From Aeronautical Engineering to WHERE?

Dunkoro

Hi, this year I will finish my 4 year degree in Aeronautical Engineering and I dont really know what I want to do next because I dont really know what do I like.

What options do I have? Im pretty lost here.

Thank you

JakeBrodskyPE

I am hesitant to suggest anything because I'm not quite sure what possessed you to study aeronautics without some idea of what you'd like to do with it.

You could design rockets, airplanes or blimps. You could design blowers, compressors, turbochargers, and steam turbines. You could find new ways to instrument gas flows. You could design furnaces, boilers, and HVAC systems. You could design Wind turbines...

There are many options, and I have merely scratched the surface.

My question to you is, why did you choose to study something this difficult if you didn't know what you wanted to do in this field?

Dunkoro

Money perhaps, a good salary.

chingkui

If good salary is the reason, wouldn't it be very easy? Go job hunting, and if you get multiple offers, pick the one with the highest salary?

JakeBrodskyPE

Staff engineers earn solid middle class to upper middle class salaries. They're not rich, but they don't often go hungry, either. If money was the only goal, many other fields could have been quite lucrative.

All that said, did you do any internships? If so, what did you like or dislike about the various places you interned at? Did any particular parts of your education interest or intrigue you?

Unless you know what you're looking for, the chances of you finding it are not very good.

Dunkoro

Hi, actually I was a bit pushed to take this because of my parents. They said take a degree with good perspective of future.

Sorry i haven't done any internships. I just have some programming courses thats all.

I dont know If i should start doing a Internship, a Master in Aerodynamics, MBA, Master in propulsion....sigh...there are a lot of ways I can pick, I just don't know which one to pick.

chingkui

it is very hard for anyone to give you advice if you can't say what you find interesting.

Dunkoro

Hi, I just want to know what options do I have.

For example, I could work on doing engines on propulsion, but I hate this.

I also could work in Formula 1 with aerodynamics which i dont like eitheer

Perhaps I could work on aircraft maintainance.

Iam sure you guys must be knowing more options

JakeBrodskyPE

If you were pushed in to this by your parents, perhaps you should ask them what they envisioned for you.

I am stunned because you don't seem to convey any ideas of what you'd like to do. If four years of study didn't suggest any notions to you, then I wonder if all that time and money you spent on education was worthwhile.

Travis_King

Most entry level engineering positions will consider an Aero for their positions, whatever they might be (that is, whatever field). You'll learn way more about engineering in your first year in industry than you did in school anyway.

No offense, but if you got a 4 year degree in aeronautical engineering just to do aircraft maintenance, you wasted a ton of money.

Do you like hands on work? Would you like to be in an office?
How about design? Logistics?

I know a couple aero's who left school and entered industry in Petrochemicals, Oils, etc.

Dunkoro

Im thinking that also, and because of that I want to make the most of my degree.

I wouldnt mind being in an office, I also like to travel.

I hate hate hate hate designing engines.

What do you mean by hands on work and logistics?

I am sorry to not give you a precise response, but this is due to my lack of knowledge of how are these works. I can't know if I like X thing if I haven't worked in it yet.

On the other side, i am very intrested in the Space sector, I like a lot of things. The only problem is that Space jobs are very limited and low paid.
Thanks for helping.

Locrian

You have an awful strong opinion about what things you like and do not like working on.

You must have worked on them for many years at several locations to have developed such a strong opinion. . .

Travis_King

If you like to travel, look into a position in a consulting engineering firm. There are a lot of options for travel the world there. Also in things like product support engineer for, well anything really. Where you would learn the company's product and travel to consumers and troubleshoot issues they are having or investigate ways to improve their experience.

How do you know? I can't believe that any work you've done in this field as an undergraduate student is a true reflection on the actual field itself. But if design isn't your thing, that's another story.

Well, they're two different fields, logistics I just mean working in some capacity to optimize productions or manufacturing schemes, stuff like that.

By hands on I mean looking into construction management or something along those lines. You are not pigeon holed by your degree. If you don't like aerodynamics and you don't like design or propulsion...you don't have many options as a true aero engineer. But the good news is that you don't necessarily have to go into aeronautical engineering in industry. Employers aren't that rigid as long as you are competent, interested, and willing to put in the effort to learn and do good work.

Yea, there aren't really that many entry level space systems engineers out there. Though, propulsion would be a good in (despite your distaste for it). If you can find a job in that area, good on you. Realistically though, don't bank on it.

Dunkoro

Perfect, and what path should I take? What do you think of this job? What kind of internships and certificates would be good to peak this and earn the best salary? I think this will lead me to an MBA



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Very true. The thing is my subjects related to optimizing engines I hate them so much that I even didnt go to the classes, and design has to do with optimizing engines and using those **** formulas..ugh!



Logistics sounds awful.

Aw, I though on doing a Space related Master organized by the European Space agency...but back again, I wont know If I will like it.


Thanks very much for the answer.

As you can see I don't like badass formulas or working 24/7 in a laboratory which are related to engines, pressures, temperatures... so perhaps I should go for a business related are in engineering? What other options I have?

Thanks a lot!

Dunkoro

upppppp

Travis_King

Which one? Either way there are many possible paths. I work for a consulting firm and I know engineers who are at the highest pay scales and still work in the field, as well as people at the same pay scales doing solely business development work, almost all of whom started in basically the same field. You can choose to get an MBA or not, your company may provide assistance and support with this goal, or not. There's no clear cut path.

Depends, but school courses rarely reflect actual work and work environment.

It's not my cup of tea. But many people disagree with me. I have several good friends who went to school specifically for this type of work.

Do what you want to do and what you think will benefit you in the long run.
Read job descriptions, they'll give you an idea of what you're in for.

Dunkoro

Yeah, i guess.

What functions do you do by being consultant? I just have being all the time in a Laboratory testing.

Thanks.