I need good advice for non-traditional aged Engineering student.?

Question

I am graduating in December with a B.S in Mechanical Engineering. I started persuing my degree late in life, and now that graduation is approaching I am concerned about finding an entry level position related to my major.
I am 37 years old now and I do not have any experience in the Engineering field to put in my Resume', I only have my college experience.
Can anyone give me some good advice, so that I can start a career in this field that I love now more then before I started college?

Answer 1

First off, congratulations!!!

You did not mention what your interests are. Demand for mechanical engineers is very high right now. 37 is not that old- you can have a 30 year career. You can start by scoping large companies (like Boeing, GE, etc) and by posting on sites like Monster.

Employers look for-
- interest in the work they do (airplanes, computers, whatever)
- Great learning attitude
- Maturity, leadership (as a mature person this should help)
- Strong work ethic
- People skills, teamwork
- Domain knowledge of technical material so far- in your case, college.

Emphasize these factors and be persistent. Good luck!!!

Answer 2

37 years old should not be a hindrance in finding a position you can be happy with.
Perhaps you have experience other than specifically in the engineering field that is applicable? Mechanical technician? Machine operator or repair technician? Any hobbies that may relate? List all you can on your resume along with your education and degree which relate to the field you have chosen.
Expect an entry level salary at first, but that won't last long once you get a little experience under your belt. And, once you get this experience, if the company still wants to exploit your talents and knowledge - your new resume will include the experience you now find lacking.
For what it's worth, there's nothing better than finding a challenging job doing what you really enjoy - after all, you'll spend more waking hours there than at home.
Good luck.

Answer 3

As a 30 year old mother of two who is 30 hours away from a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, first off, Congrats! My advice to you is to rely on all work experiences leading up to this point. The fact that you persevered in a tough major shows dedication. Add to that, the fact that you obviously have a good work ethic should be appealing to any employer. I'd like to think that a 37 year prospect would be a much wiser choice than a 22 year old any day. In my opinion maturity and life experience counts for a lot more than just the years that you spent in school.

Answer 4

I would add that mechanical engineers are just about everywhere. If you're 37, you must have worked somewhere before going to school - try applying to companies which work in the field that you worked in before, whatever it was.

You'll find that the ME that can do best in hospitality is one who also understands how the hospitality industry works, so if you were even a busboy for 10 years, that knowledge will give you an advantage. Same with defense industries & ex-service people, chemcial industries and ex-operators, and so on.

You may not have "engineering" experience, but I bet you can think of 10 ways you could have made your previous job easier, more cost effective, or safer if something had been engineered a little better.

Answer 5

Look at it this way, most of your entry-level competition doesn't have ANY related work experience either.

Hopefully your resume has several years with one employer who will provide a good reference. That demonstrates a reliable person and the work ethic that engineering firms will be looking for. Many of the younger college graduates have zero work history.

Find a way to relate your previous work experience to something that your prospective employers are looking for. Don't worry if the examples are unrelated to engineering.
- Real world problem solving skills
- Collaborative team work
- Real world decision making skills
- Dealing with customers
- A maturity level lacking in many younger graduates

There are plenty of jobs out there for a mechanical engineer. If necessary, get started with one of the engineering contracting firms who provides outsourced engineering to Fortune 1000 companies. Let your passion for your new occupation show during the interview.

Remember - Mechanical Engineers build weapons, Civil Engineers build targets.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

In Canada, "correspondence school" is quite common. It's not necessarily instead of class schooling. It might be used in isolated areas, for supplementary coursework, illness, etc., etc. I think it's free for people under 18. Why not start by asking your local school system? Even if they can't help you directly, they may be a useful information source.