The Field of Engineering

By: Kevin Chung

In this post, I want to talk about my field of engineering, mechanical engineering. I want to talk about this because people say that this industry is so broad within engineering. So, I’m going to divide this post into two sections, one part about what I know about mechanical engineering, and the other part that’s the truth of mechanical engineering.

What I know about mechanical engineers is that these people deal in anything that moves. Or, in another way to look at it, moving one thing at point A to point B. To create small individual parts for something like a hose, or large systems like a car. To do this, they must have a great understanding in thermodynamics, physics, and mechanical systems. Some skills they must have in order to succeed in their field is a great understanding of applied science and mathematical aspects. But these skills will only get you so far. All mechanical engineers work in teams. It makes sense when you think about multiple people working together to bounce ideas off each other and pool in their knowledge to solve a problem is much quicker and efficient. Now business wise, I know that mechanical engineers make at least $50,000 when they start off. They must also have a bachelor's degree in engineering in order to land a successful job. And that this is the perfect time to become a mechanical engineer because the generation of Baby-Boomers is retiring, so they’re looking for college graduates in engineering to replace them.

So, I compared my current knowledge with books and online articles that I found. And of course, I found that there were some gaps in my knowledge of mechanical engineering and some misconceptions about it too.

Although mechanical engineers do need to have a great understanding in thermodynamics, physics, and mechanical systems, they also need to know things like solid and fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and design. They’re also responsible for the thermal environment of their product, its subsystems, aesthetics, and the best way to manufacture them without failure.

One thing that I didn’t know was how long mechanical engineers had to work. I found out that the average mechanical engineer worked at least 40 hours a week, the average making $80,000 annually. And that this field’s employment will increase by 5% by 2024 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Another thing that I knew very little on was the working environment. I thought that most engineers sat behind a computer and used three dimensional software to create new system and parts. But that’s only a small part of it.  They first meet with other professionals, company executives, and sales on what to do. After the requirements are specified, they then create the first prototype of the product. After the prototype is complete and functioning the way it’s intended, they work on ways to properly manufacture their product. The last step is to test it in the field. Even if it functions to everyone's expectation, they’ll still come back to it to see if it can be improved.

Looking back I what I knew about mechanical engineering, it was fragmented and incomplete. By all means, my knowledge of this field is still far from complete, but I feel like I have a better grasp on my field.

  I hope that this post helped give you a better understanding of mechanical engineering. If you liked anything in this post or have something to add, leave a comment and I’ll try to reply back as soon as I can.