Any Engineers on Oppo?

"UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy" (smithtaylorm) 07/06/2016 at 20:42 • Filed to: None

0

31

I have some questions.

I’m about to be a senior in a 5 year engineering program. I’ll be graduating in the spring of 2017 in chemical engineering, and if everything goes as it is going now I’ll probably have around a 3.8-3.85 GPA. On top of that, I will have 2 years of manufacturing and R&D experience through my schools Co-operative experience program. I’m looking to stay in manufacturing, and I also have a years worth of plastics manufacturing experience and about 6 months in paint/chemical out of that 2 years.

Even though it’s a much higher possibility I will end up with a chemical related manufacturing company, what are the odds I could work for a car company? Toyota was interested in the past due to my plastics experience but the internship wasn’t where I needed to be at the time.

To be honest, I really love chemical related manufacturing but it’s been kind of a background dream to be working for any of my favorite car manufacturers. I’ve been looking at some VAG/JLR positions in North America but the closest thing I got was a kind of vague explanation of a VAG job requiring an “engineering degree” and 0-1 year manufacturing experience (both of which I’ll have). With my background and experience could I stand a chance against a MechE grad??

Mk6R doing fun stuff for your time

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 20:48

3

Look at suppliers

RallyWrench > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 20:52

0

I’m not an engineer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. No I didn’t.

Could you parlay that plastics and chemical experience into composites? That’s a great place to be if you want in to the manufacturing side of a factory racing program. Racing job sites are always posting want ads for composites people.

daender > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 20:52

0

Maybe tires? I imagine Michelin, Continental, Hoosier, Pirelli, etc. could always use fresh minds to advance tire technology.

f86sabre > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 21:06

1

I know a major airline in Atlanta that is looking for people with ChemE experience. Fresh grad is fine. Basically, working with chemical plating tanks and cold/hot spray tech.

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > f86sabre 07/06/2016 at 21:27

0

Hmmm. That actually doesn’t sound too bad. Without getting to proprietary, my current position does involve manufacturing of coating materials in car paints (probably most relatable, electrocoat to improve paint adhesion on cars)

I do have limited experience with spraying technology, albeit probably not in the same type of application.

Ssfancyfresh > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 21:28

0

As far as OEMs, I know GM would hire chemical engineers for work in paint shops. That’s a shit job. But it aligns with your degree and manufacturing experience. But it’s a shit job.

I’m sure all OEMs have got demand for all kinds of chemical engineers working with batteries.

Auto Suppliers may offer the best option. Any company that produces plastic parts will have a demand for chemical engineers. A friend of mine works for a fuel system supplier. They are constantly experimenting with new materials to achieve low emissions, low weight, low cost, and high performance.

I’ve worked for an OEM and I currently work for a supplier. Working for the supplier is much more fun. I found my days at the OEM were mostly spent in meetings, or writing emails. Working for a supplier, I actually get to turn a wrench. I’m a mechanical engineer.

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 21:31

1

Just drum up you material science type experience on your resume. You have an excellent GPA and co-op experience, so hopefully that should get you an interview. By the time you get an interview, you are pretty much on equal footing with all the other candidates and I wouldn’t really worry about not being a MechE.

In my industry experience, ChemE, MechE, and Materials Science degrees form a continuum of skills that overlap so widely that they are nearly interchangeable (at least at the bachelors level).

samssun > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 21:36

2

ChemE is one of the “hardcore” engineering degress that will let you compete with MechEs and anyone else. My dad got a ChemE degree and then spent his career in manufacturing. I’d say cast your net wide and who knows where you’ll end up.

And if you get the chance to fit in more managerial/financial courses or anything less technical, do it to set yourself apart from the techies as having some planning & soft skills.

Milky > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 21:37

1

What arch said. I work for a plastic supplier and we make damn near everything for cars. I’m sure we have chemical engineers in our office. Working on car related projects all day keeps me happy.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > f86sabre 07/06/2016 at 21:45

1

Lol. “A major airline in Atlanta” hmmm. I wonder what that is?

yamahog > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 21:55

2

My degree is in aero, and I work at an OEM now. Find job postings that strike your interest and apply, your grades and experience look good. If you want to live in the southeast Michigan area (for what it’s worth I’m a stuck up New Yorker and I like it out here) you’ll definitely be able to find something at one of the Big 3 or a Tier 1 supplier.

E90M3 > f86sabre 07/06/2016 at 21:59

0

Really? I’m a ChemE and am trying to move back to ATL. My experience is in oil, but I’m trying to get away from that.

E90M3 > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 22:03

1

If you’ve got that GPA with that experience, I’d say you stand a pretty good chance at competing with MEs. I’m a ChemE with 2.5 years of experience in oil, and I’m looking into other fields and have applied to jobs even thought it says they want MEs. All I have to say is fuck oil, it’s great during the boom, and terrible during the bust. You’ll make money, I had a paid off M3 as a 25 year old, but it fucking sucked.

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > E90M3 07/06/2016 at 22:04

0

My buddy works for Marathon as a coop and they make ridiculous money. Basically I’ve heard Texas/oil is good to work while you’re young before you settle down. I don’t really want to work for oil because I couldn’t imagine working the hours and trying to start a family/give any time to personal life/SO

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > samssun 07/06/2016 at 22:06

1

I’ve taken one finance class already and am taking an additional class on project management this fall. I’ve already been thinking about some financial classes additionally next spring so that may be a thing when the time comes!

E90M3 > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 22:15

0

Which Marathon? There are two, marathon petroleum and marathon oil, down stream and upstream. I worked in the eagleford shale during the boom and there were times my paychecks didn’t look real, it wasn’t worth it though. One the of engineers that worked for our client joked that I made more than he did, I probably did. I hated it, I worked 12 hour shifts, 6 days on, 3 days off. It was cool and different at first but got old real quick. Although, it never ceased to amaze me that we could be pumping water into the ground at 80 barrels per minute at 12,000 psi, I was always in awe of how easy it was to generate that kind of pressure.

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > E90M3 07/06/2016 at 22:17

0

My bad, he worked for petroleum. Yeah that’s amazing. I remember how crazy it was seeing a few hundred Psi in some tanks at my old job, I could only imagine 12000.

E90M3 > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 22:25

0

I kinda figured it was petroleum, MRO is cutting back big time. The service company I worked for had them as a client. They’ve cut back big time since 2014. I remember walking around the site while we were pumping and being 5 feet from 12,000 psi, or 13,500 when we were pressure testing, it was pretty crazy.

samssun > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 22:58

1

Good deal. Don’t forget econ, game theory, change management, and anything else that falls under leadership. The ChemE degree proves you have the quantitative and critical thinking skills, now distinguish yourself from the tech nerds so they end up working for you.

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > samssun 07/06/2016 at 23:00

0

What about those from experience? I have project management experience already, one of my terms was pretty much as a PM in capital projects. I’ve also started and finished or been an integral part of at least 7-10 MOC’s by now.

samssun > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/06/2016 at 23:07

1

I think anything that lets you stand between the “tech” and “business” sides will help you move up — I’m a non-practicing engineer because when I started going full tech I realized that non-communicating nerds are almost as limited as “will there be math on the final?” arts majors.

So I guess since you already have a pretty solid tech background, any choice between picking up another quantitative class/skill vs. demonstrating communication/collaboration/leadership should go to the latter. May not be as relevant your first year or two out, but it’ll signal your potential to rise into leadership vs. just becoming a super subject matter expert (unless that’s actually what you want).

f86sabre > E90M3 07/06/2016 at 23:29

0

We are looking for folks.

f86sabre > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) 07/06/2016 at 23:30

0

The one with the giant hangars between the runways.

E90M3 > f86sabre 07/06/2016 at 23:43

0

I am interested

f86sabre > E90M3 07/07/2016 at 00:27

0

Remind me next week. I’m on vacation this week, but can tell you how to get in touch when I’m back in the office.

E90M3 > f86sabre 07/07/2016 at 00:31

0

Sounds good, I appreciate the help

Sweet Trav > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/07/2016 at 08:12

0

If you're a good chemical engineer, might want to look at being a chemist for a rubber to metal auto supplier there are plenty in Europe. I work for one of the biggest, but in North America. You have to look at bonding agents, rubber itself, etc.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/07/2016 at 09:43

0

You should be able to get a job pretty easily. Are you looking for design or manufacturing though? I don’t know how much design engineering VAG or JLR do here, if any.

Brewman15 > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire 07/07/2016 at 10:14

0

That was going to be my suggestion as well. I think working as a Tier 1 supplier at a tire, plastic, metal, etc... supplier would be a very good opportunity.

UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua 07/07/2016 at 23:18

0

Definitely would prefer manufacturing. If I design a process or equipment along the line, sure, but I'm more interested in manufacturing

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > UnderSTeerEnthusiast - Triumph Fanboy 07/07/2016 at 23:24

0

Yeah it shouldn’t be an issue. You can try working for a supplier first, since it might be easier to get a job