Engineering Functions/ Career Path EGR483/ME481 10/25/13

[Document Footer] Shift from University to Career  Engineering Foundation Coursework has provided technical foundation Important to consider experience foundation –Look for experience that matches your interest for confirmation –Explore options –Build skills –Understand your strengths and how to use them –Establish a track record of accomplishment Technical vs less techical –Consider your interests –If two equivalent offers, consider more technical position Ability to apply engineering coursework and theory to on the job challenges Easier to move to less technical position in future than the reverse –Beginning in research, development, design and then moving to sales or management technically easy –Moving from sales to research unlikely

Career Path Progression

 Closer to pure theoretical science  Futuristic—viewpoint may be 1-10 years out  Entrepreneurial—may be creating new technology or market that doesn’t exist today  Innovative—may be developing improvements on existing items  Where do researchers work: Universities, Industry, Government  What does the work consist of: Conceptualizing Analysis Lab Experimentation  Qualifications/skills/strengths: Advanced degrees Creative imagination, curiosity, technical energy Patience and tenacity to pursue long-range goals Research

 Function following research  Working with a concept to scale up to a marketable reality—targeted customer now in mind  Where do developers work: Industry, Government  What does the work consist of: Analysis Lab Testing  Qualifications/skills/strengths: Advanced degrees likely Ability to uncover potential customer requirements: use, cost, and quality Highly technical skills with a practical bent Strong communication to provide the interface between the researcher and the designer Understand the time constraint for moving an idea forward to meet market needs Development

 Produce a design of a product, process, or facility that can be manufactured or built using the developed technology and intended customer application  Where do designers work: Industry, Government, Consulting  What does the work consist of: Multi-discipline team function –Project Manager –Individual disciplines relevant to the need Calculations, Specifications, Drawings, Models May oversee designers/drafters producing documents  Qualifications/skills/strengths: Typically BS degrees with some specific areas requesting advanced degrees Ability to apply engineering coursework to produce a design that meets customer requirements Knowledge of CAD to produce or understand design drawings Strong communication to be effective team member and to interface with non- engineering team members—manufacturing, construction, procurement Design

 Supervise other workers to manufacture or build the as-designed product, process, or facility  Where do manufacturing engineers/construction managers work: Industry, Government, Construction  What does the work consist of: Oversight of a diverse workforce Planning, organizing, leading, controlling Responsible for schedule, budget, quality  Qualifications/skills/strengths: Typically BS degrees with some specific areas requesting advanced engineering degrees or MBAs Leadership capability Technically competent but with emphasis on hands-on practical problem solving Strong communication to be effective team leader and to interface with non- engineering team members—management, sales, procurement Manufacturing/Construction

 Key opportunities in sales are breadth of exposure to company’s product line and the range of potential customers and their technology needs  Can make a very positive, measurable impact on the bottom line of company profits  Where do sales engineers work: Industry, Consulting, Manufacturers’ Representatives Firms  What does the work consist of: Customer identification Presentations to potential customers Identifying the interface between a potential customer’s technology, their technical/business improvement needs, and what your company can provide  Qualifications/skills/strengths: Typically BS degrees or MBAs Thorough knowledge of products and related technology applications Ability to quickly understand a customer’s technical need with your product connection Organized, self-motivated, natural competitors Technical Sales

 Supervise other workers to maintain facility equipment  Participate in the design and construction process for new facilities/improvements  Where do facility engineers work: Industry, Government, Commercial Facilities  What does the work consist of: Delivering expected equipment uptime with appropriate preventative maintenance Being the client representative to the designer/constructor  Qualifications/skills/strengths: Typically BS degrees with some specific areas requesting advanced engineering degrees or MBAs Leadership capability Technically competent but with emphasis on hands-on practical problem solving Strong communication to be effective team leader and to interface with non- engineering team members—management, manufacturing Facility Maintenance/Capital Projects

 Forensics Specialists in determining how or why something occurred in a particular way Typically consulted after an accident or natural disaster  Conservation Buildings, objects (art) Maintaining in desired condition  Evaluation Code requirement confirmation Insurance consideration  Law Patent attorneys  ??? Other Options

 Large Companies Benefits: Lots of options, Training programs, Stability  Small Companies Benefits: Breadth of Exposure, Growth  Government Federal: Dept of Energy, EPA, Dept of Homeland Security, NASA, Army Corps of Engineers, Naval Civil Engineering Corps –Offer many of the same benefits as large companies State and Local: Dept of Transportation, Public Works –May be similar to benefits of small companies Policy –How might public policy influence be influenced by technical analysis Where to Work

 Education University –Typical combination of teaching, research, and publishing Middle or High School –STEM options  Consulting Hired by organizations to provide specialized expertise that they do not have on their regular payroll Benefits: Breadth, variation, starting positions with BS degrees, management opportunities  NGOs Engineers Without Borders, Water for People  Organizations looking for analytical skills Financial services—statistical analysis, problem solving Where to Work

 Your self-assessment Strengths Interests Other experience  Do research on areas of engineering practice Qualifications Type of placements  Evaluate types of employers Where do you want to work? What’s Next