Are you interested in helping bring to the market real products that will be used by real people? If so, manufacturing may be the industry for you. Opportunities exist in manufacturing mainly for engineers and scientists but individuals of other backgrounds often find themselves working on the business side of manufacturing in sales, marketing, and strategy development. Manufacturing is a varied industry that includes aerospace and defense, automobiles, chemicals and metals, consumer goods, electronics and high tech, industrial and farm equipment, and medical goods. High tech and medical manufacturing in particular are experiencing growth at the moment while more mature areas such as automobile and metals production generally have fewer opportunities. If you’re excited about developing, producing or marketing new ideas and products, challenging and rewarding opportunities might exist for you in manufacturing.
Entry level positions range from Engineer on the technical side to analyst on the business side. Paid internships are available in many different areas to gain that first experience. Some of the positions will be posted on TigerTracks; others will remain posted on the employer’s website.
Alumni Careers Network
Alumni have VOLUNTEERED to have students contact them for advice and information about majors and careers.
The Alumni Careers Network (ACN), with 4,500 volunteers worldwide, is a searchable on-line database of Princeton alumni who are willing and eager for you to contact them so they can provide you with advice and assistance about their industry or career field.
Selected Online Resources
Manufacturing Career Guide -
http://www.khake.com/page40.html - The guide provides manufacturing job descriptions, including information such as daily activities, skill requirements, salary and training required.
ManufacturingJobs.com -
http://www.manufacturingjobs.com/ - It allows you to search jobs on the science and business side of manufacturing. Set up a Confidential Career Profile to showcase your skills and work experience to prospective employers while keeping your identity and contact information secure.
Manufacturing - Occupational Outlook Handbook -
http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cg1002.htm - Visit the web site of the Bureau of Labor Statistics to Learn about working conditions, training required, earnings, outlooks, and additional resources for ten different areas within manufacturing:
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing
Apparel manufacturing
Chemical manufacturing
Computer and electronic product manufacturing
Food manufacturing
Motor vehicle and parts manufacturing
Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing
Printing
Steel manufacturing
Textile mills and products
Selected Professional Associations
A professional association is an organization of people who have similar career interests. These membership- based organizations often offer a reduced rate for students that allow access to the many resources they provide. Professional association websites can also offer job/internship databases as well as opportunities to find mentors or other contacts.
Aerospace Industries Association -
http://www.aia-aerospace.org - The Aerospace Industries Association represents the nation’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of civil, military, and business aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial systems, space systems, aircraft engines, missiles, materiel, and related components, equipment, services, and information technology. The web site includes industry information and a job board.
Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association -
http://www.mema.org - Since 1904, MEMA has exclusively represented and served manufacturers of motor vehicle components and systems for the original equipment (OE) and aftermarket segments of the light vehicle and heavy duty industries. MEMA’s web site includes job listings.
National Association of Manufacturers -
http://www.nam.org- NAM advocates on behalf of its members to enhance the competitiveness of manufacturers.
The Association for Manufacturing Excellence -
http://www.ame.org - The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1985 dedicated to helping companies with continuous improvement and their pursuit of excellence.
