Is 49 Too Late for a Mechanical Engineering Career Change?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the considerations and challenges of changing careers to mechanical engineering at the age of 49. Participants explore potential job market implications, age-related biases, and alternative career paths within technical fields.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about facing age discrimination in the technical job market, suggesting it is a common issue.
  • Another participant proposes that tech support could be a viable alternative career path, emphasizing the importance of social skills and organization over age.
  • The original poster seeks advice on the feasibility of transitioning to mechanical engineering and the potential difficulties in securing employment afterward.
  • There is a request for additional insights or experiences related to this career change.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the impact of age on job prospects in mechanical engineering, with differing views on the relevance of age discrimination and alternative career options.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not address specific job market statistics or provide detailed insights into the mechanical engineering field's current demand. Assumptions about age discrimination and the nature of technical roles remain unverified.

njmech
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Hello, I am a 49 year old male, reside in the US, currently unemployed, previous work experience is in IT, have a B.S. in physics/computer science degree (interdisciplinary - not double major, w/minor in math) and am considering a return to college to study Mech. Engineering. Will I have difficulty finding a job afterwards? Any other advise/comments welcome.

Thanks!
 
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Anyone have any help for this person. I would be interested in the answer as well.
 
You may face age discrimination. This is a sad but real fact of life in most technical industries.
 
Tech Support might be a possibility. The technical background is useful to be able to talk the same language as customers, but the most important skills are social and being organized. A lot of the tech support people I work with aren't youngsters.
 

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