FORTUNE 500 MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER JOBS

Audio: Fortune 500 mechanical design engineer jobs

The Fortune 500 list is published annually by Fortune magazine and ranks the 500 largest companies in the USA. Being on this list is seen as a prestigious achievement for the companies. This blog post will show you our research on mechanical design engineering jobs in Fortune 500 companies. We will show what experience, hard and soft skills are required to land a job in Fortune 500 companies.

Introduction

In order to better understand the current job market for mechanical design engineers, relevant skills, and how we at Newtonian World can help with developing them, we investigated Fortune 500 companies and current open jobs that would fit into the description of mechanical design engineer jobs.

Why would these companies be interesting to us?

These companies have high revenue and usually invest a lot of money in new product development. So landing a job in a Fortune 500 company could give you access to cutting-edge technology, resources, and international networking, and they usually pay well. When I started working for a company like that, the learning curve was exponential. As an expert, I grew significantly in a relatively short time.

About the research

We looked into the job positions like “Mechanical design engineer,” “Design engineer,” “Engineering design,” “Designer,” “Mechanical designer,” “R&D Engineer,” etc. We analyzed all Fortune 500 companies and found a bit over 100 companies that are looking for a position that can be qualified as mechanical design engineer jobs. For our analysis, we analyzed 150 mechanical design engineering jobs.

In terms of work experience requirements, we separated them into three groups:

Entry-level jobs – 0 to 2 years of experience.
Mid-level jobs – 2 to 5 years of experience.
Expert-level jobs – 5+ years of experience.

In this blog post, we are going to look into overall job requirements, where the data is extracted from all 150 companies. Furthermore, after you are finished reading the overall research, you can look into the following blog post that can give you more insight into the requirements for different experience levels:

The quality of this research depends on the quality of job postings, so we will only focus on the skills explicitly stated in them. This research was done in April – May 2023.

Educational requirements

According to our research, 67% of openings require a Bachelor’s degree (undergraduate study) for employment. 26% of them would prefer a Master’s degree (graduate study). However, it is worth noting that 7% did not define any specific educational requirements, only working experience.

Required hard skills

General overview

When it comes to working in the field of mechanical engineering for Fortune 500 companies, there are several key skills and experiences that are required or preferred. Just to clarify, 100% of the job postings require candidates to have a solid foundation in mechanical engineering fundamentals, which is expected, and that is the reason why it is not in the diagram below.

According to our analysis, 100% of companies expect mechanical design engineers to have knowledge of computer-aided design (CAD) modeling.

In addition to CAD, many companies also require or prefer candidates to have knowledge and experience in other areas. For example, 48% of job postings prefer candidates with knowledge of new product development (NPD), which involves taking a product from concept to launch. This is a critical skill for companies focused on innovation and growth.

Drafting is another key skill that is required by 83% of the openings surveyed. This involves creating technical drawings and documentation that are used to guide the manufacturing process. Finite element analysis (FEA) is another important skill, with 37% of vacancies requiring candidates to have knowledge in this area. This involves using computer simulation to analyze the strength and performance of mechanical systems.

Experience working with various engineering materials is mentioned in 27% of postings, highlighting the importance of having a broad knowledge base in the field of materials science. Similarly, 54% of jobs require candidates to have experience working with various manufacturing techniques, which can include everything from injection molding to 3D printing.

Assembly techniques are also important, with 37% of jobs requiring experience in this area. Hands-on experience is also important, with 43% of vacancies preferring candidates with experience working with tools and machinery. Candidates should also have experience with verification and validation processes, which are used to ensure that products meet quality standards. This is required by 55% of surveyed job postings.

Finally, 27% require experience with one of the following: DFMEA (design failure mode and effects analysis), 8D (eight disciplines), PPAP (production part approval process), SCAAF (Supplier Corrective Action and Assurance Form), or APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning). This highlights the importance of being able to anticipate potential issues and design products that are reliable, efficient, and cost-effective.

CAD modeling

Regarding the CAD software requirements, every job posting requires experience and knowledge of CAD. Surprisingly, 25% of the job postings did not specify which CAD software they would require from the candidate. Of 75% that did specify it, 27% specified knowledge of more than one CAD software.

When it comes to computer-aided design (CAD) software, Fortune 500 companies have varying preferences. From 113 companies that specified CAD software, 158 software were mentioned. Based on that, 37% of the requirements are SolidWorks knowledge, while 24% prefer PTC Creo. Other commonly used software includes Catia (8%), NX (14%), AutoCAD (9%), and Autodesk Inventor (7%). On the other hand, only 1% of openings require SolidEdge knowledge, which is a relatively low number compared to other software.

Drafting requirements

Drafting is a crucial aspect of mechanical engineering and involves creating accurate technical drawings for various components and systems. Based on the data collected, out of 83% of job postings that listed drafting as a requirement, all of them require the creation of drawings for their mechanical engineering projects.

In addition to drawing creation, other drafting requirements include knowledge of the ECO (engineering change order) process, which 22% of companies require. Understanding ERP (enterprise resource planning) data management with 23% and BOM (bill-of-materials) maintenance are also essential, with 25% of postings requiring these skills.

Tolerance analysis is another critical drafting requirement, with 29% of job openings listing this knowledge. Tolerance analysis is the process of determining the acceptable limits of variation in a product’s dimensions, which is essential in ensuring that the final product functions as intended.

Finally, knowledge of GD&T (geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, or according to ISO standard – GPS – Geometrical Product Specifications) is also important, with 29% of postings requiring this skill. GD&T is a standardized language used to communicate geometric features and tolerances on mechanical engineering drawings.

Soft skills requirements

In addition to the technical skills and experience, many job postings also require specific soft skills from candidates.

Leadership skills – 15% of job postings require leadership skills, which is the ability to guide and motivate others towards a common goal.
Problem-solving skills – 49% of job postings required problem-solving skills, which is the ability to identify and solve complex problems.
Research ability skills – 15% of job postings required research ability skills, which is the ability to collect and analyze data to make informed decisions.
Creative and innovative skills – 31% of job postings required creative and innovative skills, which is the ability to think outside the box and come up with new and innovative solutions.
Communications Skills – 69% of job postings required communication skills, which is the ability to effectively communicate ideas and information to others.
Teamwork – 65% of job postings require teamwork, which is the ability to work collaboratively with others towards a common goal.

Travel and Salary

According to our research, 28% of job postings for Fortune 500 companies mentioned that travel might be required for the job position. This information is essential for job candidates who may need to consider the impact of travel on their personal lives and whether or not they are willing to travel as part of the job.

Additionally, only 26% of the openings included a defined salary range in their job postings. This lack of information can be frustrating for potential job candidates who may need to consider salary requirements before applying for a job. Without a salary range, it’s difficult for candidates to assess whether the job aligns with their salary expectations, leading to wasted time and effort on both sides.

Conclusion

After analyzing the requirements from 150 various job postings from Fortune 500 companies, it is clear that the job market for mechanical design engineering positions is highly competitive. Employers are looking for a candidate with a strong educational background, as 67% require a Bachelor’s degree, and 26% would prefer a Master’s degree.

In terms of technical skills, proficiency in mechanical engineering fundamentals and CAD modeling is a must for all companies, and 37% require knowledge of SolidWorks, 24% require knowledge of PTC Creo, and 14% require knowledge of NX. NPD knowledge, drafting, FEA knowledge, experience with various materials and manufacturing techniques, and experience with verification/validation are also important skills requested by a significant portion of the companies.

Soft skills are also highly valued, as 69% require communication skills and 65% require teamwork. Additionally, problem-solving skills, creative and innovative skills, research ability skills, and leadership skills are also requested by varying percentages of companies.

Regarding travel requirements, 28% of the job postings indicate that travel may be required, while only 26% of openings provide a defined salary range in their job postings.

Regarding the job descriptions, it is important for Fortune 500 companies to include clear information about travel requirements, salary ranges, and other crucial requirements in their job postings to attract the right candidates and ensure a transparent and fair recruitment process.

Companies should take a more serious approach to defining what they are expecting and what candidates can expect from them so they do not waste their own and candidates’ time. It is shameful for companies not to put the salary range in their job vacancies.

Closing words

Landing a job in a large Fortune 500 company as a mechanical design engineer has pros and cons. Exposure to cutting-edge technologies and access to extensive resources and networks is something that every mechanical design engineer could look for.

In this blog post, we gave you an idea of what Fortune 500 companies are looking for in candidates. Furthermore, you can evaluate your skills and compare them to the requirements in the job postings. Identify areas where you could improve and create a plan to improve them – this article could help. If a job in Fortune 500 company is something that you are looking for, I would say go for it; I believe you can get it!

To make it easier for you to find related posts, check the “Further reading” chapter below. Do you have any questions or need something to be clarified better? Leave the comment below, and I will give my best to adjust the post accordingly.

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