When looking for a job, ask yourself three questions
- What do I want to work in?
- Where do I want to work?
- Which company is most suited to my future career?
Do a simple search on LinkedIn for mechanical engineering jobs and you’ll see the diverse fields in which a mechanical engineer can work, such as product design, manufacturing, HVAC maintenance, piping systems design, etc… Since there are so many different types of jobs, I started evaluating my preferences. There are two fields that I’m really keen on, first is automation services that will enhance my control and system modelling skills. I also want to get more practice with logic programming and instrumentation coding. The second field is power systems regulation and management, particularly in the renewable energy sector, despite it being more related to electrical engineering. I also like to work on CAD/CAM, skills that are mostly related to product design, validation, and development.
Company size, culture and established locations are also very important to me. Jobs available in the United States and Europe intrigue me, but my top locations are Seattle, New York, and Toronto. In terms of company size, I prefer a global company with job openings everywhere in the world. A globalized company will also allow for more internal mobility, in case I want to switch jobs across departments. A dynamic work environment and a motivated and cooperative team are what I look for in company culture. All these contribute to which jobs I apply to.
A couple companies are on my radar. Siemens is a German conglomerate company with heavy emphasis on automation. Some of their notable divisions are industrial automation, energy automation, building technologies, and drive technology. They have major branch offices in Germany, US and China. They have a prominent division called Gamesa Renewable Energy that have provided wind turbines to offshore and onshore wind farms in the UK and Denmark. An exciting recent development that Siemens Canada acquired is designing the power grid for New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, formally called the Smart Grid Atlantic Project. This project aims to analyzes challenges and opportunities involved in integrating renewables and improving the grid’s reliability and efficiency. I hope that by landing a job with Siemens Canada that I can transition to Siemens in US and participate in their engineering training programs. Another company I would be excited to work for is General Electric. GE is along the same lines as Siemens, a global product-focused company, except they started in the States. In terms of innovation, I think Siemens is a bit more sustainability centered.
There are also lots of regional and local companies I could apply to, not to mention the consulting field is another huge area for engineers to work in. I will explore these in the next blog.
Talk to you soon!