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Jaden Edmunds

Mr. Phillips

English 3

29 April 2019

Mechanical Engineering: Changing the World One Design at a Time

There is a traditional view that mechanical engineering is about cars, robots and

thermodynamic cycles; however, this discipline has evolved to solve modern problems

in health, energy and transportation (Myers). A career as a mechanical engineer gives

you an opportunity to make improvements in many industries, earn a great salary, and

use problem-solving skills. This career will challenge the skills you have learned when

handling problems that occur or create new, innovative ideas that can change the world.

With the necessary skills, mechanical engineers can have an exciting reliable career

that is challenging, but rewarding.

Mechanical engineers research, design, develop, build and test mechanical and

thermal sensors and devices, including tools, engines and machines (Bureau of Labor

Statistics). A career as a mechanical engineer will give you an opportunity to develop

machines while using the skills you received in college. It gives you the opportunity to

display your talents in front of companies. Mechanical engineers use fundamental math

and physics laws to create and build mechanical devices we use every day. People with

mechanical engineering skills are highly valued in society and their salaries show this.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics ​Occupational Outlook Handbook says mechanical

engineers typically need a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or mechanical

engineering technology. The required college courses are math, life or physical

science, and engineering and design.

Because mechanical engineering is such a broad area, mechanical engineers

may perform different job duties depending upon the industry. Typically, mechanical

engineers analyze problems to see how mechanical and thermal devices might help

solve a particular problem, design or redesign mechanical and thermal devices or

subsystems, using analysis and computer-aided design, investigate equipment failures

or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and to recommend remedies, and oversee the

testing and development of the final product (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Computer

technology, also, has an important impact on mechanical engineering, because you

have to design and test the prototype before the project can be started.

There are several skills mechanical engineers should have to be successful in

this reliable career. These skills are creativity, listening, math, mechanical, and

problem-solving. Often, mechanical engineers will work on projects with others, such

as architects and computer scientist. Engineers who have these skills are more

appealing to companies because they can analyze different approaches made by other

experts to complete new inventions and learn new ideas, and be open-minded to the

ideas of others. Alison Doyle describes how a skills list can help showcase your talents

to companies. To target specific jobs and opportunities, people create a skills list to

begin their resume. When companies are hiring for positions, they know the skills they

desire for people to have. The skills list will give the company all the information about
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the abilities and skills and help them decide how a person can be useful to the company

when developing new ideas and the future of the company.

To find a company who is hiring mechanical engineers, you need to determine

the specific skills they are looking for. Companies are looking for mechanical engineers

with certain skills as well as how they would solve problems that occur with the projects.

To research the best mechanical engineering companies to work for, you should look

for companies you are interested in on company websites or job boards. If you aren’t

looking often, you could miss out on an opportunity for a good job. You may also want

to set up an email alert in order to get notified of new jobs as they are posted (Doyle).

The engineer is not free to select the problem that interests him; he must

solve problems as they arise; his solution must satisfy conflicting requirements (Smith).

Smith explains how the end result of a problem considers the costs, safety, and overall

benefits of the solution. Mechanical engineers focus on problem solving using real-world

applications of applied engineering science and technology. This results in mechanical

engineers having a variety of opportunities and their education providing them with skills

to meet the projected growth. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job

outlook for mechanical engineering expects employment opportunities to grow by 9

percent from 2016 to 2026. With a median annual wage of $87,370, mechanical

engineers are expected to experience more than average growth, but it can differ

depending on the industry.

The combination of creativity, knowledge, problem-solving, listening, math, and

science skills help mechanical engineers complete the difficult task of shaping an idea
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into reality. The benefits of being a mechanical engineer should not be based upon the

amount of money that can be earned, but it is the opportunity to be a part of

innovations that can have an impact on the world. I realize there will be some

frustrations with completing the complex processes, but it will put my abilities to the test.

My love for math and understanding what makes things work will be my motivation for

becoming a successful mechanical engineer.

Works Cited

Doyle, Alison. “Mechanical Engineer Job Description, Job Requirements, and

Salaries.” ​The Balance Careers​, The Balance, 15 Jan. 2019,

www.thebalancecareers.com/mechanical-engineer-earnings-2061807.

Myers, Andrew. “Mechanical Engineers Seek to Master the Forces That Drive Our

World.” ​Stanford School of Engineering​, 25 May 2018,

engineering.stanford.edu/magazine/article/mechanical-engineers-seek-master-fo

rces-drive-our-world.

Smith, Ralph J. “Engineering.” ​Encyclopædia Britannica,​ Encyclopædia Britannica,

Inc., 5 Oct. 2017, ​www.britannica.com/technology/engineering​.

“U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.” ​U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,​ U.S. Bureau of

Labor Statistics, ​www.bls.gov/​.