Question for people in the aerospace industry.

[The Pink Ranger]

Who tends to have more autonomy in the industry? Experienced mechanical/aerospace engineering grads or electricals?

I just finished all of the lower division trash for engineering and I have a choice of either aerospace or electrical. My heart says aerospace but my intuition says electricals might get more autonomy and a wider range of jobs.

[Nibb31]

What do you mean by autonomy? Engineering and technical work always requires being part of a very integrated team. If by "autonomy" you mean freedom to pick and choose what you are going to work on and how you are going to do it, then it doesn't exist in any aerospace company, especially as young graduate fresh out of school.

[The Pink Ranger]

What do you mean by autonomy? Engineering and technical work always requires being part of a very integrated team. If by "autonomy" you mean freedom to pick and choose what you are going to work on and how you are going to do it, then it doesn't exist in any aerospace company, especially as young graduate fresh out of school.

Yea I meant for people with several years of experience. My gut is telling me that there's probably more room for creativity when tackling an electronics/software/control system problem then a structural/propulsion problem. My gut might be full of .... so I'd like to ask someone with experience.

[Nibb31]

I don't see any difference really. Engineering is about meeting requirements, which is more about compromise than creativity. If it's creativity you're after, you should join an art school, not go into engineering.

[Camacha]

I don't see any difference really. Engineering is about meeting requirements, which is more about compromise than creativity. If it's creativity you're after, you should join an art school, not go into engineering.

It depends a bit. A great product needs both good ideas and proper execution.

[The Pink Ranger]

I don't see any difference really. Engineering is about meeting requirements, which is more about compromise than creativity. If it's creativity you're after, you should join an art school, not go into engineering.

Okay so designing a wrench is the same as creating a control interface? *cough* BS *cough*

Edit: Okay howabout this. What is your position and if you work with both electricals and mechs/aeros who is more envious of the other's job?

Edited August 19, 2014 by The Pink Ranger

[Camacha]

who is more envious of the other's job?

Who cares who is envious of who, as long as you are in a position you like. That is probably the problem in the discussion, what one person likes, another despises and no one can answer that for someone else over the internet.

[The Pink Ranger]

Who cares who is envious of who, as long as you are in a position you like. That is probably the problem in the discussion, what one person likes, another despises and no one can answer that for someone else over the internet.

No the problem with the discussion is that Nibb31 has crap reading comprehension and interpersonal skills like the vast majority of engineers. The OP asks about autonomy after several years of experience. Well here's the definition of autonomy according to google: freedom from external control or influence; independence. Pretty straight forward huh?

Of course I'll never get a straight answer from someone who's actually in the industry because there'll be too much bias. Forget it, I'll find out when I start my co-op.

[Nibb31]

No the problem with the discussion is that Nibb31 has crap reading comprehension and interpersonal skills like the vast majority of engineers.

You're welcome.

The OP asks about autonomy after several years of experience. Well here's the definition of autonomy according to google: freedom from external control or influence; independence. Pretty straight forward huh?

Unless you're freelancing as a consultant or working alone in your garage for your own company, you never get freedom from external control or influence in engineering. There are always laws, regulations, standards, procedures, and requirements to follow. In most large companies, you don't get to choose your own tools or processes. You will always be working as part of team under management and trying to juggle with (usually conflicting) requirements from customers, marketing departments, legal departments, financial controllers, regulation authorities, and other engineering groups.

If you want to be an engineer to be free to create things, then you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

[razark]

I have a choice of either aerospace or electrical.

I'm guessing that the electrical engineering field is less likely to have the funding rug pulled out from under it.

Of course, if you start in the aerospace industry as one, you might find that years later, you're learning another field. My father started as an electrical engineer putting American radios into Soyuz, and retired more than 30 years later having to learn mechanical, chemical, and aerospace engineering along the way. (And management. I think that's what finally got him to retire.)

Of course, if you work for the government, every engineer is an "aerospace engineer", so I'm not sure exactly what that field covers at the university level.

[TythosEternal]

Who tends to have more autonomy in the industry? Experienced mechanical/aerospace engineering grads or electricals?

I just finished all of the lower division trash for engineering and I have a choice of either aerospace or electrical. My heart says aerospace but my intuition says electricals might get more autonomy and a wider range of jobs.

If autonomy is your goal, than consulting is your road, but you won't be able to take it without a PhD, MBA, and/or literally decades of experience as a SME (subject matter expert).

Otherwise, the options you mentioned have equal degrees of autonomy in our field. Aerospace may, possibly, have more, because there is a chance you'll end up in a systems engineering and/or integration role, where you get to play a greater part in the design process instead of just building widgets to spec.

My advice: don't focus on pure autonomy so much as visibility, in two senses of the meaning: First, visibility others have of your work and associated successes, which will give you more leverage in the long run to control what you work on. Second, visibility in that you can see and know what exactly you are contributing to and thereby remain inspiried and interested in the mission. I spent my first internship in the aerospace writing XML parsers for a data acquisition system three degrees removed from the stuff that would actually go into space. It was incredibly depressing--I got out of there as soon as I could.

[The Pink Ranger]

My advice: don't focus on pure autonomy so much as visibility, in two senses of the meaning: First, visibility others have of your work and associated successes, which will give you more leverage in the long run to control what you work on. Second, visibility in that you can see and know what exactly you are contributing to and thereby remain inspiried and interested in the mission. I spent my first internship in the aerospace writing XML parsers for a data acquisition system three degrees removed from the stuff that would actually go into space. It was incredibly depressing--I got out of there as soon as I could.

Hahahahaha! Thanks this was actually pretty helpful.

Were you working for a large established company? A lot of smaller start ups come to the job fair at my school. The pay would probably be horrible and there's a good chance any one of them could sink before I graduate but do you think that's a good tradeoff for (possibly) more involvement and experience?

[TythosEternal]

Hahahahaha! Thanks this was actually pretty helpful.

Were you working for a large established company? A lot of smaller start ups come to the job fair at my school. The pay would probably be horrible and there's a good chance any one of them could sink before I graduate but do you think that's a good tradeoff for (possibly) more involvement and experience?

Absolutely, especially while you're young. It's all about investing on experience right now in you career. Try not to be unpaid, especially after you graduate, but if you can just get your foot in the industry door, do it. Even if the place folds after a year, their engineers don't just disappear--now you have a network of former co-workers with jobs in multiple companies and locations.

I was working that particular internship for a very large corporation (one of the largest, on fact), and while there are interesting programs with similar companies that would be very fun to work on, I wouldn't go back to that particular corporation without a 10x pay raise.

I would strongly recommend the following book. It's short, but has near-infinite value for professional engineers (aerospace and others).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/156347655X?cache=4d47d968c0050f1c48383eb79a2311f7π=SY200_QL40&qid=1408559511&sr=8-1#ref=mp_s_a_1_1

[Camacha]

Absolutely, especially while you're young. It's all about investing on experience right now in you career. Try not to be unpaid, especially after you graduate, but if you can just get your foot in the industry door, do it. Even if the place folds after a year, their engineers don't just disappear--now you have a network of former co-workers with jobs in multiple companies and locations.

It might even be advantageous to work in a company that does not making when it comes to network - people will spread out and seed themselves across the industry. Of course, being aboard a sinking ship is never much fun and often associated with some form of personal drama.

I was working that particular internship for a very large corporation (one of the largest, on fact), and while there are interesting programs with similar companies that would be very fun to work on, I wouldn't go back to that particular corporation without a 10x pay raise.

Never do work just for the money. Short term this seems nice, but in the long run you will make yourself really unhappy. That does not mean you should only do things you like, that just is not realistic, but it takes a special kind of person to thrive on just the monetary compensation.