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Isentropy posted:Well, I was thinking of working in the energy industry as an operations research analyst. You can also tell me whether that is a crazy idea. On that note, how viable is it for a mechanical engineer to work in the energy industry? I'm really interested in mech but I'd also love to do something with nuclear or renewable energies.
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Apr 19, 2013 01:53
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Frankston posted:On that note, how viable is it for a mechanical engineer to work in the energy industry? I'm really interested in mech but I'd also love to do something with nuclear or renewable energies. Both of these do have extensive mechanical systems, nuclear in particular. I think you need to look more at scope, what part of nuclear or renewable energies do you want to be involved in? As in, what do you want to do on a day to day basis? These are massive massive systems that have a ton of different people and jobs working on them. Hell you can technically "do something" with renewable energies with a marketing degree.
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Apr 19, 2013 02:50
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One of my close friends is a mechanical engineer that works for GE designing steam turbines. You can definitely work in the energy industry with that.
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Apr 19, 2013 03:56
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Apr 19, 2013 05:23
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Isentropy posted:Well, I was thinking of working in the energy industry as an operations research analyst. You can also tell me whether that is a crazy idea. Do you have any experience in the energy industry? If not you'll just be another number cruncher with no respect from the practical engineers (from whom you'll need to get perspective and data).
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Apr 19, 2013 07:16
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KetTarma posted:One of my close friends is a mechanical engineer that works for GE designing steam turbines. You can definitely work in the energy industry with that. That's exactly the kind of thing that comes to mind when I think of working in energy as a mechanical engineer. I have thought about petroleum/oil/gas etc but renewable and/or nuclear just seems much more interesting to me.
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Apr 19, 2013 13:34
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SeaBass posted:Do you have any experience in the energy industry? If not you'll just be another number cruncher with no respect from the practical engineers (from whom you'll need to get perspective and data). I think this is even more true if you go the MBA route. Nothing says "I don't know anything and am only in it for the money" than an engineering degree followed up with an MBA.
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Apr 19, 2013 14:15
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Apr 19, 2013 16:25
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Frankston posted:On that note, how viable is it for a mechanical engineer to work in the energy industry? I'm really interested in mech but I'd also love to do something with nuclear or renewable energies.
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Apr 19, 2013 17:07
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SeaBass posted:Do you have any experience in the energy industry? If not you'll just be another number cruncher with no respect from the practical engineers (from whom you'll need to get perspective and data). Just a few co-ops. I worked as a PM for a construction company (on energy efficiency projects, such as converting boilers to natural gas and designing solar systems) and worked with one of the small provincial utilities designing load control systems. Thoguh posted:If he wants to do Operations Research then an MBA might be the proper route. That's a specialty that usually part of a business school. Getting a few years in the field and then going for an MBA isn't something only bad engineers do. That was my thought. I think the top journal in OR is even called "Management Science" or something like that. I had believed that an MBA was basically a vanity degree/something that bad engineers did - as a result I thought it'd be better to have an MSc. of some sort, and that sort of thing would be better to do before I started working and had a life. also if undergrad buisness is any hint, I would be bored as gently caress in a traditional MBA program
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Apr 19, 2013 19:00
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Corla Plankun posted:I think this is even more true if you go the MBA route. Nothing says "I don't know anything and am only in it for the money" than an engineering degree followed up with an MBA. I am so, so glad that I am not the only person who thinks this. That's generally been my experience as well.
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Apr 19, 2013 23:32
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Frankston posted:On that note, how viable is it for a mechanical engineer to work in the energy industry? I'm really interested in mech but I'd also love to do something with nuclear or renewable energies. To be honest, if you're a mechanical or electrical engineer, there's not a whole lot of technical fields that wouldn't find some kind of use for your skillset.
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Apr 21, 2013 03:58
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I was considering an MBA too...
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Apr 23, 2013 06:00
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Booties posted:I was considering an MBA too... Go for it, don't let the butthurts stand in your way.
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Apr 28, 2013 05:13
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Would I be better off going for a bachelors or a masters? I'm looking at 3-year BEng and 4-year MEng programs and I'm just assuming that a masters would be better because hey, an extra year = more learning skills = more attractive to employers. Would having a masters give me an advantage or does is it just not make that much of a difference when it comes to actually getting a job in the real world? Edit: I'm in the UK, to clarify. Frankston fucked around with this message at 13:49 on Apr 28, 2013 |
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Apr 28, 2013 13:43
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:15 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Apr 28, 2013 16:53
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Very little difference. I think the Masters in the UK is mostly for getting into ph.d programs (at least, many of the UK programs I've seen advertised ask for a masters.) However if you do some sort of awesome project in that year that you wouldn't have done otherwise, that's a different matter.
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Apr 28, 2013 16:53
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SeaBass posted:Go for it, don't let the butthurts stand in your way. gently caress yeah. I just got an A in my entrepreneurship presentation. My team ranked first in our final presentation. We had to pitch our company to a board of executives from all sorts of companies. My group did a medical device and half of the board were people in the life sciences. They grilled us hard, but they saw how well we looked at the market and put together a sensible strategy. So, an MBA sounds great right about now. I also have a question about writing cover letters to large companies. I'm applying to a bioanalyst position at Merck, but I can't find who I should address my letter to. Any tips on finding the HR people at such a big international company?
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Apr 28, 2013 18:14
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Apr 28, 2013 18:20
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Thoguh posted:"To whom it may concern" or "Sir or Ma'am" are what I go with. Yeah. I wanted to avoid that, but I guess they can't expect a super personal letter at such a huge company.
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Apr 28, 2013 18:28
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Honestly if I were an HR person at Generic American Megacorp and I saw a personally addressed letter, I would probably think "oh no, a PII leak".
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Apr 28, 2013 19:35
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Does anyone have reccomendations for engineering companies that don't suck, located in the Pacific Northwest? I've only worked at one large company but looking around online I don't think a lot of people like the large companies. (Intel, Microsoft, General Electric, etc....) The reason I ask is it looks like I'm going to have to move back to Oregon or Seattle to help my father get ready for retirement. Booties, the other thing you have to realize is chances are your cover letter will be looked at by multiple people. HR folks, your immediate supervisor, their boss, and possibly their boss too.
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Apr 28, 2013 20:38
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Frankston posted:Would I be better off going for a bachelors or a masters? I'm looking at 3-year BEng and 4-year MEng programs and I'm just assuming that a masters would be better because hey, an extra year = more learning skills = more attractive to employers. Would having a masters give me an advantage or does is it just not make that much of a difference when it comes to actually getting a job in the real world? It will depend on the specific discipline but in general you are better doing the MEng. For example, for chemical engineering the Institute of Chemical Engineers requires you to hold a masters-level degree to gain chartership and many employers consider only MEng graduates. If you did a BEng you would have to later do an MSc if you wanted to get chartered and some companies will not consider your job applications when you graduate. Additionally, doing an MEng makes your funding much simpler: it counts as your first degree so you get all the tuition support/loans for the entire programme, whereas if you split it into two degrees you'd need to find funding for the MSc. You mentioned 3- and 4-year programmes so I'm assuming you're in England or somewhere you have to pay tuition fees. That sucks and you'll have to weigh up the advantages of the MEng against another year's tuition/living costs, but it is likely the advantages from the extra year will pay off the extra debt and then some. This all depends on your specific discipline - so let us know what it is and someone can give you more specific advice. http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/ forums are also an excellent resource for university applicants, there's a subforum that covers engineering and you can ask your question there if you need more info. Lastly, it's worth noting that from my experience there is little/no distinction between students who applied for a BEng and those who applied for an MEng. Where I studied, you could easily swap between them if desired. Everyone who had the option to do an MEng took it; some people were bumped down to a BEng because they didn't get the required 55% grade average towards the final years of the course. The distinction between what you apply for may be entirely academic (heh) but again, it depends on the specific institution involved. Do your research  evensevenone posted:Very little difference. I think the Masters in the UK is mostly for getting into ph.d programs (at least, many of the UK programs I've seen advertised ask for a masters.) For ChemEng in the UK* at least, this is wrong. A Masters is of great benefit to your career and you will end up doing one sooner or later - better to do it in a single programme as an undergrad. You do generally need them to get into PhD programmes but this does not in any way mean you should only do one if you have such aspirations * and anywhere the IChemE is the dominant professional body, which is pretty much everywhere-but-America
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Apr 28, 2013 23:41
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Daviclond posted:Masters stuff Thanks for the lengthy reply. I'm fairly set on Mechanical for my discipline. Another consideration is I'm 24 years old so I'm taking a different route into university. I have no A-levels, so I'm having to do an Access course first. Universities seem to value these differently to each other, so whereas in one university an Access diploma would be enough to get straight onto a MEng course, another uni would require you to complete a foundation year with them before moving onto the degree proper. Honestly - and maybe this comes off as a little naive - I'm not concerning myself with fees and loans. If it comes down to it and I have the choice, I will go for MEng. I see this as an investment that's critical to my future, so whatever it takes I'm willing to do.
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Apr 29, 2013 00:14
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Its funny how different things can be from country to country. According to most people I talk to there is little to no need for a masters in chemical, at least when you first graduate. That may have to do with all the demand though. Mind you I am still an undergraduate.
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Apr 29, 2013 01:12
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Frankston posted:Thanks for the lengthy reply. I'm fairly set on Mechanical for my discipline. Another consideration is I'm 24 years old so I'm taking a different route into university. I have no A-levels, so I'm having to do an Access course first. Universities seem to value these differently to each other, so whereas in one university an Access diploma would be enough to get straight onto a MEng course, another uni would require you to complete a foundation year with them before moving onto the degree proper. That's a sensible way of looking at it. If you work hard at your degree (and at your age I'm assuming you have the maturity and perspective to push yourself in your studies) and get onto the engineering career ladder your degree will pay for itself very, very quickly. Speaking of career, I'd highly recommend you look into work experience/internships/scholarships early on and see if you can snag anything - they're less common for students in earlier years of study (many focus on penultimate year students) but if you put the research in and get something early on, it has a knock-on effect for the rest of your degree. Getting e.g. a summer work placement in your first year gives you a really strong CV the following years and leads to more work and experience. I don't know if you have a particular industry in mind that you want to work for, but you can't really go wrong with oil & gas. It's strong in the UK and very easy to go abroad with, and you're unlikely to earn more anywhere else. e: oh I just noticed you said above you were most interested in nuclear and renewables. Still good industries, again they are strong in the UK. I've heard pay is decent, but it's not quite oil and gas. Xeom posted:Its funny how different things can be from country to country. According to most people I talk to there is little to no need for a masters in chemical, at least when you first graduate. That may have to do with all the demand though. Mind you I am still an undergraduate. I think the demand for MEng grads here arises entirely from the IChemE requiring it for chartership - companies want chartered staff and target their graduate recruitment on MEng grads. I learned very little useful, industrially-applicable knowledge during my Masters year but you gotta tick that box v0v. I take it you're studying in the States? Daviclond fucked around with this message at 02:09 on Apr 29, 2013 |
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Apr 29, 2013 02:06
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Daviclond posted:I think the demand for MEng grads here arises entirely from the IChemE requiring it for chartership - companies want chartered staff and target their graduate recruitment on MEng grads. I learned very little useful, industrially-applicable knowledge during my Masters year but you gotta tick that box v0v. I take it you're studying in the States? Yea I am studying in the united states.
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Apr 29, 2013 02:36
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Daviclond posted:That's a sensible way of looking at it. If you work hard at your degree (and at your age I'm assuming you have the maturity and perspective to push yourself in your studies) and get onto the engineering career ladder your degree will pay for itself very, very quickly. Speaking of career, I'd highly recommend you look into work experience/internships/scholarships early on and see if you can snag anything - they're less common for students in earlier years of study (many focus on penultimate year students) but if you put the research in and get something early on, it has a knock-on effect for the rest of your degree. Getting e.g. a summer work placement in your first year gives you a really strong CV the following years and leads to more work and experience. I don't know if you have a particular industry in mind that you want to work for, but you can't really go wrong with oil & gas. It's strong in the UK and very easy to go abroad with, and you're unlikely to earn more anywhere else. What are the prospects like for going abroad with nuclear/renewables? Moving abroad is my main ambition in life (I really don't like the UK) so it's an important consideration for me. Also, if you don't mind, which university did you study at? I have a list of 7 that I'm interested in.
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Apr 29, 2013 17:20
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Frankston posted:What are the prospects like for going abroad with nuclear/renewables? Moving abroad is my main ambition in life (I really don't like the UK) so it's an important consideration for me. My understanding is France has a ton of nuclear, while Germany has a ton of renewable energies (solar). The question really becomes how easy is it to get a job in another part of the UN when compared to local?
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Apr 30, 2013 03:43
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^^^ moving around the EU is very simple because of the common job market arrangements they've got going, but you do have to speak the working language of the organisation - e.g. for EDF you will be given a technical interview in French.Frankston posted:What are the prospects like for going abroad with nuclear/renewables? Moving abroad is my main ambition in life (I really don't like the UK) so it's an important consideration for me. Sorry but I'm not really in much of a position to comment - it's neither my industry nor my discipline. If you take a look at http://www.gradcracker.com/ (a good resource for graduate engineering jobs) and set the filters to MechEng you'll get an idea for what someone graduating this year will have been looking at. In general engineering is good for travelling, but someone will a more relevant background will have to confirm!
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Apr 30, 2013 21:28
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I'm headed off to Peace Corps next month to do civil engineering work. I'll have a lot of free time on my hands and I'd like to start learning about some new topics. As of right now, I'm graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering. I've spent the past few months working with the Arduino and have learned a great deal and worked on some projects. I'd like some good textbooks that are in the areas of mechanical engineering/Arduino stuff, possibly some well written intro to EE books. Any suggestions?
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May 2, 2013 03:05
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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May 2, 2013 03:36
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huhu posted:I'm headed off to Peace Corps next month to do civil engineering work. I'll have a lot of free time on my hands and I'd like to start learning about some new topics. As of right now, I'm graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering. I've spent the past few months working with the Arduino and have learned a great deal and worked on some projects. I'd like some good textbooks that are in the areas of mechanical engineering/Arduino stuff, possibly some well written intro to EE books. Any suggestions? What types of things are you looking to do specifically? Generally if you have a specific task in mind you can get a better idea from Googling than a text book, at least in my experience. Edit: If you just want learn about the Arduino in general you should crack open the data sheet for the Atmel 328 and look up stuff you don't understand. Also you can get on Adafruit, they sell a lot of hobbyist stuff and usually provide sample code and/or tutorials. Buy an LCD or a SERVO or a GPS device or whatever interests you and get cracking. OctaviusBeaver fucked around with this message at 03:54 on May 2, 2013 |
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May 2, 2013 03:51
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If anybody here has gone to CU-Boulder for ChemE could you send me a private message? I hope to attend there and I'm curious about their program.
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May 4, 2013 06:45
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At my company, we have two engineers working on the office and one who will be working for an extended period of time out of the office. We're currently using the free service Dropbox offers to manage SolidWorks files but have run out of space and need to make a change. I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for what would be the best paid option to use to manage our files? We're probably going to need around 10GB of shared storage between 3 computers to handle SolidWorks and AutoCAD files.
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May 10, 2013 14:53
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huhu posted:At my company, we have two engineers working on the office and one who will be working for an extended period of time out of the office. We're currently using the free service Dropbox offers to manage SolidWorks files but have run out of space and need to make a change. I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for what would be the best paid option to use to manage our files? We're probably going to need around 10GB of shared storage between 3 computers to handle SolidWorks and AutoCAD files. Business plan from Dropbox, or maybe box.net's business plan?
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May 10, 2013 15:08
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huhu posted:At my company, we have two engineers working on the office and one who will be working for an extended period of time out of the office. We're currently using the free service Dropbox offers to manage SolidWorks files but have run out of space and need to make a change. I was wondering if anyone has suggestions for what would be the best paid option to use to manage our files? We're probably going to need around 10GB of shared storage between 3 computers to handle SolidWorks and AutoCAD files. Not sure if this is obvious or stupid (or both), but Google Drive is nice and available online. I think it gives 5GB of storage and can share files. Can't comment on handling those files.
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May 10, 2013 15:13
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Booties posted:Not sure if this is obvious or stupid (or both), but Google Drive is nice and available online. I think it gives 5GB of storage and can share files. Can't comment on handling those files. I love google drive for personal use, but if there is ANY chance of "collision" (two people editing/saving the same file) I would not recommend it. I am working on a research paper with a couple other people and we are using a shared google drive and there are currently four copies of our presentation because google doesn't want to over-write anything and it is a pretty big nuisance.
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May 10, 2013 16:27
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Thankfully our coworker lives in China so there's a 12 hour difference and zero chance we'll be working on stuff at the same time. I was looking at Dropbox originally but the cost is too high when there is only three of us sharing at max 25GB of files. Just saw Google Drive for business offers a free month of service and then it's ~$15 a month after that so I'll give that a shot. Hopefully this works out and I don't end up switching to another service in a month.
huhu fucked around with this message at 17:09 on May 10, 2013 |
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May 10, 2013 17:07
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What about just setting up a VPN?
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May 10, 2013 17:41
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