What is Mechanical Engineering?
Mechanical engineering is the discipline that applies engineering physics, engineering mathematics, and materials science principles to design, analyze, manufacture, and maintain mechanical systems. It is one of the oldest and broadest of the engineering disciplines. The role of a mechanical engineer is to take a product from an idea to the marketplace. To accomplish this, the mechanical engineer must be able to determine the forces and thermal environment that a product, its parts, or its subsystems will encounter; design them for functionality, aesthetics, and durability; and determine the best manufacturing approach that will ensure operation without failure.
Mechanical engineers play key roles in a wide range of industries including automotive, aerospace, biotechnology, computers, electronics, microelectromechanical systems, energy conversion, robotics and automation, and manufacturing. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) currently lists 36 technical divisions, from advanced energy systems and aerospace engineering to solid-waste engineering and textile engineering. The breadth of the mechanical engineering discipline allows students a variety of career options beyond the industries listed above. Regardless of the particular path they envision for themselves, a mechanical engineering education empowers students with creative thinking skills to design an exciting product or system; analytical tools to achieve their design goals; the ability to overcome all constraints; and the teamwork needed to design, market, and produce a system. These valuable skills can be applied to launch careers in many other fields, such as medicine, law, consulting, management, banking, and finance.
The pros and cons of being a Mechanical Engineer:
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| A Bachelor's Degree is often enough to begin entry-level work but obtaining the ‘Ir.’ title is even better. | Continuing education is necessary to become a professional engineer. |
| Jobs found in many industries need Mechanical Engineers. | Long work hours and may require to work on weekends. |
| Highly specialised career. | Jobs requires some travelling or relocating. |
| High average salary. | Require a lot of soft skills. |
Interesting Things about Mechanical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineers have good graduate prospects.
- Mechanical Engineers enjoy great starting salaries.
- Mechanical Engineers are multi-skilled job.
- Global opportunities.
- The huge variety of mechanical engineering courses.
- Mechanical Engineers are at the forefront of future technologies.
Skills Requirement for Mechanical Engineering
- Effective technical skills.
- The ability to work under pressure.
- Problem-solving skills.
- Creativity.
- Interpersonal skills.
- Verbal and written communication skills.
- Teamworking skills.