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What qualifications do businesses looking for mechanical engineers emphasize or look for when conducting a job search?
Hi, I'm a high school senior planning on majoring in mechanical engineering next year. What qualifications do businesses looking for mechanical engineers emphasize or look for when conducting a job search?
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Chris’s Answer
I completely endorse all of Me. Ayenew’s response above. All I would add is the perspective of time and matching your skills with the company’s operations.
It’s common sense that you’d shape your undergraduate course selection around your interests.
But what some undergrad students (like me, unfortunately) don’t put too much time into is starting with a broad vision of the firms / institutions you’d consider working for — and narrowing that over time. Where would you consider working? Doing what? Do you already know yourself well enough to know that you’d die on the vine without a physical connection to the work? Would you work for the US Government? Are you gregarious re: customers of the firm?
Build this list and keep refining it over time. This should help answer your questions!
It’s common sense that you’d shape your undergraduate course selection around your interests.
But what some undergrad students (like me, unfortunately) don’t put too much time into is starting with a broad vision of the firms / institutions you’d consider working for — and narrowing that over time. Where would you consider working? Doing what? Do you already know yourself well enough to know that you’d die on the vine without a physical connection to the work? Would you work for the US Government? Are you gregarious re: customers of the firm?
Build this list and keep refining it over time. This should help answer your questions!
Teklemuz Ayenew Tesfay
Electrical Engineer, Software Developer, and Career Mentor
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Teklemuz Ayenew’s Answer
Employers love to see candidates who are well-rounded and have a good grasp of mechanical engineering basics, practical experience, and both technical and soft skills. Building a strong foundation in math, physics, and engineering, along with learning CAD software, programming, and manufacturing processes, is key. Many employers also appreciate advanced skills like using CATIA, Siemens NX, or Creo for detailed CAD work, doing finite element analysis with ANSYS, Abaqus, or COMSOL, and working with computational fluid dynamics using tools like Fluent or OpenFOAM. Skills in programming, 3D printing, control systems, data analysis, machine learning, and sustainable design are also in high demand.
Getting hands-on experience through projects at home, internships, volunteering, competitions, and research shows you can apply what you know. Skills like problem-solving, teamwork, communication, time management, attention to detail, and adaptability are just as important. Building a professional network through LinkedIn, joining professional groups, and earning certifications like SolidWorks or Lean Six Sigma can really set you apart. Starting early with activities like robotics, electronics, small mechanical projects, or shadowing professionals can help you get ready for internships and a successful engineering career.
Getting hands-on experience through projects at home, internships, volunteering, competitions, and research shows you can apply what you know. Skills like problem-solving, teamwork, communication, time management, attention to detail, and adaptability are just as important. Building a professional network through LinkedIn, joining professional groups, and earning certifications like SolidWorks or Lean Six Sigma can really set you apart. Starting early with activities like robotics, electronics, small mechanical projects, or shadowing professionals can help you get ready for internships and a successful engineering career.
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William’s Answer
Hi Rhys,
It's good to know that you are looking forward to becoming a mechanical engineer. It's a very exciting discipline.
Employers generally look at what you bring to the table. This is usually defined by your level of competence. Completing your studies with distinction will be great as this provides a solid foundation for your competence. The value you add will eventually depend on your ability to put this knowledge and other resources at your disposal to good use. This ability is greatly influenced by the set of soft and social skills you possess. To succeed, we need to ably plan our activities and resources - good planning greatly improves your chances of success. Being able to organize ourselves and our activities is paramount. Efficiently scheduling our tasks and activities helps us to effectively utilize the available time that is at our disposal. In the course of our work, we generate lots of data. Being able to organize, analyze and critically evaluate this information helps us to identify trends, correlations and deviations which in turn inform our decision making process. When deviations occur, we need to identify and resolve their underlying causes. Ability to solve problems becomes a critical skill for doing this. Resolving root causes creates improvement - which is essential for business success. We often require help from others to effectively perform our tasks and need to extend the same help to others for the same reason. Being able to work in teams truly improves the contributions we make to the teams. At the very heart of our activities, irrespective of our place of engagement, is our ability to communicate. Communication is a two way traffic: our ability to receive information is just as important as our ability to give it. We need to be really good at listening.
Besides knowledge and skills, we need personal qualities that promote our willingnesss to effectively and efficiently utilize knowledge and skills. These qualities include such traits as diligence, commitment, perseverance, curiosity, positive mindset, passion, empathy, self-control, self-esteem, assertiveness, willingnesss to take risks etc.
Together, these core competencies make us fully competent.
Organizations spend significant amounts of resources to equipment their young professionals with these competencies once employed. The best employees are those that demonstrate high potential and high performance levels (talent).
Picking up these competencies during your studies especially through internships and mentorships puts you in a very good stead to successfully pursue a career after your studies.
It's good to know that you are looking forward to becoming a mechanical engineer. It's a very exciting discipline.
Employers generally look at what you bring to the table. This is usually defined by your level of competence. Completing your studies with distinction will be great as this provides a solid foundation for your competence. The value you add will eventually depend on your ability to put this knowledge and other resources at your disposal to good use. This ability is greatly influenced by the set of soft and social skills you possess. To succeed, we need to ably plan our activities and resources - good planning greatly improves your chances of success. Being able to organize ourselves and our activities is paramount. Efficiently scheduling our tasks and activities helps us to effectively utilize the available time that is at our disposal. In the course of our work, we generate lots of data. Being able to organize, analyze and critically evaluate this information helps us to identify trends, correlations and deviations which in turn inform our decision making process. When deviations occur, we need to identify and resolve their underlying causes. Ability to solve problems becomes a critical skill for doing this. Resolving root causes creates improvement - which is essential for business success. We often require help from others to effectively perform our tasks and need to extend the same help to others for the same reason. Being able to work in teams truly improves the contributions we make to the teams. At the very heart of our activities, irrespective of our place of engagement, is our ability to communicate. Communication is a two way traffic: our ability to receive information is just as important as our ability to give it. We need to be really good at listening.
Besides knowledge and skills, we need personal qualities that promote our willingnesss to effectively and efficiently utilize knowledge and skills. These qualities include such traits as diligence, commitment, perseverance, curiosity, positive mindset, passion, empathy, self-control, self-esteem, assertiveness, willingnesss to take risks etc.
Together, these core competencies make us fully competent.
Organizations spend significant amounts of resources to equipment their young professionals with these competencies once employed. The best employees are those that demonstrate high potential and high performance levels (talent).
Picking up these competencies during your studies especially through internships and mentorships puts you in a very good stead to successfully pursue a career after your studies.