process engineer Career Path | See the Career Paths People Really Take

research assistant

senior process engineer

machinist

chemical engineer

manufacturing engineer

process engineer

engineering intern

plant engineer

Chemical engineers are professionals who convert basic raw materials into a variety of products and may also deal with the design and operation of industrial plants and equipment.  A chemical engineer is one who applies and uses principles of chemical engineering including the design, manufacture, and operation of plants and machinery in industrial chemical and related processes, the development of new or adapted substances for products ranging from foods and beverages to cosmetics to cleaners to pharmaceutical ingredients, and development of new technologies such as fuel cells, hydrogen power and nanotechnology, as well as working in fields wholly or partially derived from chemical engineering such as materials science, polymer engineering, and biomedical engineering.

Engineering interns typically support experienced engineers, and understand the working environment or culture. Engineering interns are responsible for basic product modification, shadowing actual operations, helping seniors to prepare reports, prepare functional and technical document and collecting information and experience the day-to-day workings of engineering.

The Machinist operates machine equipment and devices to build or repair precision tools using technical drawings and instructions.  Their role is to manage and produce precision tools, interpret technical drawings and instructions, and check that all equipment produced works correctly.  Their responsibilities are reviewing samples, drawings or instructions to understand the specifications of output, ensure that all operations adhere to safety protocols, and plan the sequence of necessary actions for the completion of a job.

A manufacturing engineer designs, combines, and improves manufacturing systems and related processes to produce quality products efficiently, and economically.  A manufacturing engineer plans the practices of manufacturing with the primary focus of turning raw material into an updated or new product in the most effective, efficient and economic way possible.

Depending on the seniority of the role, plant engineers may be involved in monitoring and maintaining plant equipment and machinery to ensure that its running as it should be. Entry-level plant engineers are typically responsible for fixing any mechanical issues with the equipment. Senior plant engineers train and assist plant personnel in carrying out safety and quality control procedures so that everyone on the team is compliant with the appropriate regulations.

Process Engineers (also called chemical engineers) develop, configure, and optimize industrial and scientific processes to convert raw materials into final products. A process engineer prepares the process document, product release plan, documentation, and takes care of industry safety and standards.  They often work with agriculture, automotive, biotechnical, chemical, food, material development, mining, nuclear and petrochemical industries, and are responsible for developing, testing and implementing new production processes.

A research assistant assists in academic or private research and are directed by more senior researchers to provide support in furthering experiments and gathering and analyzing information. Research assistant responsibilities are to collect and log experimental data, conduct statistical analysis of data sets, prepare graphs and spreadsheets to portray results, create presentation slides and posters to help researchers present findings, review print and online resources to gather information and maintain laboratory equipment and inventory.

Curious about a career in ecology? Watch this insightful interview to learn how to get started, even without a college degree. Hear from a research assistant studying Florida scrub jays, who shares the highs and lows of the job, the importance of field experience, and tips for breaking into the field. If you love nature and science, this video is a must-watch!

<h2>How to Start in Ecology</h2><p>You don't necessarily need a college degree, it might help,but you really just have to find a job where you can get some field experience under your belt&nbsp; and then work up within the company. Probably the easiest way to do it.</p><p><br></p><h2>How I Became a Research Assistant&nbsp;</h2><p>Personally, I got a college degree at Eckerd College, which is a local school in Florida, and I gained some research experience studying black skimmers, which is a kind of bird there.</p><p>One seasonal tech job in Oregon, where I was listening for birds and doing other research, like population surveys, and then I applied for this internship and worked my way up to the research assistant level.</p><h2><br></h2><h2>Research Assistant Requirements</h2><p>This position really requires that you're detail oriented for things like data entry, but also able to be super outdoorsy or pay attention to little behavioral issues and kind of be okay with waking up at sunrise and whacking through all of that mess that’s really fun, stuff like that. So it really requires that you wear a lof of different hats. I love it.</p><p><br></p><h2>Average Day</h2><p>Currently what my average week looks like is waking up at sunrise, coming to the office, going out in our ATVs into this shrub. And then going to the three territories of different Florida scrub jays, which is the species that I study, and trying to find their nests. Continue monitoring the nests that we do find throughout the year and just generally collecting demography information on them, and it is super fun.</p><p><br></p><h2>Pros and Cons of a Field Research Assistant</h2><p>Some of the pros of this job are that I get to spend all of my mornings in nature, which is beautiful and awesome, and I get to learn so much about the ecosystem that I'm in.</p><p>And I also just love the people that I work with. I love the community here at the biological station. Some of the cons are that when you're having a rough morning in the field, you'll really just kind of wish you had an office job. So it's definitely not all peaches and roses being in nature every day.</p><p><br></p><h2>Advice From an Expert</h2><p><br></p><p>I would just recommend getting field experience early on, looking for those seasonal tech jobs and a lot of local places that&nbsp; do bird banding. You can reach out to them, and they're always accepting volunteers. That's a great experience to get.</p><p><br></p><h2>Things to Know</h2><p>Looking back, I do wish I had known how exhausting the job can be, because it's fun and the highs are so high, but the lows can be low and frustrating. But at the end of the day, I love my job and I love what I do, so it makes it all worth it.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

A Senior Process Engineer evaluates a process’ efficiency, effectiveness, quality, and safety. They will prepare various engineering deliverables such as Process Flow Diagrams, P & I Diagrams, Process Datasheets Specifications for Equipment and Instruments, Cause & Effect Diagrams, control philosophies, shutdown philosophies, Operation & maintenance Manuals.

Process Engineer Career Path