Have you already decided that you want to pursue a career in engineering? Did you glance at a college catalog and realize the many different areas of engineering that you could possibly choose? Perhaps you should consider pursuing a career as an automotive engineering technician. In this career path you will work alongside engineers in areas such as quality control, manufacturing, research and development, or design. In order to complete your daily tasks you will be required to use your knowledge of engineering, science, and mathematics. Should you decide to work in production or design you will be building prototypes and communicating about your designs through computer software or sketches. You can expect to spend the majority of your work day conducting tests, observing and collecting data, performing inspections, maintaining test equipment, analyzing test data, making calculations, and creating prototypes. It may be necessary for automotive engineering technicians to write reports, document using photographs, or create spreadsheets regarding their project. Typically, all of the tasks you perform will be used to identify possible areas for improvement within the project. Although a formal degree program and training is not a requirement to work in this industry, it is likely that some level of training will help you obtain employment against fellow job seekers. It is quite common for individuals in this industry to have a minimum of an associate’s degree in automotive engineering technology, which can be obtained from most community colleges or technical schools. You can expect to be required to complete classroom based courses, as well as laboratory based classes as you learn the skills necessary for this industry. Your coursework will likely include classes like mechanical drafting, automotive transmissions, electronics, brake systems, automotive testing, manufacturing processes, and welding.
Of course, as with any type of degree program you will also be expected to complete general education courses in areas of social science, English composition, mathematics, and physics. It will also be important that you are comfortable working with computers and software that can be used with automotive designs, spreadsheets, word processing programs, and analytical software. In addition, it will be critical that you can effectively communicate with fellow workers, upper level management, and customers. Take a few minutes and look over our site to find schools that particularly appeal to you. Feel free to request that any of them send you a complimentary information packet detailing what they can offer you educationally. With some level of formal training in automotive engineering, you will be qualified to seek employment as an electro-mechanical technician or as a mechanical engineer. Find an automotive training program near you and get started today!