i4u_rahul asked:
I recently completed my mechanical engineering and joined my fathers business. Due to certain critical chain of events, i can’t work elsewhere, i can’t study further- mba or ms.
So i’m kinda stuck here, in the family business with lots of politics and nagging. With no training, no experience, and negligible practical knowledge, i feel like i’ve learn’t nothing at engineering. And its making me feel more and more depressed everyday.
All i’m told is that i need to learn everything. This is a question to all mechanical engineers. Can you learn and expertise in everything that you’ve learn’t in college? Or do you expertise only in a few areas?
In the past 3 months, i’ve realized the scope of a mechanical engineer in the company. From machines- automation, injection molding, plastic molds design, plastic components design, biomechanical science, design of implants, manufacturing, maintenance, HVAC, printing and packaging technology, etc- everything dealing in plastics.
I agree i did complete most of the above topics in my college. But i can’t remember everything done in college.
How much can i regain? I remember the basic principles of pump- but i cant remember every detail of it. So i go back to my books n revise the particular topics. Though it takes me less time to revise than before- the question is- Do i have to revise everything to be technically sound? I dont have to make a pump- i simply have to chose one. Likewise for machines- i want to learn how to chose a machine for a particular job, cost effectiveness, and technical aspect is fulfilled.
(anyone got any books for this one?)
Bottom line is- that my family members are expecting me to do wonders. Since i’m the first engineer in the family, i’m looked upon with cornered eyes, along with a lot of political drama and disputes. Mostly trying to test me, sometimes within my scope, and sometimes completely out of it.
I’m not sure if i explained it properly, but for those who understood me, please advise, how should i go about in my company, and regenerate my learning curve. Cuz the amount of work i did in college, i’m not even doing half of it now. And its making me very uneasy.
Most of my time is spent on the computer, researching on either a new machine, concept, process, or educational site, where i can revise some topic.
I find more fun calculating something, than knowing that its there. We manufacture healthcare devices. So i’m more interested to know why the particular device is designed in that fashion. If a catheter is designed in PVC, i want to know why its not manufactured in PU. I want to know why its dimensions are shaped as such. If we decrease its thickness, can we save costs? What is its maximum pressure capacity? How can i apply ergonomics into its design? What are its most desirable features? What can be an added feature to its design?
These are just a few questions that are racing through my head almost everyday.
Along with the biggest question of them all- how will i manage people, if i know nothing about management.
As of today- my position is on the managers seat. Which to me is fundamently wrong. But since the situation demanded a family member on that seat, i had to fill in. I can’t explain why. But now that it is happening- i’l have to adapt to it, and learn from here on.
But how. Should i revise my engineering skills? Or do a distance learning MBA? If i dont revise my engineering skills now- will it pose a threat to me in near future?
If i dont do an Mba, how can i handle a managers position?
What is the role of a manager + engineer? What should i do to develop a sharp learning curve, and gain confidence? (Which i’m begining to lose everyday- exponentially). How do i train myself. Cuz in the current scenario, i doubt i’l get any training. Everyone’s busy in a critical problem at hand. So i get no time to discuss anything, either wit dad or uncle.
Please help.
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I would like to add one comment to Ted Dead Man’s comments. Consider the use of consultants to multiply your efforts. You don’t have to have them on the payroll forever just to handle tasks you don’t have time for or that you don’t have the knowledge or inclination to do.
A good consultant or two are worth their weight in gold.
You can operate a machine shop and dabrication shop which is more good for a mechanical engineering undergraduate.
You can still manage men even without any MBA.