3 answers
Zion
Student
Polokwane, Limpopo, South Africa
5
Questions
Asked
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Mechanical Automotive Engineer,?
Advice
-What advice would you give someone like me to aim for in this role?
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3 answers
Yoav Traeger
Bid Manager
157
Answers
Kiryat Ono, Tel Aviv District
Updated
Yoav’s Answer
Pursuing mechanical automotive engineering is such an exciting goal, especially right now as the car industry undergoes one of the biggest technology shifts in its history. If you want to set yourself up for success in this field, focus on building a strong foundation in physics and math, but also start getting your hands dirty with real-world projects like robotics clubs, coding basic software, or working on car engines in your spare time. With electric vehicles, autonomous technology, and smart diagnostics changing the game, automotive engineers who understand both traditional mechanics and electronic systems are in huge demand. You do not need to know everything today, so try looking into student engineering teams like Formula SAE or local STEM programs to get early experience and see what specific part of vehicles excites you most. You have got a thrilling path ahead of you, so stay curious, keep building, and best of luck as you chase this dream.
Justin Struthers
Engineer
11
Answers
Laguna Hills
Updated
Justin’s Answer
Zion, one piece of advice I’d strongly recommend is spending some time working alongside experienced mechanics and technicians, even if it’s just part-time or during internships. Engineering school will teach you how to design a component and make the calculations work, but mechanics will teach you what makes that design practical in the real world.
Pay attention to things like component placement, accessibility, serviceability, assembly, and how much time a repair actually takes. Something can be a great design on paper but frustrating to maintain because a bolt is inaccessible or another component has to be removed first. That hands-on experience will give you a level of design finesse that’s difficult to learn in a classroom.
The best automotive engineers, in my opinion, understand both sides: **how to engineer it and how someone is actually going to build, maintain, and repair it.
Pay attention to things like component placement, accessibility, serviceability, assembly, and how much time a repair actually takes. Something can be a great design on paper but frustrating to maintain because a bolt is inaccessible or another component has to be removed first. That hands-on experience will give you a level of design finesse that’s difficult to learn in a classroom.
The best automotive engineers, in my opinion, understand both sides: **how to engineer it and how someone is actually going to build, maintain, and repair it.
Justin, thank you!
Zion
William Vvuko
Retired engineer
259
Answers
Moyo, Northern Region
Updated
William’s Answer
Hi Zion,
The most sustainable pathway to a successful career is competence acquisition. Competence consists of three key areas:
Knowledge that is acquired through formal education and/or experience - practical knowledge is a critical component of our ability to get things done. Understanding functionality gives us insights into why designs take the form they do. As such, we get better at identifying design limitations - these become opportunities for improvement & innovation. Such opportunities arise in such areas as safety, reliability, maintainability and operability.
Our skills set enables us to put this knowledge to good use. Critical skills include our ability to plan, schedule & execute work, organize, identify & resolve problems, analyze, communicate effectively, work in teams etc. Our ability to lead becomes essential once we start rising up the ladder.
To be fully competent, however, we need to possess important personal qualities: passion, diligence, perseverance, attention to detail, assertiveness, resilience, commitment, self-control, self-drive, empathy, assertiveness, curiosity, positive mindset, willingness to take risks etc. These qualities contribute to our emotional intelligence (EQ).
Competence is about getting things done on time, in full (OTIF) and to the required standards.
Excellence needs to be espoused as a way of life. Commitment to continuous improvement is important too. The better we are at what we do, the higher our chances of success are.
I hope this throws sufficient light on your query to awaken curiosity.
Best of luck in your career.
The most sustainable pathway to a successful career is competence acquisition. Competence consists of three key areas:
Knowledge that is acquired through formal education and/or experience - practical knowledge is a critical component of our ability to get things done. Understanding functionality gives us insights into why designs take the form they do. As such, we get better at identifying design limitations - these become opportunities for improvement & innovation. Such opportunities arise in such areas as safety, reliability, maintainability and operability.
Our skills set enables us to put this knowledge to good use. Critical skills include our ability to plan, schedule & execute work, organize, identify & resolve problems, analyze, communicate effectively, work in teams etc. Our ability to lead becomes essential once we start rising up the ladder.
To be fully competent, however, we need to possess important personal qualities: passion, diligence, perseverance, attention to detail, assertiveness, resilience, commitment, self-control, self-drive, empathy, assertiveness, curiosity, positive mindset, willingness to take risks etc. These qualities contribute to our emotional intelligence (EQ).
Competence is about getting things done on time, in full (OTIF) and to the required standards.
Excellence needs to be espoused as a way of life. Commitment to continuous improvement is important too. The better we are at what we do, the higher our chances of success are.
I hope this throws sufficient light on your query to awaken curiosity.
Best of luck in your career.