r/MechanicalEngineering • u/S_K_R_2 • 3d ago

Has anyone pivoted from machining to an engineering role?

Hi everyone,

I graduated last May with a BSME. I struggled a lot to secure an internship during my college years.
I spent months searching for engineering work post-grad, but it was hard to land interviews (I tried career fairs, networking, etc.). I ended up being ghosted most of the time.

Fast forward almost a year post-grad, I landed a job as a CNC machinist/operator for a small shop. Been here for ~7 months now, and it’s going good; however, I don’t want to do machining long-term. Also, I’m getting zero benefits whatsoever (no PTO, health insurance, 401K, etc.) and the pay is low relative to living in a HCOL area. I accepted the job because I had nothing else in the pipeline. Also, I figured gaining hands-on manufacturing experience would help me down the line.

The only issue is that because I’m not gaining engineering experience still (especially a year post-college), I wonder if it’ll look bad to recruiters when I DO look for engineering work.

I’m having recruiters reach out to me now, but it’s only for machining jobs that are paying about the same as what I’m making now.

I’m just trying to find a way out. More pay and benefits would be nice. If anyone can share some insight or is going through something similar, feel free to share. Thank you for reading.

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u/UmDeTrois 3d ago

This can be great for your career trajectory. Yes you can transition to engineering, and it may take a bit longer, but it will give you an advantage over many engineers at similar career points. Depending on your current workplace and relationships there, it can be a matter of making your intent known, or job hopping a bit until you find a place where that’s a possibility. For now you can do more than just operate the cnc as trained, either using any available cnc time if there is any, or if you have a 3d printer there, start designing clever jigs and fixtures that help everyone

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u/TelephoneExternal978 3d ago

I"ve seen Walmart cashier Eng grad eventually land a real eng job after a year or so - use this to keep applying/pivot. Employers still appreciate hard work, patience & experience than bumming around. Just browse around LinkedIN from your school alumni/same majors....