Hi all. I have a problem. I can't seem to get a good job where I am, don't really want to move unless it's for a really good job, and am considering going back to school.

A little background information:

I have a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and worked as an engineer at an automotive test facility for about two years. Somehow, I managed to never learn CAD or any other drafting software, so I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to go back to school to get another engineering job.

I've done a little over three years total active duty time as a Navy Seabee. I'm still in the reserves and will hit five years total service this month. I really enjoyed being on active duty and have applied to go active duty again, but my rate was overmanned so the Navy declined. That was about seven or eight months ago, so I'm thinking about giving it another shot.

I have applications in progress with two police departments. I was going to apply to the Border Patrol, but they've temporarily stopped taking applications for agents. I also started the application process for FBI and found out that I'm not eligible under their criteria.

The Navy trained me as a diesel/heavy equipment mechanic and I wouldn't mind doing it in the civilian world. However, I'd have to make a heavy investment in tools and I'm really not up on computer diagnostics since the Navy's junk is mostly too old to be computerized.

I've considered driving truck but am somewhat resistant to it due to my tendency to gain weight if I'm not extremely active.

I'm willing to go back to school, but I'd rather keep to a relatively short course. A few weeks to a few months.

Advice?

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

KBR, I think you would be a good candidate for their operations and its not all in Iraq.

Also Frank Morris's company IIRC General Dynamics is hiring.

Howdy Skippy,
Howie was close. The parent company is General Atomics. I'm with Aeronatical Systems. We have about 300 job openings. Check out www.uav.com Not all jobs are posted. The maintenance dept. has some openings. Also there is at least one driver position open. Here in the desert we have 3 facilities expanding like crazy. The thing to do, is just take a position, then look/wait for something you want and transfer. Good luck.

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Frank X. Morris
17 Kia Niro
08 Jeep Wrangler 4 door unlimited

Thank you kindly for the information Frank. I bookmarked the web site and will be posting a resume and searching jobs tommorrow.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Learn ProEngineer, not AutoCad (that's from my brother who is an M.E. at Johnson Space Center). If you like M.E. would you consider something outside of automotive? Again, my brother started out wanting to work in automotive but his background in control systems led to a job at NASA (with a brief stint with a defense contractor) which he finds very challenging and satisfying. He made more as a defense contractor though.

If you're interested in staying in engineering but are open to new challenges, go online and look at newspapers across the oil patch. Most of them have positions available for BSME. The oil industry expands and contracts by hiring and firing, so it's a roller coaster. But I will say, people can get wealthy if they have the nerve and the luck (I had too little of both and got my butt kicked! But it was fun while it lasted).

Also, I have an acquaintance, a recently retired military guy, who got a contract job doing 3d surface terrain modeling for targeting systems. He runs the civilian side of the shop. He's got a peculiarly appropriate background, but I'll bet your mathematical background and engineer's perspective should make you qualified in every way except the particular software. Your education demonstrates discipline of mind and your military experience informs the other kind of discipline. You can learn the software. My acquaintences duty station is interesting and apparently quite rewarding. I seriously considered it and so, asked question that I thought of. PM me if you want to know more including why I didn't make the change (not much to say except the company name and so forth. I don't know my guy well enough that I could make a recommendation either way).

Noted.

Well, I did take an elective on HVAC that I found quite interesting. I also like power generation.

I actually interviewed with Schlumberger shortly after I got back from Iraq. They were hiring field engineers at the time and I wasn't thrilled at the possibility of routinely working 20 or 30 hours at a stretch. If I could get a job with less inhumane hours, I might be interested.

You'll be getting a PM shortly. After that I'm off to the pub.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Paper mills offer alot of challenges to ME's. Been in the industry since 1990 and there has never been a dull moment.

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Jim

As Bonst said, I'd take ProE over AutoCad. I do work on ProE. Still, there are other CAD programs to consider, Solid Works and Catia (SP) are two that I hear good thing about. Its really comes down to what company uses what program. I hear from different sources that driving trucks is a bit rough right now. HVAC is suppose to be realy good if industrial. Even the commercial or residential is OK. I hear on the industrial side it is/was so competative, you could basically keep you vacation amount going from one company to the next.
Tom

Some people can't make it in life unless they have a government sponsored job. That's a sad state of affairs to have to try to rely on the government to get a paycheck, IMHO.

The only government money I'll ever see is if by some tragic mishap I don't earn enough that year, to then get the mandatory dreaded social security welfare cheque, before age 70. Thank God I don't need their help, and probably never will.

My best advice; work for yourself, suck it up and do anything to make money with your own two hands and mind. Work 7 days a week 18 hours a day if that's what it takes to pay your bills, working for yourself. In my mind and way of thinking for myself as a lifetime self-employed, successful American.......relying on a government cheque, is not for me.

but paper mills are in trouble right now.. there is low demand for paper products.

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72 W114/M130

RedMeat cartoon

Dude where have you been lately? Shoot me an email or PM.

Yeah I know what you mean about paper, I've started using leaves. Saves the environment you know...

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

Thanks for your opinion, even though nobody asked for it.