Fellow ME looking at filling a more ID oriented role here.
Going into university I debated between the two and ended up in ME. Part of it was my upbringing, do the hard thing, it’ll be more rewarding. Also, before being in that field, it’s hard to understand where ID ends and ME begins. Anyhow, I’ve been out of school for 5 years now. I’ve spent 2 of those in a small NPD consulting firm and have been at a custom playground company for the last 3. I’ve been lucky to fill roles where I am involved in defining what the product is and what it’ll look like on top of being on the R&D side driving some of the technologies we’ve been using forward.
With that said, I was torn for a long time. I spent a lot of my free time trying to build up an ID portfolio hoping to switch over. But I’m realizing that was kind of in vain. The truth is I’m much less valuable to a company as an ID than an ME. 4 years of schooling is a lot of lectures to attend but it’s a lot of practice time. Your experience may allow you to cut some of that but it’s a tough climb to get a competitive portfolio together.
While I’m now giving up on a pure ID role, it’s not all bad. I learned to sketch half decently. As yo puts it, it’s often a super power to direct a discussion. My rendering and presentation skills have also proven useful in these in-between roles I find myself in. Expanding my repertoire of design, architecture and art references is also handy to draw from. I also enjoyed putting that time in my passion, no regrets here.
As others have mentioned, try to find these in-between roles. Not only will it scratch that itch for you, I think you can be a super valuable asset. Roles like being in a design consultancy, an NPD team, or simply in a company that allows you to shine as an ME that actually gets and appreciates ID. These are unfortunately hard to find roles. I’d look at your network and maybe at meeting new people that can vouch for you for these kinds of roles.
You mentioned having an entrepreneurial spirit. Joining or founding a start-up could be great for you. In the last few months I’ve had acquaintances consider me as an early employee/cofounder because of my wide breadth of experience and interests. As I was mentioning, go out there and meet people. Maybe consider doing collab portfolio work with some ID folks with the agreement that you’ll get some input and gain some experience in that field. Are you on instagram?
Again, as others have mentioned, product management could also be up your alley. Microsoft’s Panos Panay comes to mind as a possible inspiration. He started in ME but veered towards product management roles by doing an MBA. He managed to build a strong brand and was a key part of turning MS’ image around. He empowered his designers to bring new computing concepts to the shelves. He also put what I assume to be his “mechanical” fingerprint with the advancements in hinges and fabrics.
To finish my personal story, I’ve been concentrating on Computational Design lately. It’s a nice intersection between my interests and skills and also super motivating as it’s quite nascent. I’ve been putting together a portfolio and considering a Masters degree if I can’t land a dedicated role in the mid-term.