Posts
12895
Joined
8/17/2006
Location
Golden, CO, USA
Edited Date/Time
1/25/2012 3:44pm
...if the quality of the worker in our labor force sucks?
I'm interviewing engineering candidates. I have a 3 part test I give them which includes CAD file creation, an engineering knowledge eval, two simple engineering hand calculation problems, and a hands-on assembly problem. For this position, I'm looking at candidates with 3-7 years experience. It's amazing how little these people know, that they're unable to apply the theory of their training into a practical situation, and how much they'll be lazy and guess instead of thinking a solution through. They're turning out junk.
Pathetic.
I'm interviewing engineering candidates. I have a 3 part test I give them which includes CAD file creation, an engineering knowledge eval, two simple engineering hand calculation problems, and a hands-on assembly problem. For this position, I'm looking at candidates with 3-7 years experience. It's amazing how little these people know, that they're unable to apply the theory of their training into a practical situation, and how much they'll be lazy and guess instead of thinking a solution through. They're turning out junk.
Pathetic.
If ya wanna pay for it...Cal-Tech and Stanford turn out good engineers (Composites is what I have to concern myself with; so, that might explain my bias).
To be fair, I have to fight myself due to a pretty extreme bias towards the Composites program at Stanford...but, I'm working on it...
Your best bet: professional networking to find the right candidate and go hire that person...usually...away from someone-else.
I'm jus' knowin'...
Here is an example: I am a fire sprinkler contractor. I have taken a course in how to do hydraulic calculations. I can do the math but I can not tell you if the math is correct because I have no real grasp of the subject. True story. Lucky for me I never need to do calcs, I just took the course for fun but I would need much more study for it to have any real value. I hope you find some good people but I hear ya. I recently did a job where the engineering was so bad the job took four times as long as I have to fix everything in the field. It was no fun.
TG, I also look for guys (I'm hiring mechanical) who have hands on mechanical interests (such as guys who rebuild/race) and/or guys who grew up working on ranches. The guys from the ranches, who really worked on them, tend to be very observant and efficient.
Void, PM me.
Beyond what's been commented, what blows me away is the difference between the tests and the interview. Damn.
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Spark: $150k/yr for a level 2 mechanical engineer? Now that's some funny shit right there...step away from the bong, buddy. Cut it in half and you're about right.
my best friend just went back and got his masters and i thought he might enjoy colorado, hahah.
i have an e-mail that i think you would get a kick out of, if you want to pm me your e-mail i will forward it on to you.
i would post it but my lack of internet "skills" will not allow me to...
Also, it's because unfortunately the math of an engineering degree drives away a lot of people so you get the ol' mcdumb fuck bookworm nerd who can do equations in his head but doesn't know what way the fucking wrench turns.
Being in the construction industry, I have hired many. My gut feeling over rides everything else. Get to scientific about the process and you are going to end up with short term employees. I know that I wouldn't interview well, but in April it will be 22 years that I have been at my present job. The job before that was 9 or 10 years. We parted on good terms, and I left because I didn't want to move out of the states.
Pit Row
There's a general knowledge about mechanical systems section that asks questions like, what simple two-gear system would you specify if you don't want the driven component capable of back-driving the system."
There's a materials section that includes questions like, "Explain the main difference between an amorphous and a semi-crystalline plastic, and explain some benefits of each."
There's a parts manufacturing section that has questions like, "Describe Cp and Cpk. Differentiate between the two."
There's a static problem that requires the applicant to determine a minimum angle on a part based on geometry, spring forces, pull forces, and friction.
There's a tolerance analysis problem that includes the applicant to practically apply trig.
That's just the written test. There's also a CAD test, an engineering drawing test that requires one to know how to recognize primary datums and illustrate them on the drawing as well as an understanding of plastic design, a CAD assembly, and a BOM.
The assembly test is pretty simple. The candidate is given a sub assembly of one product I've designed and asked, given only a finished picture and description of what it does, to install the parts. It's only about 8 parts.
There's also a conceptual vizualization test that tests creativity.
There is no pass/fail. It's basically another tool I use in the interview process to get a feel of what's being sold on the resume and what the guy/gal really can do.
A good education IS FREE those that do well...and those that figure out how to apply...and those that fill out their FAFSA...even those that come from more "diverse circumstances" have Special Federal Student Aid acail to them...
On the other-hand: Are you saying that Ivy League schools need to be avail to all as to imply that's the "Real" education or the "Good" education?
Currently, I'm wartching a bunch of sniveling middle-class li' shits BITCH about having to "Pay" for their eduction. Fck Them!
Seriously, the U.S. has Plenty of Educational Programs for ALL...they jus' need to get their FAT ASSES of the Couch and "Get Out There!"
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