How to Become a Mechanical Engineer

About Mechanical Engineer

A mechanical engineer is the one who deals with the designing and construction of machines. Constructing a cost-effective machine and doing relevant and related modifications in the mechanism is the sole aim of a mechanical engineer. Mechanical engineers produce machines keeping in mind the designing, testing, and development of the theoretical representation drawn for the purpose of construction. The automobile industry, construction companies, and other manufacturing industries hire mechanical engineers. There is also a wide range of linked job profiles for mechanical engineers that includes automation, aerospace engineers, control, instrumentation specialist, and maintenance specialist. To become a mechanical engineer, knowledge of Physics, Applied Engineering and Mathematics is a must. A good understanding of these subjects and requisite skills collectively make a mechanical engineer.

Eligibility to become Mechanical Engineer

• Candidates should have passed 10+2 from a recognised institution with PCM (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) as major subjects.

• A minimum of 55% marks in 10+2 or equivalent is compulsory (relaxation rules apply for different categories and varies from college to college) for taking admission in undergraduate and diploma courses of mechanical engineering.

• For admission in M.Tech in Mechanical Engineering course, candidates must have a passing certificate of graduation level with a minimum aggregate of 50% in the required field.

• A valid passing scorecard of any of the required entrance exams is compulsory for admission in undergraduate, diploma, postgraduate and Ph.D. programmes.

Types of Job Roles Mechanical Engineer

After attaining the required educational qualification to become a mechanical engineer, there are a number of profiles that you can take up. Based on your choice and interest, you can select a job profile that comes under the umbrella of mechanical engineering. Since mechanical engineering is a broad field, you can explore the following job options.

• Aerospace Engineer:  It is a profile that deals with the maintenance and manufacturing of aircraft and airports keeping in consideration the technical aspects involved.

• Maintenance Engineer: The role of a maintenance engineer is to keep a check of the functioning of the machines and equipment. To check the continuous running of the machinery and equipment, maintenance engineers are hired.

• Automotive Engineer: Designing and development of mechanical components and machines related to automobiles is the functionality of an automotive engineer. An automotive engineer typically focuses on research and development, design and production.

• Control and Instrumentation Engineer: Often referred as C&I Engineer, these are professionals that deal with the designing, development, installation, management, and maintenance of equipment that are used for monitoring and controlling machines and systems involved in the work of engineering.      

• Contracting Civil Engineer: A contracting civil engineer is the one who deals with the consultancy involved in the field of construction and designing of projects like buildings, highway construction, dams and canals construction, etc. They are responsible for checking the ongoing on-site construction and work in conjunction with consulting engineers.

• Nuclear Engineer: These engineers provide with technical support to the nuclear power stations. Their role is to design, build, run or dismantle the machinery of the nuclear power station. A nuclear engineer can be a reactor operator, process engineer, quality engineer, project manager or instrumentation and control engineer.

• Mechanical Engineer: A mainstream job profile framed for the designing, crafting, developing, maintaining and managing various machines and equipment are covered by the mechanical engineers. The job profiles for mechanical engineers ranges from designing, production, analysis, and testing to installation, maintenance, and structural engineering.

Employment Sector/Industry for Mechanical Engineer

There are a number of employment opportunities for mechanical engineers available in the market. It is the choice and preference of the candidate to choose a particular sector. Given below is a the list of employment opportunities in different sectors that can be considered by the candidates:

• Aerospace Industries

• Automotive Industries

• Construction and Building Services

• Indian Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence

• Manufacturing Industries

• Engineering Consultancies

• Energy Utilities

• Government Agencies

• Biomedical Industries

Top Recruiting Companies for Mechanical Engineers

Let’s take a look at some of the leading companies where the aspirants of mechanical engineering can find good job opportunities.

• Honda Siel Car Division

• Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)

• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)

• Tata Group

• National Aluminium Company Ltd. (NALCO)

• Larsen & Toubro (L&T)

• BOSCH India

• Coal India Limited (CIL)

• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC)

• Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)

• Thyssen Krupp

• Godrej Group

• Thermax

• Siemens

• Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)

Pay Scale/Salary of Mechanical Engineer

A mechanical engineer's salary depends upon his/her educational and professional qualifications as well as skill set. The salary scale may increase or decrease as per the exposure and experience a candidate has. Mentioned-below are salary figures for different types of mechanical engineers:

Note: The above figures are an estimate and may vary from individual to individual and company to company.

Books & Study Material to Become Mechanical Engineer

If you are planning to get admission in a good and reputed institution for studying mechanical engineering, then you will have to strive hard to score excellent marks in the entrance exams. Some of the popular entrance exams are JEE Advanced, JEE Main, BITSAT, VITEEE, COMEDK, etc. Once you crack the exam and enter into a good institution, it will open doors to a number of job opportunities in the field of mechanical engineering. However, cracking the entry-level examinations is possible only when you have study from the best sources available online and offline. Study material such as books, sample papers, and previous years' question papers can be extremely helpful during entrance exam preparation. Check the following list of books and study material that you must have for the preparation of these exams!

• GATE Mechanical Engineering - 23 Year's Chapter - Wise Solved Papers (1996 - 2018) 2019 2019 Edition by GKP

• Understanding Physics for JEE Main and Advanced Mechanics by D.C Pandey

• Mechanical Engineering - 4400 MCQs for ESE, GATE & PSUs (Fully Solved) by Made Easy Editorial Board

• Mechanical Engineering by R S KHURMI, J K GUPTA

• A Handbook for Mechanical Engineering by Made Easy Publications

• Theory of Machines by S.S. Rattan

Pros of becoming a Mechanical Engineer

• It is one of the most interesting courses designed for aspirants to learn all about the construction and development of machines.

• There is great scope for learning and growing within this field.

• It allows candidates to get a good job with a decent pay scale straight after graduation.

• There is a huge scope of employment for both entry-level and experienced candidates.

• There are more than 4000 institutions across India that offer mechanical engineering programmes.

Cons of becoming a Mechanical Engineer

• Since the level of technicalities is high, mastering subjects can be a tough task.

• Candidates need to be updated and handy with new technologies to bring in improvement and development in their work.

• It is a field that can be stressful at times, especially when dealing with equipment and structures.

• The workload cannot be defined, as it could significantly increase or decrease as per the requirement.

Career path for Mechanical Engineer

In order to become a mechanical engineer, an aspirant must have some designated educational qualifications at the graduation level. One has to study the specified subjects in their class 12 that will determine their career as a mechanical engineer.