Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest, most versatile fields of engineering. Mechanical engineering touches on many aspects of our lives every day — including various automobiles, medical equipment, kitchen tools, electronic products, air-conditioning systems, etc.
Mechanical engineering is the amalgamation of math, physics, mechanics, material science, creativity, management, economics, etc. A degree in mechanical engineering is one of the best to help you develop many skills relevant to many different professional avenues, opening the door to countless opportunities for future growth and success.
Students will here learn about what is mechanical engineering, the primary roles of a mechanical engineer, the benefits of a degree in mechanical engineering, top professional avenues that will open up for you, career path for mechanical engineers, etc. It will help you decide if a mechanical engineering degree is the right move for you.
What is mechanical engineering?
Mechanical engineering integrates engineering math, physics, management, material science, and various other engineering and scientific principles to design, develop, examine, manufacture, test, and maintain mechanical systems and subsystems.
Apart from engineering subjects, mechanical engineers also learn communications, business economics, and industrial organization to develop broad viewpoints and the capacity and flexibility to work in diverse settings.
Responsibilities of a mechanical engineer
Following are some of the primary job responsibilities of a mechanical engineer-
- Designing, analyzing, manufacturing, and installing mechanical systems and subsystems.
- Conducting experiments and evaluations to collect data and test and improve product designs.
- Creating designs and concepts using CAD.
- Researching new material and formulating new concepts, ideas and designs.
- Preparing budget estimates, managing labor force, scheduling, delegating work, etc.
- Writing and maintaining technical documentation and reports.
- Ensuring that the designs and systems are in compliance with regulations.
- Managing sales and customer support.
Journey of a career in Mechanical engineering.
The journey towards a career in mechanical engineering starts with a BE/BTech in mechanical engineering. To gain admission into desirable colleges and domains, students need to pass and score a good rank in engineering entrances like IIT JEE, BITSAT, VITEEE, etc.
Since mechanical engineering is closely linked to manufacturing industries, students can find good engineering colleges in Osmanabad, Delhi, Pune, etc., which are the major industrial town of India. Being part of good BTech colleges in Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, etc., situated in major economic and industrial centres, provides students with a good start, good education, training and ample placement opportunities.
Some of the finest colleges in India for Mechanical engineers are- IITs, NITs, BITS Pilani, CEG, TERNA Osmanabad, etc.
Benefits of a career in mechanical engineering
- Many career paths will open for you
As a mechanical engineer, you will have the luxury of choice. You can choose to specialise in diverse fields like marine engineering, aerospace engineering, automobile engineering, material science, MBA, law, academics, civil services, engineering services, etc.
- You will have a lot of projects to work on
As an engineer, you will have many diverse projects to work on, which may be spread throughout the world. After working on many projects, students get seasoned enough to start their own engineering consultancies and businesses.
- You will develop many transferrable skills
Developing transferrable skills is very good for your career in the long run. Some of these essential skills are- problem-solving, teamwork, communication skills, project management skills, tendering and procurement skills, advanced technical skills, industrial management skills, writing skills (reports, documentation, etc.), decision making, etc.
- You will contribute to society
As a mechanical engineer, you would be helping in the production of critical medical devices, consumer products, public infrastructure, etc., which contribute to society’s and economy’s general well-being, making the world a better place.
- You will enjoy your work
If you desire to work as an engineer to provide solutions to various diverse and complex engineering problems, mechanical engineering will be a dream come true. The salary prospects will be good, and opportunities will be many.
Top professional avenues after a degree in Mechanical engineering
Some of the significant opportunities that you look after a degree in mechanical engineering are-
- Private enterprises
You can start work as a graduate engineer in various private enterprises. The top recruiting firms are automobile industries, Industrial houses, Oil and Natural gas companies, Machine tools firms, energy utilities, arms and ammunition industries, aerospace, etc.
- Government Jobs
Many exclusive government engineering services jobs will be open to you. Every year, the central government, state governments, Indian railways, and PSUs release vacancies for mechanical engineering students. To join government services, students need to crack exams like UPSC ESE, State ESE exams, GATE, SSC JE, etc.
- Start Business/ Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurial opportunities after mechanical engineering are many. Students can explore and start up in fields like auto parts, drones, machine tools, consumer products, agricultural equipment, materials, etc. After working for some years and gaining sufficient experience, students can even start their own engineering consultancy firms.
- Management
Management studies are an integral part of the mechanical engineering course. Students can choose to do an MBA to make a brilliant corporate career. Moreover, mechanical students are best suited for industrial management jobs.
- Academics
Academics is another major lucrative field for students. Students after BTech can either join MTech or can even join Ph.D. directly under various schemes. Various specializations available for students are- industrial engineering, production engineering, mechanical design, thermal engineering, material science, etc. After MTech or Ph.D., students can join various firms as senior engineers or researchers.
How to decide if mechanical engineering is the right for you?
Planning your career will be very helpful to you. Sufficient information has been provided above to know the benefits of a career in mechanical engineering. Students can follow the following steps to make a choice-
- List your interests, goals, and strengths, and see whether they fit as a mechanical engineer or not.
- Examine your skillset and see whether you have the relevant skills or not and are you ready to learn new skills for a successful career in mechanical engineering.
- Discuss with parents, family, friends, and mentors and set your goal. You should maintain firm faith in your choice and work hard to achieve your dreams.
Students have numerous career choices to choose from. In this article, we have effectively summarised all the required information for students to decide on taking up Mechanical engineering as a career choice.
