What does a Mechanical Engineer do? What do their days look like and how can someone become one?
All good questions and we’ve got you covered.
Let’s get straight into it!
Meet Leo
What is a Mechanical Engineer?
Steps to Becoming a Mechanical Engineer
Future Outlook
Best Thing & Worst Thing
有吸引力的机械工程师的建议
Meet Leo
We got to have a chat with Leo, a Mechanical Engineer atAristocrat Technologies, who gave us the lowdown onwhat he studied, how we scored a job and everything he did to become a mechanical engineer.
Studies and Experience
Leo graduated university with aBachelor of Engineeringat Macquarie University. He told us that he was最初对他的工程学位有点无动于衷，但一旦他更多地参与UNI活动，社会和活动,Leo found his degree much more worthwhile and engaging.
“我的UNI体验比第一次到第二年的平均水平。我正在休闲或兼职职位或在咖啡馆工作。但from third year and onwards, I became a bit more focused on my grades and became more involved with the activities at Macquarie,” Leo explained.
So, if you’re wanting to go to uni to study engineering,take Leo’s advice and get involved!You never know where it may take you.
Leo began to engage in the extracurricular activities that Macquarie had on offer and was soon led toa crucial volunteering opportunity.
Leo told us that it was essentiallythis volunteering trip that led to him developing a relationship with his thesis supervisor。Later on, it was the same supervisor who told Leo about the opportunity to intern at Aristocrat.
Key Takeaway:Get involved in uni activities and get to know your tutors!!
Macquarie Uni still offers plenty ofoverseas opportunities for undergrad and postgrad students。If you’d like to find out more about Macquarie’s international exchange program, click这里!
是什么让你想在这个行业工作？
Like a lot of people who change directions at uni,Leo really didn’t have much of an idea what mechanical engineering actually entailed until he got the Aristocrat internship position。Luckily, he really enjoyed it.
“To be honest I didn’t actually know what mechanical engineering was when I signed up.I’ve been into cars since I was a kid and I thought ‘cool, maybe I’ll learn all about cars’,” Leo said.
He continued, “That wasn’t the case at all.It was much more about physics and mathematics but a big part of all engineering streams is problem solving.当您通过课程的进步时，您就会了解更多信息manufacturing and fabricating parts, material properties and using formulasto make sure the design and its material are good enough for the application.”
If you’re in high school and you’ve envisioned mechanical engineering for yourself, maybe look into taking some Extension Maths and Physics subjects to give you that foundational knowledge!
“As a mechanical engineer, you are通过计算机辅助设计（CAD）来教授您想要的任何您想要的技能。You are taught exactly how this part could be made and how much it might cost. There is just so much potential for mechanical engineering,” Leo said.
What is a Mechanical Engineer?
Mechanical engineers arethe minds behind machines— so as you can imagine, they’re pretty essential. Mechanical engineers willconceptualise, design, develop, construct and test out a diverse range of machinery, engines and mechanical devices.They innovate the big and the small and all the bits and bobs in between the technologies that we use every day!
To be a mechanical engineeryou have to be creative, innovative and ambitious。You’ll be spending your daysanalysing problems with particular devices, redesigning machinery, overseeing the manufacturing process and developing prototypes.
Now, let’s hear about the kind of stuff that Leo does!
Roles and Responsibilities
“我的日子通常用咖啡开始，通过电子邮件阅读。我通常会有a mental list of the priorities for the day and go from top to bottom“莱奥说。
然后他继续解释，“我可能包括的不同任务designing a solution for a certain problem, integrating the solutions into a database to make this information accessible to the whole company(similar to data entry) and then I’llconverse with manufacturers locally or globally to ensure the projects are going smoothly。”
Leo also told us that, when time permits, he’ll be spending his timebrainstorming new ideas and better ways to do things.
“I’ll think about whether the process currently being used is the most effective it can be.I’ll also make time to learn by watching Youtube videos or LinkedIn learning.” Leo said.
你在这里听到了它第一 - 开始观看教育视频！稍后会清楚地派上用场。
Which industries can this career be found in?
You’ll find Mechanical Engineers in pretty muchany industry that develops and builds its own technologies.Some of these include:
- Automotive industries
- Power generation
- Aerospace and transport industries
- Railway system design
- Consumer goods design
- Production and management consultancies
If you’re an aspiring Mechanical Engineer, you may want to have athink about where you’d like to concentrate your studies and training on.There are heaps of different options!
Characteristics and Qualities
According toJobOutlook, the major skills that you’ll be wanting to acquire as a mechanical engineer include:
- Mathematics skill
- Reading comprehension
- Complex problem solving
- Deductive reasoning
- Oral expression
- Science understanding
- Physics comprehension
So, clearly it’sa position that requires a lot of numerical literacy and complex reasoningbut if you’re someone that loves maths and physics, then you’ll get there!
Also, it’s important to note that no employer is looking for these skills straight away — if you’re fresh out of high school or even in uni right now, you’re not expected to possess all of these skills.They are abilities that you learn and develop as you study and work.
我们问狮子座技能他认为机械工程师neers should have, and this is what he had to say:
“I thinksocial skills涉及职业生涯时，人们是否没有考虑过。你需要能够talk to people and get along with them。这表明你可以work well in a team setting which is what almost every industry is about— a team working together effectively to complete a project,” Leo said.
Steps to Becoming a Mechanical Engineer
What should you study?
Maybe you’re now wondering how to become a Mechanical Engineer yourself! Which would be great because we’re going to tell you anyway.
We’ve compiled a4-step planto get you well on your way to scoring that dream position!
#1: Complete appropriate HSC subjects
To start from the very beginning, you’re going to want tocomplete certain subjects in Year 11 and 12 that are the prerequisites for engineering courses at uni.
所需的HSC受试者可能会根据大学而改变，但大多数情况下，您应该研究学习Advanced Maths, Engineering and maybe some Physics as well.
Most degrees in NSW offer just a Bachelor of Engineering course where you can major in Mechanical Engineering. Though as an example,to get into the Bachelor of Engineering course at USYD, you’ll need an ATAR of 92.
#2: Study engineering at uni
Once you’ve graduated high school, you can now look at your options for engineering at uni. Some of the courses that you might want to look into include:
- Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Mechanical Engineering) at USYD
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) with a Specialisation in Mechanical Engineering at UNSW
- UTS的工程学士（机械）
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) majoring in Mechanical at WSU
- Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Honours) at The University of Newcastle
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) with a Specialisation in Mechanical Engineering at Macquarie University
- Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) (Honours) at RMIT
所以，有很多可供选择。由于大多数这些课程仅在荣誉计划中提供，您可能很可能会花费至少4年的学习。
#3: Decide whether you want to work in a firm or independently
Once you’ve graduated, you’re going to have to make the decision as to无论您是想为自己还是为另一家公司工作。Either option is great but more commonly graduates will begin searching for a position at a firm.
Itmight just take you a little longer to establish yourself if you want to work independently。As an independent Mechanical Engineer, you’ll also have to apply for aProfessional Engineer’s License。
#4: Job hunt or consider Masters
Now you’re set! It’s time to scour the internet for job postings, internships or any other kind of work experience you can find.
You may even like topursue some further study by obtaining a Masters of Engineering。While it’s definitely not required, having some postgraduate study under your belt will typicallyincrease your chances of becoming a project leader or manager in mechanical engineering.
How long does it take to become a Mechanical Engineer?
Since an undergraduate degree in engineering is typically 4 years long, you’re looking atabout 5 years minimum before you’re considered a fully fledged Mechanical Engineer。这将占任何实习或工作的前女友perience you do along the way.
行业知识
“Most of the software we use would beCAD which is the tool that mechanical engineers and other engineers use to design their part using a computer,” Leo told us.
He also added, “Depending on what career you’d like to pursue, you would studythermodynamics, fluid dynamics or just general mechanical engineering knowledge。”
So, you’ll typically learnhow to use Computer Aided Design (CAD)as a part of your university content and as you begin professional work.
What will this career look like in the future?
We put the question to Leo who told us:
“我认为自世界不断开发新产品以来，这是一个明确的标志，机械工程将永远存在。We design products, we figure out how to manufacture them and we streamline the process for mass manufacturing。”
With the introduction of robotics into more professions, we can预计建筑部分机械工程将变得越来越自动化。However, it’s pretty safe to say that we’ll always be needing human minds to come up with all the ideas.
How in-demand is this career?
With the technology boom we’re undergoing right now,Mechanical Engineers will likely be in pretty stable demand.Mechanical engineers have to keep up with the growth of AI and robotics which are becoming ubiquitous.
Theaerospace and aircraft sectoris an industry where the demand for engineering graduates is expected to rise.
Are there opportunities to grow or specialise?
Leo told us thatit’s so important for a Mechanical Engineer to be a lifelong learner.You should always be educating yourself and studying new things.
据狮子座称，这对您自己的知识和技能不仅仅是很好，但也是如此absolutely necessary for Mechanical Engineers who are always having to look for new innovations。It’s extremely important that Mechanical Engineers are inquisitive and always willing to learn and observe new things.
还有plenty of ways to specialise在机械工程中。例如，您可以选择专注于：
- Transportation systems
- 制造业
- Nanotechnology
- Robotics and AI
There’s quite a lot!
Salary
| Annual Salary | Future Growth | Skill Level Rating |
|---|---|---|
| $125,000+ | 未来5年稳定 | Very high skill |
Best Thing & Worst Thing
What do you enjoy most about this job?
Leo told us that his favourite part of being a mechanical engineer isseeing his ideas and concepts come to fruition.
“I love seeing my designs come to life.I spend months staring at my screen perfecting a design, then I manufacture it and test my design in real life,” Leo explained.
He also told us如何达到令人满意的是最终结果after an extended period of hard work.
你最不喜欢什么？
“我认为任何职业there will be the tedious tasks that are still essential to the job。Those are my least favourite tasks,” Leo said.
So, while Leo loves what he does in his job,he still has to deal with the smaller menial tasks as well.
有吸引力的机械工程师的建议
We asked Leo if he had any advice for aspiring Mechanical Engineers and he told us:
“Read books and watch videos, keep expanding your knowledge because innovation comes from many sources.Understand what you can do as a Mechanical Engineer, because it’s not just limited CAD work or designing HVAC systems — there are many more job prospects such as manufacturing, rapid prototyping etc.”
As we mentioned before, being a lifelong learner as a Mechanical Engineer is extremely important. The realm of engineering is limitless andit just takes a great idea to become a fantastic reality.
Leo continued, “We’ve all probably had a cool idea in our head at one point but questioned the effectiveness of it or didn’t know how to make it.通过机械工程和技术进步，您可以创建产品，3D打印，并测试它。”
在你开始在这个职业生涯之前，你希望你知道什么？
Leo told us that he wished he hadput in a little more effort to get involved and engaged in uni life and events.
“I guess if I could go back, I wouldtake every opportunity to do activities with the university such as doing volunteer work overseas or doing my thesis abroad.莱奥说，你在这些活动上遇到各种各样的人，看起来很棒。“
We’ve said it once and we’ll probably keep saying it.不要跳上大学事件！You never know the benefits they can bring!
Job Flexibility
Having to stay at home during COVID over the past year has really been the ultimate test of a company’s job flexibility. For the most part, it’s worked out for Leo but since机械工程师需要使用大量的订单wer when it comes to building and creation, getting to work in-person is generally more ideal.
He said, “Work is very flexible,我们可以休假，只要我们每天至少做8小时，我们就可以随时进来。但there are still the ‘normal’ working hours and that’s 9 to 5 which is generally when meetings will be set.”
“我们被赋予了能够远程工作的工具，但是the software most mechanical engineers will use requires a lot of power, so the most effective method or work is still at a desktop,” Leo added.
What is the workplace culture like?
正如我们所说，Leo是贵族技术的机械工程师，澳大利亚最大的赌博机械制造商。He told us that his workplace culture is extremely supportive and welcoming.
Leo told us that his managers arealways encouraging the teams to attend educational panels and workshopsto help enhance their knowledge.
“Aristocrat’s culture is really open minded and flexible.There’s a lot of resources given to focus on innovation, so we get toys such as 3D printers如果有任何研讨会，我们希望参加提高自己的技能或知识，只需将其与您的经理带来，“莱奥说。
Leo went on to say, “We also hold many events for ethnic holidays such as Lunar New Year or Diwali.These are days dedicated to the employees who celebrate the festivities and isan opportunity for the rest of the company to learn about different cultures。”
Gemma Billington.is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and an undergraduate student at the University of Technology Sydney. While studying Journalism and Social and Political Sciences, Gemma enjoys spending her time at the gym or reading about Britain’s medieval monarchy – ideally not at the same time. She currently creates and administers social media posts for Central News and writes for the student publication, The Comma. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to study a Masters of Medieval History and is very excited about the prospect!
