Engineering. After 12 years with EPA I went into private practice as a Forensic Engineer. I work from home and travel only to collect information from event sites. I am my own boss and support my family well. I know many Mechanical Engineers through the National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE.ORG) who do the same.
While considering going into private practice I associated with numerous consulting engineers, many working with large organizations. It seemed every few year their business cards changed because the big project ended or their company was bought out. As my own boss, I take all the risk and keep all the rewards. After thirty years there is very little risk and lots of reward. While it was tough in the beginning, I think it was worth the risk.
Drew recommends the following next steps:
Calvin Weyers
Calvin’s Answer
Hal Finkelstein
Hal’s Answer
Be the one that takes the 2 steps forward and be known as the person that comes up with solutions.
Do that and you will have a great and exciting career.
Hal
