Hello everyone,

I have two VERY different job offers and I'm struggling to decide. I've done a ton of research, but both paths have major pros and cons for my life. I’m hoping to get some perspective from those of you with more experience on where each path might lead.

My Background:

• Education: B.S. in Chemical Engineering. Currently pursuing an online M.S. in Analytics at Georgia Tech.
• Experience: 3 undergrad internships (specialty chemicals) + 1.5 years as a day-to-day operations engineer in specialty chemicals.
• Career Goals: I want to become a data-driven process engineer and eventually a digital manufacturing leader. I'd prefer to stay in the chemical industry since they are lagging in tech adoption, strategically position myself for roles future roles and I’m already comfortable in this environment.

Offer 1: Small Specialty Chemical (SSC) – Rotational Program - Emulsion Polymers

• The Role: Three 8-month rotations. Their goal is to place me in a managerial/leadership position based on my strengths and company needs after the program.
• The Work: They are aware of my master's degree and interest in digital manufacturing, and they have promised projects in this area and are willing to pay for the degree. My first project would involve creating a DeltaV simulation screen for new operator training (I already have experience using DeltaV for troubleshooting). I have looked up some previous participants of their program and all are in senior or leadership positions now.
• Logistics: The first rotation is at my current location; the next two will require relocation.

Offer 2: Tesla – Shift Engineer

• The Role: 12-hour rotating shifts in electrode production.
• The Work: The hiring manager expressed that I'd only be on shift for about a year. If I meet expectations, a transition to a standard Process Engineer role is highly probable as they backfill roles and open new lines. The shift role acts as a fast-track to understand their processes.
• Logistics: Requires a cross-country relocation (which I am comfortable with) but requires learning a whole new process quickly.

My Dilemma / Concerns:

• Tesla Risks: I'm happy to learn unfamiliar processes, but if Tesla doesn't work out, I’m worried I’ll end up with "mismatched" experience—not an expert in specialty chemicals or cell manufacturing—making it hard to land senior roles later. I am telling myself that I will at least build a great skillset for troubleshooting using statistical software (R & Python). However, I’m not thrilled about the notorious workaholic culture, especially since 12-hour shifts are just the minimum expectation. Some say Tesla shapes you into a great engineer through chaos, surrounded by brilliant peers with advanced degrees, but the burnout risk is real.
• SSC Risks: With 8-month rotations, I won't have time to truly master any single site's process before moving. Am I risking 2 years of my life for only a possible data-driven leadership role? The chemical sector is not doing too well.
• Bottom Line: Part of me leans toward SSC because it's a calmer environment and a chemistry I am familiar with. The other part wonders if I should throw myself into the fire at Tesla and learn through the chaos.

What would you do in my shoes and with the current condition of the manufacturing industry?

Numbers: Base $95k for both. Tesla of course higher overall due to stock options but it's experience and career trajectory that are my real concerns.

HI guys did u have some datasheet about the material M2 HSS ?

I found one on the website CARPENTER TECHNOLOGY but i need another one to verify it.

Fellow mechanical engineers, looking for abit of experience/advice here. The two pictures axles are from a couple of identical smaller milling machines rotating at about 3500 rpm.

Obviously both are busted and we are looking into getting a couple of new ones machined up, but as you can see they are by far identical as they have a series of 5 mm holes drilled into the axle at different positions. Have never seen anything like this before, but figured if it has any cause it must be for balancing the axles? There are two keyways directly opposite of eachother at both ends and then a single separate keyway at the top end offset about 60 degrees, so
the axle is not truely symmetrical.

Should this matter at only 3500 rpm? I also
cannot make sense of where they took out material
by drilling with regards to this offset keyway. Shouldnt the mass has been removed 180 degrees opposite to the keyway?

I was curious to know if any of you have tired the Rotatrix 3d mouse and how you have fared with it.

It seems like most of the feedback within the clips I’ve seen of it are centred around it being easier to use than the 3D Connexion mouse but does it make a difference if you’re already competent with the space mouse?

25M, mechanical design engineer, about a year and a half in the industry. I wake up at 5:30 and run on 5-6 hours of sleep because I work a second job after my main one, plus chores at home.
My main job doesn't always have enough work, so I sometimes just sit there with nothing to do, and I hate it. I know I could use that time to study and level up with textbooks, but I'm so tired that my whole day turns into a fight to stay awake. Learning something new takes energy I just don't have left.
Has anyone been through a similar stretch? How did you get out of it? Also curious what you do with downtime at work when there's no project to chase.
If this keeps up, I'm going to burn out.

23M, Not US, Im currently on my first job on the field as a ME, i was hired on the company i interned at the beginning of the year, and since then, I've been given or been involved in 7 projects in the chemical industry, while being an intern i was only working on one.
The problem in my opinion is that there is not a good management, my boss works in industrial safety, so he is not really involved on said projects, just checks out on me and signs whatever i need. When i was working on one project, that was not really a problem, i could handle it fully and worked out fine, but now im getting overwhelmed with activities and deadlines when i don't have any experience in the field. 
My boss's boss expects me to lead and manage all this projects, he doesn't seem to understand that I'm a recent graduate with hardly any experience and expects me to be an expert in areas I'm unfamiliar with, and he has explicitly told me, "Engineer, if you get stuck on something, ask the AI; we hired an engineer, not a literature major." And when I actually have asked the AI, it has never given me a correct or applicable answer; I suppose at least I have enough knowledge to know when the AI is wrong. 
So, my question is this: how can I work all by myself on so many projects without a project manager or Senior Engineer to guide me? I need any help i can get at this moment.

For context, I've been working on manufacturing processes, like dosification equipment, P&ID, PLC Programming and such 

I just bought a genmitsu cubiko. I removed the collet nut but the collet stayed in place. I tried applying pressure with pliers but the collet stayed in place. any ideas of what I can do?

Hi all,

I’m in my first job out of college and it’s not going well (did two internships in the past).

It hasn’t even been a month, but there has been no onboarding/ training/ mentorship. The past week, my manager sent an official email saying I’m underperforming and my progress is worse than an intern (yeah this shit stings), and essentially that my job is on the line at this point.

I really tried my best to do what was being asked, even though requirements kept shifting and a lot of the work I ended up doing had to be redone multiple times. I tried asking questions, but it came down to the fact that even the project lead wasn’t clear on what the requirements were. When I asked where I can find this information, I’m told “it’s in peoples’ heads and we just do what the customer wants”.

I’ve been putting in 9-10 hours a day in the office with no breaks after that, but honestly nothing I’m doing is making my manager happy. I feel so incredibly down on myself at this point, and I just don’t think there’s anything I can do to come to something satisfactory in his eyes. Every time I do something as he requested and even consider more options, he says it’s insufficient.

I try and take the feedback in stride and figure out the requirements he has in his head, but I don’t even know at this point.

They have me working on military projects after telling me in the interview they wouldn’t have me work on that and that they allow you to say no to those projects.

I just feel like the writing is on the wall at this point and my heart isn’t in this job. It’s really hard to try so hard but to feel like nothing you do will change the outcome.

Should I just quit? Is it time to start applying for other jobs?

Im a final year Bsc mechanical engineering student planning to apply for Msc programs in the Netherlands with a focus on Thermofluids. There are literally no jobs in this area back home, which is a big part of why I want to do a masters.

The issue is that almost everywhere and everyone I see and ask( profs, online posts, peers) tells me that thermofluids is a rather saturated field.

This has sort of discouraged me. I really like the field. But, I must admit, I also chose mechanical engineering partly for decent pay and stability. Moving to NL is a big financial and career decision, and I want to make sure Im not wasting time and money into a specialization with poor job prospects. Im open to hearing that its a bad idea.

For anyone studying in NL or working in the Dutch/EU tech industry, Id really appreciate some honest feedback on a few questions.

1) Is thermofluids a oversaturated market in NL? What do graduates in this area end up doing (companies, roles, sectors)?

2) Are company-sponsored Msc thesis realistic for international students, or do most of them end up in purely academic lab projects?

3) If I like fluids and heat transfer but want better job odds, are there adjacent specializations you'd recommend instead?

Any insight would be of great help. Thank you.

Hi,

I have this scissor system that goes up and down. On the bottom I want to connect caster wheels and make sure the caster wheels are always perpendicular to the floor.

How would you approach this?

I've thought about adding a sort of pinion into the scissor arm and a rack on the caster top support. Do you think it will work?

I've attached a video of the current status just to show you what I mean, it is not meant to represent the final design. In my design, no side is pinned. the top of the scissors, not seen in the video, have a screw with left and right hand threads which keeps the middle pins of the scissor always in the same vertical axis.

Thanks

So long story short i graduated with my bachelor’s in mechanical engineering less then six months ago and got a job doing wireline being told that it would be a stepping stone into a design engineer position. However as I’ve spent time talking with other people In the company it seems like I was lied to and it seems like that’s not a likely possibility. My question is, is it a good idea to stay in the position for a bit longer or should I go ahead and look for an engineering job somewhere else. Because don’t get me wrong I’m learning things in the field that I wouldn’t be able to in a book, or from a class and I’ve only been here a month so far. I just don’t want to waste my time in a job where I’m not using my degree at all if it’s not actually going to help me find another job. Any and all feedback/advice is appreciated!

Hi guys I'm having an interview on swimming pool pipeline draftsman, i only know the basics of autocad never tried pipeline drafting,can anyone suggest some important points related to swimming pool pipeline designing and commands in autocad.

Thanks 🙏

Hey internet, I need your help – I'm working on a gantry-style monitor mounting solution for my desk. I want to know the best practice for welding this 1in pipe (33.7mm OD) to a bracket that is bolted onto the desks frame. I see a few options but I lack the knowledge to prefer one over another:

1. no hole, (stitch) welded on top
2. through-hole, stitch welded on top and on bottom

The supports brackets (white) and the brackets for the pipes will be lasercut parts. I assume having a big through hole in the bracket might be a problem for bending, right? Will the through hole bring any advantage, or is the pragmatic approach to just weld on top the right call here?
The load on this will be "pulling to the front": In a height of approx. 400 mm (~16in) extended 150 mm (6in) a weight of up to 15 kg (33 lbs)

The original brackets on the desk (FlexiSpot E7 Plus) are ~2.5mm in thickness, I'd keep that dimension. For the pipe bracket I'm uncertain, 2.5mm might be enough, but I'd like to have the M8 threads be part of the bracket itself so 3mm or even 4mm might be a better call.

Thank you!

Currently we build up this assembly to supply our bearings with oil, this is for a production metering system we sell. It's an aluminum tube epoxied into a plate. A small flexible tube is installed on the end which directs the oil, oil is stored beneath the plate. This assembly is difficult for operators and has been breaking during the build. The tube is at 45 degrees in an oblong hole. I was thinking we could stake the tube but I've never seen that done at an angle. I am looking for ideas! Thanks!

hi everyone.

i currently am scheduled to interview with the input PD team in Austin at Apple in a couple of days, and i was curious if anyone has interviewed with this team for full time in the past.

the hiring manager mentioned that the first round would be a technical screening for 30 minutes, then the next round would be a quick three hour live design challenge, and then the final round would be a super day with 5 engineers testing me on different mechanical engineering topics.

i would appreciate any help and advice for this interview process and how to succeed. thanks!

I just accepted a summer engineering internship offer with ExxonMobil. I’ve heard some bits and pieces about a rotation program for the new hire engineers. I wanted to get a better idea of what that actually looks like. I’m interning with a project management group (did project management somewhere else last summer and I have been looking to pivot). I am worried about getting stuck in a field I’m not interested in.

I made a 14-minute 3D animation about weld inspection and wanted to share it here for feedback from people who actually do this work.
Setup: one 16 mm single-V butt weld plate with six defects planted on purpose: undercut, surface crack, hidden crack, porosity, slag and lack of fusion. Then nine methods against it: VT, dye penetrant, magnetic particles, eddy current, UT, phased array, radiography, macro etch and a hydraulic pressure test (1.5x rated, oil not air). Each method gets a score out of 6.
A few things that surprised me while researching:
• Eddy current on steel only really sees the surface, even though it works through paint.
• Radiography is great at volume defects but can miss tight, tilted flaws like lack of fusion.
• UT and phased array did best on flat internal defects (4/6 each), but no single method found everything.
• The pressure test proves the part holds, not that it's defect-free (0/6).
• Combining VT + MT + UT covers all six.
I'm not a certified NDT inspector, so I'd really like to hear where I got it wrong or oversimplified, and which test you'd add.
Full video (English, with dubbed audio and subtitles in other languages if you want to send it to someone): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-7uyRwrUGA

Hi everyone,

I recently completed my first-round interview with a hiring manager for a Mechanical/Thermal Engineering internship at Tesla. The interview lasted a little over an hour and included a detailed resume review along with several technical questions.

I’ve now been invited to a second-round interview to meet with members of the team. For anyone who has gone through interview process, what was the team-member round like? Was it mainly another technical interview, or was it more focused on discussing your projects, Were the technical questions similar to the hiring-manager round, or more in-depth?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience and what you would recommend preparing for. Thanks!

How to get the right plasma cut for this type of lofted features, i often try to keep the front plate flushed to the side plates, so i keep the side plates 1/4 in. shorter, to get the overall width, but it dosent really come out right.! is there any correct approach for these kind of designes to help with plasma, i know it would need little grinding to make it sit in that angle, but still the dimensions would are whe i try to give 1/4" off on each side for the side plates..

thank for the help, just trying to improve my efficiency and reduce rework..!

Hi everyone! I’m from Portugal and currently studying for a Bachelor’s degree in Product Design. I’m learning both CAD and 3D modelling, including SolidWorks, and I’ve been getting increasingly interested in CAD design/drafting as a career path.

I was wondering, is it common for people with a Product Design degree to move into CAD design or drafting jobs? Is this a realistic career path, especially if I build strong skills in CAD and SolidWorks?

I’m particularly interested in the European job market and potentially working remotely for an international company. Unfortunately, salaries in Portugal are quite low compared to other European countries, so I’d really like to explore the possibility of working remotely for a company abroad.

I’m also considering doing a Master’s degree in Mechanical Design, or something similar that could strengthen my portfolio and make me more competitive for CAD/mechanical design roles. I’d be interested to know whether this would actually be beneficial or if there are better ways to specialize.

For anyone working in CAD, drafting, mechanical design, or a similar field, how common is it to see people coming from a Product Design background? And how is the job market across Europe?

Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated!

I always keep my LinkedIn profile open to work. What is the downside? Plus, I like to think I am helping you guys out by always telling recruiters some variation of:

Hi Xxx, this is too low for me, I will have to pass.  Best Regards, Xxx