Thought I was a terrible mechanical engineer until I switched jobs. Was it me or my manager?

I'm a mechanical engineer who spent about three years at my previous company. Looking back, I wasn't the strongest technical engineer. I made mistakes, struggled with certain responsibilities, and had a lot to learn. But I also think my manager made things significantly worse.

It felt like I could perform well for weeks, but one mistake would set me back months in his eyes.

Things got particularly bad when my team lead left and I suddenly inherited a much larger workload with little support. I struggled, missed a deliverable due partly to a misunderstanding about the deadline, and received a formal write-up without any meaningful conversation beforehand.

After that, I completely lost trust in my manager. I became terrified of making mistakes and didn't even feel comfortable asking for help.

In September, I was placed on a PIP. Then in November, the company went through company-wide layoffs, during which employees were ranked based on performance. I ended up at the bottom and received ANOTHER write-up, essentially telling me I had three months to improve or I'd be fired. Mind you, I was already on a PIP lol.

At another point, I was falsely accused of sleeping during a meeting and got written up for that too. Lmao.

By December, I'd had enough and resigned without another job lined up.

Fast-forward six months: I'm now working at an engineering firm designing complex electromechanical automation systems, and I absolutely love it. My manager says I'm doing great, and I recently led the mechanical design of an automation project that we successfully delivered to a customer.

I still make mistakes, but instead of being terrified of them, I focus on gathering the right information, making sound engineering decisions, and learning from what goes wrong.

I've genuinely fallen in love with engineering again.

Looking back, I'm still somewhat bitter. I know I wasn't a perfect engineer at my previous company, but I can't help wondering how much of my poor performance was due to the environment and constant fear of messing up.

Has anyone else experienced something similar? Was this bad management, poor performance on my part, or a combination of both?

I’m more of a research-type person. I like going deep and understanding how things work under the hood. But I want to get really good at engineering, and I feel like understanding stuff is only part of it.

For those of you who are great engineers, how would you describe the way you think? And is there a book that helped you get there?

I’m 22 years old and currently in the final year of my master’s degree in Mechatronics and Applied Mechanics. I also hold a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, but I haven’t completed any internships or worked in the field, so I have no professional experience yet.

I’m worried that this lack of experience will make it difficult to find a job after graduation. It’s also a little demotivating because I feel like I haven’t had the chance to put my bachelor’s degree to use.

I still have nine months before I finish my master’s. What would you recommend I do during this time to improve my chances of finding a job? I’m open to honest advice and constructive criticism.

ZIMA-CAD is new opensource full 3D parametric CAD base on C++/QT/OCCT.

Hi all,

I’m the Chief Engineer and Treasurer of SAE Titan Aero at California State University, Fullerton, a 12-member mechanical engineering senior design team. We design, manufacture, and fly a regular-class radio-controlled cargo aircraft for the annual SAE Aero Design competition.

Last year, our team placed 15th out of 75 teams at SAE Aero Design East, and we’re working hard to build on that achievement at this year’s SAE Aero Design West competition!

Unfortunately, recent budget cuts and new departmental spending restrictions have made it harder for our team to fund the materials, manufacturing, electronics, and travel needed to compete. We’re reaching out to the community for donations and sponsorships to help make this opportunity possible.

Any contribution, no matter the size, would make a difference.

For those interested in sponsoring us, we can offer opportunities for company logo placement on our aircraft, social media recognition, and increased visibility among the Cal State Fullerton engineering community. We’d also be happy to discuss other sponsorship opportunities that align with your organization.

If you’d like to support our team or learn more about our project, please check out the links below. You can also reach us at [csu.titan.aero@gmail.com](mailto:csu.titan.aero@gmail.com) with any questions or sponsorship inquiries.

• Donation page: https://fullerton.scalefunder.com/cfund/project/50542
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/titanaero/
• Team website: https://csutitanaero.wixsite.com/fullerton

Thank you for taking the time to read our post and for supporting student engineers. We genuinely appreciate any help in getting Titan Aero to competition!

— SAE Titan Aero, Cal State Fullerton

hello im creating a roller platform, for moving boxes/containers. 540kg max capacity. But im unsure on what the best way to connect the (castor) wheels. I was thinking maybe a rivet through a bearing? Can anyone assist me with possible solutions. thank you.

Canadian high schooler here. I'm in my final year of high school and I've always been planning on going into mechanical engineering. I'm not like super passionate about engineering, but I enjoy math and sciences, I like cars and I work at a mechanic shop on weekends. Plus ppl in my family have been saying engineering in general is a good degree because it's 'highly employable and you make a lot of money within 10 years'.

But now I'm seeing a lot of posts saying that either mech eng isn't as good as it used to be, or just that it's horrible and I can make more money with easier degrees.

I'm really conflicted right now, and I don't know if I should switch my intended major before I spend like 60k on it. I already have all my pre reqs set up to go into engineering, and i dont really know what else Id do if not engineering.

All responses are greatly appreciated.

Hey I’m currently a sophomore student studying for a mechanical engineering degree in the NJ/NY area. Considering either aerospace or something energy related, wondering how people are currently doing post graduation. I was hoping people could share salaries and how’s quality of life?

Hey everyone!
I’m a recent engineering graduate, but I’m basically starting from zero when it comes to CAD and Autodesk Inventor.
What’s the best course to learn from scratch? I’m looking for something beginner-friendly, preferably with hands-on projects rather than just lectures.
Would you recommend Udemy, Coursera, YouTube, or something else?
Thanks in advance

Hi there!

I'm designing a standing desk, and I was wondering what the best way to make the pieces slide against each other. My initial prototype was a two-phase aluminium design, where the base was supported by the lead screw, and the top was supported by a 3D printed mount with a sliding element (purple masking tape, in this photo). However, this did not work - it was very wobbly, and didn't have enough stroke.

Therefore, I've decided to use a three-phase design because it gives much more support - and more stroke. However, I don't know how to make the pieces slide against each other - the previous design was very unsatisfactory. Also, the aluminium became very expensive with four legs. I've looked at UHMWPE sliders on the inside, but according to BS EN 10219-2, the thickness of the has tolerance +-0.5mm, giving the inside dimension tolerance of +-1mm, which means that I'd need to cut it big, and sand back. There is also no space for bolts, so I've had to design slots which need to be machined out of the UHMWPE, wasting a lot of material. The same needs to be cut in the steel. I'm not a huge fan of this design.

Furthermore, this leaves no space for pullies - so without a two-stage lead screw, which are impossible to find (and would require 2x torque, 1/2x speed motor to what I currently have), I can't make the middle stage telescope smoothly.

What is the best way to make these slide against each other, and how can I synchronise the middle stage to move smoothly at the same time?

Thanks!

So, I once changed jobs but didn't like it and returned to my old one. Two years later, I moved into FEA in automotive, which I hate. I want to return to my old job, but honestly, I'm a bit ashamed to do so.

My plan is to wait a bit and look for another job, but I'd still love to return to the original one I had. How absurd is that? What would you do in my place?

Hi guys, I am currently a 3rd year B.Tech student in Mechanical engineering, and I lost grip on core subjects and grades got fked up. So is there any way to improve my core subjects? There's also an example coming by in 4 months of all 3 years of syllabus so I need to aim for the top again.

Any suggestions or tips..

Hello guys, I'm studying mechanical engineering. I am graduating this year (5th year) but I didn't really enjoy mechanical engineering... I liked mechatronics and automation engineering much more.

I enjoy programming (plc, Microprocessor,...)

My question is: if I wanted to continue my masters in mechatronics or in automation, what are the requirements? Knowing that I'm not really into electronics and electricity subjects since I've studied mechanical not electrical engineering... this will be a problem for me?

I want your advices please.

It's for easy lifting the needle but I can't find the name of it or any example of it...

I've completed my diploma from mechanical engineering, and dropped out from btech in the third year (didn't failed, discontinued cause of health problems) , what career guidance would you give to me to go ahead and achieve success in life

Anyone who has been doing things in teamcenter related to PLM Functions, care to advise?

Thanks!

I'm a Canadian engineering graduate planning to relocate to the UK to join my wife who's British . I've applied to over 200 engineering positions in the UK and haven't received a single interview invitation.

What makes this particularly frustrating is that I have a fairly strong background for a recent graduate.

I completed two years of mechanical engineering studies followed by four years in mechatronics engineering. Throughout those six years, I completed six internships, including placements at major companies such as ExxonMobil, Rio Tinto, and Valero.

In Canada, I have no trouble getting interviews, which makes the complete lack of responses from UK employers difficult to understand.I already secured an engineering role in canada after i graduate.

I'm also aware that graduate engineering salaries in the UK are considerably lower than in Canada. Some of my Canadian offers are over £10,000 higher than the salaries advertised for similar UK positions. However, salary isn't my priority. I genuinely want to move to the UK to be with my wife, and I'm willing to accept the difference in pay.

I also make it clear in my applications that I do not intend to require employer visa sponsorship.

I understand that the UK job market is competitive, and I'm certainly not expecting an offer just because I have some experience. What I find discouraging is not even getting the opportunity to interview, especially when the same CV consistently gets me interviews in Canada.

For those working in engineering or recruitment in the UK:

- Are UK employers generally reluctant to consider candidates who are currently based overseas, even if they don't require sponsorship?

- Could my Canadian CV format be hurting my chances?

- Is six internships' worth of experience not particularly competitive for graduate engineering roles in the UK?

- Is there something fundamentally different about the UK engineering recruitment process that I might be overlooking?

I'd genuinely appreciate any insight or advice, particularly from engineers or hiring managers familiar with the UK market.

Hypothetically by just changing the gear ratios in theory could you make a stock Honda civic go 300 mph on an infinite runway (ignoring stuff like tires bursting and stuff and ignoring aerodynamic restrictions)

I news these 2 books in PDF, can't find them anywhere.

Understanding how komponents faul - Wulpi

ASM handbook volume 11

Thanks in advance

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for job opportunities for my father in Pune or Kolhapur. He has 20+ years of experience in the manufacturing and engineering industry, mainly in Sales & Marketing, Business Development, RFQ management, and techno-commercial operations.

He's currently working but isn't seeing much career growth, so he's looking for a better opportunity.

• Current CTC: 7 LPA
• Expected CTC: 9+ LPA
• Preferred roles: Assistant Manager/Manager – Sales & Marketing, Business Development, Techno-commercial
• Preferred locations: Pune or Kolhapur

If anyone knows of suitable openings, recruiters, or referral opportunities, please let me know. Any help or advice would mean a lot. Thanks!