r/industrialengineering

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share a free Excel tool I've developed called AirChange Basic.

I built it during my third-year mechanical engineering placement, where I worked as an HVAC commissioning engineer in a hospital.
I found myself repeatedly calculating air changes per hour, so I decided to make a simple tool to speed things up and reduce mistakes on site.

The goal of AirChange Basic is to make those calculations quicker and easier for any fellow engineers, technicians or interns carrying out air balancing.

I've put together a short 2.5-minute video showing how it works, and the Excel calculator is completely free to download and use.

I'd really appreciate any feedback from people working in the industry.
If you notice any bugs or have ideas for improvements, please let me know, I'd love to keep improving it.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DXwCMwLjzI&t=4s

Download: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1D1sDe00XOWzkK4ajbiLy6KfxLS1esML_

Thanks, and I hope some of you find it useful!

https://preview.redd.it/35f3q2fwrhbh1.png?width=1852&format=png&auto=webp&s=b37d3175c3736a11a8743fc8cbc9fdaefd62ab2c

Hi all. I am a rising senior majoring in physics but I am potentially interested in pursuing a master's in industrial engineering. Is this achievable? Is it worth it, will it be hard to find a job related to IE given that path? Will I be able to find opportunities in graduate school to further explore different areas of the field? Is it possible to get into a good master's program for IE given my major? I know I just asked a lot of questions, but any advice or helpful information would be greatly appreciated!

Hey everyone,

I'm an industrial engineering student graduating soon, and I've been thinking a lot about what direction I want to take after school.

So far, I've completed an internship in continuous improvement, and I'm currently doing another one in production supervision. Both have been great experiences, but they've also made me realize that what I enjoy the most is managing projects—coordinating different teams, solving problems, planning, and making sure things move forward.

I'm wondering if project management is a good career path for a new industrial engineering graduate. Is it realistic to land a project management (or project coordinator) role right out of school, or do most people need several years of experience first?

For those of you who went into project management with an industrial engineering background:

• How did you get your first PM-related role?
• Do you enjoy the work?
• Are there industries that are better for starting out (manufacturing, construction, consulting, aerospace, etc.)?
• Is there anything you wish you had done while still in school to make the transition easier?

I'd love to hear about your experiences and any advice you have. Thanks!

im majoring in ISE and was looking for some tips as a upcoming freshman trying to land an internship as an ISE student. i did the green belt lean six sigma certification from MSI (which i know isnt as recognized as ASQ but is a start) to try to up my resume. i have a small business certification and some projects ive done throughout HS through engineering courses that are recognized by my state. i have my associates degree and im currently trying to rewrite my resume to make me stand apart from other student competitors. There are a couple others that I can include in my resume that I’m currently rewriting. I’ve been doing internship searching on LinkedIn so far.

ive done an internship as a data analysis intern previously during HS at my current college, and overall im just asking for tips on how i can stand apart from other students apply to internships. Should i start applying now, do i go more local or more competitive? How can I stand out in interviews too? Any tips at all would help.

Thanks!

For some context, my schools industrial engineering program does the first two years the exact same as mechanical. So I already took courses like thermodynamics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, etc. I have not don’t any actual industrial Eng related courses , they will begin in my third and fourth years. I have had no engineering related internships or projects. I know I’m behind but I really want to start gaining some experience before I graduate in two years. I’m looking to do some projects over the summer but have no clue on what they look like. Can you guys give me some recommendations on where to begin? Thank you so much in advance.

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I'm 18, from Nepal. I finished high school with a 3.12 GPA, and I've got a dream that feels both exciting and terrifying: I want to move to Sydney and study Industrial Engineering.

My sister lives there, so I'll have a place to stay and won't be drowning in rent while I study. That's a huge weight off my shoulders, and I know how lucky I am. My family is using nearly everything they have to send me, and I'll be working as much as I'm legally allowed to help keep things afloat.

My dad thinks I'm making a mistake. He says Industrial Engineering isn't a real career, that it'll be replaced by AI within a decade, and that anyone could do what I'd be trained to do. He wants me to study nursing instead—safer, more stable, a clearer path to staying in Australia.

But I believe IE is what I was made for. It's not just about machines. It's about systems, problem-solving, working with people, and making things better. It feels like a perfect match for how my brain works.

Still, I'm scared. I'm not just picking a degree. I'm betting my family's future on this. I need to know if this is real or if I'm just seeing what I want to see.

I'm not asking for career advice from a textbook. I want to hear from real people. Australian people

1. What do you actually think of Industrial Engineering? Is it respected? Is it real? Is there work?

2. Will AI actually take over this kind of work, or is the field changing in ways I can adapt to?

3. As an international student, am I going to spend years studying only to find out no one will hire me?

4. If it all goes wrong, what's my backup plan? Is there a way to stay and make it work?

I know I'm not entitled to anything. I just want to know if this is a path worth walking.

Thanks for reading. If you've been where I am or if you've seen someone like me try and fail or succeed. I'd love to hear from anyone who has the slightest idea about this.

Good day everyone,

Hope you guys are doing well.

UPDATE: Thanks for the supportive comments on my last post! I actually just got invited to a formal interview this coming Tuesday.

This is for the Junior Industrial Engineering position at a fast-paced, heavy machinery steel manufacturing company.

Since this follows the initial 15-minute screening, how should I prepare for this specific type of interview? I would love any tips on what to expect, common technical questions for steel manufacturing, or how to stand out.

Eight years into my manufacturing career and I'm still trying to figure out which box I fit in.

I started as a CNC machinist on aerospace components. Became lead machinist by asking why we did things a certain way and building a better fixture. Moved into process engineering. Taught myself Python because our production tracking lived in spreadsheets that were one person leaving away from total collapse. Built a custom analytics platform that operators now run themselves. Designed and machined fixtures still running in production today. Run time studies, capacity planning, ergonomics work.

The job market wants to know: are you a Manufacturing Engineer, an IE, a Data Analyst, or a Machinist?

I'm all four simultaneously and it creates a genuinely weird situation when applying for jobs. Too much for entry level. Wrong credential for senior. Builds software but not a software engineer. Does floor work but not just a machinist.

I've had recruiters find me specifically because of the combination — Python plus cost reductions in the same profile apparently stands out. I've also had applications disappear because nothing matched the expected template cleanly.

Curious if others have navigated this. Did you pick a lane eventually? Did the right company find you? Or are you still figuring it out too?

hi! i am currently a first-year civil engineering student and i am thinking about shifting to Industrial Engineering. i’m still trying to figure out if it’s the right choice, so I wanted to hear from people who are actually studying or working as Industrial Engineers.

A few questions:

• What’s your typical day like at work?
• What do you enjoy the most about your job?
• What’s the most stressful or difficult part?
• Do you feel like you have a good work-life balance?
• If you could go back, would you still choose Industrial Engineering? Why or why not?
• Do you think it’s worth shifting from Civil Engineering if I’m more interested in statistics, data analysis, business, and improving systems than construction?

I’m not looking for people to decide for me, I just want to hear real experiences so I can make a more informed decision.

Thanks in advance! I really appreciate any advice.

Hi seniors and graduates i completed my 12th looking for btech I search industrial engineering in Google i didn't get to know properly anyone please example clearly what is it??? What are job roles??? Skills needed????

Is it simple to bba????

Also suggest specific models please

What skills should I work on as an industrial engineering student?

Here's the job posting

You'll be working directly in my team.

The caveat is it's in the middle of nowhere, it will be very intense with very little on-boarding, and also we won't be sponsoring anyone for a work visa if you live outside the US

If you have any questions or want me to review your resume and refer you (if you're a great candidate) please let me know. I'm in desperate need of help and have very little bandwidth for more projects so if you could move quickly (within 2 months) please, I'm begging you, reach out to me and apply

I'm currently pursuing IE but have been super interested with AI and Semiconductor opportunities. Is it possible to land roles in this that are more technical at least early on in my career or would switching back to ECE be more worth my time.

I’ve just finished my second year in Industrial Engineering and I’m currently doing my summer internship. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’m learning at school. I know that every university has a different curriculum, but I can’t help feeling like almost nothing I’ve learned so far will actually be useful in my future career. Maybe that’s because I’m still an intern and I’ve only completed my second year, but during my internship I’m barely using any of the knowledge I gained at university. I’m currently doing time studies and will soon be working on process charts, but honestly, it feels like I wouldn’t even need a degree to do these tasks.
A lot of what we learn at university feels like either manually performing calculations that can already be done automatically with software, or learning procedures that almost anyone could carry out if they were simply given clear instructions. It makes me wonder whether anything I’ve learned so far will actually be useful once I start working full-time.
Sometimes I think that when I graduate and start my career, I’ll still be starting from zero. If that’s the case, what is the value of the degree right now? Why spend four years studying if I’m going to learn everything from scratch on the job anyway?
Or is this just because I’ve only completed two years? Does the education become much more relevant once I start taking more specialized and elective courses? I’m honestly quite confused about all of this

hello, incoming freshman bsie here! do i need to buy a gaming laptop for autocad agad in 1st year? i still have a laptop, an acer travelmate p214-52 (5 years old) with these specs:

- processor: intel(r) core(tm) i5-10210u cpu 1.60ghz
- ram: 8gb (upgradeable up to 32gb)
- graphics card: 128mb
- storage: 1.14tb (256gb ssd + 938gb hdd)

i’m wondering if i can survive my 1st year and even 2nd year as an ie student with this device since buying a gaming laptop is out of my budget right now. i’m planning to upgrade the ram to 16gb or 32gb and just use our school’s computer lab for heavier tasks if needed.

also, if i decide to buy a new laptop in the future, can you  suggest some laptops that would be good for industrial engineering? thank you!

One sector of IE that I never knew much about is hospital systems/operations, and i'd love to hear anyone who has experience in this field. Whats the work like (day to day tasks)? Is it data analytics heavy? Pros/Cons? Any tips to IE students who want to pursue this path? Is the demand going to grow in the next 4 years?

im an incoming IE 1st yr student with a minor in cs, i'm considering buying a device that'll help me out in the first year in terms of reviews, note-taking, etc. i'm considering between an ipad first (for notes), but also go straight to a macbook/laptop instead (for future cs minor subjects/possible design subjects in yrs 3-4). i'm leaning more towards the ipad for portable studying/notetaking, but i'm worried about needing to have something on the go for possible cs subjects like a decent laptop. i have a pretty capable windows pc at home, but i'm worried there will be subjects that might require having your own laptop ready, and i can only have one at the moment. what would be better during the first year?

I am a rising sophomore studying industrial engineering and am interested in doing a LSS yellow belt certification this summer to learn and to also stand out when applying to internships/research. It was hard to find a free LSS yellow belt certification but I did find this one website and the course seems pretty helpful. I know that since it is free that probably means its credibility isn't the greatest but should I still do it so that I can learn something and put it on my resume?