Mechanical Engineering Career Essay

My Path

It has taken a very long time for me to decide on the path that I wanted to take for my career. I have almost always known that I wanted to be an engineer. I was always more interested in applying my knowledge to solve problems rather than just research and understand the world. However, I had little to no inkling as to which field of engineering I wanted to go in to. I had always been a dabbler, involving myself in a large variety of activities with the interest of learning about how stuff works. I started out learning how to use the tools in the shed outback, making pinewood derby cars and model rockets. I would help my dad with home improvement and repair projects around the house. As time went on, my ability learns and apply

But I did have an interest in materials. However, mechanical engineering is a very broad field. Mechanical engineering has an area of specialization referred to as “Materials and Manufacturing” [4] It doesn’t focus so heavily on material development and design so much as material selection and the methods of manufacturing parts using those materials. For example, “How do you mass produce carbon fiber parts?” would be a problem that a mechanical engineer of this specialization might set out to solve. At this point I had also had some exposure to electrical engineering, through a Snap Electronics kit and obtaining my Amateur Radio License. Mechanical engineers do take some electrical engineering classes. This gives mechanical engineers an understanding of electrical control systems and electric motors [5], both of which play important roles in machinery

For most of their engineering job listings where mechanical engineering degrees apply, they require anywhere from three to seven years of experience in positions which are very like the one that can be applied for [6]. Tesla desires that their engineers have some experience with a variety of software/programs, and a familiarity with computer programming [6]. While I know, I will learn how to use some of the needed software while getting my degree at Iowa State, I will probably not get all the necessary experience that Tesla wants. However, there may be entry level jobs that I missed in the catalog that might require less experience. Depending on the internships/co-ops that I get, it may be possible for me to fill a lower level position at Tesla once I get my degree. However, to go that route, I will need to take classes on control systems, design optimization, statistics, sustainability, and alternative energy systems. It may help me to spread more into electrical engineering courses, even to the point of a