Development Engineers – opinions, advice or crystal ball gazing about training
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Development Engineers – opinions, advice or crystal ball gazing about training
Development Engineers – opinions, advice or crystal ball gazing about training, career options and employability
I’ll start off vague to avoid boring everyone, and also in the hope that others will find advice/opinions useful.
I graduated a decade ago with a Mechanical Engineering degree. Since then I have been pretty much an office-based engine development engineer, which I still do now, albeit as an subcontractor. This is OK, but I’m conscious of not really acquiring new skills for the CV/resume.
My experience is very general, but I have nothing in the way of Stress/CAD/CATIA, for example, and certainly no Licences, etc. I don’t wish to come across as a total waster, e.g. I speak some foreign languages and was a secondee Powerplant Engineer once, so I am mobile and have even seen one or two real aircraft in my time
.
Anyway, I’m only in my late thirties and would like to avoid becoming a drifter. I would prefer to remain a subcontractor for another five years (I need the cash) and then who knows.
Vaguer than vague I know, but I would really value opinions/crystal ball gazing about any training someone like me could take or jobs to work in which would stand one in better stead. I’m willing to take time out and pay my own way, within reason.
I’m happy to expand on my experience; I have no secrets, but any general advice to start would be massively appreciated. Many thanks.
I’ll start off vague to avoid boring everyone, and also in the hope that others will find advice/opinions useful.
I graduated a decade ago with a Mechanical Engineering degree. Since then I have been pretty much an office-based engine development engineer, which I still do now, albeit as an subcontractor. This is OK, but I’m conscious of not really acquiring new skills for the CV/resume.
My experience is very general, but I have nothing in the way of Stress/CAD/CATIA, for example, and certainly no Licences, etc. I don’t wish to come across as a total waster, e.g. I speak some foreign languages and was a secondee Powerplant Engineer once, so I am mobile and have even seen one or two real aircraft in my time
.Anyway, I’m only in my late thirties and would like to avoid becoming a drifter. I would prefer to remain a subcontractor for another five years (I need the cash) and then who knows.
Vaguer than vague I know, but I would really value opinions/crystal ball gazing about any training someone like me could take or jobs to work in which would stand one in better stead. I’m willing to take time out and pay my own way, within reason.
I’m happy to expand on my experience; I have no secrets, but any general advice to start would be massively appreciated. Many thanks.
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What you do next rather depends on how you see your career developing or what you want to do. I spent 10 years as an engine development engineer after my degree and left the company to do a self funded MBA. That took me through sales, production engineering, management and back to a branch of engineering. Any of those branches could have been further explored if I wanted but I'm a great believer in serendipity and so far it's worked for me.
I presume you aren't looking to move into licensed engineering as the CAA are unlikely to view your degree as counting towads the Part 66 licence so you'll end up doing not only a raft of written exams but also 5 years hands-on spannering.
That leaves technical support in its many forms or work with an OEM or MRO. Your background could be developed into any of those I would have thought but you'll have to work out your favoured direction and what further experience or training you may need (gap analysis if you like!). In my experience companies will normally assist you in this if you are a permie but there is no motivation for them to help a connie who by the nature of their contract owes no loyalty back to the company.
I presume you aren't looking to move into licensed engineering as the CAA are unlikely to view your degree as counting towads the Part 66 licence so you'll end up doing not only a raft of written exams but also 5 years hands-on spannering.
That leaves technical support in its many forms or work with an OEM or MRO. Your background could be developed into any of those I would have thought but you'll have to work out your favoured direction and what further experience or training you may need (gap analysis if you like!). In my experience companies will normally assist you in this if you are a permie but there is no motivation for them to help a connie who by the nature of their contract owes no loyalty back to the company.
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Many thanks indeed, Dodo56.
Yes, it seems any sort of EASA/CAA Licence is not an option for me. I am thinking of a part-time MBA, though.
I would like to get more technical if anything. That may sound odd, but many office-based engineers at large engine companies do all sorts of program management and admin but very little in the way of engineering. This pays the bills, but adds nothing to the CV or one’s employability.
I think I’m too old now for a company to employ me with the intention of training me up as a CAD/Stress engineer, but I probably could move jobs as a contractor into Performance Engineering or even Technical Support (Product Support?) as you mentioned, although at my current company the latter has its share of paperwork too.
In the meantime, how about any technical training courses? Again, very vague, but if anyone has done any sort of courses recently, I’d be interested to hear.
Yes, it seems any sort of EASA/CAA Licence is not an option for me. I am thinking of a part-time MBA, though.
I would like to get more technical if anything. That may sound odd, but many office-based engineers at large engine companies do all sorts of program management and admin but very little in the way of engineering. This pays the bills, but adds nothing to the CV or one’s employability.
I think I’m too old now for a company to employ me with the intention of training me up as a CAD/Stress engineer, but I probably could move jobs as a contractor into Performance Engineering or even Technical Support (Product Support?) as you mentioned, although at my current company the latter has its share of paperwork too.
In the meantime, how about any technical training courses? Again, very vague, but if anyone has done any sort of courses recently, I’d be interested to hear.
Strikes me that as a graduate Engineer hoping to progress your career but stay within technical work, your best bet is to (a) go for CEng to boost your credibility a bit, and (b) get an appropriate MSc (the Bristol CPDA is a good part time route, or somewhere like Cranfield or Southampton for a very good full time course.)
Another option is to look at moving back into a university research role. The best way for somebody in your position would be to look for an Eng.D post - 4 years on £19k tax free, doing virtually nothing but technical engineering, and you get a doctorate at the end of it which should make you pretty employable in the universities (say as a research fellow) or back in industry in a reasonably high level technical job.
G
Another option is to look at moving back into a university research role. The best way for somebody in your position would be to look for an Eng.D post - 4 years on £19k tax free, doing virtually nothing but technical engineering, and you get a doctorate at the end of it which should make you pretty employable in the universities (say as a research fellow) or back in industry in a reasonably high level technical job.
G
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Old threads are the best.
Very belated thanks for your last reply, Genghis. I briefly looked at an MSc in Mechanical Engineering at Nottingham University’s Malaysia Campus, but this was more for a career break, not that I’m suggesting an MSc is a holiday.
Apart from the course and living costs putting me off, I’m still not convinced of the career benefits of an engineering Masters. As for becoming a CEng, few jobs advertised in the UK state this as a requirement. I’m not disrespecting your views, but I’d like to continue this discussion.
Very belated thanks for your last reply, Genghis. I briefly looked at an MSc in Mechanical Engineering at Nottingham University’s Malaysia Campus, but this was more for a career break, not that I’m suggesting an MSc is a holiday.
Apart from the course and living costs putting me off, I’m still not convinced of the career benefits of an engineering Masters. As for becoming a CEng, few jobs advertised in the UK state this as a requirement. I’m not disrespecting your views, but I’d like to continue this discussion.
