Exploring Career Options: Computer Programming, Actuarial Work, or Engineering?

[AdamS]

Hi,
I have a Bachelors degree in Computer Information Systems, graduated in March 2002. Have yet to find work, tech market is bad. I have been going through my options and have came up with a few. Firstly I can keep studying computer programming and become extremely good at that, my other thoughts are becoming an actuary, mainly just beacuse I'm good at math and I would not have to go back to college for it to start out. I may have to take some classes on calculus, but no degree right now. My last has came up because of where I work at. I work as a manager at an automotive manufacturer, we make Windows regulators for most vehicles. We have engineers here and I thought about engineering. I feel that I am really good at understanding how machines work and I have good troubleshooting skills. I thought about mentioning to my work about working with engineering some, maybe some kind of apprenticeship deal. I would then go back to college for engineering. See I don't want to go back to college, spend $40,000+ and end up with no job again. I want to be sure that I have a job before I graduate. I'm not sure about what all an Industrial engineer does, and would like someone to elaborate for me, what other skills would be needed.

 

[Clausius2]

Hi,
I'm not sure about what all an Industrial engineer does, and would like someone to elaborate for me, what other skills would be needed.

I don't know what an industrial engineer does in USA. If you want some advice, I'm studying last year of Industrial engineering here in Madrid (Spain), with a five years program. Here such engineer is more multidisciplinar than in USA. You are able to work in finances, managing and technical jobs, like proyect engineer, mechanical engineer and so on. Maybe we are here the more general engineer as one could be. Spanish enterprises do not have high technical resources, so they want a 4x4 employee, who can make budgets at the same time as designing a machine. Such people are very demanded by entrerprises.

Your skills have to be: very, very good at advanced Maths (EDP's, ODE's), physics, geometry, electric and electronics, mechanics and by the way great memory. Depending on the speciality you choose you will acquire other knowledges. In my case, I'm specialized in Technology of Energetics, where I see Fluid Mech, Heat Transfer, Internal combustion engines, and Turbomachinery.

This is all I can say to you. I hope this help you a bit.

 

[Dagenais]

I'm not sure about what all an Industrial engineer does, and would like someone to elaborate for me, what other skills would be needed.

Industrial Engineers

I want to be sure that I have a job before I graduate.

By that, I'm assuming you mean a job in your field/major. That's hard to gurantee unless you have some sort of professional degree like teacher/lawyer/accountant where a lot of them are needed.

 

[Rab]

im in my 3rd year (IE program, montreal Canada) our job is to make things faster-cheaper-safer.
depending on where you work
factories-hospitals-retail dep.-etc...
IE is somehow a smart manager or a connection between the eng dep and the management.
plus you need to know how to apply cell manufacturing, computer integrated maufacturing, six sigma quality control, lean manufacturing
how to forcast, how to simulate... i can go on and on....
per exmaple in the US, factories are mainley intersted in cutting costs and improving quality so this is where an IE come: omitting all the none added value operations, short term and mid term planing for the best use of the shop floor ( machines and labor) etc..., if a process allow the use of cell maufacuting then u apply it etc...
u can read about demings and juran if u like what they say about quality control (QC) then you will like the IE program plus u can visit the www.iienet.org[/URL] for more info