One of the beauties of the English language is the multiple meanings one can ascribe to words. Careering is one such word. In one sense, careering can be defined as the training and preparation for a lifelong calling. In another, it means rushing at full speed down a given course. Pursuing mechatronics as a career discipline should propel its adherents down this dual road into a promising future.
Over a 25-year career in executive search – much of it focused on engineering – I have witnessed many people backing into their life’s work through accident or misadventure. Whether trained in a university or trade school, many people train for one profession and find themselves in another. Technical disciplines such as engineering provide the means to pursue a variety of career paths, but few veer into the kind of non-sequitur calling that a liberal arts degree often confers. I know. I apply my philosophy focus into the field of headhunting.
Design engineers, process engineers and manufacturing engineers may be EEs, MEs, IEs or PEs but all lend technical expertise to an end product. Blending these disciplines can add additional value to product development and create project teams that can truly create synergy in product development. Often, in the design process, the engineering contributors are fixed upon their individual expertise and fail to consider the electrical, mechanical, software or ergonomic aspects of the end product. One schooled in mechatronics can effect communications between the disparate silos helping each team contribute more effectively toward the whole.
Going forward (at whatever speed), I want to speak with you about your career. In the Mechatronics Zone we can discuss how your background and training contribute to a meaningful life and the development of vital products in our modern world. We will talk about interviewing, resumes, the workplace and a variety of everyday mysteries. Let me hear from you! Contact me at: jack.o’brien@na.manpower.com.
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