ASM Online Member Community

• You may have to switch to an entry level position, or at least lower level than you currently are
• A lot of it may be on selling yourself, find a way to stress any metallurgy/materials activities you do have on your resume. Incorporate keywords like 'materials', 'metallurgy', 'corrosion', etc. into it. Remember that you don't need to meet 100% of a positions criteria to apply and put yourself out there.
  • When I was looking to switch, I went ahead and put "metallurgist" in my profile on a job site. A bit of a stretch, but there's no requirements to call yourself that and if you are not lying on your resume... Just be prepared to explain why you think it's warranted to a hiring manager.
• The two fields have overlap, ask if there are any tasks or projects in your current role that are more materials related. Alternatively, if you see something in a project you are working, bring it up (ie. "This gizmo is going to be sitting in water for a long time - there may be some corrosion concerns and would like to spend some time looking into it", "I was reading about this new material and I think we could use it for the current gadget. There's the potential to reduce both weight and cost")
• Take a class online. Become an active member in your local ASM chapter. Volunteer to judge for the local college's Materials Advantage senior project fair. Even small things will help if they show you have an active interest and are investing time and energy outside of work.

I would also caution you to not be too quick to make too drastic a jump. You have a lot of interest, but having an interest and actually enjoying doing the job full time can be two different things. If you know someone in the field, buy them a coffee (or the remote equivalent) and ask about their day-to-day. Or find someone in a similar job that you may want though the ASM directory or on LinkedIn and send them a message. However, if you do take a job and find you don't like it, you can always look for another one. So if you see something that looks like a great fit there may be no real harm in just jumping in headfirst.

Good luck!

-Lindsay

------------------------------
Lindsay Malloy
Staff Materials Development Engineer
DePuy Synthes
West Chester PA

Original Message:
Sent: 03-17-2021 16:48
From: sreekar parimi
Subject: Mechanical engineer to Metallurgical engineer

Hi Everyone,

I have been working as a non-specialized mechanical engineer for more than 8 years now. But I developed a lot of interest in metallurgy, corrosion etc. It seems there is a requirement for most relevant positions to have a materials engineering degree. 
Can anyone provide feedback on what alternative means might be available for pursuing materials / metallurgy positions for a mechanical engineer who has no direct work experience in this field. 


thanks,


------------------------------
sreekar parimi

9795713723
------------------------------

• You may have to switch to an entry level position, or at least lower level than you currently are
• A lot of it may be on selling yourself, find a way to stress any metallurgy/materials activities you do have on your resume. Incorporate keywords like 'materials', 'metallurgy', 'corrosion', etc. into it. Remember that you don't need to meet 100% of a positions criteria to apply and put yourself out there.
  • When I was looking to switch, I went ahead and put "metallurgist" in my profile on a job site. A bit of a stretch, but there's no requirements to call yourself that and if you are not lying on your resume... Just be prepared to explain why you think it's warranted to a hiring manager.
• The two fields have overlap, ask if there are any tasks or projects in your current role that are more materials related. Alternatively, if you see something in a project you are working, bring it up (ie. "This gizmo is going to be sitting in water for a long time - there may be some corrosion concerns and would like to spend some time looking into it", "I was reading about this new material and I think we could use it for the current gadget. There's the potential to reduce both weight and cost")
• Take a class online. Become an active member in your local ASM chapter. Volunteer to judge for the local college's Materials Advantage senior project fair. Even small things will help if they show you have an active interest and are investing time and energy outside of work.

• You may have to switch to an entry level position, or at least lower level than you currently are
• A lot of it may be on selling yourself, find a way to stress any metallurgy/materials activities you do have on your resume. Incorporate keywords like 'materials', 'metallurgy', 'corrosion', etc. into it. Remember that you don't need to meet 100% of a positions criteria to apply and put yourself out there.
  • When I was looking to switch, I went ahead and put "metallurgist" in my profile on a job site. A bit of a stretch, but there's no requirements to call yourself that and if you are not lying on your resume... Just be prepared to explain why you think it's warranted to a hiring manager.
• The two fields have overlap, ask if there are any tasks or projects in your current role that are more materials related. Alternatively, if you see something in a project you are working, bring it up (ie. "This gizmo is going to be sitting in water for a long time - there may be some corrosion concerns and would like to spend some time looking into it", "I was reading about this new material and I think we could use it for the current gadget. There's the potential to reduce both weight and cost")
• Take a class online. Become an active member in your local ASM chapter. Volunteer to judge for the local college's Materials Advantage senior project fair. Even small things will help if they show you have an active interest and are investing time and energy outside of work.

I would also caution you to not be too quick to make too drastic a jump. You have a lot of interest, but having an interest and actually enjoying doing the job full time can be two different things. If you know someone in the field, buy them a coffee (or the remote equivalent) and ask about their day-to-day. Or find someone in a similar job that you may want though the ASM directory or on LinkedIn and send them a message. However, if you do take a job and find you don't like it, you can always look for another one. So if you see something that looks like a great fit there may be no real harm in just jumping in headfirst.

Good luck!

-Lindsay

------------------------------
Lindsay Malloy
Staff Materials Development Engineer
DePuy Synthes
West Chester PA

Original Message:
Sent: 03-17-2021 16:48
From: sreekar parimi
Subject: Mechanical engineer to Metallurgical engineer

Hi Everyone,

I have been working as a non-specialized mechanical engineer for more than 8 years now. But I developed a lot of interest in metallurgy, corrosion etc. It seems there is a requirement for most relevant positions to have a materials engineering degree. 
Can anyone provide feedback on what alternative means might be available for pursuing materials / metallurgy positions for a mechanical engineer who has no direct work experience in this field. 


thanks,


------------------------------
sreekar parimi

9795713723
------------------------------

• You may have to switch to an entry level position, or at least lower level than you currently are
• A lot of it may be on selling yourself, find a way to stress any metallurgy/materials activities you do have on your resume. Incorporate keywords like 'materials', 'metallurgy', 'corrosion', etc. into it. Remember that you don't need to meet 100% of a positions criteria to apply and put yourself out there.
  • When I was looking to switch, I went ahead and put "metallurgist" in my profile on a job site. A bit of a stretch, but there's no requirements to call yourself that and if you are not lying on your resume... Just be prepared to explain why you think it's warranted to a hiring manager.
• The two fields have overlap, ask if there are any tasks or projects in your current role that are more materials related. Alternatively, if you see something in a project you are working, bring it up (ie. "This gizmo is going to be sitting in water for a long time - there may be some corrosion concerns and would like to spend some time looking into it", "I was reading about this new material and I think we could use it for the current gadget. There's the potential to reduce both weight and cost")
• Take a class online. Become an active member in your local ASM chapter. Volunteer to judge for the local college's Materials Advantage senior project fair. Even small things will help if they show you have an active interest and are investing time and energy outside of work.

• You may have to switch to an entry level position, or at least lower level than you currently are
• A lot of it may be on selling yourself, find a way to stress any metallurgy/materials activities you do have on your resume. Incorporate keywords like 'materials', 'metallurgy', 'corrosion', etc. into it. Remember that you don't need to meet 100% of a positions criteria to apply and put yourself out there.
  • When I was looking to switch, I went ahead and put "metallurgist" in my profile on a job site. A bit of a stretch, but there's no requirements to call yourself that and if you are not lying on your resume... Just be prepared to explain why you think it's warranted to a hiring manager.
• The two fields have overlap, ask if there are any tasks or projects in your current role that are more materials related. Alternatively, if you see something in a project you are working, bring it up (ie. "This gizmo is going to be sitting in water for a long time - there may be some corrosion concerns and would like to spend some time looking into it", "I was reading about this new material and I think we could use it for the current gadget. There's the potential to reduce both weight and cost")
• Take a class online. Become an active member in your local ASM chapter. Volunteer to judge for the local college's Materials Advantage senior project fair. Even small things will help if they show you have an active interest and are investing time and energy outside of work.

I would also caution you to not be too quick to make too drastic a jump. You have a lot of interest, but having an interest and actually enjoying doing the job full time can be two different things. If you know someone in the field, buy them a coffee (or the remote equivalent) and ask about their day-to-day. Or find someone in a similar job that you may want though the ASM directory or on LinkedIn and send them a message. However, if you do take a job and find you don't like it, you can always look for another one. So if you see something that looks like a great fit there may be no real harm in just jumping in headfirst.

Good luck!

-Lindsay

------------------------------
Lindsay Malloy
Staff Materials Development Engineer
DePuy Synthes
West Chester PA

Original Message:
Sent: 03-17-2021 16:48
From: sreekar parimi
Subject: Mechanical engineer to Metallurgical engineer

Hi Everyone,

I have been working as a non-specialized mechanical engineer for more than 8 years now. But I developed a lot of interest in metallurgy, corrosion etc. It seems there is a requirement for most relevant positions to have a materials engineering degree. 
Can anyone provide feedback on what alternative means might be available for pursuing materials / metallurgy positions for a mechanical engineer who has no direct work experience in this field. 


thanks,


------------------------------
sreekar parimi

9795713723
------------------------------

• Masters degree. When I was doing my undergrad in materials science, one of the TA's was a mechanical undergrad who decided to pursue a masters degree in materials because he felt like his weakness in that area was holding him back as a mechanical engineer. He wound up liking materials and now he's a materials/corrosion engineer at a refinery. The nice thing about a masters is that it's 2 years (assuming you do it full time) rather than 4 years for undergrad. Lots of people go this route as a means of specializing in a certain discipline after they've established a solid base of experience. Some schools also offer programs in things like welding, corrosion, etc. if you want to get really specialized. Some also offer certificate programs which don't require as much time/money as a full masters.

• Certifications. Something significantly faster and less expensive than a masters degree would be pursuing a certification through a professional society, for example a PE, AWS CWI/CWEng, ASNT ACCP, NACE CP, etc. These are a bit more limited in what they get you and what type of job you want to pursue but many jobs require them, for example most corrosion engineer positions I've seen require some level of NACE CP. I myself have a CWI which I don't use in my current job but in my last job (where I was working when I started getting it), it got you a lot of respect.

• Study independently. Call me a nerd but I have spent a considerable amount of my own money building a nice personal engineering library. At least where I live, you can find old metallurgy books at used bookstores for very cheap and the nice thing about this field is that most of the real groundwork was laid 50+ years ago; it's not like that information is obsolete. ASM of course has many quality books for sale as well. If you are really motivated, you can learn a lot by teaching yourself.

• Find a mentor at work. If you have metallurgists or materials engineers at work (I'm assuming you have at least one), get to know them and see if you can collaborate on a project or something. I have learned a great deal just by talking to my older coworkers and asking them to explain things to me. In my case it worked out well because my boss at my last job was an experienced forge shop metallurgist who was fairly pedantic (in a good way though) and he took the time to really teach me a lot about forging. Sure enough, I wound up finding a job as a forge shop metallurgist myself. See also if your job would offer you the opportunity to do something like audit special process vendors in your supply chain, or accompany the auditors as a training exercise. You can learn a lot by taking a day watching how a coating shop, fabrication shop, etc. operates.

• Make your own luck. What I mean by this is that you shouldn't feel discouraged from pursuing a materials job just because you don't have a materials degree. Sometimes, people assign too much weight to titles like this. If you have 8 years of experience, you are surely capable of learning and adapting. Many positions (unless it's R&D or something requiring a high degree of specialization, like a PhD) just require an engineering degree of any sort. Take the time to study a subject well enough that you can "talk the talk" and then, when applying for the job, just be candid and say "I'm a mechanical engineer but I'm trying to get into materials, I think I'm qualified because I've worked on such and such projects, etc.". One strength that you have going for you is actually your mechanical background - not all materials engineers have that and it's a valuable perspective that you could offer to a materials engineering team; it's easy for materials engineers to miss the forest for the trees if they know a great deal about the material in isolation but little about its application. You could be that "bridge" between the two.

​

------------------------------
Sean Piper
Product / Process Metallurgist
Ellwood Texas Forge Houston
Houston TX
773-524-8985

Original Message:
Sent: 03-18-2021 09:05
From: Carrie Hawk
Subject: Mechanical engineer to Metallurgical engineer

This might be a good segue to mention that the CareerHub is available to all ASM members.

------------------------------
Carrie Hawk
ASM International
Community Engagement Specialist

440-338-5497
carrieh@asminternational.org

Original Message:
Sent: 03-17-2021 16:48
From: sreekar parimi
Subject: Mechanical engineer to Metallurgical engineer

Hi Everyone,

I have been working as a non-specialized mechanical engineer for more than 8 years now. But I developed a lot of interest in metallurgy, corrosion etc. It seems there is a requirement for most relevant positions to have a materials engineering degree. 
Can anyone provide feedback on what alternative means might be available for pursuing materials / metallurgy positions for a mechanical engineer who has no direct work experience in this field. 


thanks,


------------------------------
sreekar parimi

9795713723
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 3/17/2021 4:49:00 PM
From: sreekar parimi
Subject: Mechanical engineer to Metallurgical engineer

Hi Everyone,

I have been working as a non-specialized mechanical engineer for more than 8 years now. But I developed a lot of interest in metallurgy, corrosion etc. It seems there is a requirement for most relevant positions to have a materials engineering degree. 
Can anyone provide feedback on what alternative means might be available for pursuing materials / metallurgy positions for a mechanical engineer who has no direct work experience in this field. 


thanks,


------------------------------
sreekar parimi

9795713723
------------------------------

Hi Everyone,

I have been working as a non-specialized mechanical engineer for more than 8 years now. But I developed a lot of interest in metallurgy, corrosion etc and have been working in the field part time for a long time. It seems there is a requirement for most relevant positions to have a materials engineering degree. 
Can anyone provide feedback on what alternative means might be available for pursuing materials / metallurgy positions for a mechanical engineer who has limited work experience in this field. 


thanks,


------------------------------
sreekar parimi

9795713723
------------------------------

Hi everyone,

I am happy to report an update. After 2 more years of pursuit I became officially full time materials engineer and am really enjoying the challenge in the field.

It has been more or less through a combination of all that was suggested in this thread. Dedicated training (ASM ofcourse and AMPP), finding and taking on material problems in work (infact any problem in general..not just materials), reading (a loooot of it), receiving guidance from experts, getting Hands-on when possible, talking to manufacturers, labs and I must add, a bit of luck.

I want to thank all of you again...Lindsay, Paul, Gene, Sean, James and Neil for your valuable advice.

Also thank you Carrie for your efforts to facilitate community engagement.

------------------------------
Sreekar parimi
Senior Mechanical and materials Engineer

Original Message:
Sent: 03-17-2021 16:48
From: Sreekar parimi
Subject: Mechanical engineer to Metallurgical engineer

Hi Everyone,

I have been working as a non-specialized mechanical engineer for more than 8 years now. But I developed a lot of interest in metallurgy, corrosion etc and have been working in the field part time for a long time. It seems there is a requirement for most relevant positions to have a materials engineering degree. 
Can anyone provide feedback on what alternative means might be available for pursuing materials / metallurgy positions for a mechanical engineer who has limited work experience in this field. 


thanks,


------------------------------
sreekar parimi

9795713723
------------------------------

Congratulations!  All fields benefit from continuous learning.  And just a thought, do consider if problems come along that are too difficult (the tough part is knowing when you don't actually know enough, to solve a problem) still look into hiring outside consultants or experts.  The advice and comments here at ASMI Connect are free but sometimes you're better off paying for more in-depth expertise.

Hi everyone,

I am happy to report an update. After 2 more years of pursuit I became officially full time materials engineer and am really enjoying the challenge in the field.

It has been more or less through a combination of all that was suggested in this thread. Dedicated training (ASM ofcourse and AMPP), finding and taking on material problems in work (infact any problem in general..not just materials), reading (a loooot of it), receiving guidance from experts, getting Hands-on when possible, talking to manufacturers, labs and I must add, a bit of luck.

I want to thank all of you again...Lindsay, Paul, Gene, Sean, James and Neil for your valuable advice.

Also thank you Carrie for your efforts to facilitate community engagement.

------------------------------
Sreekar parimi
Senior Mechanical and materials Engineer

Original Message:
Sent: 03-17-2021 16:48
From: Sreekar parimi
Subject: Mechanical engineer to Metallurgical engineer

Hi Everyone,

I have been working as a non-specialized mechanical engineer for more than 8 years now. But I developed a lot of interest in metallurgy, corrosion etc and have been working in the field part time for a long time. It seems there is a requirement for most relevant positions to have a materials engineering degree. 
Can anyone provide feedback on what alternative means might be available for pursuing materials / metallurgy positions for a mechanical engineer who has limited work experience in this field. 


thanks,


------------------------------
sreekar parimi

9795713723
------------------------------