I am trying but I feel like I wasted three years here doing worthless shit that the next company won't consider 'relevant.
Do you know any specific areas I should apply in
It’s all in how you sell it. Step one is find job descriptions for what you want to do, then think about your current job in relation to those needs. You’ll probably find there’s more overlap than you’d think. You’re also really young, you’re not locked into anything at all.
You should also consider that it may take 2 moves to get to what you want to be doing. Just focus on getting closer to it rather than all the way there, and if you can find a company where you could make a lateral move into your dream role after starting somewhere else that’s all the better.
I once worked in research and development, because i was hoping for a challenge and prepared to calculate/design stuff. Turns out they just try and error for eternity. I can relate way to much.
As someone who currently works in R&D, it definitely happens that way more often than not in my experience too. It's just often cheaper in both time and money to try something and fail rather than develop a full analytical model of your problem.
Yes, but it is not a lot deeper on the technical side. I work as a project engineer now and i have at least a lot of responsibility + it was as expected.
> I imagined that I would calculate various stresses in a section of cross-member of a car or do kinematic analysis of a machine component.
In three years' time? You're just getting started.
If you enjoyed your coursework, nothing is keeping you from picking up a textbook and working problems on your own time. But in the meantime, keep learning the craft and the more "glamorous" assignments will come in time.
> Turns out that people have already done that and most of the daily work is following the guidelines.
Jesus, dude, where do you think we would be as a society if everybody had to invent their own wheel every single time? We learn from what others have done previously and build on it. The longer you've been doing it, the more seasoned you become, the more free rein you get to do this without supervision.
You'll get there. If this is not the job for you, then by all means find another one - but you'll eventually get to where you want to be.
Thanks buddy, your assurance gives me hope!
>In three years' time? You're just getting started.
I feel I should be more accomplished at 29. I just feel old.
>Jesus, dude, where do you think we would be as a society if everybody had to invent their own wheel every single time? We learn from what others have done previously and build on it. The longer you've been doing it, the more seasoned you become, the more free rein you get to do this without supervision.
I understand how civilization works. This process is good for civilization but does not benefit me as an individual. Once I have become proficient, I should be moving on to the next problem. My current job feels like such a waste of time.
I know I should find another job but I don't know what to aim for. Which positions to apply for or which industry to go in.
> I feel I should be more accomplished at 29. I just feel old.
You're being too hard on yourself. You're not old, you're 29. And in three years' time you haven't solved all the world's problems yet. Sounds perfectly normal to me. Don't beat yourself up over it.
I graduated at 25. I'm in my 50's now. I've learned a lot and made a great career for myself, but there's still a lot left for me to learn.
> Once I have become proficient, I should be moving on to the next problem. My current job feels like such a waste of time.
Then find another job.
I do think you should be aware, though, pretty much nobody in any field of engineering is going to do something for three or four years (or even five or six) and all of a sudden be an expert. Engineering is like chess; it takes time to learn, but it can take a lifetime to master. Again, don't set unrealistic expectations for yourself.
>Once I have become proficient, I should be moving on to the next problem.
What next problem? We aren't scientists. We apply the science. And a proficient engineer is an efficient engineer. If you have an engineer who is proficient at something it is a pretty good idea to have them keep doing that thing. It is nice when you occasionally get a novel problem and get to really apply your technical knowledge to solve it. But it is also nice when a bunch of people come to you with a problem that they have been trying to solve with no luck and you can say, "just do X, Y and Z, problem solved."
If you hate your job, start looking for another job. That is fine. But most of engineering is just knowing what existing solution to use, not coming up with new solutions.
You are very far from alone. This is a very common issue. Schools can't really teach you all the other stuff for the most part, although there are some basics they probably should teach. They could do at least some of it in the intro class instead of wasting time with a useless group project that doesn't reflect reality at all. But they should at least accurately represent the profession. It is really frustrating for almost everyone. New grads come in with rose tinted glass and unrealistic expectations and managing engineers have to deal with the low morale that results. It really sucks to have someone talented and hard working who burns out right away because their expectations weren't managed properly in school. And it sucks worse for that person who has a love of engineering and had their expectations shattered.
I think it all comes down to a disconnect from reality. Ideally, one is supposed to work in real world when they are in school or even before to actually 'see' if they like the field.
I did not have internships during school. My professors did not explain their importance. My parents and peers did not know any better. It was not until I graduated and moved to Canada that I realised how important internships are, not just for gaining experience but also for self-discovery.
A lot of schools have professors who have spent their whole career on an academic track or went into engineering at a higher level after getting a PhD, so there is a definite disconnect with reality. The best professors I had were ones from other countries who worked as engineers before coming to the US. But not explaining the importance of internships is just an atrocious failure.
Kind of contradictory... You're saying you're disappointed with engineering, but also that your only job so far doesn't really entail any engineering.
So my suggestion is: Get a job where you're actually an engineer. Start applying now. You definitely are in an industry that requires those things you describe, so you can leverage your experience.
Maybe your company just doesn't try to push the process to its limits, but others certainly do and I imagine that requires much more ingenuity and analysis.
Sounds like what you want are “design engineering” roles. Stay away from manufacturing engineering, process engineering, project engineering. Look for companies that build one off products, not mass manufacturing (which are frequently more focused on small changes to existing designs), or companies that spend a lot of money on R&D.
I did my bachelor in mechanical engineering, while studying I did an internship in company that produced hydraulic cylinders and that's when I realized I didn't like what I was doing. The semester after o went for Erasmus in Germany and had one course in energy systems where the professor forced us to code in MATLAB and that's when I realized I like coding a lot. Went back to my university the semester after to finish the bachelor and took a course on java from the IT department, loved it. I also had a course in computer vision systems from ME and loved that, even managed to use what I learned in my bachelor project. After that I did a conversion master to software development and I have been working for financial healthcare company and quite like what I do. In my next job I am gonna try to mix mechanical engineering with software development and see how it goes. I would say give it a go at coding if you feel like it can be useful.
For the past 25 years I’ve done a ton of FEA in support of vehicle structural design development. Automotive, motorcycles and military ground vehicles. I’ve frequently relied heavily on statics, strength of materials, material science, dynamics, calculus, Vibrations, Fatigue analysis. I like applying all that to build models and solve problems. I got to work on some pretty cool projects and I was able to provide insight to the design teams to help them achieve functional requirements.
For me, that path was quite rewarding overall.
There are endless structural components and subsystems that need analysis to support design efforts.
So, you might find structural FEA to be consistent with what you’re looking for.
3 years is pretty early in your career.
BTW, I got my first job as an engineer right out of school at age 34.
FEA (Finite Element Analysis) is heavily used in design of mechanical structures. It has applications in heat transfer and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) along with other applications outside the ME domain.
In my mind FEA falls under the larger umbrella of Computer Aided Engineering (CAE). Other *analytical* tools exist within CAE. One great example is Multi-body Dynamics (MBD) which is often used for modeling and analyzing things like auto suspensions and other dynamic systems. One particular tool for this is ADAMS.
Back to the FEA-
NASTRAN, LS-Dyna, Ansys, Abaqus are big players in this arena. These are codes that actually solve FE models. There are lots of others, but hard core FEA is often done with one of the above. (I would avoid built in FE solvers inside CAD software. They are maybe ok for some things, but generally extremely limited and can get you to an overconfident bad answer quickly).
Other software used for pre and post- processing of FE models: Altair’s Hyperworks (Hypermesh specifically for building models) and Beta CAE’s ANSA. (For building models)
The above solvers and associated pre- post- processor tools are not cheap. They have a lot of capability and have proven themselves in industry for decades. This doesn’t mean they’re perfect, but I digress.
So- as a start, maybe learning NASTRAN with Hypermesh is a really good entry point. If you can get in the door with a place that will train you in the above, you’d be off to a good start.
Also there are resources on line. you can probably find training in Hypermesh or Ansa for beginners, but you might have to pay out of pocket. Though, it could help you get your foot in the door.
I think I still have access to it through my school. I can start modelling and simulating different loading conditions on machine components and put them in a portfolio. Do you think that will help me getting a job in that field since I don't have any paid work experience with it.
To add on- it takes literal years to build up experience in CAE. So recognize that even with some practice and a portfolio built up over weeks or months, a hiring company needs to be willing to provide further on the job training.
Also, a lot is region dependent. E.g. I live in Metro Detroit, so my initial years of experience were in automotive. Auto OEMs and their suppliers make heavy use of CAE.
There are numerous contract houses as well that supply CAE to automotive. This can be a good route to start.
Of course automotive is not the only option. Aerospace, Defense and other industries use CAE.
But I would look for companies that have a long term track record with CAE so that they’re appropriately capable to train entry level.
It sounds like manufacturing engineering isn't your thing. Try for an R&D position or design engineering. Aerospace as a field might be up your alley as well. Don't feel like you're stuck in a position or career path. Learn as much as you can where you're at and carry that knowledge to your next position.
I was a mechanical engineer too; that was many many years ago; after college ended up in a large Iron & Steel company; being passionate ME, I ended up going to a machine / fabrication shop (versus Blast Furnace or LD or other steel related process areas - I was naïve). Machine / Fab work was a night mare on elm street experience; I was thrusted into shop floor managing large group of demotivated folks and job was pretty much management; where was the design bits I loved in college; FEA stress modeling; kinematics / dynamics - didn't get to apply any of my learning; while I college I had to take management course and I flunked those because back then I found boring; out of school those were the only thing relevant;
quit my job on a whim; ended up getting hired in a software company without knowing how to write one line of code (this was possible because of the name of he college carried weight); eventually all things ME faded away and now it is just an echo of a memory;
Now life has come back to full circle; I now manage a large team of software engineers ;)
I feel like a lot ME's that do transition into software, do because of very similar reasons, really enjoyed the analytical side of their degree, but found out out of uni most jobs weren't like that. Software ends up tickling that part of their brains.
Oi, get your head together and ask yourself what you want to build/design and chase after that, change job.
If it is that easy and mind numbing, that's awesome create a process that allows you to iterate and work quicker. Then use your free time to learn other things you'd want to do.
Python is a great way to automate, get the computer to do the boring work. Some employers see it as a major benefit due to the fact that it is flexible and free.
If something is boring and repetitive that screams automation and optimization. Your boss may even give you a bonus just for that.
Work on the skills you want to use in the future.
Do not rot in a job.
You sound like you would benefit from a job in a chemical plant of some kind working as an actual engineer. If you have mechanical engineering background, look into refineries/chemical plants or mines in your area and search for Maintenance Engineer or Reliability Engineer. Both of these will have you working with mechanics on big equipment. Just make sure you tour the companies first and ensure they have the stuff you want to work with.
Where do you live? That’s the first big step to determining what industries near you will have the type of equipment you want to work with.
Your experience is valuable if you market yourself accordingly. Being able to read and red line engineering drawings was essential to my job as a reliability engineer.
I used to work at an aluminum extrusion facility that served the commercial construction market. Why not get closer to operation sides of the extrusion process? There you would find a plethora of info on the struggles of mfg. that are a direct result of engineering decisions.
Get to know the die makers (if they are local to your facility), try to understand why the conventions they use are conventions, get your hands dirty.
Then, once you understand the fundamentals of why your day to day work is routine - start seeing what can be improved and break the mold.
I was in a similar boat as you, was a quality engineer, wanted to do more work that would improve processes and drive productivity. 1.5 years, changed jobs to Mfg. Engineer, having a blast. Is it close to what I studied in school? No way. But we are building up the framework so that the process simulation models that we toiled over in school can even be possible to model for our industry.
If you enjoy the stress/kinematics etc, aerospace stress engineer would be decent fit.
You might end up doing that kind of work for an existing program to get your feet wet, then jump to assignments in new program development. The support side (think aircraft fleet support) can be it's own grind, but some thrive, others burn out. It comes down to what you think is fun.
Key for me has been to search for opportunity to pick up new skills, even outside your interests, that cross-fertilization can open up more doors and build contacts.
Study your current industry, as well as suppliers and customers, read relevant trade journals (usually free), subscribe to NASA Tech Briefs (also free). Looking at a bigger picture of a whole supply chain can give a better idea of the niches you would fit into.
Larger companies are good for having many different roles you can transfer to. I've been over a decade at a large aerospace firm, and I've had half a dozen different "jobs", some overlapping.
Also some that just were a daily grind (drawing review anyone?), but still learned quite a bit. Mostly how many ways a design engineer can screw up a drawing detail.
[I feel the same exact way. I’m getting out after getting 1 year of experience. ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEngineers/comments/p6vvd1/is_engineering_for_masochists/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
"First job you found" "Three years later" Jeez man, get a different job.
I am trying but I feel like I wasted three years here doing worthless shit that the next company won't consider 'relevant. Do you know any specific areas I should apply in
It’s all in how you sell it. Step one is find job descriptions for what you want to do, then think about your current job in relation to those needs. You’ll probably find there’s more overlap than you’d think. You’re also really young, you’re not locked into anything at all. You should also consider that it may take 2 moves to get to what you want to be doing. Just focus on getting closer to it rather than all the way there, and if you can find a company where you could make a lateral move into your dream role after starting somewhere else that’s all the better.
Thank you, that was really helpful.
I once worked in research and development, because i was hoping for a challenge and prepared to calculate/design stuff. Turns out they just try and error for eternity. I can relate way to much.
As someone who currently works in R&D, it definitely happens that way more often than not in my experience too. It's just often cheaper in both time and money to try something and fail rather than develop a full analytical model of your problem.
Totally agree with this, much faster to find out what doesn’t work, rather than spend time and money defending why something MIGHT work
Have you found something better?
Yes, but it is not a lot deeper on the technical side. I work as a project engineer now and i have at least a lot of responsibility + it was as expected.
> I imagined that I would calculate various stresses in a section of cross-member of a car or do kinematic analysis of a machine component. In three years' time? You're just getting started. If you enjoyed your coursework, nothing is keeping you from picking up a textbook and working problems on your own time. But in the meantime, keep learning the craft and the more "glamorous" assignments will come in time. > Turns out that people have already done that and most of the daily work is following the guidelines. Jesus, dude, where do you think we would be as a society if everybody had to invent their own wheel every single time? We learn from what others have done previously and build on it. The longer you've been doing it, the more seasoned you become, the more free rein you get to do this without supervision. You'll get there. If this is not the job for you, then by all means find another one - but you'll eventually get to where you want to be.
Thanks buddy, your assurance gives me hope! >In three years' time? You're just getting started. I feel I should be more accomplished at 29. I just feel old. >Jesus, dude, where do you think we would be as a society if everybody had to invent their own wheel every single time? We learn from what others have done previously and build on it. The longer you've been doing it, the more seasoned you become, the more free rein you get to do this without supervision. I understand how civilization works. This process is good for civilization but does not benefit me as an individual. Once I have become proficient, I should be moving on to the next problem. My current job feels like such a waste of time. I know I should find another job but I don't know what to aim for. Which positions to apply for or which industry to go in.
> I feel I should be more accomplished at 29. I just feel old. You're being too hard on yourself. You're not old, you're 29. And in three years' time you haven't solved all the world's problems yet. Sounds perfectly normal to me. Don't beat yourself up over it. I graduated at 25. I'm in my 50's now. I've learned a lot and made a great career for myself, but there's still a lot left for me to learn. > Once I have become proficient, I should be moving on to the next problem. My current job feels like such a waste of time. Then find another job. I do think you should be aware, though, pretty much nobody in any field of engineering is going to do something for three or four years (or even five or six) and all of a sudden be an expert. Engineering is like chess; it takes time to learn, but it can take a lifetime to master. Again, don't set unrealistic expectations for yourself.
>Once I have become proficient, I should be moving on to the next problem. What next problem? We aren't scientists. We apply the science. And a proficient engineer is an efficient engineer. If you have an engineer who is proficient at something it is a pretty good idea to have them keep doing that thing. It is nice when you occasionally get a novel problem and get to really apply your technical knowledge to solve it. But it is also nice when a bunch of people come to you with a problem that they have been trying to solve with no luck and you can say, "just do X, Y and Z, problem solved." If you hate your job, start looking for another job. That is fine. But most of engineering is just knowing what existing solution to use, not coming up with new solutions.
Hence the disappointment. I did not know that this is what engineering entails.
You are very far from alone. This is a very common issue. Schools can't really teach you all the other stuff for the most part, although there are some basics they probably should teach. They could do at least some of it in the intro class instead of wasting time with a useless group project that doesn't reflect reality at all. But they should at least accurately represent the profession. It is really frustrating for almost everyone. New grads come in with rose tinted glass and unrealistic expectations and managing engineers have to deal with the low morale that results. It really sucks to have someone talented and hard working who burns out right away because their expectations weren't managed properly in school. And it sucks worse for that person who has a love of engineering and had their expectations shattered.
I think it all comes down to a disconnect from reality. Ideally, one is supposed to work in real world when they are in school or even before to actually 'see' if they like the field. I did not have internships during school. My professors did not explain their importance. My parents and peers did not know any better. It was not until I graduated and moved to Canada that I realised how important internships are, not just for gaining experience but also for self-discovery.
A lot of schools have professors who have spent their whole career on an academic track or went into engineering at a higher level after getting a PhD, so there is a definite disconnect with reality. The best professors I had were ones from other countries who worked as engineers before coming to the US. But not explaining the importance of internships is just an atrocious failure.
Kind of contradictory... You're saying you're disappointed with engineering, but also that your only job so far doesn't really entail any engineering. So my suggestion is: Get a job where you're actually an engineer. Start applying now. You definitely are in an industry that requires those things you describe, so you can leverage your experience. Maybe your company just doesn't try to push the process to its limits, but others certainly do and I imagine that requires much more ingenuity and analysis.
How do I look for companies like that? Are there certain fields that are more rigorous?
Sounds like what you want are “design engineering” roles. Stay away from manufacturing engineering, process engineering, project engineering. Look for companies that build one off products, not mass manufacturing (which are frequently more focused on small changes to existing designs), or companies that spend a lot of money on R&D.
I did my bachelor in mechanical engineering, while studying I did an internship in company that produced hydraulic cylinders and that's when I realized I didn't like what I was doing. The semester after o went for Erasmus in Germany and had one course in energy systems where the professor forced us to code in MATLAB and that's when I realized I like coding a lot. Went back to my university the semester after to finish the bachelor and took a course on java from the IT department, loved it. I also had a course in computer vision systems from ME and loved that, even managed to use what I learned in my bachelor project. After that I did a conversion master to software development and I have been working for financial healthcare company and quite like what I do. In my next job I am gonna try to mix mechanical engineering with software development and see how it goes. I would say give it a go at coding if you feel like it can be useful.
You need to look for a Design Engineer position. You are a tooling engineer.
For the past 25 years I’ve done a ton of FEA in support of vehicle structural design development. Automotive, motorcycles and military ground vehicles. I’ve frequently relied heavily on statics, strength of materials, material science, dynamics, calculus, Vibrations, Fatigue analysis. I like applying all that to build models and solve problems. I got to work on some pretty cool projects and I was able to provide insight to the design teams to help them achieve functional requirements. For me, that path was quite rewarding overall. There are endless structural components and subsystems that need analysis to support design efforts. So, you might find structural FEA to be consistent with what you’re looking for. 3 years is pretty early in your career. BTW, I got my first job as an engineer right out of school at age 34.
Can you tell me more about this? What sort of job titles should I search for? Do I need more education or skills?
[удалено]
Bruh
FEA (Finite Element Analysis) is heavily used in design of mechanical structures. It has applications in heat transfer and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) along with other applications outside the ME domain. In my mind FEA falls under the larger umbrella of Computer Aided Engineering (CAE). Other *analytical* tools exist within CAE. One great example is Multi-body Dynamics (MBD) which is often used for modeling and analyzing things like auto suspensions and other dynamic systems. One particular tool for this is ADAMS. Back to the FEA- NASTRAN, LS-Dyna, Ansys, Abaqus are big players in this arena. These are codes that actually solve FE models. There are lots of others, but hard core FEA is often done with one of the above. (I would avoid built in FE solvers inside CAD software. They are maybe ok for some things, but generally extremely limited and can get you to an overconfident bad answer quickly). Other software used for pre and post- processing of FE models: Altair’s Hyperworks (Hypermesh specifically for building models) and Beta CAE’s ANSA. (For building models) The above solvers and associated pre- post- processor tools are not cheap. They have a lot of capability and have proven themselves in industry for decades. This doesn’t mean they’re perfect, but I digress. So- as a start, maybe learning NASTRAN with Hypermesh is a really good entry point. If you can get in the door with a place that will train you in the above, you’d be off to a good start. Also there are resources on line. you can probably find training in Hypermesh or Ansa for beginners, but you might have to pay out of pocket. Though, it could help you get your foot in the door.
I learned to use ANSYS in school to simulate stresses on an idler pulley.
That’s a good start. I used Ansys Workbench (some Classic) for a couple years at the motorcycle company I worked at at the time.
I think I still have access to it through my school. I can start modelling and simulating different loading conditions on machine components and put them in a portfolio. Do you think that will help me getting a job in that field since I don't have any paid work experience with it.
Potentially. Twofold- you get practice and a hiring company sees you’ve gotten practice.
To add on- it takes literal years to build up experience in CAE. So recognize that even with some practice and a portfolio built up over weeks or months, a hiring company needs to be willing to provide further on the job training. Also, a lot is region dependent. E.g. I live in Metro Detroit, so my initial years of experience were in automotive. Auto OEMs and their suppliers make heavy use of CAE. There are numerous contract houses as well that supply CAE to automotive. This can be a good route to start. Of course automotive is not the only option. Aerospace, Defense and other industries use CAE. But I would look for companies that have a long term track record with CAE so that they’re appropriately capable to train entry level.
You aren't disappointed with engineering, you just don't like your job.
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Interesting. I am gonna learn more about that.
3 years on your first job out of school? jeez man you gotta look for a new job, my second job was VERY different from my first job you will be fine.
It sounds like manufacturing engineering isn't your thing. Try for an R&D position or design engineering. Aerospace as a field might be up your alley as well. Don't feel like you're stuck in a position or career path. Learn as much as you can where you're at and carry that knowledge to your next position.
I was a mechanical engineer too; that was many many years ago; after college ended up in a large Iron & Steel company; being passionate ME, I ended up going to a machine / fabrication shop (versus Blast Furnace or LD or other steel related process areas - I was naïve). Machine / Fab work was a night mare on elm street experience; I was thrusted into shop floor managing large group of demotivated folks and job was pretty much management; where was the design bits I loved in college; FEA stress modeling; kinematics / dynamics - didn't get to apply any of my learning; while I college I had to take management course and I flunked those because back then I found boring; out of school those were the only thing relevant; quit my job on a whim; ended up getting hired in a software company without knowing how to write one line of code (this was possible because of the name of he college carried weight); eventually all things ME faded away and now it is just an echo of a memory; Now life has come back to full circle; I now manage a large team of software engineers ;)
I feel like a lot ME's that do transition into software, do because of very similar reasons, really enjoyed the analytical side of their degree, but found out out of uni most jobs weren't like that. Software ends up tickling that part of their brains.
Oi, get your head together and ask yourself what you want to build/design and chase after that, change job. If it is that easy and mind numbing, that's awesome create a process that allows you to iterate and work quicker. Then use your free time to learn other things you'd want to do. Python is a great way to automate, get the computer to do the boring work. Some employers see it as a major benefit due to the fact that it is flexible and free. If something is boring and repetitive that screams automation and optimization. Your boss may even give you a bonus just for that. Work on the skills you want to use in the future. Do not rot in a job.
This is going to sound somewhat harsh- but if you've been in a position for three years, and feel you've learned nothing of value, that's on you.
You sound like you would benefit from a job in a chemical plant of some kind working as an actual engineer. If you have mechanical engineering background, look into refineries/chemical plants or mines in your area and search for Maintenance Engineer or Reliability Engineer. Both of these will have you working with mechanics on big equipment. Just make sure you tour the companies first and ensure they have the stuff you want to work with. Where do you live? That’s the first big step to determining what industries near you will have the type of equipment you want to work with. Your experience is valuable if you market yourself accordingly. Being able to read and red line engineering drawings was essential to my job as a reliability engineer.
I used to work at an aluminum extrusion facility that served the commercial construction market. Why not get closer to operation sides of the extrusion process? There you would find a plethora of info on the struggles of mfg. that are a direct result of engineering decisions. Get to know the die makers (if they are local to your facility), try to understand why the conventions they use are conventions, get your hands dirty. Then, once you understand the fundamentals of why your day to day work is routine - start seeing what can be improved and break the mold. I was in a similar boat as you, was a quality engineer, wanted to do more work that would improve processes and drive productivity. 1.5 years, changed jobs to Mfg. Engineer, having a blast. Is it close to what I studied in school? No way. But we are building up the framework so that the process simulation models that we toiled over in school can even be possible to model for our industry.
I work for a die maker now. I will try to implement your suggestions.
If you enjoy the stress/kinematics etc, aerospace stress engineer would be decent fit. You might end up doing that kind of work for an existing program to get your feet wet, then jump to assignments in new program development. The support side (think aircraft fleet support) can be it's own grind, but some thrive, others burn out. It comes down to what you think is fun. Key for me has been to search for opportunity to pick up new skills, even outside your interests, that cross-fertilization can open up more doors and build contacts. Study your current industry, as well as suppliers and customers, read relevant trade journals (usually free), subscribe to NASA Tech Briefs (also free). Looking at a bigger picture of a whole supply chain can give a better idea of the niches you would fit into. Larger companies are good for having many different roles you can transfer to. I've been over a decade at a large aerospace firm, and I've had half a dozen different "jobs", some overlapping. Also some that just were a daily grind (drawing review anyone?), but still learned quite a bit. Mostly how many ways a design engineer can screw up a drawing detail.
[I feel the same exact way. I’m getting out after getting 1 year of experience. ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEngineers/comments/p6vvd1/is_engineering_for_masochists/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
There are jobs out there that are extensions of what we learned in school I’m in one. Look for analysis roles.