Demetri Smith

5th

Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineer is a broad title for a wide range of opportunities.
As a mechanical engineer one might work in design, creating or build these
designs. Or, possibly, developing, building and testing mechanical machines,
like tools and engines.
A typical day for an engineer can vary from one to the next. One day
may be spent working alone or with a large group on project. Most projects
are very organized and have combined efforts with many different people at
different times. (Career Conerstone) Another day of work for a mechanical
engineer might be spent in the field testing a new design, working out bugs
and problems. There are problems and challenges that present with new
projects and are usually large and time consuming, but seem to change and
become smaller with time. (Career Conerstone) On top of the hands on
portion of the job, communication with coworkers or clients via phone or emailing, consume time, along with meetings, and reports. As mechanical
engineer the majority of work will occur mostly in an office. Occasionally they
might go to worksites to address a problem with a piece of equipment.
According the the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS), the number of
jobs and careers in the field of mechanical engineering in 2015 showed a
very slow growth compared to the previous years, but the current number of
jobs in mechanical engineering is 2.5 million. Since 2014 the growth in the
field has only been about 0.6% only adding 16 thousand mechanical

Demetri Smith
5th

engineers. That growth rate is very low compared to the overall rate of
growth in the job market of 7%. (Career Conerstone)
To become a mechanical engineer are a bachelors degree in
mechanical engineering or a degree in mechanical engineering technology is
required. (Bureau of Labor and Statistics) One may attend a college offering
a bachelors degree for roughly five years, or obtain an associates in preengineering and then continue on to a bachelors, or a masters degree.
Once all the requirements for a degree are achieved one must become
licensed. It is required in most states for mechanical engineers to be able to
work in the public they must be licensed. (Career Conerstone) Safety is a
large concern when working in engineering so that no one is hurt. This might
require certifications before one might be able to operate certain machinery.
With the education and training required for a person to become a
mechanical engineer, they are not only prepared for becoming a mechanical
engineer, but also, they are able to pursue careers in multiply other fields if
they wanted to. Some of the other careers one might be interested in are
careers in industry work, healthcare, academia, public service, and if
someone wanted to, even politics. (Career Conerstone)
The BLS states that in 2015 the median pay for mechanical engineers
was recorded at $40 an hour or $83 thousand a year. Some areas, such as
automotive engineers, and fuel cell engineers require longer work hours, so
the total yearly income is greater. Some areas require more education that

Demetri Smith
5th

others, but they all seem to be lucrative to anyone willing to work hard to
achieve the requirements.
According to the BLS there are approximately 277 thousand jobs in the
USA in the mechanical engineer fields. Some of the major employers are Ford
Motor Company, 3M Company, and General Motors. (Career Conerstone) If a
mechanical engineer was interested in working with the employer Ford Motor
Company they would have many options of departments to go into. Such as,
manufacturing, product development, sustainability environment and safety
engineering, and many more. (Ford Motor Company) If an engineer was
interested in going with the employer 3M Company they would have many
options of departments to go into as well, such as, manufacturing,
automotive, design and construction. (3M) General Motors does not offer as
many different departments as Ford or 3M, but they do offer many buildings
and places to choose to work from. With 396 buildings in over 100 countries,
GM also offers the ability to travel and see other areas while enjoying your
job. (General Motor Company) All three employers offer medical, dental, and
vision insurance, along with paid vacation, leave to be used when sick,
holidays off, and retirement benefits. Some employers also include education
help, such as tuition reimbursement, and other extra benefits. (Career
Conerstone)
Future prospects of a career in engineering might seriously consider
the amount of education required for the exact area they are interested in.

Demetri Smith
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As well as, the number of jobs available the field. Another important factor
someone should think about when finishing high school is you need at least a
Bachelors degree for entry level positions, but obtaining a higher degree like
a masters or doctoral degree could allow one to start in a higher paying
position or even a top paying area of mechanical engineering.
Someone who is wanting a degree or a career in mechanical
engineering can start learning and working up to that point starting as early
as middle school. They can do this by just choosing science math and any
other engineering classes. Some other subjects in high school that someone
who is trying to have an advantage should take are algebra 2, biology,
calculus, chemistry, computer science, language arts, pre-calculus, physics,
and trigonometry. By being in these classes it will give them an advantage in
college because they will already have some experience in that field.
The field of mechanical engineering offers a large area of opportunity
for anyone interested in pursuing a degree in this field. It requires as little as
four years of college up to eight or more if one desires to achieve the highest
opportunities available. However, even in an entry level position a person
can earn a rather high annual salary.

Demetri Smith
5th

References
3M. n.d. http://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/. 25 August 2016.
Bureau of Labor and Statistics. 17 December 2015.
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/mechanicalengineers.htm. 25 August 2016.
Career Conerstone. n.d. 25 August 2016.
<http://www.careercornerstone.org/mecheng/medaylife.htm>.
Ford Motor Company. n.d. http://corporate.ford.com/careers.html?gnav=footeraboutford. 26 August 2016 .
General Motor Company. n.d. http://careers.gm.com/. 25 August 2016.