Post anything that doesn't belong in any other forum, including gaming and topics unrelated to motorsport. Site specific discussions should go in the site feedback forum.
getting slightly disheartened can't get a job in f1, anyone got any recommendations on what i should be doing outside my job to improve my chances. I'm a very solid catia operator, i have been in engineering for 5 years, mainly in aerospace but academically qualified in automotive. i was working as a design engineer but i have been give the role as a project engineer which i feel is going to slim my chances of getting into an formula one team. advise please
Definately stick to design rather than project management. Contracting is a good route , especially with Catia experience there are lots of opportunities which may lead to permanent jobs once you have "F1" on your CV
sounds like the usual score with aerospace careers hence why i left, have you done much surfacing or composite work using CPD?
I would look into some of the smaller teams or the specialist engineering firms that do composites like EPM technology and Prodrive as they also are looking into Aerospace markets too. Get some motorsport experience and then apply to the teams as they have quite a turnaround of staff, and also try the contracting route as you may get work abroad as there are plenty of other places to try.
Thanks for all the good advice trust me I appreciate it and gives me the drive to never give up. I'll give you a bit more background on what I've got in terms of experience.
So I have used surfacing to a big scale having designed an engine inlet i.c.e protection system from scratch for a small business jet aircraft and that invovled the design evolution of barrels, lipskins - varied thicknesses also modelled due to forming technique, brackets for ducting a bleed air piping, as part of a localisation an i.c.e protection component, I designed a jacket which would sit on the cheeks of the barrel where the air would flow into and with vaned channels to direct the air in a more uniformed pattern. I would say simliar to the double DRS system on the schumi merc
I have considered moving into contracting as that is how most of the jobs were advertised as start of the year and I am prepared to do that. But its just now there arent that many around. have I missed out as compared with from the start of the season there were shed loads of jobs.
I did have a interview with a supplier to formula one who made loads of interesting shapes and profiles. It was a really really good interview I think I made them laugh with a few jokes about working practices and relayed the information about what I do now and stuff, but its just the lack of design experience which really confused me as I am pretty hot on CATIA and I think i send them images of out of date work i did from uni obviously i couldn't send them images of what I do now at work due to policies etc etc.
I am planning on starting to master NX, I need to build up my skill level on modelling on it.
In the past I have built a good relationship with ProDrive as I have asked them to do some machining for me for R & D work. I'm going to re-visit my contact and see what I can find. Never really heard of EPM technology will do some research on them also and with Atlas Composites.
Never used the CFD package, is that easy to pick up. I saw a good tutorial for it online but it was based around a very simple concept idea. Trying to apply that to something I was working - which was complex - it never seemed to want to play.
I think I will stick with the project engineering role for now but if i am asked at an interview why would i want to go into design rather than sticking with project engineering I will state that I enjoyed design engineering and I always wanted to design engineer in formula one. Thanks for the link, I appreciate it.
