Why I Want to Become an Engineer
Each and everyone of us had our own particular desire and I believed that has been develop since childhood. Ever since I was a kid, I was amazed by the creation of the skyscrapers and outrageously styled buildings. I have always appreciated the large structures and buildings which have surrounded me and I have always had respect for the people who have been involved with the design and constructions of these buildings on such a large scale.
I kept wondering how people could construct such attractive and difficult creations. As I entered high school, my interests further expanded when I took studies in civil engineering and engineering drawing classes as it explain more about buildings. I know that to become a Civil Engineer I have to work very hard in college and get very good grades. Even though my SPM result was not that good but I was determined to redeem it.
I’m working hard to improve my grades in matriculation and I believe if someone in your company that have this kind of attitude to look for continous improvement to some extent it can be beneficial to your company. On my behalf, I think I deserve this scholarship because I am very hard working person. I put so much effort in anything I choose to do, or any task according to me. My goals in life are often high. I am a goal getter, so I will do anything to achieve my goals.
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I think that the drive I have to succeed, and to express knowledge into the life of the ones coming behind me is one of many reasons why I deserve this scholarship. Besides, my parent is the middle class salary earner so by having this scholarship I can ease their burden. Lastly , I have think that civil engineering is an ideal field for me. I believe that I have the personal attributes and intelligence required to be a civil engineer. I also believe that I possess the work habits and drive to be a successful engineer. This is why I have chosen to pursue this as a career.
Aim in becoming an engineer and your Career
When we are young, one of those questions that we hear from almost every adult that we encounter, especially from those who work, is “What do you like to be when you grow up?” Remember that most may say, “I want to be this or that or like my mother or like my father and many other else…” Though we were young then, we are all starting to know the value of dream or career.
If you’re asking for my plan or the same question as the adults ask in my first paragraph, I would answer you that I am now aiming to be an engineer or I want engineering to be my career. You may have different reactions when I say that but it is just a matter of choice and all of us are have that right.
To be an engineer, I must study the prerequisites of entering college. First, I should finish my high school and then enroll in a university or college and acquire an engineering course, a mechanical, industrial or civil engineering may do.
Anyway, engineers abide by a simple law and the only thing that makes each of them distinct from one another is the nature of the results. For example, chemical engineers end products are chemical products, electrical engineering are for electricity-related machines or equipments which work hand-in-hand with the mechanical engineers.
Today, the engineering sector has many branches and each of them have their own expertise. After passing the course, I must take the licensure exam to be an engineer if it is needed. Otherwise, I will not be professionally called as engineer by my name or don’t have a title before my first name.
What’s really special about being an engineer is having a wide knowledge and expertise on one specific thing I want. Knowing the in and out of that thing is really amazing. If a have a computer, as an engineer I will know its components, the materials used, software available for the unit and even the appropriate price so that the public will buy the computer.
In short, engineers usually know every detail of something he or she is really interested about.
Well, the knowledge I will gain is only one of the reasons why I aim to be an engineer. Another thing is really on their purpose in fulfilling their job. For me, engineers also are public servant and are not only confined with their commercial purposes.
Though some may think that I want to be an engineer because it is well paid, well, think again. I know that we, in our career, always want to help others. Take a civil engineer for example. Most civil engineers are government employees.
They are imparting their knowledge in construction to build hospitals, schools, bridges, gate arcs, government buildings and many other infrastructures that are of great use for us. If not for them, we cannot be assure that we are safe when crossing bridges or walking by parks or towers. If not for them, community development is not possible.
Lastly, I believe that without them, each of them, every kind of them, society will be more of a bore. Basically, they give foundations of everything, almost everything that we saw in a society or a city in particular are works of science and art – or simply work of engineers. I may say that they are the builders of a civilization.
Dreams are made mostly to guide us in our way of pursuing our life. The question, “What do I like to be when I grow up?” is a big start in shaping the life we want someday.
Having a career in mind is really important so that we will now what all of our sufferings in life will bring us to. All we need to do is to focus our eyes in our aim – in my case, I should focus my eyes on my aim to become an engineer and do my best to make that my career.
References
Really...what IS an engineer? Retrieved July 1, 2007 from http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/ academics/ub/news/learning/engineer05.php
Engineer, is it you? Retrieved July 1, 2007 from http://www.micron.com/ students/engineer/what.html
Mechanical Engineering Career Paper
| Mechanical EngineeringRobert MolinowskiVocollect703 Rodi Road, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235(412) 829-8145| | | | | Pd. 6/7 Career Paper December 15, 2011 Mechanical Engineering According to projected job employment in the year, 2018, mechanical engineering will have an estimated quarter of a million jobs nationwide. This is an increase of roughly 6% between 2008 and 2018. As the need for better, more economical necessities, a need for mechanical engineers will always be on the uplift. Many mechanical engineers “research, design, develop, manufacture, and test tools, engines, machines, and other mechanical devices. (Bureau, 4). This branch, within the engineering field, happens to be the broadest category. Mechanical engineers are seen throughout all aspects of life, from agricultural production to maintenance of engines of cars and machines. With mechanical engineering, most people will be stationed in an office building/manufacturing facility. Others will have the benefit of traveling to job sites to see what their team needs to design for the specific company. A normal, typical work week would consist of working a total of forty hours.
This, however, would change if the company was on a tight time schedule to get something produced for someone. Only then will the average mechanical engineer work more than forty hours a week. “We also spend time working with engineers in manufacturing and design to plan design iterations and product fixes that can be made quickly and cheaply. ” (Camenson, 85). Mechanical engineering is, “…very much a “people-person” job. ” (Camenson, 90). Everything written down in logbooks will be subject to engineer scrutiny, and that would look bad on the source’s end.
If mechanical engineers were to write/draw something that could take different meanings, for example, an ink blot, this could cause a serious setback in how you go about your future in mechanical engineering. If the offense is serious enough, it could cost someone their job. This shows that you must be careful in how you go about your job in that you don’t know who’s going to see your drawings. Women, in the field of mechanical engineering are at a disadvantage when it comes to comparing men to women.
Women are more content to gossiping in the office instead of working on their job. “Patience is essential. You have to check most of your ego at the door when you walk into a meeting you’ve called, but retain enough leadership skills to keep the meeting focused on its objectives. ” (Camenson, 90). This quote accurately describes one of the challenges that women have while working in this field. I can be a witness to this when I went on my job shadow. There were few females working and the ones that did would do little and chit-chat with one another for great lengths of time.
When it comes to men, they dominate the field in that they “outnumber women by a ratio of 3:1” (Bureau, 16). Men can be more communicative with one another during meetings as I witnessed also. Men, as I saw, were more scrutinizing during meetings but they were subtle about it. One thing of advice, “Learn how to speak in front of a group. It doesn’t matter if the only chance you get is talking to high schoolers about not drinking and driving- that counts, and probably more than giving a lecture on acoustics or materials technology. (Camenson, 94). To sum things up, working in the field of mechanical engineering is highly competitive, be careful what you design, you don’t know who could see it, and that women are at a disadvantage for various reasons when being compared to men in the field. When it comes to mechanical engineering, a detailed course study of engineering and physics is necessary if you are to want to “make it big” in the field. For just about any field of engineering, especially mechanical, “a bachelor’s degree in engineering is necessary. ” (Bureau, 6).
Having flexibility in an engineer’s study program allows him/her to boast a wide variety of fields of engineering for their resume. “A design course is usually the way to go but having a course study that included mathematics and the physical and life sciences would further benefit the engineer since they’ll be a more defined engineer. ” (Bureau, 6). Many colleges offer two or four year degree programs in engineering. For example, Penn State offers what they call a 2+2 program. The program lets the student do his undergraduate studies at any of the branch campuses throughout Pennsylvania for the first two years.
After those two years, the student will then be admitted to the main campus in University Park to complete their graduate studies. The main difference between the set of two years is that for the first two years, you’ll be doing your core courses as well as courses designed for your intended major. When you get to the main campus, that’s where you’ll focus primarily on your specific field of engineering with other students from across the state. “Businesses often look for college graduates who studied through a four year program instead of a two year. ” (Bureau, 6).
Graduate training is essential if you were to want to earn promotions within a certain company. This training isn’t required for most entry-level jobs. All fifty states and the District of Columbia require that any engineer who offers their services to the public to have a license or they can be fined heavily for it. These licenses are good for up to four years and must be renewed much like a driver’s license. “Most states accept out of state licensees. ” (Bureau, 7). Engineers should be able to work well with others and communicate on a very high level, both orally and in writing.
To stay up-to-date with the latest technologies, “many companies and firms will send their engineers to training as part of the job duties. ” (Hutchinson, 4). An employment prospect for mechanical engineering graduates is the highest in any of the engineering fields. “Federal agencies such as the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers have a large number of mechanical engineers on their staff. ” (Hutchinson, 4). “Over the period of ten years, from 2008 to 2018, employment in the field of engineering is expected to increase roughly eleven. ” (Hutchinson, 5).
This is good for me in that I will be entering the field within the next ten years, hopefully. With the high demand for new and improved products, the mechanical engineering career won’t see a downfall for quite some time. There is, however, a minor setback in the globalization of engineering. That is, “With the rise of the Internet, it has become much easier for firms to use mechanical engineers in other parts of the world to do a lot of the engineering work that once done solely by mechanical engineers in this country. ” (Hutchinson, 5). This could prove to be a major setback if I would want to work overseas someday.
This is something that comes up with just about any profession that I would want to work in. The mechanical engineering field, I know for a fact, took a hard hit during the recent recession. I found this information out from the use of my job shadow. Mechanical engineers are one of the top paid occupations for out-of-college graduates. “Starting salaries for a beginning mechanical engineer career will find salaries in the mid-range of engineering salaries according to 2009 data provided by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. ” (Hutchinson, 5).
This kind of a salary is tremendous when compared to other occupations just within engineering itself. With the kind of salary I’ll be making when I become a mechanical engineer, I’ll be able to pay off most of my student loans well before my goal, which is by age thirty. “Earnings for engineers vary significantly by specialty, industry, and education. With mechanical engineering having the highest salary in the lowest 10% of the job corps. ” (Bureau, 13). Having a higher degree, such as a Master’s instead of a Bachelor’s will give you an edge in how you’re paid.
Obtaining that higher degree ensures that you have a vast amount of knowledge in that specific field of knowledge. Before the invention of the computer, every design was drawn up by hand and took a much longer amount of time to complete. A vast knowledge in art would’ve been necessary to draw something as elaborate as a headset, for example. When the computer began making its march across the technological community, mechanical engineers went crazy because, they could now do their drawings on the computer instead of drawing it by hand.
Now that they had their computers to work on, it was a matter of time before programs began surfacing that would further benefit a mechanical engineer and his drawings. With the invention of the three-dimensional printer, mechanical engineers can now draw their product on the computer program, then take that drawing and have it printed out in 3D to see what it would look like in reality. The 3D printer is good in that you can print out a small scale version of the product and see if it’ll be good enough to withstand various testing. I guess we owe it to Steve Jobs and Mike Wozniak for inventing the first computer.
Without them, mechanical engineers might still be doing drawings by hand. “Mechanical Engineers work closely with several other engineering disciplines such as civil engineering, electrical engineering, and aerospace engineering. ” (Hutchinson, 6). This just goes to show how closely related the fields of engineering truly are. In fact, all of the fields of engineering are connected to one another in one way shape or form. When it comes to the auto industry, “mechanical engineers work closely with automotive engineers. ” (Hutchinson, 6). This shows that mechanical engineers work in all different kinds of environments. Other related professions include: aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineering, engineering technicians, computer scientists, physicists and astronomers. ” (Hutchinson, 6). This final quote resembles the fact that mechanical engineers work with a wide variety of other professions. It is that a mechanical engineer is a piece that keeps a wide variety of occupations running at tip-top shape. Works Cited Works Cited Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Engineers, on the Internet at http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos027. htm (visited September 21,2011) Camenson, Blythe.
Real People Working in Engineering. Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons, 1998. Print. Hutchinson, Jonathon. "Mechanical Engineering Job Outlook: Employment and Salary Information. " Job Outlook: Employment and Salary. Online Degrees, 2006. Web. 23 Sept. 2011. http://www. onlinedegrees. org/calculator/salary/mechanical-engineers Job Shadowing Job Shadowing I arrived at Vocollect Industries off of Rodi Road in Penn Hills a little after eight in the morning. I was greeted warmly by the man whom I shadowed, Mr. Molinowski. He showed me around his specific floor of which he works on in Vocollect.
He ushered me into his office and began discussing what he had planned out for toady. He overviewed what he did within the company itself. He designs products for customers from anything from a microphone to a computer. This could only be possible by the works of a computer program called, Pro-Engineer. Pro-E, as engineers call it, can turn any two-dimensional drawing into a three-dimensional drawing were the designer can be as detailed with the drawing as he wants to. In this industry, it’s bad if there is little detail so, lots of detail is key to producing the best product.
After the overview of his job and the day’s events, Robert then showed me around the labs they use to test the integrity of their products, not as a whole, but rather is little individual parts. There were many labs of which I got to personally see myself. Most of the labs had computer simulations of testing the integrity of the product in various ways. For example, the product of which was being tested was their new edition of a headset and a terminal electrical power station. This headset and terminal combination is going to be used in the manufacturing industry over in China.
The different labs tested for how long a certain feature of either the headset or terminal would function properly for before it failed (broke). Other labs included applying extreme heat and cold onto the parts. The lab that caught my eye the most was the one that counted the number of times until a cord that’s connected to the terminal broke through the entire cord. When I first saw the count, in the morning, it was a mere 31,586. I asked if I could check it again before I left and when I checked it for the second time in the afternoon, the count was up to 123,874.
I asked Mr. Molinowski if the second number was high because, I would think that the second count wouldn’t last much longer before it broke. He answered that this test usually goes up in excess of half a million times before it breaks apart. They do the tests to simulate the usage on the part for a five year period. This reminded me of when I learned of the various tests a car goes through before it hits the road. The test has to simulate the entire life of a car, much like they were testing for the entire life of the specific part of the headset or the terminal.
After we toured all throughout the labs, we settled back in his office so he could show me his Pro-E drawings he had for the headset. Someone other than him was in charge of drawing the terminal. I asked him how long it took him to make such a detailed sketch of the headset. He said that this design took him a little over two hundred days to complete because he had to design all the small components that make up the headset, then he had to assemble them all together. By this time it was now time for a brief meeting about the upcoming month of December with the customer before the big, weekly, two-hour long meeting.
The brief meeting was only a half hour but, a lot of stuff was said and discussed. They had the customer on the phone so he could put in his voice in the meeting. In this meeting, something major was brought up. Since, in Chinese culture, they give the entire country the last two weeks of our American calendar year off for the Chinese New Year’s, a time constraint was evident because nothing would be able to get done from December 23-January 1. What made matters worse is that the customer would be out of his office three days earlier, December 20.
Thus essentially putting the project on hold until the New Year. With only twenty-seven days remaining until the customer shuts down for the year, things at Vollect will be very hectic. Now it was time for the long meeting, which I was already warned of at the beginning of the day. I was introduced and welcomed warmly by Bob’s fellow employees. Bob and his boss, Rich, presented to the other designers on the project design team. For two hours, they deliberated over how they could improve on the present drawing by going over every square inch of the drawing. After the meeting it was time for lunch.
After we got back from lunch, Bob let me try out the Pro-E program on his computer. With my knowledge of the program from my CAD class, Pro-E came naturally to me. I told him about how in the CAD class we are designing a model replica of the old Civic Arena. He asked if I had any drawings made in Pro-E and I said, “No. Just a program called AutoCAD. ” He offered his assistance and we both began working on a design for the Civic Arena. It wasn’t difficult for him to design it since he’s had so much experience with the program and that’s pretty much all he does most of the day.
The only part that proved to be difficult was that every five minutes or so the program would crash without us saving the drawing. We learned that after the fifth time of crashing that we should start saving our drawing after every little thing we do. After roughly two and a half hours of messing around with the program and drawing, we had ourselves a not-to-scale model of the Civic Arena. This helped me out greatly because now I can take what I learned from Bob about the Pro-E program back to the CAD class and draw up the scale model of the Civic Arena. Interview Q&A Interview Q&A 1.
What influenced you to become a mechanical engineer? What influenced me the most was that I wanted to be a guy who designs things for people and I could go to the store and say that, “I designed that! ” 2. Was mechanical engineering your first choice as a major or was it a second option? Mechanical engineering was, in fact, my first choice of major. Right from my junior year in high school I was destined to be a mechanical engineer. 3. What sub-topic of mechanical engineering do you prefer the most? Why? I like all details of my job. I specifically like when I can put all the components of a product together in the Pro-E program. . What can a person like you contribute to a company such as Vocollect? I am pretty much the person who puts all of the parts together so the company and the customer can view what they want. I pretty much make the final drawing of the product and my boss puts his input in and I make changes. The final drawing then gets sent to the customer for approval and then we manufacture the product. So I am a pretty big factor in the company. 5. How would you approach a problem/set back that this field would present to you? Most of the problems that I have are with the computer program.
It will always crash and close before I get the chance to save my work. I call tech support but whatever they do never works. Another problem that I may encounter would be when my co-workers/boss have revisions for a certain part of a product drawing. We have a meeting specifically for this. We go through every square inch of the drawing and everyone says what they think they’d do to improve on the drawing. I take notes on their improvements and then after the meetings I go back to my office and revise the drawing to suit their needs. 6. Is this your ideal/dream job? If not, what would it be?
My ideal/dream job would have to be the president of the United States. I always wanted to have such immense power. I wanted to become president until I found out that they don’t get paid an entirely large amount of money. And that my public speaking skills aren’t that great so, I would not do well in getting the American people to vote for me. The job I have now is my true job. It’s where I am destined to be, in my opinion. I’ve come to know some really great people from working at Vocollect. 7. What are your short-term and long-term goals as an employee of Vocollect?
My short-term goals is hoping that the Chinese company were designing this headset for will be pleased with the design. Once they approve of the drawings, it’ll feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I’ve been working on this project for almost a year now. It’s sort of a bittersweet moment that the project is almost over, in my area of expertise. As for any long-term goals, I have none yet at the moment. When I get my next design project, my goal will to get the designs done within the given amount of time. 8. Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
In five years, I see myself sitting in this same seat. I have no plans for moving up in the company ladder. I’m perfectly content with where I’m at now. 9. If you were needed to relocate across the country, Oregon, would you accept the offer? Why or why not? Even though this hasn’t been a something on my mind, yet (knock on wood), I believe that I would not take the opportunity for the fact that I would have to give up my friends and family for my job. You can always find another job, but you can’t find another best friend. Even if it was for a significant increase in my pay, I would not take the offer. 10.
How did your schooling in college prepare you to be a mechanical engineer for Vocollect? My schooling prepared me immensely for my involvement at Vocollect industries. I took two years of undergrad work at the University of Pennsylvania. I then moved up to the main campus of the school to complete my work to earn my bachelor of engineering degree. I am now in pursuit of gaining my masters in order to receive to a bonus in my paycheck. With the amount of schooling I have, I am fairly confident that I’ll be able to do wondrous things for Vocollect. 11. What comes to mind when you think of the word, “success”?
When I think of success, I think of myself being content with my life, i. e. health, financial, etc. Success also means that I’m happy with where I’m at in life. I’m very healthy, I’m financially stable, I have friends who love me dearly. I think that I’m pretty successful in my life, according to my definition. I’m sure if you ask anyone else, they would give you a completely different answer. 12. What kind of outside experiences aided to your success in mechanical engineering? There’s only one notable outside experience that has aided to my success and that’s how I handle with criticism from my co-workers.
I slowly came to accepting their criticism after my first project with Vocollect. 13. If you weren’t a mechanical engineer, what other profession would you seek? Why? If I wasn’t a mechanical engineer, I would want to be someone who would work for PennDOT, and that would be a civil engineer. I would want to work for PennDOT mainly because they make so much money and I’m a guy who likes to have money. 14. What would you consider to be your most influential accomplishment? My most influential accomplishment would have to be the day of which I graduated from college.
This was a big day for me in that I came to the realization that I can now become a true mechanical engineer. All of my hard work and hours of study has finally paid off. 15. What positions within Vocollect are you hoping to reach or are you content with the position that you’re at now? With the current position I am at now, I am happy with where I’m at. I don’t see myself progressing up the job title chart. If I was to get a promotion, I would have to move to a different part of the office and have to leave my friends who I’ve grown within the company.
I don’t think I’m ready for that kind of a change yet. 16. What would be some adjectives that would describe you? Some adjectives to describe me would be: creative, innovative, accepting, and courageous. I think of myself as creative because I have to be able to compile a three-dimensional drawing to present to my bosses. I’m innovative in that I can take an existing product on the market and make changes to it to make it better. I’m accepting in that I can accept people’s (my bosses) criticism and not get overly worked about it.
I think of myself as being courageous in that I can take “leaps of faith” in my drawings depending on the product we’re designing, I’ll try to implement some of my own ideas into the drawing. 17. When on the job hunt, what kind of factors played a role in selecting the right company? In making my decision to work at Vocollect, I thought of mainly two deciding factors. The first one being the amount of money that I’ll be making on an annual basis. I used this factor because I don’t want to be working an insane amount of hours and not getting paid generously for it.
With Vocollect, I’m able to make enough money to support myself and I can still have some extra money to do whatever I want to. The other factor in choosing Vocollect was close proximity to my house. Vocollect is less than fifteen minutes from my house. This makes it easy on me for when it comes to fueling my car. This helped very much during the recession a few years back. I saved loads of money just by having only a less than ten mile commute to work. 18. Have you had any previous jobs before this one? If so, what was/were it/they and what made you leave that job?
Before finally settling down at working with Vocollect, I worked at Kennywood Park to help me pay my way through college. I left my duties at Kennywood to pursue my career as a mechanical engineer. Working at Kennywood helped me in that how I deal with working with a group of people to do a common job. 19. What was your least favorite and favorite subject(s) while in school? Why? My favorite subject while going through school would have to be my history classes. I liked history because, if it wasn’t for the past, we wouldn’t be here in the present. We need the past to occur, both mistakes and heroics, which shaped our present.
My least favorite subject during my high school career would have to be my math classes. I never liked working with variables and problems that took more than ten minutes to do or an entire page to do. I also didn’t like my English classes. It was a difficulty for me to understand what I was reading for just about every story we read. 20. What went into your decision making process when prompted the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up? ” When I first heard of this question, when I was 10, I wanted to be a professional baseball player since I played baseball.
As I grew up it slowly developed to working with machines. Then, finally, it became that I wanted to be an engineer. I went after the fact that I wanted to be a mechanical engineer to find a job to get me through high school and college. I was lucky enough to land me a job at Kennywood Park my junior year in high school. I worked there through the rest of high school and throughout my four years of college. Lucky for me, working at Kennywood helped me in understanding how a complex machine, such as a roller coaster, works and functions under such intense forces. 21.
What role does technology play in mechanical engineering? Technology plays an important role in mechanical engineering for various reasons. For what I do, without the use of technology, I would have to draw all of my designs by hand which would be a pain in the backside because; my art skills aren’t that great and no one would be able to understand what I draw. With technology, I’m able to take my three-dimensional drawing in the Pro-E program and take it down to a three-dimensional printer and create a prototype of the product to see my drawing in reality instead of through a computer screen.
I’ll admit that there are times that I wish I would free-hand my drawings instead of on the computer (whenever the program crashes). And there are times were I just lose track of time by drawing on the computer. Conclusion Conclusion With the combination of job shadowing and researching what goes on in the mechanical engineering field, I can say that I am pleased with what I will be able to do in my near future. After job shadowing a true mechanical engineer to get a feel of what I will be doing, I can honestly say that I can see myself being a mechanical engineer.
After doing much intensive research, my amount of salary on an annual basis will be sufficient in repaying my student loans before I turn thirty, my primary objective once I get out of college. I feel that being a mechanical engineer could be really interesting since I get to render two-dimensional objects and envision them in the third-dimension. I did, believe it or not, think about a different job, but I’m hoping I don’t have to go to that resort. I only thought about this for a roughly short amount of time. I thought about how I could possibly be a structural engineer.
This, I think, will act as my fallback option in case if I don’t make in the mechanical engineering field. At first, I wanted to be a structural engineer, believe it or not, but then I did some of my own separate research and found out that there aren’t too many job openings that are within fifty miles of Pittsburgh. Then, with that job plan on the “back burner”, I decided that I wanted to be the next best thing, a mechanical engineer. As I did some of my own research about mechanical engineering to find that there are several job openings that are within a twenty mile radius of the city of Pittsburgh.
After doing this research, I immediately turned my attention to becoming a mechanical engineer and seeing which colleges would offer me the opportunity to get a degree in mechanical engineering. I feel that I could provide the mechanical engineering world with great knowledge of usage of technology that goes into mechanical engineering. ? Career Plan Career Plan Starting with right after graduation, my parents and family are rewarding my twelve years of hard work by accompanying me on a trip to Disney in Orlando, Florida. When I get back home, I will be on the job hunt to hopefully pay for some of my college tuition.
During the summer, I hope to find an internship at some company that would further enhance my knowledge of mechanical engineering even before I go to college. Some obstacles that will probably keep my ego down would be the fact that I get bored too easily with one thing. I will have to overcome this obstacle if I want to become a mechanical engineer since most of their day involves someone sitting at a computer all day. I hope that this weakness of mine won’t play a negative role in my future. For example, I wouldn’t want my short attention p to make me change my choice of a major because I got bored with what I was doing.
If it happens, it happens. You can’t mess around with what fate has to say about your life choices. I think the most training I would get to become a mechanical engineer would be from a college of engineering. Since that school would specifically be focused on engineering. After this said training in college, I hope to be able to jump right into a job that will have a good salary. As long as I’m a mechanical engineer, it doesn’t matter what the pay is. What matters is that I’ll be satisfied with myself of where I came thus far.
I also hope that with a modest salary, I’ll hopefully be able to pay off any student loans of which I may acquire during my time in college. In conclusion, I’ll be happy with whatever company I work for as long as I’m long as I get to do something that involves mechanical engineering. Article “A” Summary Patrick Rogers’ article, “Vertical Leap” is an interesting article about the evolution of mechanical engineering through an example that is used in our everyday lives, an elevator. The elevator as we know today wasn’t invented until 1852 by an Elisha Graves Otis.
Today’s elevators now come in all sizes and shapes to suit our everyday needs, to give a perspective as to where this engineering feat has gone in the past 150 years. The whole idea of a skyscraper is linked to the elevator itself because, no one would want to climb up fifty flights of stairs to get to their offices day in and day out. Elevators have been used upon many occasions by many notable monarchs over the course of history. For example, Louis XV had an elevator constructed at his palace in Versailles to whisk him around to all sorts of the castle because the castle was of enormous size.
As the evolution of machines progressed, the use of “muscle power” was being drawn out after being used since the Industrial Revolution. Otis displayed the elevator invention to the world at America’s first world’s fair in New York in 1854. Everyone who saw the exhibit was in awe of its sleek design. The invention of the elevator almost didn’t happen because, Otis was in financial ruins and thought about leaving New York to go west to the Gold Rush in hopes that he would get rich off that. Otis’ exhibit displayed him on the platform of one of his steam-driven hoist and slowly began to rise above the crowd, awing them all.
When Otis died in 1861, he left his heirs in financial debt but, he left his schematics of an elevator that was constructed so that if the rope breaks from the platform, it cannot freefall to the ground. A new man to the scene by the name of, Otis Tufts (no relation to previous Otis), developed upon Otis’ previous ideas to create an elevator that was roomy enough to carry up to a dozen guests. Reliable steam lifts soon adorned the lobbies of hotels throughout much of the U. S. and thus, the elevator had become a new material item in which business-owners could employ in their stores to move people throughout their store more efficiently.
It wasn’t until 1870 that the thought of a silent elevator had begun to surface. Prior to 1870, elevators were powered by large steam pistons and pulleys which were loud and annoying for tenants of apartments of lived on the lower levels of the building. Especially dramatic was the transformations of major cities throughout the country. Many cities began construction on skyscrapers, capable of using elevators. The construction of the Otis elevator can still be viewed, not in a building, but in a home in North Carolina. This shows that Otis’ designs were able to withstand the test of time.
In the 1800s, the thought of using panoramic views as a mean of romance wasn’t thought of. The Golden Age of elevators didn’t occur until the 20th century, when the world was beginning to look ahead to the future. In 1903, Otis introduced a gearless traction elevator, a quantum leap for the time. With this new elevator contraption, the secret to building true skyscrapers was defined, by eliminating the need for the cumbersome winding drums. During the Jazz Age, elevator design seemed to pulsate with the energy of the time period.
The next big improvement of the elevator came when people figured out how to manage the flow of people on and off of elevators. These people, known as operators, became a popular breed of people. Improvements in technology of the elevator came during World War II by a team of Otis aiding Westinghouse, Cmp. Otis’ work could be compared to that of Henry Ford in the automobile industry. Every so often, Otis et al would try and come up with ways to improve on the previous design of the elevator. Sort of like how Apple does with their iOS devices.
Today, cranes hoist the metal gears into place and construction workers assemble the shaft on the job site. The cost of a full elevator system could run you about in excess of fifteen million dollars. Article “B” Summary James Lissaint’s article, entitled, “Mechanical Engineering and Why We Need It” encompasses the true value of mecahnical engineering and the progression of the field. He also describes how the field will be able to grow in the future, as long as there is an interest for it. Mechanical engineering, when talking about it, is a very broad topic. There are many subdivisions within the field itself.
Mecahnical engineering is vital in the construction of large structures (i. e. skyscrapers, bridges, etc. ) as well as new-age gadgets. This form of engineering can be dated back to ancient Greek, with their invention of the steam engine. It came to the center of discussion and modern society during the Industrial Revolution. Since its beginning, this field has undergone numerous enhancements thanks in part to the advancements in modern technology. With the help of high school physics, a small understanding of mechanical engineering basics will be known in the form of kinematics and mechanics.
Mechanical engineering looks at engines in several different, yet efficient, ways. For starters, the steam engine helped to develop the world into a modern society. The idea that the steam engine could be used in motor vehicles really helped the development of transportation systems. Since then, a wide variety of engines have been produced, with diesel and petrol being the most common forms of an engine. It’s essential to know that mechanical engineering is a very broad field with many different subfields that interconnect with one another.
Modern society has progressed with topics such as robotics, thermodynamics, and kinematics. The most technical field of mechanical engineering is robotics. These robots, neither human nor animals, are used in a number of practical applications throughout the manufacturingn industry. Lots of companies look for the involvemnt of robots to aide in their assembly line to quicken their production speed to gain a higher profit. Mechanical engineering plays a major role in how, and if, the robot will be able to function properly. June 24, 2016
Sean Robertson Engineer Aerotek CE 15200 Santa Fe Trail Drive, Suite 100 Lenexa, KS, 66219 Dear Mr. Robertson, Having done an internship for your company for the past two years, I believe that my involvement in your company would be a positive thing. Once I heard that there would be a job opening at the time of my completion of my internship, I immediately started to think out my options for the future. With my internship nearly complete, it is time that I look for a full-time job and this was the first company I thought of working for.
Through my schooling at Temple University, I feel that I would be an excellent addition to Aerotek as an engineer. Temple was able to provide me with the necessary knowledge to further my interest in engineering. With a “big-name” company like Aerotek, I thought it would be rather fascinating to work for your company. And with my experience with all the design programs, I believe I could be a key asset for Aerotek’s future in the engineering world. I believe that I would be the best fit for the position because; when I was young I knew that I wanted to be a structural engineer. I was destined to be one, per say.
While I was in high school, I worked for Kennywood Park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania as a ride operator. My duties included making sure the park’s several roller coasters were structurally safe for the days Anschluss of people and forces being applied to it. A major accomplishment of mine would be that in my entire two years of working there, none of the rides I inspected the morning before the park opened, never broke down. This won me an award known as the Most Reliable Worker. I won this both years I worked there. I would be ecstatic if I was selected to hold this position at Aerotek.
The best time frame to reach me for a personal interview is when I’m off for holiday break, December 12 thru January 6. I hope that we’ll be meeting in the near future. Sincerely, Objective: A mechanical engineer were my experience in 3-D CAD, GD&T design, and a solid edge modeling experience would be sufficiently tested. Strengths: * Excellent use of a three-dimensional CAD. * Ability to work under strict time constraints * Ability to work in Excel to provide accurate budgets for each project * Works more efficiently under stressful conditions Ability to keep up with improvements in technology in the ever-growing field Honors: * Product launch: newer headset for manufacturing industry * Article publication: “Engineers of Today” * High honors, Penn State University School of engineering * Internship: Vocollect industries Employment: Internship: Mechanical Engineering, 2012-Present Vocollect Industries, Penn Hills, Pennsylvania. Aided in drafting various products for customers around the world. Gave in my words of advice during meetings about each product drawing. Brought more business to the company by my propaganda skills. Ride Operator: 2009-2012
Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, Pennsylvania- observed and repaired roller coaster and thrill rides throughout the park on a daily basis from early May to late September; working at least 10-hour shifts daily during the summer months. Rides were at peak performance whenever I was on the clock. Education: June 2016: School of Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, State College, Pennsylvania B. A. in Mechanical Engineering Specialization: 3D CAD program Bibliography Bibliography Aerotek. Advertisement. Structural Engineer Job in Overland Park. Aertek. Monster. com, 31 Aug. 2011.
Web. 21 Sept. 2011. <http://jobview. monster. com/Structural-Engineer-Job=Overland-Park-KS-102559902. aspx>. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Engineers, on the Internet at http://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos027. htm (visited September 21,2011) Camenson, Blythe. Real People Working in Engineering. Lincolnwood, IL: VGM Career Horizons, 1998. Print. Dick, Chris J. "Job Shadowing. " Personal interview. 23 Nov. 2011. Hutchinson, Jonathon. "Mechanical Engineering Job Outlook: Employment and Salary Information. " Job Outlook: Employment and Salary.
Online Degrees, 2006. Web. 23 Sept. 2011. http://www. onlinedegrees. org/calculator/salary/mechanical-engineers Lissaint, James. "Mechanical Engineering and Why We Need It. " gEzine Articles, 2011. Web. 4 Nov. 2011. <http://ezinearticles. com/? Mechanical-Engineering-And-Why-We-Need-It&id=6658188>. Rogers, Patrick. “Vertical Leap. ” Preservation. May/June 1998: 52-61. SIRS Renaissance. Web. 23 Sept. 2011. Vocollect. Advertisement. Mechanical Engineer-Design Engineer-Engineer. Monster. com, 21 Sept. 2011. Web. 21 Sept. 2011. <http://jobview. monster. com/Mechanical-Engineer-Job-Pittsburgh-PA-102601518. aspx>.
The Evolution of Engineering
It’s no secret that technology has not only changed life as we know it, but has also changed the face of most every career field known to man. Nowhere is this evolution more evident than in the field of engineering. In order to better review the impact that advancements in technology have had on the field of engineering, exploration of past versus present comparison is necessary. Upon reviewing the variations between engineering of the past and engineering of present, the dramatic involvement of technology in the field becomes inherently evident.
Over the course of the last two decades, the field of engineering has come into its own. One major component of the ‘new and improved’ field of engineering is the utilization of modern technology. In fact, engineering itself is considered a frontier of development in modern technology itself. “Scientific discovery and advancement affect our lives in two different ways—through new policies and regulations that provide broad national direction and through new products and processes that enhance our lives and communities. Technology and engineering translate scientific knowledge into action.” (USDA 2007)
Engineering, in the 1980s, was a field wherein the predominant research and development process surrounded countless instances of trial and error. Due in part to the fact that all experimentation and designed was based solely on human ability and human ideas, engineering was primarily considered a ‘thinking man’s’ career choice. For example, in the early 1980s, when mechanical engineers designed motor vehicles, much of their design was dependant on tangible models and hand drawn blueprints. Today, on the other hand, computer technology allows for the use of computerized 3D models and AutoCAD architecture. This same fact holds true for not only the vehicle industry, but the building industry, property development, and many more.
Upon close examination of the implications of technology on engineering, it is revealed that this phenomenon began far earlier than many believe. In fact, students at Virginia Tech have been required to own a personal computer since the year 1984. However, improvements in computer technology have dramatically improved engineering accuracy and performance, have increased efficiency, and have made it possible for a wider variant of individuals to enter the engineering field. "In terms of the difficulty level of problems, the computer has helped tremendously. In the pre-computer era, we'd spend a couple of weeks on a serious problem. Now it can be done overnight. In terms of the actual mode of teaching, we present less hand-calculation procedures than in previous times. It's just not needed." (EE/CPE VanLandingham 97)
A variety of modern technologies have added to the dynamics of the engineering field. However, it is arguable that computer advancements have affected the field more than any other. Because much of engineering is design, the use of computers as a design tool is prevalent. Thanks to the precision and speed offered by the use of certain computer programs during the engineering design process, problems that once seemed impossible are now considered trivial. "Students can do design and some calculations that were real tough to do before. "We use computers a lot in the lab to take data and analyze data off the equipment. Most research projects take data using computers, and our folks have to know how to write programs and microprocessor code." (EE/CPE Claus 97)
Experts also agree that the integration of computers into the field of engineering have made the job more ‘fun’. Computers allow engineers to heighten levels of creativity in their work while allowing for less stress in problem solving. In short, engineers can now focus more heartily on the creative aspects of their project because they spend less time in problem solving.
Interestingly though, the speculation surrounding technological and computer advancements in the field of engineering is not all positive. There are many people who believe that the overt use of computers in the field of engineering provides engineers with a crutch that allows for less thorough problem examination. It is also argued that engineers become ‘lax’ in analysis because they trust computers to be accurate. The problem with this fact is that computers are not infallible. If one data set is entered incorrectly, the entire analysis will be incorrect. Basically, computers should moreover be used to verify analysis as opposed to actually perform the analysis itself.
Many engineering professors and argue that the overuse of computers will promote carelessness in the field. "I see students relying too much on computers, computation programs and symbolic manipulators - which is leading them away from self-discipline. "They are using tools and have no way to check them. They come up with an answer on the computer and don't know enough to challenge their answer. They are using tools and have no way to check them. They come up with an answer on the computer and don't know enough to challenge their answer. They figure if the computer came up with the answer, it's got to be right.” (EE/CPE Brown 97)
There is also evidence the integration of computer technology in engineering will ‘kill’ programming in the field. Because of the incredible technology and dynamic computer programs available to engineers as a whole, there is a decreased need for new programming. Certain computer programs offer engineers ‘ready to use’ packages for problem solving, which eliminates the need for writing code in problem solving. The question as to whether or not this is a ‘good thing’ is perhaps most prominent in engineering education. ‘"Technology as the magic bullet for education is being vastly oversold," cautioned Professor Jim Armstrong. "We can use the computers for computation and communication, but we must maintain the interpersonal aspect of teaching,"’ (EE/CPE 97)
The integration of modern technology and the integration of computers in particular, into the field of engineering has changed the face of all engineering disciplines as we know it. It is largely agreed that these advancements have improved the field of engineering in ways never before thought possible. However, it is pertinent to note that not every implementation or change is considered beneficial. While, for the most part, computers and technology have only improved engineer problem solving and efficiency, it is also argued that these integrations have given birth to the ‘lazy’ engineer. In fact, there are those who believe that today’s engineer is already considered lax because they now have the computer to do the work for them. “Engineers are lazy. Engineers don't like to work hard and like to come up with ways to make their lives easier” (iPaw 2009) This view creates a paradox for many, because the very definition of innovation is the search for ways to make life more simple.
In summation, modern technology and computer advancement has made the field of engineering more exciting for those engaged. It has also allowed for more a more variant professional base within the field. However, perhaps the most notable change in the field that comes as a direct reflection of computer advancement is the increase in the speed and efficiency with which engineers solve an assortment of problems. This increased efficiency allows for a more rapid development of a product or and outcome and also allows for a heightened opportunity to concentrate on creativity and design. Basically, computers and modern technology make the field of engineering more fun.
While it must be acknowledged that not all views surrounding computer advancement and engineering are possible, it is widely accepted that computers have drastically improved every discipline of engineering while also acting as a catalyst behind creative engineering and innovation.
From a personal perspective, we have entered the dawn of a new engineering age. The field of engineering is rapidly becoming as much an art as it is an analytical career field. This advancement and innovation is solely credited to the integration of modern technology into the engineering disciplines. In the last five years, computer technology has taken not only engineering, but every career to new and exciting levels. From the farmer to the fighter pilot, computer technology has changed the dynamic of ‘work’ as we know it, and nowhere is this truth more evident than in the field of engineering.
Works Cited
"Catspaw's Guide to the Inevitably Insane." Catspaw's Guide to the Inevitably Insane. 29 Apr. 2009 <http://www.insanecats.com/cgi-bin/single.py?month=feb09&msg=18>.
"Computers and Engineering: Instructional Boon or Crutch?." Virginia Tech | Electrical and Computer Engineering. 29 Apr. 2009 <http://www.ece.vt.edu/ecenews/ar97/boon.html>.
Govil, Rekha. Recent Advancements in Computer Science and Technology. new york: Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1999.
"Technology ; Engineering." Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES). 29 Apr. 2009 <http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/technology/technology.cfm>.
Fundamental Concepts in Computer Science (Advances in Computer Science and Engineering: Texts). London: Imperial College Press, 2009.
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