Learning SolidWorks or Pro/E

[slinger]

Hello. I recently completed six years in the Navy. I graduated with a
BSME in 1999, right before joining the Navy and becoming a submarine
officer. I am now looking for a mechanical engineering job, but I feel I
will almost certainly need to become a proficient CAD user before I can
get a job. Most of the companies I am interested in use Pro/E, but it
seems easier to find SolidWorks training courses. Since I am unemployed
and want to be employed as soon as possible, I'd like to learn SolidWorks
(and/or Pro/E) as fast and furiously as possible. So,

1) if I learn SolidWorks, is that good enough to be hired by Pro/E-using
employers provided my r

 

[SSLaser]

slinger,


I'll give my humble opinion to your questions:


1- It is hard to generalize companies on this type of question. 6 months ago, I would have flat out said "no," but my current company hired me because of my 5 years of Pro/E (they use SolidWorks)PLUS my experiencewith military flight optical systems.


2- There are training courses for both Pro/E and SolidWorks, that while basic, offer a view toward gaining efficiency. I would say ProE is harder to learn, but the software offers much more capability than SolidWorks. SolidWorks by comparison, has much better help files, is more "windows friendly," and is very easy to learn. I used it for 3 months prior to going to training,but is wasstillvaluable.


I think a more important question to ask yourself is this: Do you want to take advantage of your experience as a "nuke" and remain in a field you are very familiar with? If so, companies, especially those who hire ex-nukes, know you are capable of learning very quickly, and will be willing to send you to training. The problem is that there are not very many companies (that I am aware of) that are in the nuclear power industry.


If you choose to pursue a non-nuclear power related job,many companies still value the experience that military people offer-especiallycompanies in the defense industry. Are you willing to relocate? The DC area is teaming with defense companies, big and small, who can't get enough engineers, especially those who are easily clear-able.


IMHO, A CAD package is a tool that engineers use to convey their (and other's) ideasfor fabrication;it turns those ideas intoreality. I have seen many people whose expertise in CAD would astound you, but they simply had a hard time holding on to engineering jobs. Yes, you may end up using CAD 8-10 hours per day, but it is notCAD that solves engineering problems, it is the user.


Peter

 

[slinger]

Thanks. Pretty much all of the companies I'm interested in around here
(Minnesota) are Pro/E. Like a foreign language, I would love to be able to
use a CAD system yet would prefer to avoid the cost in time and money of
learning a CAD system if I can get by without it. My true love is
engineering though, and it seems hard for me to find any engineering job
for which CAD experience is not a requirement. Ususally they want Pro/E
proficiency too although I imagine they might hire a well-qualified
SolidWorks user if no Pro/E candidate is quite what they're looking for.
I've been disappointed by defense contractors in the Twin Cities (and we
do have a few), who have seemed only concerned about a job candidate's
engineering experience and seem indifferent to my naval experience and
security clearance. It's frustrating that employers seem to be looking only
for people with a narrow skill set and not open to capable people who
lack the exact experience they're looking for. I am open to position
outside of traditional mechanical engineering jobs, but it's a lot harder to
know what to look for there. Anyway, I hope to get a job soon.
Otherwise, I think I will pursue some Pro/E training.

 

[slashct]

Description

You could receive thousands of dollars from your state

PTC has begun certifying our training centers across the U.S. to serve as approved training providers under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). Displaced MCAD professionals can use their WIA benefits to pay for Pro/ENGINEER classes at any state-approved training vendor. The amount of funding available to individuals varies on a state-by-state basis, and has ranged from $3,000 to $7,500.


PTC's training centers are currently certified in the following states:




Illinois
Ohio
Michigan
Minnesota[/list]

 

[dougr]

I would recommend Pro/E simply because it's harder. Learn Pro/E and you'll learn SW..


Invest in the SE, it can be purchased here..


One observation I have is how much "design" experience did you get in the Navy ??


Pro/E & SW are just design tools...

 

[slinger]

I didn't get any design experience in the Navy, but I gained extensive
knowledge on pretty much every aspect of the nuclear, steam, and
electric plant. We pretty much needed to know the plant inside and out
and know why pretty much every compenent was designed as it was.
Nevertheless, I fully understand that I would be starting from scratch as a
design engineer. I still want to be a design engineer, whether I can start
out as one or start out in something more appropriate to my supervisory
experience and slide over into something more design-related. My
dilema is that what I want to do (and what I think I will utimately be best
at) is not what I'm most qualified for currently based on my naval
experience. My intrinsic gifts are much stronger in math and science
than in leadership and management. I think I could be an exceptionally
good engineer. As a manager or supervisor, I think I could be quite
competent but nothing special. I'm open to doing a lot of things, but I do
want to use most of the knowledge I gained in my mech eng classes.

Thanks everyone for your help.