yungengineer in 
Mechanical Engineer
Quarter Life Crisis
Hi everyone, I graduated Dec 21 with my BS in Mech Eng and have been working for an engineering consultant since. While i was still in school I knew that I wasn't passionate about the technical content of mech engineering and was hoping real-world application would make it more exciting. It hasn't. The low salary ceiling and slow career progression in mechanical engineering have not helped to excite me. I feel like the longer I remain, the more narrow my career opportunities are. I was hoping anyone with a similar feeling/experience could lend advice:
- Industries/careers where engineering skills are most transferrable
- Your personal stories of transitioning out of technical careers
- Any general advice
It's nothing personal against mechanical engineering, I just feel underutilized. I have prior (internship) experience in process improvement and management consulting. My only ideas at this point are tech sales and management or process consulting.
Any and all input is appreciated!
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SlabData Scientist
Wow I accidentally commented without finishing lol. I was going to say if you can apply internally to any management position, that would help you get good experience. Additionally, you could reach out to your network and see if you can get a referral for a non-technical position at one of their companies.
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A lot of them make fantastic Project Managers, System Engineers, Program/Product Managers, Consultants, etc.
You could read this article from NASA on why Engineers make good Project Managers and apply it to any other non-technical position tbh: https://appel.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/NASA_APPEL_ASK_28i_good_engineer.pdf
The mechanical engineering skillset is pretty broad and can be applied everywhere. I think a big reason why we’re sought after for management/systems engineering positions is because we usually have a good systems-level understanding of projects given we touch electrical, chemical, and computer engineering/science in our degrees but also have the ability to hone in on a topic as well.
I have no doubt you can make the transition easily! If you can apply