Engineer to mechanical designer>>. Is it engineers sui

Design Discussions design employment
1

Hi to all the wise and worldy people some words of advice please!?

I have been offered a role as a mechanical designer.

Is it silly to go and take a role as a mechanical designer when I have 3-4 years of experience as an engineer. I

Yes for a while now I have been considering doing a course in ID as the roels that I seem to get as an engineer tend to be tidying up other engineer creations (messes).

Unfortunatly all the ID courses are full time I want to work at the same time.

The creative stuff appeals to me when i can use the science also.

the company is a is in the transport industry in australia.

I went to study engineering in college thinking that the science sums and design would be part of the real world, sadly its lacking alot.

help

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Is it silly to go and take a role as a mechanical designer when I have 3-4 years of experience as an engineer

You didn’t mention whether you are currently employed.

If you are not, it depends. Ya wanna eat? You’ve probably noticed the global economy trying to turn itself inside out.

A “mechanical designer”, per se, is not an Industrial Designer, although a lot of IDs certainly do “mechanical design”.

You can work on re-designing yourself while you’re getting paid a salary.

This strategy would work if you are currently employed as an engineer.

Salary-wise, why take a step backwards?

3

I am currently employ as a contractor to the same company.
As an engineer. The salary decrease as I dont have experience in the software package of interest Catia.

I would like to stay the same pay level but is not salary always lower than contract rates.

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I’m not sure I underastand you correctly; you are currently working as an engineer under contract to a company, and this company has extended an offer of full-time employment to you, as a mechanical designer, because you are not proficient in CATIA? My confusion may be because in the States, the position of “Engineer” is usually higher paying than that of “Mechanical Designer”.

Contractor rates generally are above “employee” rates with good reason. Why? Because the expense of taking care of taxes, bookkeeping, insurance, retirement plan, etc. for a full-time employee is removed from the company, and passed on to you.

But remember, as a contractor you are essentially living paycheck to paycheck and bearing the expense of being in business for yourself. I should think that the benefit package alone would justify becoming a full-time employee, even at a reduced salary level.

CATIA is a high-end ($$$) software package. It is seldom used in Industrial Design unless you are working in the transportation industry (automotive, aerospace, heavy equipment, marine engineering, etc.). Since the company you are working for is in the transportation field, and you have the opportunity to learn it, while drawing a salary, I would suggest that you do so.

It will add significantly to your portfolio/resume regardless of the job title you are seeking.

In the meantime, keep looking for some Industrial Design training.

5

I am employed as mechanical engineer at the minute. The role is a mechanical designer role. Less money by about 10k apperentle. The industry is in Rail