How can one get good marks in engineering services exam's conventional paper?

For acquiring maximum possible marks ( 70-80% of indicated marks)  in a question you may follow some basic rules

• Write all the given data with unit indicated.
• Write all the assumptions related to The theory or concept on which the answer is based.
• While solving numerical always indicate the formula you ve applied.
• If possible give the line diagram for numerical.
• While writing theory questions draw the diagram without any criss crosses. Use proper scale . no rough. Its ESE not semester.
• Use black or green pens along with blue . it creates good impression.
• Underline important fact in the answer.
• Always write the unit of answer you get. Mandatory!! 
• Write the answers, step by step in tidy manner to give an impressive presentation and by doing this the candidate will not miss the essential points and formulae. If some diagram is required try to make well labelled and neat diagram with freehand sketch. You will get the credit for orderly, effective, and exact expression combined with due economy of words in the conventional papers of the examination.
• Write formulae in the numerical, S.I units of concerned quantities and answers as well. Steps to enhance your performance:-

Remember these steps can only be taken if you've practiced a hell lot of time. So that's most important to develop a habit in same manner while preparation.

ESE is all about choosing the best candidate among all. So make sure give your best.
Good luck !!

Why engineers are not getting job offers?Ever thought why engineers are not getting joboffers?

There are so many reasons behind every rejection. It takes time to learn skills which are required for successful job interviews. Every day I get so many messages from confused fresh graduates and engineers from all over the world who ask me to help then in getting a job. From these messages, it is very clear that they are trying hard to reach out to fellow engineers and they are putting their best efforts in finding a job. But all these efforts are in WRONG direction. Here I would like to share some common reasons of interview rejection and why engineers are not getting job offers.

I have gone through all these phases of life. It hard to understand all these reasons at start of career but over time you start to realize your mistakes. Here i would share my personal experiences. Not preparing for interview I have seen many candidates who do not prepare for interviews. Interview is just like an exam, if you do not prepare, you will fail. Preparation for an interview includes looking for answers to common engineering interview questions, revising basic concepts of mechanical engineering courses, and dressing up properly for interview. General format of CV for all jobs I have seen many candidates who have a general format of CV to apply for all type of jobs. A good engineer will always make changes to his CV according to job description. Applying for too many posts in same organization/ company
Recently we are short listing engineering candidates for job interviews in my company. I have noticed so many candidates who applied for all positions with same CV. Is it logical applying for Manager Operations, Assistant manager operations, Assistant manager admin and Assistant operations at the same time? We rejected many candidates for this reason. Always be crystal clear about job position that you want to apply for.
Standing out too much Only add relevant information to your CVs and portfolio. Adding too much colors, extra information and irrelevant skills will not make any difference.
What is in it for me?
Always ask questions from your interviewer. Try to learn what is in this job for you? What opportunities of learning do you have? Is it suitable for you? This will help you decide whether the company is right for you.
Interview answers
Always prepare for potential common interview questions. Many engineers do not get job offers because they do not give satisfactory answers to some tricky questions. During all interviews, some
questions are of general nature while some questions are of technical nature.
Overconfidence
Overconfidence simply kills.
Lack of job information
Lack of job information and knowledge about possible job description gives a very bad impression about candidate. I once applied for a job position in a company dealing with water treatment plants. Reason for my rejection was that I could not explain how I would become a contributing member to this company because I was unaware of job description.
Non-confidence in employers’ recruitment procedure
Always show confidence in employers’ recruitment procedure. If they have called you for an interview, it means they are trying hard to do it on merit.
Always speak truth
Always speak truth. Those who are interviewing you, are experienced enough to catch false information through discussions.
Be yourself, be original
As simple as that: Be yourself, be original

How to go for internship?

I do not want to spread any kind of negativity, but from my personal experience if your college is not a very reputed and recognized one then it can be almost impossible for you to get a decent paid internship. No matter what you are good in, no matter how hard you try its almost negligible chance for you to land at a nice internship. But still there are some ways which I will edit later OK lets start:

1.) If your college has a mechanism for internships then the companies will come for hiring interns as
they come for hiring employees, chose the company wisely according to you interest and learning opportunity not according to the stipend.
2.) If your college does not have a proper mechanism then you can ask your TPO to give you some contacts of local companies and a recommendation letter from your TPO and department professor would be helpful.
3.) If the above 2 are not applicable then its a long way to go...bear with me:
You need to actively look for internship opportunities on internet(almost 5-6 times in a day) and I would recommend you to start in the month of December.
Some of the websites which you can refer are:
a.) Internship | Summer Training | Paid Internships | Summer Internship 2014 subscribe on internshala and you will get the recent internship directly on your mail id.
b.) Internships and Internship Jobs in India
c.) Look for research internships on the websites of  IITs and IISC, some of the programs are:
SURGE : IIT Kanpur; IITJ-Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur : UGRI,; IIT Jodhpur and almost every IIT has such program. Moreover if you are interested in research in a particular topic then you may contact the professors from elite institutions directly by going through their profile from the Institute website. But for this you need to make a strong case in front of him backing your interest and eligibility.
Likewise there are many more similar platforms on which you can search for internships.
4.) You may contact your college alumni to seek their help.
5.) Visit the career page of the websites of various companies, many companies directly call for applications or you may contact their HR
6.) Still if you can not land at an awesome internship then you can go for Industrial training but do not waste all of your vacation time unless you are preparing for some competitive exam. Now we come to the application, Cover letter and mail sending:
1.) Now that you have searched an internship and you are going to apply for it, keep these things in
mind:
a.) Your resume highlights the similar work done by you in college for which you are applying
b.) Make a standard resume, you can get help from many references on internet like Resume writing ppt presentation and similar. Also search for resume of IITB students online.
c.) Write a professional mail mentioning your interest and relevancy, avoid including jargon and irrelevant details
d.) Do not follow up too much
e.) It the cover letter is required then seek for help from your seniors on how to write it or look at the
internet
If you are entering your sophomore or pre-final year then it is highly recommended to develop some professional skills that may vary from branch to branch. It will not only help you in getting a decent internship but will help you in job interviews as well.
Stop wasting time and indulge in co-curricular, extra- curricular activities in college or outside the college. Be part of 1 or 2 clubs that interests you, it shows that you have organisational qualities and team spirit. Highlight your work on your resume.

HR Round: tentative Questions:

1. Tell me something about yourself.
2. What do you know about Co?
3. Explain me any concept considering me as a layman.
4. Will you be able to work if posted in a place like Andaman?
5. What are your hobbies?
6. Tell me an interesting experience of your life.
7. Will you get married soon?
8. What will you do if you are told to work on something you don't know or like?
9. Tell something about yourself that is not in the resume.
10. What is your area of interest?
11. Why do you want to join this industry?
12. Would you work anywhere in the country?
13. What if we don’t select you today?
14. Tell me about your family, weakness and strength.
15. What is commitment? Do you have a girlfriend?
16. Do you consult your parents?
17. Will you stay away from your parents?
18. Will you do arranged or love marriage?
19. You are living in 21st century, you should take your own decisions. Then why consult parents?
20. Why should we hire you?
21. Tell me a few qualities that you have.
22. How much will you sell your project for?
23. What is your future plan?
24. How you being emotional help us?
25. Are you ready to relocate?
26. Will you be able to adjust yourself with people in Chennai?
27. Do you wish to go for higher studies?
28. Are you innovative enough?
29. What is your best achievement?
30. What has been your toughest decision till date?
31. Tell us about your journey.
32. Given a situation how would you resolve a conflict.
33. What would you do if your seniors are not noticing your work?
34. What has been your best experience till date?
35. Rate yourself on a scale of 1-5.
36. Are you aware about the Co eligibility, background check?
37. You have high percentage in SSC and HSC but low in engineering. Why?
38. What is your ambition in life?
39. What do you do in your free time?
40. Do you want to be in Co even after 3 years?
41. Why do you want to be in Co?
42. Why a job?
43. How happy are you with your parents decision?
44. What is the longest you have stayed away from your parents?
45. What are your expectations from TCS?
46. Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
47. Tell me about your teamwork.
48. What is your chance of getting selected?
49. Why should I select you compared to others?
50. Describe one instance when you have succeeded.
51. You are a project manager. How will you ensure that your project is completed on time?
52. What are the three keywords according to you for success?
53. Who is your role model?
54. In how many ways can you contribute to the society?
55. What is the meaning of your name? who do you have faith in?
56. Describe yourself in one line and in one word.
57. Do you think advantage of exemption from aptitude given to toppers is good or bad.
58. Which department would you like to go in?
59. If 20,000INR are given how will you manage it in a month? And how much will you save from that?
60. If not this Co where are you planning to go?
61. Tell me one instance when you worked as a team leader.
63. If you lead a project and the team members aren’t happy with you as the leader what will you
do?
64. How much time do you spend on the net? Tell me the most recent news that you have come
across.
65. What do you think of life?
66. Difference between creativity and innovation.
67. Difference between theorem and axiom.
68. Explain your interview experience in Marathi.
69. Where do you see yourself in the coming years?
70. What are your interests?
71. Tell me the story of any movie you saw recently.
72. Are you tired or nervous?
73. Are you sure you’ll take up the job and not go for further studies?
74. Why do you want to join an IT company? Since your percentage is so good? Will you work on
domains like database management, oracle, etc?
75. Difference between agile and waterfall.
76. How was your day?
77. How long did you wait? Was it worth the wait?
78. How do you manage to resolve conflicts within your siblings?
79. What books do you read?
80. How will you manage to live with females of other states?
81. If you are a team leader what 3 things do you think are most important ?
82. How do you make someone feel special?

Important Questions asked in Mechanical Engineering Interview!

I'm sharing this question list to fellow mechanical engineers that I made to prepare for an interview. It
contains two sections viz. technical questions followed by HR questions.

1. Technical questions:
Type of technical questions asked will be definition type and that too from basic. Your favorite subjects will be asked first and then they start questioning what they want you to answer. Some of the
questions are...

1. Why we do not use same technology to start both SI/CI engine?
2. Which one is more efficient? A four stroke engine or a two stroke and why?
3. 4 Stroke engine is more efficient primarily Because of the presence of valves which precisely control the flow of charge into the chamber and exit the exhaust gases with proper timing which is hard to achieve by ports in a 2 stroke engine.
4. Why there is no differential in a train. What happens when a train takes a turn?
5. A cantilever beam is loaded a point on its ends what will be the effect in shear force?
6. Why vehicle does not move when its gear is applied though parked in slope area?
7. What is shear force in fluid particle?
8. How gear ratio helps in power variation?
9. What is the angle of twist in drill?
10. What is the difference between impact force and sudden force?
11. How to calculate the turbine efficiency?
12. Why centrifugal pump casing is called involutes casing?
13. What will happen if reciprocating compressor run in exactly opposite direction?
14. What is the effect of clearance volume in performance of air- compressor?
15. What is the advantages and disadvantages of critical speed of turbine?
16. What will happen if oil is mixed with boiler feed water?
17. What is difference between fan and blowers?
18. What are the protections required to protect turbine?
19. what is critical temperature?
20. Air is a bad conductor of heat. Why it becomes hot in summer?
21. How many stages in compressor in there in gas turbine?
22. Which is more efficient? A rear engine Volvo Bus or a Front engine Volvo Bus? (Engine Capacity is same for both) why?
23. What is difference between stress and pressure?
24. What is Boiler HP?
25. What is Auto Dosing?
26. What happens when too much oil is injected in the working cylinder?
27. How many manholes should be there on boiler? Why?
28. What is used to check the amount & quality of fuel in two stroke IC engine?
29. Work done in throttling process is given by which formula?
30. Function of the strainer in IC engine?
31. What is the difference between the air pre-heater & air blower?
32. Why the compression ratio of the diesel engine should be high?
33. A vertical plate and a horizontal plate are suspended in an open room. Both are heated to the
same temperature. Which one will cool first? Why?
34. What is the color of flame if the boiler is running?
35. Which is the best lubricant-air, oil or water?
36. Tell the octane number in Indian petrol?
37. Difference between enthalpy & entropy?
38. What is the difference between safety valve and relief valve?
39. Explain cooling and its types?
40. What is the working principal of air compressor?
41. What is cryogenics and what are its fundamentals?
42. What is the difference between a shaper machine and a planner machine?
43. Why stress relieving of stainless steel is not roffered?
44. What are the advantages of PID controllers compared with those of a PLC?
45. Which two continents are mirror images of each other?
46. Where half nut is used?
47. What is the need for drafting?
48. Turbo charger driven by.............? and what its speed
49. Why...? Turbo charger used in DG....?
50. The stage below saturation is called?
51. Why is a condenser used in a Rankin cycle?
52. What is servo motor?
53. Can we use light duty vehicle axle into the heavy duty machinery axle? If no then why?
54. Stress strain diagram for fluid?
55. Where manning formula used?
56. What is level of documentations for a ISO 9001 certified company?
57. What is back plate in centrifugal pumps and its purpose?
58. Why tyres are manufactured in black colour?
59. Whether ductile material can fail in brittle manner? When?
60. On what property u can distinguish material as brittle or ductile?
61. Name fuels used in nuclear power plant?
62. On what thermodynamic cycle nuclear power plant works?
63. How can you increase the efficiency of power plant without changing in effort?
64. What is purpose of governor in Diesel engine?
65. Why petrol engines have more power than diesel engines of same capacity?
66. What is the difference between Torque and Power ( layman Idea)?
67. What will be the induced stress in the bar?
68. What is the Difference between Rated Speed and Economic Speed?
69. How to convert from HP to BHP or CC to Bhp please explain????????
70. How the material no. 2062 will mild steel of density 7.85? What are the other codes?
71. Why petrol engine gives more power than diesel engine even though diesel engine has high
compression ratio?
72. What is mean by Resistance welding?
73. Compare Brayton and Otto cycle.
74. Why we have to know the specific frequency of any equipment? does anybody know about specific frequency ?
75. What is pulverization?
76. What is the function of an isolator?
77. Why the back wheel of tractor is bigger than front wheel?
78. Flow will increase or decrease or remain same?
79. Why Mechanical seal used in Pumps?
80. The ratio of Emissive to absorption power of heat by a body is equal to heat emitted by a perfect
black body. Who said the statement
81. What is colour of flame if the of Halide Torch detects a refrigerant leakage?
82. How can we remove paint from (painted over) plastic or nylon objects with out damaging the
object?
83. How to calculate or arrive the capacity of a mechanical press?
84. The property of a metal that is determined by the indentation on a metal surface
85. The amount of thickness of the metal sheet that can be welded by ultrasonic welding is?
86. The amount of carbon present in Cast Iron?
87. Numeric control is used for?
88. The amount of moisture that is to be present in wood to be called dry wood is?
89. The pattern material used in Investment casting Process is?
90. What is the use of offset follower in cam? Why and where we have to use this type of follower?
91. What is the use of offset follower in cam? Why and where we have to use this type of follower?
92. State the difference between Forging & Fabrication?
93. What is flange rating?
94. What amount of heat energy loss in ESP?
95. What happen when diesel is injected in petrol engine?
96. What do you mean by property of system?
97. Why joule-Brayton cycle is not suitable for a reciprocating engine.
98. How does “turbulence” differ from swirl?
99. Is octane number beyond 100 is possible?
100. Explain the effect of fuel structure on knocking.
101. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of LPG as a fuel in S.I. Engine?
102. What is the impact of using throttling device instead of expander in vapour compression cycle?
103. What is moisture choking? Which refrigerants are more prone to it?
104. What is Montreal protocol and why CFCs are being phased out?
105. Why reverse Joule Brayton is used in aircraft refrigeration system?
106. Explain how solar-energy can used in refrigeration system?
107. Is wet bulb temperature a thermodynamic property?
108. What is the utility of comfort chart?
109. How would you decide whether a reciprocating compressor or centrifugal compression is to be
used in a refrigerating system?
110. Why smoking is not allowed in air conditioned enclosure?
111. Why desert coolers become ineffective in raining season?
112. Why package units are being preferred over central air conditioning system?
113. What is MAPI.
114. What is capital budgetary?
115. What is group technology layout?
116. What is leveling & smoothing in production technology?
117. What is deference between method study & work measurement?
118. What you know about drilling?
119. How oil is produced? What is the size of well?
120. Pumps used in drilling procedure and why? Why not centrifugal pump? What if we want high
head and high discharge?
121. Difference between Pipeline and Piping ?
122. Use of CNG, LNG, LPG etc.

Additional questions subject wise:

Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Machinery

What is the difference between impulse & reaction turbine.
Explain unit speed, unit discharge unit power & specific speed.
Explain NPSH, in which parameter it depends on.
What is jet ratio?
What is Deriaz turbine?
Which turbine is good for tidal power plant?
What is Navier-stroke equation.
What are the significance of
Mach number
Weber number

Material Science
What is quazi-crystal?
What do you understand by a free cutting steel?
What elements are usually added to make a steel free cutting, & how they make the steel free cutting?
Explain various method of hardening of steel?
What do you understand by the term “Arrest point” in connecting with heat treatment of plain carbon steel?
What influence does grain size have on the mechanical properties of metals.
Describe the difference between brittle and ductile fracture.
What is the difference between natural & artificial aging?

Thermodynamics
What is availability function for a closed system?
If it is possible that entropy of a system can decrease during a given process?
What is dead state in thermodynamics?
What is exergy?
What happens to triple point line when projected to P-T plane?
What is compressibility factor and what is its value for Vander walls gases.
What are initial conditions for formation of shock waves?
What do you understand by choking in nozzle flows?
Is it possible that pressure and velocity decreases simultaneously/
Distinguish between “Available energy” & Availability?
What is pure substances.
What is critical point? What is the value of critical temperature, pressure & volume of water?
What is sublimation curve, fusion curve & vaporization curve?
What is Rayleigh Line & Fanno Line?
What is normal shocks & when its occurs?
What is High Grade Energy & Low Grade Energy?

Heat & Mass Transfer
What is Newton’s Law of cooling.
What is Recuperator & Regenerators?
Whether fin can actually reduce heat transfer? is it possible? When?
What is difference between Biot no. & Nusselt no?
Which one is greater, thermal boundary layer or hydrodynamic boundary layer?
What is film temperature in forced convection flow?
What is fully developed region and where it is applicable?
What is the critical radius of insulation, explain clearly in terms of thermal resistance and heat
transfer rate?
At what case do you recommend Fin?
What is the difference between free convection & forced convection in what parameter forced &
free convection depend.

Internal Combustion Engine What is the use of Carburetor in SI Engine, There is trend towards increases of injection system in
Automobiles, Explain.
Why Supercharging is not popular with SI Engines?
What is performance number.
Explain Knocking in SI Engine & Mention, the factor that tend to reduce Knocking?
Explain the difference between Knocking in SI Engine & CI Engine?
How does “Turbulence” differ from “Swirl”?
Name some Antiknock additive and explain the Mechanism by which they reduce the knock?
Power Plant engineering
What is slip ratio in thermal power plant?
In Pendant super heater whether parallel flow or counter flow heat exchange between steam and flue gases.
What happens to mass flow in case of supersaturated flow?
Why clearance are provided in reciprocating compressor?
Explain turbojet & Rocket Engine.
What’s the advantage of compounding of steam turbine?
What’s are boiler mounting & accessory.
Draw the sketch of pulse jet engine. What are its main advantage & disadvantage?
Explain working principal of scram jet engine,
what is advantage over the ramjet?
What are the advantage of nuclear power plants over thermal power plants.
What is fast breeder reactor?
What is circulation ratio and what is its range in power plant?
One 2-row Curtis turbine is equivalent to how many reaction turbines for same value of blade velocity and angle of nozzle?
What are thermal neutrons?
What is breeding ratio?
What is the application of jet and rocket technology? Which is used in missiles?

Strength of Materials
What do you mean by equal strength in a beam?
What is difference between pure shear and simple (normal) shear?
Is it possible that decrease in area gives a decrease in stress?
Whether shear stresses are always parallel to shear forces?
By which experiment, you find it toughness of material.
Distinguish between direct stress & bending stress.
What do you mean by Torsional rigidity & lateral rigidity?
Define “slenderness ratio”. How it is used in long and short column?

Machine Design
What are rolling contact bearing?
What are the anti friction bearings?
What is stress concentration factor?
What is the bolt of uniform strength?
What is the difference Static Load carrying
capacity & Dynamic Load carrying capacity?
Why we are not using the unit joule for torque instead of N-m.
What is Low cycle fatigue failure and High cycle fatigue failure? What are considerations of these while designing a machine?
What is mechanical advantage?
How trains take turns though there is no differential gear?
Do you know epicyclical gear box? What is the practical application of epicyclical gear box?
What is tooth profile? Which one is better?

Theory of Machines
What is Keneddy theorem?
Do we need a screw with efficiency less than 50%?
What is backlash?
What is damping ratio?
Define Resonance.
Define critical speed or whirling speed or
whipping speed.
What is machine? Giving example, Differentiate
between a machine & structure.
What is Mechanical advantage.

Refrigeration and Air-conditioning
What is utility of comfort chart?
hat is wet compression?
To maximize COP what should be the condition of vapour at suction to compression?
What is the range of NBP (normal boiling point) in case of most refrigerants?
Why COP of CO2 gas is less and still why it is used in transport refrigeration?
What are the most crucial parts in reciprocating compressors?
How compressors are selected based on type of refrigerant?
What is correlation between wet bulb
temperatures an adiabatic saturation temperature?
Why isothermal compressor is Desirable?
What is desirable property of ideal refrigerant?
Define effective temperature & what is the optimum design condition for comfort for summer A/C?

Production Engineering
Why arc is slowly extinguished in case of arc welding?
Which inert gas is commonly used for thin work piece and which inert gas for thick work piece?
What is friction welding?
What is difference between brazing & braze welding?
Why hole basis system is adopted in manufacturing?
What is 3- 2-1 principle?
Where diamond pin locator is used?
How presses are rated?
What is spring back?
What is difference between fillet and corner radius?
What are overhead costs?
Why depreciation is to be taken into account in industrial management?
Why breakeven point is important in any industry?
What is sine bar?
What is marginal cost and marginal revenue?
What is shear and where it is provided in case of punching and blanking?
What is angle of bite?
What is extrusion ratio?
What is gutter and where it is used?
Which process is used for making nuclear reactor fuel rods?
What is difference between Amorphous and crystalline solids?
What are the various method of inspection of
casting for internal & external defects?
Why are allowances provided for in the
production of patterns? What do they depend on?
What is the deference between soldering & brazing?
What is meant by solid-state welding explain.
What is cold welding?
Describe the principal behind resistance welding processes.
What function should a lubricant perform in manufacturing process?
Explain the difference between punching & blanking.
Explain the difference between discontinuous chips and segment chips.
Explain the different type of tool wear.
What is difference between oblique & orthogonal cutting.
What are the main difference between jig and fixture?
What is AOQ
What is LTPD
What is Producer risk
What is Consumer’s risk
What is JIT approaches?
What is group technology? What are its main advantages?
Define the term “production & productivity.
What is the significance of ISO 9000 series & 1400 series.
What is artificial intelligence?
Which welding process does not required any filler material?
What is tack weld?
Which process used for cutting thicker plates?
Where drooping characteristics of power source is required in arc welding?

2. HR questions:
1. Tell me about yourself?
2. What is your hometown famous for?
3. Tell about your achievements in life.
4. Your strengths and weakness
5. Are you a team player?
6. Tell me about your ability to work under pressure.
7. How would you know you will be successful on this job?
8. Describe your management style.
9. Global warming
10. Chief justice of India
11. Vice President of India
12. CEO of Apple, when did he die?
13. Gas scenario
14. RBI policy
15. Corporate Governance
16. Corporate Laws
17. Cast system is boon or bane ?
18. What’s the difference in the modus operandi of Amir Khan’s “Satyameva jayate” and Anna Hazares movement?
19. What will u do on your part to remove corruption? If you travel in a train without confirmed ticket will u bribe the TT for a seat?
20. What do u mean by optimistic. Is it always good to be optimistic or it helps sometimes to be pessimist?
21. What is difference between confidence and over confidence?
22. What is the difference between hard work and smart work?
23. What are your goals?
24. What motivates you to do a good job?
25. What makes you angry?
26. Give an example of your creativity
27. Describe ideal company, job, and location?
28. What are your hobbies?
29. Inspiration in your life and why?
30. What was the toughest decision you ever had to make?
31. Define success? and how do you measure up to your definition
32. About present job (if employed)
33. Why did you resign from your previous job?
34. Why have you been unemployed so long?
35. What was the toughest challenge you have ever faced?
36. What would you say to your boss if he is crazy about an idea, but you think it stinks?
37. Why should I hire you?
38. Explain how you would be an asset to this organisation.
39. If we give you a job will you leave IIT B or your organisation?
40. What changes would you make if you came on board?

What do Mechanical Engineers do?

Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineers do them.”

-James A. Michener

Engineers solve complex problems for society. Mechanical engineers create and build mechanical devices. They apply the fundamentals of science and math to create practical, useful solutions that the rest of us can use.
The diverse mechanical engineering field can be divided in a variety of ways in terms of job functions. Some of the most common functions relate to these areas of technology, but not all do. Among these fields are:

• Product Design -- developing products ranging from biomedical devices to gasoline-powered engines. A mechanical engineer designs anything that uses mechanical motion.
• Research and Development -- discovering new solutions to human needs or improving older methods.
• Manufacturing -- developing the machines that process materials into products. Designing and building machines and systems of machines that improve operating efficiency is of prime importance.
• Systems management -- overseeing operations of a large system, such as a power plant, as well as supervising the people who work there.
• Energy -- planning how energy is generated, stored, and moved. Industries that produce and deliver electrical power, such as natural gas, oil and alternative energy, employ mechanical engineers to develop more fuel-efficient cars, motors, and appliances.

In most of these fields, the mechanical engineer is concerned with heat utilization or machine design--in other words, harnessing or creating energy. Heat utilization techniques are applied in boilers, air conditioners, and refrigeration units. Machine design is more focused on hardware, including automobile engines, computers, and washing machines.

Carrier as Mechanical Engineer

Introduction
Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest branches of engineering. It is also referred to as the ‘mother’ branch of engineering. Another appealing feature of mechanical engineering is that the application base of this field of study is extremely broad and diverse. Almost all inventions during the ancient period and a vast majority in the modern era are direct contributions of one or the other application of mechanics.
Traditionally, mechanical engineers have to deal with concepts such as mechanics, thermodynamics, robotics, kinematics, structural analysis, fluid mechanics and many others. These concepts are applied in the process of designing state-of-the-art manufacturing units, different types of motor vehicles, aircraft and aerospace parts and a vast assortment of industrial machinery. Mechanical engineers also contribute in the development of various engines, power plant equipment, heating and cooling systems and other simple and complex machinery.
Mechanical engineers not only design new mechanical systems but they are also responsible for testing, maintaining and manufacturing them. The aforementioned are the conventional roles and responsibilities of mechanical engineers. However, times have changed. Nowadays the scope of mechanical engineering is expanding beyond its traditional boundaries.
Mechanical engineers are focussing their attention towards new areas of research such as nanotechnology, development of composite materials, biomedical applications, environmental conservation, etc. The ever increasing scope of this particular job profile now requires professionals to get into financial and marketing aspects of product development and even into people and resource management. All in all mechanical engineering offers a wide bouquet of job options to students who are looking for a stable and stimulating career.
Step-by-Step
Passing 10+2 with PCM (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) is the first step you take towards becoming a professional mechanical engineer. To be eligible for a graduate programme (BE/BTech) in a college, you should have scored at least 50% marks and 60% for being eligible for IITs (Indian Institute of Technology) in 10+2 with PCM as subjects.
After this, you can sit for various entrance examinations such as:

• • The Joint Entrance Examination for IITs (IIT JEE) for admission to various IITs, NITs, IIITs, and other regional government and private colleges.
• Another option is state level entrance tests conducted by the state level authorities like WBJEE, JKCET, UPCET, JCET, APCET so  on.
• Another option is private colleges entrance exam like BITSAT, VITEE, LPUSET, MCET, so on.

Apart from these, there are hundreds of engineering colleges across the length and breadth of the country  where you can get into a graduate programme in mechanical engineering.
You can also opt for a diploma in engineering from a polytechnic. For obtaining a diploma, the basic eligibility is completion of Class 10 with 50% marks. The duration of these diploma courses is three-years for regular and four- years for part-time study.
You can also go for an associate membership qualification from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, which is considered at par with the diploma earned from a state run polytechnic or a university degree. Another option is to earn a similar qualification offered by the Institution of Engineering (India). Diploma holders can also get direct entry into the second year of a graduate program (lateral entry).
After successful completion of the graduate program, you can go for the two-year masters program in mechanical engineering or ME/MTech. If you are interested in pursuing a post-graduate programme in mechanical engineering from any of the IITs, then you must appear for the Graduate Aptitude Test for Engineers (GATE).
These days many engineering colleges are offering a dual (BE/BTech and ME/MTech) programmes. Some other institutions are offering a combination of an engineering degree along with a management programme. In case you are interested in further studies, you can go do a PhD or even opt for a management degree from a reputed business school.
Start Early
To make mechanical engineering your chosen career path, you must have affinity for the way different machines function. This trait can be observed from early childhood when children try to tinker around with different machinery in their immediate vicinity. Such kids often tend to take apart mechanical toys, clocks, bicycles and then they try to assemble them back again.
These children are so innovative that they may even try to make new things. Here, parents have a  special role to play. They must understand that the child possesses an inquisitive mind that is interested in gaining knowledge about machinery and not in breaking or destroying things. Parents must encourage the child’s curiosity to know more about different gadgets and machines in and  round the house.
During schooling, the quest to play around with machinery increases all the more. This curiosity often culminates with the child opting for science with the PCM subject combination.
Is it the Right Career for Me?
Like other career paths, the entry into this particular branch of engineering also requires you to possess certain basic traits. First and foremost, you must have a penchant for mechanical components and machinery and how these machines work. Then you must be good at physics, chemistry and mathematics. You must also have skills such as an analytical bent of mind, logical reasoning and problem solving.
Further, you must have immense patience, physical strength, ability to work for long hours and an inventive spirit that are essential ingredients for becoming a successful mechanical engineer.
What would it Cost Me?
A graduate programme from a private engineering institution will cost you anywhere between Rs.50,000 to Rs.2,00,000 annually. However, in a reputed government run establishment such as the Indian institute of Technology (IIT) or any regional engineering college, you will have to pay an annual fees in the range of anywhere between Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000.
Funding/Scholarship
Educational institutes offering programmes in mechanical engineering generally extend scholarships to students from socially and economically backward classes. For example, IITs waive off the complete tuition fees for students belonging to the socially backward communities. Scholarships, freeships, stipends and financial assistance are also provided to students on the basis of merit and other qualifying criteria.
Job Prospect
Since mechanical engineering is the broadest of all engineering fields, the job prospects on offer for skilled mechanical engineers are aplenty and unending. Mechanical engineers are required to design, test, manufacture, install, operate and maintain a wide array of machines and mechanical systems that are used in countless industries. These professionals can find employment both in the government and private sector undertakings.
Major industries that employ mechanical engineers include automobiles, space research, aeronautical, energy and utilities, air conditioning, bio-mechanical industry. Other major employers include giant manufacturing plants, air conditioning and refrigeration industry, turbine manufacturing plants, oil and gas exploration and refining industries and the agricultural sector.
In the government sector, mechanical engineers can provide their knowledge to various government run projects in the role of technical experts and consultants. They can also work in private engineering companies that provide technical consultancy to both government and corporate firms. These engineers can also hold high managerial positions in government as well as private sector organisations according to their field of expertise and educational qualifications.
Pay Packet
Mechanical engineering offers a wide variety of career opportunities to job aspirants. The average monthly salary of mechanical engineers who are new to this profession is approximately in the range between Rs.10,000 and Rs.25,000. Good campus placements can fetch even better packages for deserving students. Mechanical engineers who hold a post-graduate degree from a reputed academic institute tend to get better offers than diploma and degree holders.
From here on the annual pay packet depends on a number of factors such as the skill set possessed, experience, expertise, the employer, nature of roles and responsibilities, etc. Highly skilled mechanical engineers can easily command pay packets as high as Rs 40-45 lacs per annum.
Demand and Supply
There is great deman d for skilled mechanical engineers in different segments of the industry. Their expertise is required in traditional manufacturing industries such as automobiles, aviation, shipping, aerospace, power plants and machinery manufacturing. In recent times, the services of expert mechanical engineers have even been  sought in fields such as nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, energy conservation and environmental engineering.
There is also great requirement for mechanical engineer consultants who have management skills along with  technical proficiency. The primary role of such professionals is to manage both technology and people and firms that provide engineering consultancy require them. Various engineering colleges and polytechnics across the country are doing their best to meet the burgeoning demand of skilled mechanical engineering professionals.
Market Watch
The job market for mechanical engineers is perennial. Even the vagaries of the global economic crisis could not knock out the demand for these professionals in the Indian job market. Although some branches of mechanical engineering went out of focus during the meltdown period, the overall situation was much better as compared with other careers. On the brighter side, things are getting  ack
to normal and this evergreen career path is again gaining coin amongst career aspirants as it did during the pre- meltdown years.
In fact, this is a period of resurgence for mechanical engineers. They not only have countless options in the industrial sector but they can also make foray into new realms of technology and even get into management and technical consultancy.
According to a survey, mechanical engineering is amongst the most sought after branches of engineering preferred by students seeking admission to various technical institutes across India in the recent years.
International Focus
Highly qualified professionals from this field, such as post- graduates from various IITs, often seek suitable employment in foreign countries. It is not that only highly qualified mechanical engineers get opportunity to work abroad. If you are employed in a multinational company, you may also get the chance to work on offshore projects
Positives/Negatives
+ives
• There are umpteen job openings and you will not remain unemployed
• Constant involvement in the development of new components, gadgets and machines
• Innovative contribution to the new frontiers of science such as nanotechnology, biomedical engineering and environmental sciences
• Not hit by recession or global economic meltdown
-ives
• Working conditions can be adverse at times
• Deadlines and work pressure can exact a heavy toll on the body and mind
• Physically strenuous and not for the weak 
Different Roles, Different Names Mechanical engineering is considered the ‘mother’ of all branches of engineering. In this context the roles and responsibilities held by a mechanical engineer are different and depend on their area of specialisation and the industry they are working for. In broad terms, the job profile of mechanical engineers can be classified into the following functional segments:
• Research and Development (R&D): Engineers whose role is to do research and then plan for new machines and their constituent parts.
• Design: Professionals whose responsibility is to draft technical drawings, manually or with the aid of computers.
• Production: Engineers who supervise the manufacturing of mechanical components and machines.
• Analysis and testing: Engineers who analyse and test different types of machines and their parts to ensure that they function flawlessly.
• Installation: Professionals who install machines and mechanical parts at the client location.
• Maintenance: Engineers whose primary role is to ensure that machinery is working as per specifications.
Top Companies
1. Automobile and auto part manufacturers
2. Aerospace industry
3. Various Government sector undertakings
4. Aviation companies
5. Steel plants
6. Thermal plants and gas turbine manufacturers
7. Air conditioning and refrigeration industry
8. Shipping industry
9. Engineering consultancies
10. Armed forces
Tips for Getting Hired
1. It is advisable to earn a post-graduate degree in this field
2. Computer proficiency is a must these days
3. You must have excellent communication and interpersonal skills
4. A management degree further brightens your career prospects

What can I do with an engineering degree, apart from beingan engineer?

What can I do with an engineering degree, apart from being an engineer?

An engineer’s fundamental skills, such as logical thinking, problem-solving and strong numeracy, are highly desirable in many other business sectors. IT, banking, finance and consulting are just a few of the options. However, you don’t have to leave engineering to explore commercial, financial and management opportunities. Many larger engineering employers run programmes that focus on these areas of their business, for example operations management, commercial management, technical sales, finance, procurement and purchasing, supply chain management and logistics.

Read on to research a selection of your options.

Logistics

Logistics covers the physical movement of materials – the transfer of raw materials to manufacturing facilities or the distribution of products to customers – as well as all the planning and financial transactions involved in these operations. The aim is to move things around at the lowest possible cost. It covers processing and tracking orders, working with planning departments to check availability of products, forecasting to meet changes in the market, and dealing with contracted  services such as shipping.

As a logistician, you will apply your problem-solving and logical-thinking skills to problems and situations as they arise. Every situation also requires a cost-benefit analysis. You need to consider the impact of your decisions on the business as a whole, so it’s important to be able to see the bigger picture.

Good communication skills are essential.

You have to be clear and accurate in what you say to colleagues and customers, particularly when you meet resistance to changes in procedures.

Operations management

Operations management is a crucial link between the different parts of the manufacturing process and the business side of a manufacturing organisation. The role is often based around the supply chain – operations managers can be involved in anything from buying raw materials to the logistics of delivery to customers. The aim is to assess and improve the day-to-day running of, for example, a manufacturing plant, by implementing systems to increase productivity and reduce costs. You also need to plan ahead and put strategies in place for future development.

Communication and interpersonal skills are invaluable:

• you will have to work with people running the systems and processes and find quick solutions to problems based on the information you receive.

• You will use your analytical thinking to get the most from the data, and learn how to deal with problems that can have a huge impact on how processes work.

• Operations management is good for people who like to look at the business as a whole.

Patent law and intellectual property

A patent attorney is a specialized legal professional who is qualified to write, obtain and advise clients about patents and to protect the intellectual property (IP) rights in commercial products or processes. A legal background is not required, however: the essential requirement for patent law is technical expertise. Patent attorneys may deal with patents, which protect technological innovations, and with other types of IP such as registered and unregistered designs, which protect the shape and appearance of products. A patent attorney can work for a private firm or an organisation’s in-house patent department. In addition to a good degree and broad-based interest in engineering, excellent communication skills are essential, particularly written skills. You need to be comfortable dealing with clients, working to tight deadlines and handling several projects at once. There is a long training period followed by exams – it may take from three to five years to qualify.

Procurement, purchasing and buying

Procurement is the process of buying equipment and parts for projects at the right price and quality, so that they can be delivered to where they need to be at the right time. As such, procurement careers cover a wide range of activities, including: drawing up lists of preferred suppliers; choosing suppliers based on quality, price and schedule; checking progress and quality; and working with logisticians to ship the equipment to site. A wide range of skills are required to be successful.

• Orders can be worth millions of pounds, so buyers have to cost equipment accurately.Selecting a suitable vendor can involve negotiation so excellent communication skills are vital.

• Timescales are tight, so you have to think on your feet and understand what’s going on in all departments.
• An engineering background means you’ll have a technical understanding of the equipment you’re buying, so you can better estimate timescales and the impact of any changes. You may also be required to inspect equipment.

Supply chain management

Supply chain management involves managing raw materials, production lines, manufacturing processes and logistics to maintain a supply of high-quality products to customers. It’s all about perfecting the processes in the chain to provide the best service for customers, while at the same time minimizing costs and ensuring the safety of employees.

• It can be quite complex, especially within a large organization where you could be working with people from business managers to technicians, so good interpersonal skills are essential.

• To improve processes and act as a link between different parts of the process, you will need to understand the functions of other teams,  and other people’s roles.

• Analytical and investigative skills are also important for seeking out new opportunities and proposing new schemes to make the business more profitable.

• An engineering background may make it easier to pick up technical knowledge, which will help when making  business decisions.

Graduates working in supply chain roles:

Teaching, academia and lecturing

Many people are first attracted to engineering because they like applying science and using their problem-solving skills. Why not use your knowledge of these processes to help train others and turn young scientists into budding engineers? Teaching an engineering related subject enables you to look at the creative aspects of engineering and help students to develop their own problem-solving skills.

• You can use real-world examples from your degree and anytime spent in business to bring technical and scientific concepts to life.

• You will need some experience of working with children, enthusiasm for your subject, and strong communication skills.

• You could also use your engineering background to stay in academia and become a higher education lecturer,specializing in a particular area.

• You will need in-depth technical knowledge of specialist areas, as well as the ability to communicate this tooters clearly using tutorials, lectures, and practical laboratory work.

• You may also carry out personal research.

Technical Consulting

Technical consultants help organisations to solve their business problems. This could cover anything that might impact on the profitability of an organisation so, if you are interested in the broader world of business, this may be the option for you. As a new graduate, you could expect to work as part of a team, initially focusing on research.

• You will then use data analysis and statistical modelling to come up with creative solutions to business problems.

• You will need excellent analytical and communication skills to present complex information and results to clients, who will often include top management.As a trained engineer it will be easier to back up your opinions with technical knowledge and analysis.

• Your logical reasoning and problem-solving skills will be invaluable, and you will need to be comfortable dealing with numbers and large volumes of data.

• You may also need your technical knowledge to advise on the implementation of specialist technology or equipment.

Technical sales

Technical sales involves using your engineering knowledge to win future business. You will need to draw on your organisation’s expertise and skills to present innovative ideas that meet your clients’ requirements. For this, you’ll need a solid understanding of both the business and the needs of its clients. A strong engineering background is essential to be credible in technical sales –

• You need to understand any technical issues and challenges, and advise the client on how your organisation can help them.

• You will need to work with people across your organisation,  including those in research, development, design and purchasing, to ensure you have a full understanding of the product or service.

• Being disciplined and having a positive outlook will take you far in a sales environment.
  
• Most importantly, you need to be good at listening to the client, absorbing and interpreting information and then communicating it to others.

• Winning new business is what makes technical sales people tick.

Technical training

Businesses need to ensure their employees can use, sell, install and operate complex equipment and technological systems. For this, technical trainers are key – they have the technical expertise and communication skills to train workforces on topics such as technical standards, company-specific software packages, manufacturing equipment and health and safety processes.

• You may work for an agency, or be part of an internal human resources and development team.

• You will need to analyse the training needs of the organisation, and then develop technical training courses and materials suitable for all levels, from those with the most basic technical or IT knowledge, to those with high-level technical skills and engineering backgrounds.

• You will need strong presentation and organisational skills, and the ability to communicate with people of all levels.

• You will also need to keep on top of industry developments and potentially work with course providers and examining bodies to ensure the appropriate accreditation.

From a Mechanical engineering background student

Being from a Mechanical engineering background you should not be in a panic kind of  situation.See you are in your 3rd year now.Your primary focus should be now on improving the aggregate  percentage because thats very important while stepping into the corporate world. Your aggregate percentage which is 58%, doesn't seems good at present.This may trouble you severely while passing out from your college.So make sure you are improving your aggregate percentage. Now coming to your friends story.I really feel pity for that person.Why I am saying this is because being from a mechanical engineering background and getting a 5K to 6K is really very shameful.
See my intention is not to hurt you or anyone.But its really unfortunate to work with such a less salary because now a days even diploma graduate earns twice as much you have mentioned for your
senior.Anyways I am going to provide you a list of some govt sector jobs you should try for after passing out.
1> PSUs : - Some major Maharatna,Navaratna and Miniratna awarded public sector undertakings
(BHEL, NTPC, ONGC, NPCIL, GAIL, NHPC, SAIL, IOCL, CIL etc) of our country have a regular
vacancies every year.These PSUs conduct a written exam followed by an interview to hire good many number of candidates from Electrical,Mechanical,Electronics,Civil branches every year. You may start preparing for these competitive exams by enrolling yourself in some best coaching institute or by self study techniques.The notifications of such exams can be available from "employment news" on a weekly basis. But remember you have to be really good enough in your studies to be able to crack those exams. Just having surface knowledge wont help you.

2> I E S / I A S :- If you want a dream job,probably the best paid and prestigious job in our country then you should go for I.E.S or I.A.S civil service exams.These are central govt exams conducted by U.P.S.C under the guidance and supervision of Ministry of Human resource Development.You may also apply for the technical jobs conducted by staff selection commission or state public services commission to be able to join some respectable jobs in your own state.The jobs that you will be given after qualifying I.E.S / I.A.S will comprise a mixture of both managerial decisions and technical supervision.The perks and emoluments after salary is really the best.So try to crack this exam.But remember the difficulty level and syllabus for both the above mentioned exams are appreciably high.You need to have indepth knowledge regarding the subject.

3>Central Govt Wings :- Some of the Major Government wings like Telecom sectors,Indian Railway,Indian Airlines,Indian Postal services,Indian revenue services,central excise office,Income tax dept etc also do require candidate from different core streams.You are also eligible for any of these jobs also.But remember that the jobs in these sectors are more managerial oriented rather than technical oriented.But you may expect some exciting technical jobs in Telecom sector and Indian Railway.

4> GATE entrance exam: - Some oil and gas refineries, power sectors and Manufacturing companies like Power Grid, NTPC, BHEL, IOCL and BARC also provides opportunities for desperate and outstanding candidates to work for their organization. These sectors are interested in those students possessing a very handsome GATE scorecard.So if you want to get absorbed in any of
best public sector organizations then GATE exam is a must for you.Start preparing for the gate exam by enrolling yourself in some coaching institute.Currently ACE academy ,MADE EASY are successfully running institutes probably the best in providing GATE coaching.

5> Banking Sectors : - Yes this is very much true,even an Engineering graduate can also apply for clerical,PO/MT,AO,Technical officer types of posts in the banks.What you need here is just a degree certificate from a recognized institution or university with 55% marks which I am sure you have it.This sector is gaining a lot of momentum as far as modernization is concerned.Also the number of candidates to hired by the end of this  year would likely cross 2 lakhs.So there is a hell lot of opportunity in banking sector.This kind of exams are also not that difficult.Just solving few model questions will really help you get a good rank.But yeah speed is an important criteria in the exam.Hope you understand

6> Defense Sectors :- If you want a job which is challenging , prestigious and the same time related to patriotism then you have to try and qualify the exams conducted by these organization which are powered by Ministry of Defense.Well here the life is more disciplined and the perks and emoluments after salary are really good.This kind of jobs are central govt jobs with a good pay.

See the list doesn't ends here.There are many more such kind of jobs.But I have provided the best paying and reputed jobs available in our country for a mechanical engineering graduate.All the above mentioned jobs are high paid jobs in our country.So don't worry and concentrate well on your studies.There is a long way to go.
BEST OF LUCK

7 Career Advancement Tips for Engineers

By Barb Schmitz

There’s more to being a successful engineer than being good at math and science. Regardless of whether you graduated in May or 20 years ago, there are tips and strategies you can employ to increase your chances of career advancement, some of which might be surprising. So let’s take a look at some of these tips that all engineers can use to assure themselves that their careers remain on the right path.

1. Think like a businessman.

This one might surprise many of you, but the reality is that engineering firms are increasingly seeking out engineers who can think like businesspeople. They want engineers who have been involved with strategy and planning and know their way around a balance sheet and income statements. All engineers need to understand how the total costs to produce your company’s products affect business
decisions.

2. Think outside the box .

In this case, the “box” is your respective discipline. You might have gone to college to study mechanical engineering, but many of today’s complex products contain software and embedded electronics so there will be times when design issues will confront you that fall outside of your technical discipline. Learn the basics of other relevant disciplines, such as electronic and software design.

3. Be a team player .

Collaborative design is a part of reality for today’s product development efforts and design teams have now been expanded to include more and more people, many of which are outside of  engineering. All these disciplines must come together to resolve complex issues and formulate solutions to bring products to market. As a result, communication and other “soft” skills are as important as technical expertise.

4. Be an innovator.

Innovation in new products is what sets successful companies apart from their competitors. Always be open to new ideas, even if they come from sources outside your group. Beware of the “Not-Invented-Here” bias that exists at some companies. Companies will reward engineers who encourage innovative ideas, regardless of where they originated. To be successful and advance in their jobs, engineers must play an active part in feeding their company’s innovation pipeline.

5. Be an active alum.

Keep in touch with your alma mater  by offering to participate in technical societies to increase your networking reach and writing technical papers and/or organizing technical sessions at association conferences to enhance both your experience and your company’s reputation.

6. Keep learning.

This is crucial as the tools used to do product design and analysis are constantly changing and improving. Stay ahead of the curve and seek out new assignments and opportunities to learn new technologies, sign up for training programs and make the most of company-paid educational benefits. Also, if possible, attend events put on by professional organizations, such as the American Society of Civil Engineers or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

7. Work on your “soft” skills.

All forms of communication– written and verbal–are critical to advancement in engineering. If you’re an engineer who wants to eventually advance into a management role, you’ll need to be comfortable talking to customers, giving presentations and working with outside suppliers, agencies, etc. So developing these “soft” skills is vital. Toastmasters   International , a non-profit organization, is a great place to get your feet wet in public speaking.

Important Things To prevent becoming obsolete:

The most important things to do in order to prevent becoming obsolete:

1. Focus on knowledge, theory and applications, not on software tools skills. People used slide rules  just a few decades ago; then came the calculator; then came the spreadsheet and the CAE tools. The instruments used by engineers will constantly evolve, so it's crucial not to use tools (software or otherwise) as a foundation of your skills, but instead the depth and breadth of your knowledge and experience. You still won't get a job unless you are well acquainted with the current software, whether it's CATIA or ANSYS or MAT LAB or MS Excel; but the software en vogue will always change, there is no way to predict which way tools will change; and anybody can learn software, but sound engineering knowledge is much harder to acquire.

2. Choose a branch, not an industry Mechanical engineers are in virtually all fields of human activity. Most devices in your daily use involved at least one mechanical engineer in its design and in its construction. It is remarkably flexible. New industries crop up constantly, while others disappear. Imagine if you became a mechanical engineer specialized in fax machines or cassette players. However most branches of mechanical engineering, whether it's thermodynamics, machine design, manufacturing, mechatronics, process, biomedical can have limitless applications. Aerospace and nuclear engineering can pay really well (I've worked in both), but if you pick one of them as a specialty you're married to it for life and you're rather tied to  its successes or failure. You never know where the economy will lead.
Also, there is no way to succeed as a jack of all trades. You really need to pick a branch, and preferably one in which you feel you'll be good and successful in. It's good to know about other branches, but generally you're hired to work in a very specific branch where your knowledge will intensify in that field. You can move industries with that knowledge, but not move branches (or at  east, not easily). Pick a branch, then try to cover your knowledge of that branch widely.

3. Pick a good industry to start working in It makes your life easier if the industry you start in is successful. I started in aerospace, and while I had little interest in it, the industry is seen as very cutting edge, which made getting new work much easier, even in fields that were completely unrelated (such as buildings). Most of your knowledge will get picked up in the workplace, not in school. What you learn in school is actually just the foundation to everything. This means that if you have had a job in a prestigious industry or company, you will have more opportunities to get work and new knowledge and experience, thus keeping your banks of knowledge appear fresh and usable.