Possible Major Essay, Research Paper

For the subject of my research paper I chose the occupation of Industrial Engineering Technology. This job is very similar to one I might have since my major might be Industrial Technology. The industrial field is one that I am very interested in and offers many different jobs to choose from. A few of the jobs included in the industrial field are; Industrial Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Industrial Distributor (sales), and various management positions. All of these are demanding and important careers, without such professionals businesses would be unable to produce products necessary for the survival of both the company and the economy. The industrial field is therefore a promising one because of its constant need for someone to fill the jobs it includes.

Industrial engineering technologists must be able to do many things. I will list a few of the requirements of an industrial engineering technologist in the rest of this paragraph. Industrial engineering technicians use the principles and theories of science, engineering, and mathematics to solve problems in research and development, manufacturing, sales, construction, and customer service. Many engineering technicians assist engineers and scientists, in research and development. Others work in production or inspection jobs. Industrial engineering technicians study the efficient use of personnel, materials, and machines in factories, stores, repair shops, and offices. They also prepare layouts of machinery and equipment, plan the flow of work, make statistical studies, and analyze production costs. Those in research and development build or set up equipment, prepare and conduct experiments, calculate and record results, and assist engineers in other ways. Those in manufacturing prepare specifications for materials, devise or run tests to ensure product quality, or study ways to improve efficiency.

Industrial engineering technicians generally work for manufacturing companies and do most of their work with; electrical and electronic machinery and equipment, transportation equipment, and industrial machinery equipment. Industrial technicians must be able to work with charts , blueprints, layouts, graphs, diagrams and statistics.

My uncle Jim has a job very similar to that of an Industrial Engineering Technologist. Jim works for a company named AMP Incorporated which is located in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Jim has been working at AMP for about four years and is the group leader of the second shift production team. Jim?s job is to make sure that production in the plant runs smoothly, to repair machines, and to make sure that the other workers are doing what is needed. Jim has been promoted several times within the past few years and was originally hired by AMP as a temporary worker doing hand assembly. Jim went to Forsyth technical college and majored in Manufacturing Engineering Technology, which is a two year major. He went back to school shortly after he first began working for AMP.

Jim said that he loves his job at AMP and enjoys the type of work that he is doing. He also told me that all of his co-workers are treated as equals and that they all work as a team. Each shift works in teams with each person being responsible for something. The MET major that Jim took is very similar to my major of Industrial Technology. Both of these majors deal with manufacturing and industrial sciences, and it is very possible that after graduating I will have a job very similar to my uncle?s. The job my uncle has is one that requires the understanding of materials and processing. This type of knowledge is provided in an Industrial Technology major.

Jim told me that the company is very good to its employees and supports an open door policy throughout the different levels of management. He seemed pleased with the benefits and medical coverage AMP provided, which to me seemed excellent. The workers at the plant seemed to work well together from what I saw during my visit. Each employee has their own station and specific jobs that they are required to do. The plant produces mostly electrical connectors used primarily in telephone applications, although other work is done in the plant and other AMP facilities. The parts that are produced are made of plastics, specially treated metals, and various other chemicals and laminar composites. Jim told me that the plant produces almost a billion of the more basic styles of connectors in a year. The plant was very impressive and seemed to go on forever in each direction. I felt as if anything could be made there because of all the technical equipment I saw.

One of the companies I was able to learn about during career day was Milliken & Company. Milliken is a very large textile company based in the southern united states. Milliken employs many industrial professionals in management and production capacities. I was informed that Milliken provides cooperative education opportunities for college students majoring in Industrial Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. I spoke with one of the company representatives who told me that I would probably be able to do co-op work for Miliken as an Industrial Technology major. Co-op experience is very important in getting a good job because most companies want to hire people with good work experience. With a company such as Miliken co-op work is done in alternating semesters. This allows students to go to school one semester and then apply what they have learned on the job while earning money that can be used for tuition in later school semesters.

Examples of jobs I could do if employed by Miliken after graduation are; Process Engineer and Production Manager. A Process Engineer plans and updates current production lines and areas, and is involved with material selection as well as production forecasting. A Production Manager is responsible for keeping production at its highest efficiency, and working with production and maintenance teams.

I am very interested in the industrial field and feel that I would enjoy a job as an industrial professional. I enjoy working with and learning about technical things such as electronic systems and machines. I also enjoy science and the scientific method of explaining things. Most of all I enjoy finding out how things work and what they do and I love to make useful things no matter what they are.

A job in industry is a good one because of its many benefits and flexibility. Jobs in industry are usually stable, (if one works for a good company) have good benefits, offer high salaries, give good opportunities for promotion, and allow for personal responsibility. Many industrial companies provide employees with benefits such as; health care coverage, pensions, stock sharing opportunities, paid vacations and sick time, double pay overtime, and insurance plans. I hope that I will be able to secure a job with a company such as AMP or Miliken soon after I graduate and begin my career in industry.

Academic Career Planing

Marc Yops

USI 130