r/MechanicalEngineer

I'm a 28F Mechanical Engineer who has been working full time for the past 6 years in Power Generation, and I'm hitting my breaking point. I feel like the only solution for me is to transition to another career entirely and would love some advice on how to do that.

For some context: I was a "gifted child" with very strict parents whose only focus for me my entire childhood was getting good grades, getting into a good college, and getting a good job. I've been studying hard and working hard since I was 12 years old. I went to college 2 years early at the age of 16. Every single after school activity I ever did was an effort to "boost my resume". I had 5 internships in 3 years before graduating. I have never once stopped thinking about productivity and achievement.

When I graduated with my bachelor's I landed an awesome entry level job with Burns & McDonnell and thought I had it made, but quickly realized that because of my upbringing, I was entering the workforce already nearly burnt out and exhausted from constantly learning and constantly working hard without break. This only got worse with my full-time job... People weren't kidding when they said the first few years of being an engineer is like drinking through a firehose with all the new information. It didn't help that the culture in my department discouraged teamwork and encouraged us to never bother anyone with questions, so I felt entirely on my own while navigating the overwhelm of learning everything about this job I'd never done before. I was crying in the bathroom almost every day at this job.

Two and a half years in, my appendix burst. The doctors told me it was likely due to stress causing inflammation in my organs. The 6 weeks of medical leave I took gave me the time and space to relax for the first time in my life, and I realized how unsustainable this path is. I ended up quitting and taking a year off work to focus on myself, healing my body, and figuring out how to do this without it literally killing me.

After a year not working, I ran out of my savings, and decided to apply for jobs again, and now I'm at Kiewit. I thought things would be better here because the culture is so different and so supportive. Everyone is always available to help and answer questions, and I never feel like I have to figure things out alone. I haven't cried at all at this job, so that's a win right! But... I still feel like I have no capacity left for the constant learning. My brain is so tired. Every single day something brand new is thrown at me and I have to start from ground zero again learning all the ins and outs of the procedures. It leaves me no room to work on my hobbies at home (I love reading and writing and making art but my brain can't process anything after everything it has to do at work), and it makes it harder for me to socialize too because I'm just so exhausted by the end of the day. This work is taking my life away from me. I can't do it anymore. I just can't.

So... I've determined what I need is a (practically) mindless job that I can autopilot. Data entry, document control, and scheduling/admin are some things that come to mind. I also saw another Reddit post someone shared of transitioning from engineering to radiology because it's still high paying but not so mentally taxing, but that would require more schooling first. I just can't handle learning new things all the time. I want to learn my job and then repeat the same thing every day without any change. Does anyone have any recommendations on other types of jobs that fit that, that I could easily transition to from Power Generation Mechanical Engineering, without too much of a pay cut? Or are there any other engineering industries that aren't so intense like this?

I am a highschool graduate and probably will start college this year. I am eyeing mechanical engineering as i like Physics; Computer Science as it's rewarding RN (but declining); and circuital branches as it's a mid ground [tho not much interested but parents think interest can be developed]

We are seeing AI taking over almost at every field. What are your thoughts on the demand of mechanical engineers in near future [5-6 years]?? Is it worth pursuing and investing in it? What are the points to keep in mind?

Also are there any specific countries which will provide a convincing amount to mech. engineers? so that i can target that countries for post-grad school or job placement?

I’m designing an automated sliding door system for a small lab. The requirements are a quiet operation (under 40 dB), smooth acceleration and deceleration, a door weight of about 45 kg, a travel distance of 1.2 m, and reliable soft-start and soft-stop control. I’ve tested a brushed DC motor, but it is too noisy. A stepper motor gives jerky motion at low speeds, and a cheap BLDC motor produces inconsistent torque at startup.

I’m now considering either a BLDC motor with encoder feedback or a servo motor system. My main concern is achieving smooth motion without overshoot, vibration, or instability.

I’m controlling a 12V brushed DC motor using a PWM controller at 10 kHz. At low and high duty cycles, the motor behaves normally, but between roughly 40–70% duty cycles I get noticeable speed fluctuations. The setup includes a 12V brushed DC motor rated at 3A, a PWM controller running at 10 kHz, no feedback loop (open-loop control), and a small centrifugal pump as the load. The issue shows up as audible oscillations in speed and inconsistent pump flow, although the motor temperature remains stable.
I suspect it could be related to PWM frequency choice, interaction with motor inductance, or instability in the load torque.

I'm a slow, skeptical, millennial mechanical engineer (consumer electronics) trying to make sense of what AI tools are actually useful (and accurate) to make my job and life easier (and better). I'm interested in building an active community of MEs who are exploring AI and want to learn from one another. What's working for you these days and what isn't?

One slightly useful thing I've been messing around with is building a quick image processing agent that I can paste my CAD screenshots into and it will quickly edit them into a consistent and simplified visual style. Great for sharing in a large chat thread, working deck or formal document. No more ugly and random body colors or weird backgrounds. A nice step up for this wannabe ID guy who never took the time to learn Keyshot.

I also am really stoked about feeling like I can actually program micro controllers for personal projects and prototypes without feeling like a complete idiot.

Full disclosure - my username references a placeholder site I'm building where I am personally trying different tools and workflows and documenting my experience to share. I'm not a company or a start up here to soak up your brain juice and become a billionaire. Please believe me, fellow kids.

Hello,
I will start studying mechanical engineering this coming autumn. What are the best laptops for around 500 euro?

Thank you

I am working on a project that requires 304 stainless steel coils, 0.8mm thick. We usually buy from domestic mills but the cost is high and price is rising each day. Management wants me to explore suppliers on Alibaba and other marketplaces like amazon and eBay. I am trying to figure out how to verify quality before placing a large order. Do you trust mill test certificates from Chinese suppliers and also what specific mechanical properties should I focus on for a stamping application? Yield strength and elongation are critical for our dies. Has anyone here sourced stainless coils from overseas successfully? What was your process for qualifying a new supplier?

Hey everyone,

I’m graduating soon with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and I recently received an offer for a Project Engineer role at a construction company. I’m trying to think carefully about whether this is a smart first career move or whether it could make it harder to move into traditional mechanical/design engineering later.

A few details:

The offer is $75k, which feels strong for my area and experience level. The location is a great fit for me, and I had a very positive interview with the team. The company seems to be growing, and they told me I would have a lot of responsibility early on. I would be working closely under leadership, and it sounds like there is real opportunity to grow with the company.

My concern is that the role seems much more construction/project-management focused than traditional mechanical engineering. The responsibilities include estimating, budgeting, project oversight, operations, crew support, safety, and coordination. There may be some drawing/spec review, coordination with outside engineers, and possibly some MEP exposure over time, but the company does not currently have mechanical/MEP work in-house. I also do not expect this role to provide direct PE experience under a licensed mechanical engineer.

My long-term interests have mostly been in mechanical design, CAD, technical problem-solving, and potentially pursuing the FE/EIT/PE path. I’m worried that if I start in construction project engineering, I may get moved away from the technical/design side too early and have a harder time transitioning into a mechanical design role later.

At the same time, this seems like a really strong opportunity from a leadership, responsibility, and company-growth standpoint. I also realize that a first job does not define an entire career, and project engineering experience could still build valuable skills.

For those of you in mechanical engineering, construction, MEP, or project engineering:

Would starting in a construction Project Engineer role make it significantly harder to move into mechanical design later?

How transferable is construction project engineering experience to mechanical/design engineering roles?

If I took this role for 1–2 years, would I still be a realistic candidate for entry-level or early-career mechanical design roles afterward?

Are there specific skills I should maintain or build on the side if I take this job but want to keep the design/mechanical path open?

I’m not looking for anyone to make the decision for me — just trying to hear from people who have seen this career path or made a similar move.

Thanks in advance.

Hi people,

I have an interview for a tire construction engineer role in a couple of days.

Can someone guide me what all I would need to focus on as I haven't worked in this industry and the job description doesn't give away much.

I would like to spend most time in what matters the most so any help would be appreciated.