huangyhg

switching engineering fields?, looking for advice
i am contemplating changing to another industry and would like some of your thoughts on my situation. i graduated in 2001 with a b.s. in composite materials engineering and have passed my states engineering in training test (general category). i have worked as a liaison engineer for a general aviation aircraft manufacturer and also with a commercial airline (which i鈥檓 currently employed by). as a liaison engineer i have dealt with designing repairs to aircraft structure (metallic & composite) and have found it to be a rewarding position. alas with the state of the airline industry and the current strategy of the company i will no longer be able to perform any structural repair work. i will instead be required to 鈥渙versee鈥?those who will be performing such calculations.
therefore i would like to obtain a job in the civil industry doing structural analysis of buildings, bridges, or any other type of structure. all of the jobs posted for these positions that i have reviewed require a degree in civil engineering with structural emphases or mechanical engineering and also experience to boot. so;
1. will companies hire someone such as my self without any experience or specific education in the civil field?
2. do i need to go back to school to obtain either a civil or mechanical engineering degree?
3. do i try to get my foot in the door by accepting a technician鈥檚 position and working my way up the ladder?
4. or is there another option that i am not seeing?
i know that each company is different but i am looking for an overall perspective. thanks in advance for your replies.
regards,
mnliaison
one option is getting an ms in ce rather than getting a second bachelor's degree. i re
"i will no longer be able to perform any structural repair work. i will instead be required to 鈥渙versee鈥?those who will be performing such calculations. "
um, you might not like the sound of the job, but that's a promotion!
cheers
greg locock
i worked for approximately 15 years designing machines as a mechanical engineer. decided to return to school and get a degree in structural engineering because i thought that type of engineering was more "creative" than mechanical engineering. after 10 years in structural engineering, i realized the grass isn't any greener elsewhere. as i look back, it seems that there is more acceptance for "creativity" in mechanical engineering than structural engineering. in my opinion, trying new things in the structural engineering world means people have to try something untested which they seem very reluctant to do because the overall scale of the building is larger than a gas compressor, printing press or transmission (which is what i worked on). just my thoughts, for whatever they are worth.
try looking at firms that design structural items with composite materials. there's a demand for competent composite materials engineers. a couple are:

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