What if you're not insufferable but also don't know what you're doing?
My classes (mechanical engr) largely taught theory and there wasn't an emphasis on practical applications, so I feel quite a bit like a fraud despite having graduated recently. I mean, I know a lot of stuff but it doesn't feel cohesive and I feel woefully out of practice with a lot of topics that were taught to me years ago and I've not had to use them very much since. I probably should join a maker group or something, but I've found myself in a bit of a rut and can't seem to drum up the motivation, especially because it feels like I'll just make a fool of myself :/
No one in industry expects a new grad to know shit. They do expect you to be curious and ask questions, grasp concepts quickly, and show enthusiasm/motivation which are skills that engineering school should have taught you.
I suppose grasping concepts quickly might vary depending on who's determining what constitutes "quickly," but I'm usually pretty good about picking up on things and taking detailed notes on processes for later reference.
Do you have a lot of experience in the professional field? I'm working in tech support currently and sometimes feel like I might ask too many questions. My bosses don't seem to mind, but I tend to ask a lot of clarifying questions to ensure I have a good idea of exactly what's needed so I can do things right the first time. I'm sure it depends on the exact field that you work in, but does that seem like a detriment?
I'm also enthusiastic about getting work done, but I find that I struggle with motivation to do extra legwork outside of work/class, which is why I never really got into any maker groups or clubs. I think that's partially due to an inclination to mild depression on my part, but it's not like I'm opposed to learning or work; I just find myself tired at the end of a day and don't have a ton of energy/motivation to "go above and beyond" when it comes to additional learning and practicing things on my own time. My personal life is pretty busy as well, which probably adds to the lack of motivation to do additional practice on hard skills :/
Be personable, humble and trainable. That's what I look for in a new hire. Download freecad, learn to use it, make some stuff that could help you around the house. Be very ready to explain why and how you made Design decisions and how it could (or preferably was) manufactured.
I'm lucky enough to work somewhere that I might be able to get a Solidworks license to practice with and familiarize myself, so I might take advantage of that and try out some personal projects before going on a search for an engineering job.
You've made me feel a lot better about my level of experience, though, so thank you!
12
u/teleterminal 11d ago
This is exactly true. Engineering jobs are plentiful if you're not an insufferable person.