Since careers in the automotive industry involves a significant amount of engineering work, an undergraduate degree in any of the following is preferred :
Mechanical Engineering
Automotive Engineering
Electric Engineers
or
Electronic Engineering
On graduating from college, you may apply to any of the automobile companies like Bentley, Ford, Das Auto etc for a trainee position. Most companies also provide additional training and will transfer you through various department for a period of 2-3 years. This is so you accrue various expertise and can make an informed decision of which department holds your interest and where you would like to specialize.
Since automotive careers involve work in the fields of either safety, design, production or research, the scope for someone passionate about cars is enormous.
We’ll take a look at each of the broad specialties in automotive careers
Safety Engineers are concerned with the impact of crashes and accidents, on the cars as well as its occupants. These guys focus on how to make the car safer, stronger and sturdier, all the while maintaining the aesthetic and design of the automobile.
Design Engineers work out the kinks in automobile design. They make sure it is pleasing to the eye and aerodynamic while being a feasible product.
automotive careersEngineers working in the production department have a variety of responsibilities. Some work as development engineers and some as system engineers. This involves seeing that each component of the automobile works well with the other components.
Research engineers work in labs and are concerned with the future of automobile technology. Constantly creating new type of automobiles through state of the art computer programs and simulations, these engineers have a sneak peak on the automotive technology of tomorrow. Also a knowledge of cost estimates and being able to predict the outcome of tests is an added advantage for people looking to make a living as a research engineer in the automobile industry.
If none of these fields interest you, do not despair. The person looking to start on an automotive career has many doors ahead of him. These doors lead to various specializations. Because of the vast scope of automotive engineering, from commercial vehicles to passenger cars to a two-wheeler, the person who chooses an automotive career is spoilt for choice.
Additionally, this profession is in high demand and the need for well-educated and experiences automobile engineers is only going to increase.
This job is usually a typical 9-5 job but in some cases you may have to work weekends or longer hours. This is specially true if your company is involved in a special showcasing of their new product or a release date is approaching. In the field of motor sport engineering, the possibility of foreign travel increases significantly compared to the other ‘tamer’ fields.
Some aspects of the work culture in all automobile companies are similar to each other whereas in some areas individual companies may differ. Generally, the benefits and salary payable to automotive engineers is very good and a senior person can expect much more in terms of salary and other paid benefits.
