A Career in Automotive Engineering

Would you like to make "I'm a rambling wreck from my home and a heck of an engineer" a reality in your life? Have you always enjoyed tinkering around with cars and figuring out what made stuff work? Does being a team player developing products that are the cutting edge of technology appeal to you? Then automobile engineering might be the career for you.

Generally, an automotive engineer is one who works on the design or manufacture of automobiles. The word design is slightly misleading since an automotive designer is a stylist basically concerned with the appearance of the automobile while the engineer specializes in the performance of the automobile and its components.

The engineer works on developing new or improved structural parts, engines, transmissions and suspension systems. The engineer is involved in production cost estimation, reduction of production costs and implementing cost/quality control improvements. The engineer must be sure that the product meets all federal regulations. In the case of new designs, it is the engineer who determines driveability.

Actually, automotive engineering is a sub-specialty of mechanical engineering.

Even though the automotive manufacturing industry is in a slump at this time, there is still a demand for engineers due to the current focus on fuel economy and alternate fueled vehicles. The field is expected to grow as fast as average through 2014.

While there are global opportunities for automotive engineers in countries as far flung as Malaysia and the United Kingdom, most jobs within the US are centered in the Midwest since that is the major location of the auto industry. The big three employers in the United States are Ford, General Motors and Daimler-Chrysler.

The working environment is a combination of office and on site. The entry-level salary starts at around Rs. 5 Lakhs annually and a Bachelor of Science degree is required. In addition to the degree, the engineer should have excellent communication skills, strong troubleshooting skills and the ability to work as part of a team.

As with any engineering degree, the choice of a college is crucial. While all engineering colleges are selective, the better and the best are even more so.

One characteristic you need to look for in a college is the quality of instruction. Are all the classes taught by professional teachers and not graduate assistants? Do these teachers have industry connections? Is simulation and hands-on an integral part of the program?

Does the college offer internships or work study opportunities? Internships and work-study are very important as they offer a path to instant employment upon graduation. The same is true of having instructors with industry connections. It also doesn't hurt to consider a college that offers advanced degrees in the event you decide to go further than a bachelor's degree.

To ensure admission to the college of choice, a high school graduate should have a high GPA with a strong background in calculus, advanced math, statistics, physics, chemistry and geometry. Vocational classes in automotive mechanics are also helpful. It will also be necessary to score high on whatever college admissions test the school requires as the admissions committee will base their decision on both your high school record and admissions test scores.

Auto Sales 101 - Got Some Extra Downtime? Try This Traffic Generating Tip

One thing is always constant in the car business, and that is change. One thing that hasn't changed is the amount of extra time we have doing nothing at the car dealership. Some of the most successful sales consultants do some pretty unordinary things to further enhance that paycheck. And getting started is never easy in the first place, but there is one important tool available. Internet sales is fast becoming the future of auto sales and will soon dominate the regular everyday methods we have been comfortable with. There is so much information on the web that we can take advantage of legally and help us obtain that extra 10-20 car deals every year. Try out this auto sales for size and notice the great increases in your bottom line.

First things first, develop some sort of flyer, postcard, or newsletter describing you and your dealership. Don't discuss any specials or financing options, the main goal for this exercise is to just let the public know you are "there" and buyers will automatically have a name with a face. This will build trust and comfort in an otherwise snaky business. Be sure you get the final approval from your general manager before you decide to start sending out these traffic finders. Step one is complete, usually all the materials are available by the dealers to get this started.

Are you new to the business or just getting started? Got to find those prospective buyers, so what's the easiest way to approach it? It is simple, just utilize your internet tools to find all of the local area businesses and residents, but how? Simply go onto the fabulous mapquest website to get a block of street names and just jot them down on a sheet of paper. Second, take those street names and go over to the ever useful yellowpages.com site, a huge lifesaver for me. Do a reverse lookup on all of those street names, and the new page will display all the street numbers, names of the residents, and even the home phone numbers. Print the copies, and there you go, lots potential clients available!

It's all very easy, and you would not have to make the dreaded cold calls that are normally in the daily tasks. Send any pertinent info to these addresses, it will be easier and less obtrusive for someone to read a newsletter than to receive a cold call in the late hours of the night. People just don't like that, you're main goal is to just get your name out there. If you can do this for a couple hours a day, that equates to roughly 500 or so potential hot leads. In a couple months, it will all pay off dividends. This are other methods of traffic generation, but this one is far more easier to do. Further build your empire and be sure to do the age old method of obtaining referrals from your buying customers. And best of all, it's free to use and takes up very little time, give it a try!

Automobile Industry in India

The Automobile industry in India, which includes design, development, manufacturing, repairing and sale of cars, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, as well as trucks, buses and tractors, has witnessed an upsurge over the last few years and continues to boom even today. While India's automobile industry is one of the largest in the world, the country was the fourth largest exporter of automobiles in Asia last year. Additionally, as per the Automotive Mission Plan (AMP) 2006-2016, presented by the country's Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, India is a favourite investment destination for international auto-makers, many of whom have set up manufacturing divisions in the country, opening a whole new vista of job opportunities for engineers.

Choose your Lane as Automobile Engineers

A profusion of opportunities are available to fresh engineers depending on the specialisation of their degrees including mechanical, automobile, production and electrical. Broadly, the field offers a variety of jobs in research and development, manufacturing, design, sales and services and components manufacturing segments.

Research and Development in Automobile Industry

The automotive industry is volume driven and requires a certain critical mass for attracting the much needed investment in R&D and new product design and development. Investments in the R&D segment are imperative for innovations that are crucial for achieving and retaining competitiveness." Thus, increased attention is being paid to research and development in India. The industry is stressing on inventing new products and designs with increased frequency. Automobile Companies scouting for fresh talent and fresher ideas. Another focus area of growth is product improvement that involves power unit research, emission control, vehicle simulation, and testing and prototype validation.

Generally, engineers with a postgraduate qualification are absorbed into R&D activities in the industry. Speaking about what a job in the R&D segment would ideally entail, Development of new products and improvement of existing products and processes are focus areas in research centres. Automobile segment offers immense scope and flexibility for new entrants. For instance, a trainee engineer on the shop floor may be transferred into sales and services, subject to his potential and aptitude.

Automobile Production

A career in automobile manufacturing usually begins on the shop floor and requires one to manage and supervise it. Plant process improvement is one of the goals of all major competitors in the industry. Supply chain management is another area of interest for job seekers dealing with logistics and optimisation of value chains. One may serve at different levels of the production unit depending on one's academic qualifications and experience. Freshers can be absorbed to work in growing fields such as robotics, supply chain management or operations as per their specialisation and aptitude. On the manufacturing front, one would handle operations such as procurement, material handling and quality control.