So you want to be a mechanical engineer, feeling it provides a great opportunity for a lucrative career. Now, what training and skills do you need to get a job in this field? Do these requirements include a college degree or maybe just earning a certification?
Let’s look more closely at what it takes to start a successful career in mechanical engineering. Use this information to forge a new professional life, with interesting work and a great salary in your future. After all, experienced mechanical engineers earn salaries in the six-figure range.
A Degree in Mechanical Engineering is a Must
Not surprisingly, earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering is essential for becoming a mechanical engineer. While a degree in another engineering discipline might work, you need related schoolwork to follow this career path. Expect a rigorous program filled with classes in mathematics, physics, and other science courses.
In short, don’t expect that studying online and taking a certification test to provide the career of your dreams. Ultimately, hard work in college helps you reach that goal.
Gain Experience With an Internship
While in college, explore the possibilities of becoming an intern with an engineering firm in your area. This opportunity provides the chance to gain practical experience in your field. You might even get a shot at a permanent position with that company. Either way, it’s a great way to start building a professional network to help your career growth.
What Skills Help You Thrive as a Mechanical Engineer?
Of course, a bachelor’s degree and tangible experience provide the opportunity to get hired as a mechanical engineer. However, to truly succeed in that role, you also need to possess the right soft skills.
For example, problem-solving is essential for any engineer, helping you fix a mechanical design or a product in the field. Creativity is also critical when crafting new designs or enhancing older ones. In fact, the two are related, as creativity helps your problem-solving acumen.
Strong communication skills – both verbal and written – help you interact with clients or write engineering documentation. Additionally, teamwork makes it easy to collaborate with your coworkers and customers. Finally, leadership shows your potential to move into a management role someday, if desired.
If you want advice on building a mechanical engineering career, speak with the expert recruiters at Venteon. As one of the top technical staffing agencies in the Midwest, we know the companies looking for talented candidates. Connect with us soon!
