3 answers
2
Questions
Asked
343 views
Im a senior heading to college next year and I want to ask any engineers about their average work day and how it goes?
I'm planning on majoring in mechanical engineering and want to get a look into what the job looks like from a real perspective
Login to comment
3 answers
Updated
Dan’s Answer
Mechanical engineering is actually an extremely wide field- your day can be very different from one job to the next. I am located in the Midwest USA and that means that I'm surrounded by machinery manufacturing and production companies. In those environments, I spent maybe 60% of my time at my desk using CAD/CAM software, and the other 40% on the shop floor working with the machinists, operators, and quality inspectors. No two days were the same for me.
Thank you, this is really helpful.
Brayden
You are most welcome - if you have more questions about your career aspirations, or engineering in general, please feel free to use me as a resource. Always open to talk.
Dan Costigan
Fahad Elahi Khan
Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate
51
Answers
Updated
Fahad Elahi’s Answer
It's fantastic that you're going into mechanical engineering next year! It's a great field with many opportunities. I've been looking into it a lot lately through recent posts and videos. Everyone says there's no typical day because it varies by industry, role, and company. Some jobs are desk-based, while others involve site or lab work.
Here's what some mechanical engineers have shared about their routines:
- An engineer in HVAC design usually works 8-5 or 9-5. His day starts with coffee and emails, followed by calculations for air flow or chillers. He spends time in CAD modeling and running simulations. Meetings and design tweaks fill the rest of his day, especially near deadlines.
- An aerospace engineer with 27 years of experience now spends half his day in meetings. His mornings involve emails and project updates, followed by design reviews and troubleshooting. He spends a lot of time in CAD fitting parts together.
- A product design engineer at a consumer goods company starts around 8:30 with a team stand-up. He then models parts in SolidWorks, runs stress analyses, and might prototype in the lab. Afternoons are for meetings with manufacturing, and remote work is common now.
- An engineer in manufacturing/automotive splits time between the office and production lines, solving problems in real time and testing prototypes.
Most engineers work 40-50 hours a week, with extra hours during busy times. Teamwork, emails, and software like CAD and ANSYS are common. Meetings take up more time as you advance, but seeing your ideas come to life is rewarding, whether it's a machine part or a sustainable energy system.
College will give you a strong foundation, but internships or co-ops are key for finding what you love. Whether it's automotive, aerospace, robotics, energy, or biotech equipment, go for what excites you. If you have a specific industry in mind, let me know, and I'll find more details for you.
Here's what some mechanical engineers have shared about their routines:
- An engineer in HVAC design usually works 8-5 or 9-5. His day starts with coffee and emails, followed by calculations for air flow or chillers. He spends time in CAD modeling and running simulations. Meetings and design tweaks fill the rest of his day, especially near deadlines.
- An aerospace engineer with 27 years of experience now spends half his day in meetings. His mornings involve emails and project updates, followed by design reviews and troubleshooting. He spends a lot of time in CAD fitting parts together.
- A product design engineer at a consumer goods company starts around 8:30 with a team stand-up. He then models parts in SolidWorks, runs stress analyses, and might prototype in the lab. Afternoons are for meetings with manufacturing, and remote work is common now.
- An engineer in manufacturing/automotive splits time between the office and production lines, solving problems in real time and testing prototypes.
Most engineers work 40-50 hours a week, with extra hours during busy times. Teamwork, emails, and software like CAD and ANSYS are common. Meetings take up more time as you advance, but seeing your ideas come to life is rewarding, whether it's a machine part or a sustainable energy system.
College will give you a strong foundation, but internships or co-ops are key for finding what you love. Whether it's automotive, aerospace, robotics, energy, or biotech equipment, go for what excites you. If you have a specific industry in mind, let me know, and I'll find more details for you.
Updated
William’s Answer
Hi Brayden,
Mechanical engineering allows you to work in any place that has moving/rotating parts integrated in their designs - literally in all the major industries. Roles exist in design, production/construction, operation, maintenance, projects, product support, utilities etc.
The nature of work embedded in the roles determine your work content. I spent most of my career in the beer industry, mostly in maintenance roles. The brewery environment is fairly well structured and sections such as cellars (fermentation) and utilities operate 24/7. Other production areas such as brewing department and bottling hall often run 3 or 4 shift configurations depending on market demand - often 24/7 during peak seasons. Maintenance and process engineers tasked with the responsibility of ensuring safe, reliable and economical operation.
The workload includes routine inspections both manual and electronic, emergencies due to breakdowns etc. Problem solving is an integral part of the drive for operational excellence (situational, systemic and strategic). Analytics for identifying trends support the problem solving drive. Performance management provides the overall framework.
It's important that the maintenance and process teams are sufficiently competent to discharge their responsibilities efficiently and effectively.
Mechanical engineering allows you to work in any place that has moving/rotating parts integrated in their designs - literally in all the major industries. Roles exist in design, production/construction, operation, maintenance, projects, product support, utilities etc.
The nature of work embedded in the roles determine your work content. I spent most of my career in the beer industry, mostly in maintenance roles. The brewery environment is fairly well structured and sections such as cellars (fermentation) and utilities operate 24/7. Other production areas such as brewing department and bottling hall often run 3 or 4 shift configurations depending on market demand - often 24/7 during peak seasons. Maintenance and process engineers tasked with the responsibility of ensuring safe, reliable and economical operation.
The workload includes routine inspections both manual and electronic, emergencies due to breakdowns etc. Problem solving is an integral part of the drive for operational excellence (situational, systemic and strategic). Analytics for identifying trends support the problem solving drive. Performance management provides the overall framework.
It's important that the maintenance and process teams are sufficiently competent to discharge their responsibilities efficiently and effectively.