Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Aerospace Engineers
Michael, a retired aerospace engineer, advises aspiring professionals to avoid entry-level positions in manufacturing, facilities, engineering, and technology, as those roles tend to be "very self-contained jobs" that may limit career growth; instead, Michael suggests aiming for roles that align with interests, not just pay, emphasizing that positions like "chief engineer, assistant architect, [or] program manager" are attained through a combination of technical, managerial, financial, and political skills.
Aerospace Engineering, Entry-Level Positions, Career Advancement, Engineering Management, Technical Skills
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michael Capoccia
Retired Aerospace Engineer
Northrop Grumman Corp.
Cal State University Long Beach
Pepperdine University Masters In Business Administration , Graduate Studies In Program Mngt. and Systems Engineering Cal Tech
Engineering - Chemical
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense
Research and Development (R&D)
Honors Student, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Avoid manufacturing, facilities, and technology engineering roles early in your career, as they can be limiting.
2. Entry-level engineers should seek positions based on interest, not just salary.
3. Aspiring to roles like chief engineer or program manager requires developing technical, managerial, financial, and political skills.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate or graduate student might consider?
Most engineering and aerospace roles outside of manufacturing facilities and technology are good. This applies to most anything in engineering as long as you stay out of manufacturing, facilities, or technology.
These fields tend to be very self-contained jobs. If you are a manufacturing engineer, it is very hard to move out of that role. A facilities engineer's job is to take care of everything from the roads to the toilets.
While many people may find this appealing, it is a very limiting career. You will be coding until you die, unless you gain expertise in a specific physics, science, or chemistry. Otherwise, you are simply writing the next front-end for a company.
That's okay; it's a job that pays well and involves writing code, which can be fun. However, it won't lead to the kind of work we're discussing.
Your best bet is to enter a field because the job interests you, not because it pays well. Being a chief engineer, assistant architect, or program manager is a role you move into because you have good technical, managerial, financial, and political skills.
It's not about being the best in any of these areas. You are there to keep things from going off the rails. You won't be doing a lot of the hands-on work, but you must be good enough to ensure everyone else does their job. That is the senior architect role.
Your job is like herding cats. You have a team of 20 people, and you need to push and shove them to get them all moving in the right direction. That is your job.