12 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Being Mechanical Engineer

Mechanical Engineers are visible mostly in any sections of the world today for the reason that their work could be suitable for almost any kinds of businesses.

Therefore, if you are a skilled engineer employment is likely never a problem for you, but in order to really have the best employees, you should be greatly equipped with knowledge about all things that are covered in the study of mechanical engineering.

To be more knowledgeable you could also take an advanced study course with the other subtypes of engineering. Here are some of the pros and cons of being a mechanical engineer.

Read more, What is engineering? 15 different types of engineers

Advantages of being a mechanical engineer

It's an evergreen branch

Mechanical engineers are always in demand therefore if you are a mechanical engineer employment is never a problem if you are a truly skilled engineer.

A wide range of sub-disciplines

There is a wide range of subjects available in mechanical engineering.

You can specialize in automobile engineering, aerospace engineering, marine engineering, mechanical engineering and many more.

With such a broad range of career opportunities, you are very likely to find something that suits your needs.

Excellent pay potential

You get paid a lot if you are experienced and have good technical and management skills.

Once you get placed in a good company you don't have to worry about your future.

Exciting workplaces

Becoming a mechanical engineer could take you to some interesting places such as oil rigs, deserts, the deep sea, automobile industries, and power industries.

If you are specialized in designing you can work in an office environment.

Global Opportunities

There isn't a country in the world that doesn't need mechanical engineers and there are a number of mechanical engineering courses which can testify to that.

Innovations for the future

Mechanical engineers are at the forefront of future technologies.

Mechanical engineers are developing new technologies for a number of industries including transportation, construction, robotics and much more.

You could discover, invent, innovate, design and create amazing products if you are a sound mechanical engineer.

Respected profession

Mechanical engineering is a well-respected profession.

Mechanical engineers are considered an important part of the community and without them, the progress of the global community and development of the modern world is impossible.

Disadvantages of being a mechanical engineer

Competitive atmosphere

Although mechanical engineers do receive favorable advancement opportunities, generally these don't come easy.

It is difficult for new graduates to get placed in good companies unless there are some very good colleges or have great skills.

With the exception of self-employed Mechanical Engineers which can be difficult without prior experience. The best paying jobs in the field often come from large or multinational corporations whose working environments have become increasingly competitive due to recent economic conditions.

Fresh graduates start out as low as assistant or associate engineers and undergo thorough training and evaluation for a year or two after which a few get promoted. Promotions are heavily performance-based.

As an engineer gets bumped up to a higher level competition gets more serious. 

Also, it is very well known that good companies don't like to recruit new mechanical engineers, they like the experienced ones.

Educational requirements

The minimum requirement for entering the field is a bachelor degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related subject course.

Undergraduate studies must cover math, physics, chemistry, solid and fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, material science, process control, and equipment design.

These would help a fresh graduate get a job, but may not be sufficient to guarantee a career. Companies encourage their engineers to take Graduate Studies, often offering tuition subsidies and promotion opportunities as incentives.

This is done over and above the necessary short courses, seminars conferences and development classes required to keep engineers current.

Extreme pressure

With great importance comes significant job pressure.

The projects you head up as a mechanical engineer are sometimes massive and scope and budget. Significant failures can lead to losses for your company or a raise and the company's insurance premiums.

Problems with your work can hurt your employer’s reputation or your own.

There are a lot of costs and risks involved in the job. Hence, there's a lot of pressure as liability can become high on errors.

Workload and hours

Another downside and mechanical engineer faces are the unpredictability of his workload.

Your work may vary from week to week for instance in a manufacturing plant. A mechanical engineer does routine maintenance and process control work in one week while the next week sees him working on another project.

A more dynamic person may find this interesting but for someone who prefers a routine workload may find it difficult to handle.

Also, it will not be a tie-in suit job, working day in and out in a well-furnished office unless you are in a designing field.

Mechanical engineers normally work about 40 - 45 hours per week, though in some private industries or during certain project phase weekly work can take up to 70 hours or more.

Coursework can be quite difficult

If you don't have the aptitude for it then you might not be able to get through the study phase.

You can easily get bored if you're not interested in this field, also the amount of stuff you learn at the university is negligible to what you do in industry.

In industry, you'll probably solve a problem that has never been encountered before.

Conclusion

Well if you are planning to become a mechanical engineer consider talking with some real mechanical engineers. Consider reading engineering blog articles to get an idea about the life of engineer’s