u/Prudent-Ad-4198

I'm finishing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering in the US and expect to graduate around the end of this year. I'm starting to get pretty anxious about the job search and would appreciate some outside perspective on how competitive my background actually is.

My background:

• ~5.5 years PhD + 2 years MS
• Research focused on wearable robotics/exoskeletons, mechatronics, controls, and biomechanics
• Designed, built, and experimentally tested multiple robotic/exoskeleton systems
• Experience in mechatronic system development, including mechanical design, embedded systems, sensing, controls, system integration, and experimental validation.
• Experience conducting human-subject biomechanics experiments, including EMG-based evaluation of muscle activity and analysis of gait and human–robot interaction.
• Some experience with ROS/ROS2 and machine learning, though neither has been a primary focus of my research or publications.
• 3 publications from my MS
• 1 published first-author paper from my PhD
• Another PhD manuscript close to acceptance (co-first-author) 
• Another collaborative manuscript under review at a 
• Additional ongoing PhD work that should eventually become a paper but data collection still in progress
• Some conference/abstract work
• Teaching experience as a TA for controls and mechanical design labs

My biggest concern is that I have zero industry experience and no internships. I spent my entire graduate career in academia.

I'm currently targeting three types of positions:

1. Postdocs, preferably wearable/assistive robotics, rehabilitation robotics, biomechanics, human-robot interaction, experimental robotics, or national labs
2. Industry R&D/mechatronics/robotics roles — Robotics Engineer, Mechatronics Engineer, Controls Engineer, Robotics Hardware Engineer, Research Engineer, etc.
3. Teaching positions — primarily full-time Lecturer/Instructor/Visiting positions in mechanical engineering, controls, mechatronics, or robotics. I'm not currently trying to become tenure-track faculty.

I've been applying, but haven't gotten much traction yet, and it's making me question whether I'm aiming too high or marketing myself incorrectly.

For people who have hired PhDs or made a similar transition:

How would you evaluate this profile?

Would the lack of internships/industry experience be a major problem for robotics/mechatronics R&D roles?

Is my publication record too weak to be competitive for good postdocs?

And am I realistic in considering full-time lecturer/instructor positions with my current teaching experience?

I'm not looking for reassurance — I'd genuinely appreciate candid feedback about where this profile is competitive, where it isn't, and what types of positions I should prioritize.

Hey
I'm a 3rd year EE student specializing in Automation and Control. I've designed a couple of basic PCBs in KiCad and I'm currently learning Altium Designer through a scholarship program.
I'm looking to start freelancing on Upwork doing PCB design work to generate income while still in university. For those who've done this — how long did it realistically take before you landed your first paying client? And what was your experience level at that point?
Any advice on what clients actually look for in a junior PCB designer would be really appreciated.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Welcome to r/roboticstackoverflow!

Hey everyone! I'm u/Prudent-Ad-4198, a founding moderator of r/roboticstackoverflow, and I'm absolutely thrilled to welcome you to our brand new community.

This subreddit is inspired by the invaluable knowledge bases found at robotics.stackexchange.com and the vibrant discussions within the robotics tag on stackoverflow.com.

We've created this dedicated space to serve as a comprehensive home for all things related to the fascinating world of building robots, from the initial spark of an idea to the intricate details of practical implementation. Our aim is to foster a supportive and engaging environment where enthusiasts, students, and professionals alike can come together to share their projects, ask burning questions, offer insightful answers, and collectively advance their understanding and skills in robotics. We are incredibly excited to have you join us as we embark on this journey to explore, learn, share, and collaborate on our collective passion for robotics, and we look forward to seeing the incredible contributions you'll bring to our growing community!

Our vision for this community is simple: to create a friendly, constructive, and inclusive space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and connecting. We believe that by fostering an environment of open discussion and mutual support, we can all learn, grow, and push the boundaries of what's possible in robotics.

What to Post: We encourage you to share anything that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or inspiring. This could be your latest project, a challenging problem you're trying to solve, a breakthrough in robotics news, or simply a question about a concept you're trying to understand. Feel free to share your thoughts, photos, or questions about robots – big or small, simple or complex.

Community Vibe: Our core values are friendliness, constructiveness, and inclusivity. Let's build a space where every member feels valued, heard, and encouraged. Healthy discussions and diverse perspectives are welcome, but always remember to engage with respect and a positive attitude.

How to Get Started:

1. Introduce yourself in the comments below! We'd love to get to know you. What sparked your interest in robotics? What are you currently working on or hoping to learn?

2. Post something today! Don't be shy. Even a simple question or a quick thought can spark a great conversation and help others.

3. Invite a friend! If you know someone who would love this community and contribute positively, please invite them to join r/roboticstackoverflow. The more, the merrier!

4. Interested in helping out? We're always looking for passionate individuals to help us moderate and nurture this community. If you're keen to contribute in a leadership role, please feel free to reach out to me directly to apply.

Thank you for being part of the very first wave of r/roboticstackoverflow. Your enthusiasm and contributions will be the foundation of what we build together. Let's make this an amazing resource and a vibrant hub for the robotics community!

I am a prefinal year engineering student, pursuing bachelor's in instrumentation and control engineering. I have genuinely started to develop a deep understanding and interest in control systems and recently came to know about guidance, navigation and control.

So i wanted to know how does one make a career in this field like what are the companies which hire, what does the work look like and what project should one do to get into this field or is it something which instrumentation guys cannot pursue?

For context, I am average student from India who has done one basic course in automatic control systems and currently doing a slightly advanced course in control system design. But i have no experience in implementation of any controllers on hardware.

What got me to GNC - I am currently a member (new joinee) of satellite club at my university and i look after attitude determination and control subsystem of the cubesat for which I have been studying optimal control from past few weeks during which I got know to about GNC from a YouTube video.

I have some previous experience working with Arduino and esp32 but none of those projects were control related

https://preview.redd.it/5uwmd9a0oqkh1.png?width=1400&format=png&auto=webp&s=8ba1df4401120e512531ac36fce9981c0e806887

Hey,

Im a newbie here , and i purchased this RP LIDAR A2M12 , and after recieving it , i realised it dosent fit my project , i need a light weight one, so im willing to sell this , it is totally brand new unused . and ready to ship in India only. and i can offer the best price than the current market, i just need to sell this this is of no use for me now. and i also need money to get the other stuffs for my project.

so if anyone is intrested please dm!
and i will mark this as sold if its sold. else you can dm.

Hey everyone,

I’ve decided that I want to seriously learn robotics from the ground up, but I’m honestly stuck on where to begin.

I’ve spent hours searching on YouTube, but there are thousands of videos, courses, and “complete robotics roadmaps.” Everyone teaches things in a different order, and it’s become really confusing. I don’t want to waste months learning the wrong things or skipping important fundamentals.

My goal is to eventually be able to design and build real robotics projects, such as:

• Robotic arms
• Autonomous robots
• Drones (including building one from scratch)
• Smart camera systems with object detection and tracking
• AI-powered robots
• Mobile robots with navigation
• Robots that use computer vision and sensors

I also want to understand the theory behind robotics, not just copy projects. I’d like to learn topics like:

• Electronics
• Arduino, ESP32, and Raspberry Pi
• Programming (Python/C++)
• Kinematics
• Dynamics
• Control systems (PID, etc.)
• Embedded systems
• Sensors and actuators
• CAD and mechanical design
• Computer vision
• ROS/ROS2
• AI and machine learning for robotics

If you had to start from zero today, what roadmap would you follow? What order would you learn these topics in? When would you start building projects, and what beginner, intermediate, and advanced projects would you recommend?

I’d also love recommendations for the best resources—books, websites, YouTube channels, online courses, GitHub repositories, or anything else that helped you.

I’m willing to put in the time—I just want a clear learning path instead of jumping between random tutorials.

Thanks in advance!