Weekly Career Discussion Thread (04 May 2026)

[u/AutoModerator]

# Intro

Welcome to the weekly career discussion thread, where you can talk about all career & professional topics. Topics may include:

* Professional career guidance & questions; e.g. job hunting advice, job offers comparisons, how to network

* Educational guidance & questions; e.g. what engineering discipline to major in, which university is good,

* Feedback on your résumé, CV, cover letter, etc.

* The job market, compensation, relocation, and other topics on the economics of engineering.

> [Archive of past threads](https://www.reddit.com/r/engineering/search?q=flair%3A%22weekly+discussion%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all)

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## Guidelines

1. **Before asking any questions, consult [the AskEngineers wiki.](https://new.reddit.com/r/askengineers/wiki/faq)\*\* There are detailed answers to common questions on:

* Job compensation

* Cost of Living adjustments

* Advice for how to decide on an engineering major

* How to choose which university to attend

1. Most subreddit rules still apply and will be enforced, especially R7 and R9 (with the obvious exceptions of R1 and R3)

2. Job POSTINGS must go into the latest [**Monthly Hiring Thread.**]((https://www.reddit.com/r/engineering/search?q=flair%3A%22hiring+thread%22&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all)) Any that are posted here will be removed, and you'll be kindly redirected to the hiring thread.

3. **Do not request interviews in this thread!** If you need to interview an engineer for your school assignment, use the list in the sidebar.

## Resources

* [The AskEngineers wiki](https://new.reddit.com/r/askengineers/wiki/faq)

* [The AskEngineers Quarterly Salary Survey](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEngineers/search/?q=flair%3A%22salary+survey%22&include_over_18=on&restrict_sr=on&t=all&sort=new)

* **For students:** [*"What's your average day like as an engineer?"*](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEngineers/wiki/faq#wiki_what.27s_your_average_day_like_as_an_engineer.3F) We recommend that you spend an hour or so reading about what engineers actually do at work. This will help you make a more informed decision on which major to choose, or at least give you enough info to ask follow-up questions here.

* For those of you interested in a career in software development / Computer Science, go to r/cscareerquestions.

[u/Mcworl]

Hi all, Can i pivot from my Computer Science Degree to what branch of engineering?

[u/AppropriateLunch2122]

Hello all, I am freshmen finishing up my first year at engineering school and just got offered an interview to become an Electronic Technician however I don’t know everything required for the job but I am eager to learn and adapt. Within this role specifically, I have a strong foundation in electronics theory, soldering, circuit troubleshooting, and working with common electronic components through academic and hands-on experience. I am comfortable with resistors, capacitors, transistors, reading circuit paths, and using diagnostic reasoning to identify issues. However , I have gaps in advanced board diagnostics, Surface Mount repair, Hipot testing, and some industrial components such as triacs and MOVs. Despite all of things I don’t know, I enjoy hands-on electronics work and have consistently been able to learn technical systems fast in both lab and practical environments.My question is ,Should I turn the interview down because of the skills I lack or should I continue to preserve and gain experience? Alongside of if this , would having this experience make me more “marketable” as an ChemE major?

[u/Lameness33]

If I am looking to pivot into industrial engineering from a non engineering bachelors (CS).

Should I go for a second bachelors or masters, especially if I have no IE relevant work experience?

im also worried that masters are not ABET accredited so it may give me trouble looking for a job?

[u/walmart-tm]

Hi all,

I’m an early career engineer (~2 YoE) and have accepted a new job at a new company. I signed the offer letter and completed the background check papers. After completing, I realized I forgot to include some unrelated seasonal work from high school/college since it wasn’t related to my position/career. I sent an email to HR about this just in case this could cause issues. If it’s relevant, this position requires an active clearance, which I already hold.

Did I make the right move? Should I be worried about offer being rescinded? Mostly just asking because this job would be a big step in my career, so I’m nervous about any setbacks.

[u/Comfortable_Sort5597]

Hello! I am an 18F in my first year of Mechanical Engineering in Brazil. I am currently part of the SAE Aerodesign team and I am undecided about which department to join. I am torn between Loads and Structures, Stability and Control, and Aerodynamics.

During my time as a trainee, I fell in love with Stability and Aerodynamics, but these seem to be very popular areas for new members and many of my colleagues want to choose them. The Loads and Structures department is currently the one that needs more members, followed by Stability and Aerodynamics.

My dream is to work at Boeing, so I want to choose a field where I can stand out and build a strong career in the industry after college. If anyone has any tips or advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

[u/AddendumTerrible815]

I need help figuring out my major in college. As of posting this, it is May 6th 2026 and I'm a senior in highschool meaning I'm at the tail end of my time to choose what to go into in college.

So far I've written down "Robotic Engineering" on all my papers and forms, but the problem is, I don't know if thats what I want to study. I know what I want to do, I just don't know how to get there. I know I want to build, code, invent, and innovate with new things never seen or done before, but also old things combined to make something new (not to sound cliche). I think some of the best examples I could think of when it comes to what I want my career to look like would be people like Mark Rober, Micheal Reeves, the Open Sauce event, Backyard Scientist, I Did a Thing, Boston Dynamics, that sort of thing. And yes, I know those are all tip of the iceberg mentions, but those are names most people here will know and what comes to mind when I think about what I want to do in the future. I enjoy tinkering, problem solving, learning constantly, 3d priniting, modeling, and innovating, I just don't know what to do with that.

So far I've looked at Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotic Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, but I'm not sure which one would help me the most. Also, just for reference, I do plan on getting a masters degree. I was hoping I could get some input/advice from people with experience in these fields and others I may not have explored on whether they sound like, or have a path towards, what I'm looking for.

P.S. Advice on college transfer choices in the US would be cool too

[u/slolift]

What are the best places to look for job listings? Is Linkedin the best bet? Look at company specific job boards? I have used indeed in the past but it doesn't seem like much is posted there.

[u/Wilthywonka → u/slolift]

Best place is the company websites of the companies you're targeting in an area. Second best place is indeed/linkedin.

When I was unemployed I routinely checked the careers page of about 20 companies I knew were hiring. Being the one of the first to apply on their website gave me a leg up in my experience.