# HELP? Apprentice Engineer Need Advice



## Georgereflex (May 6, 2017)

Hello, I am through to the last stage of getting an engineering apprenticeship with a good firm.

I need to make something that I can "show and tell" in an interview. I have 1 week to make it so it needs to be rather simple.

Could anyone give me any ideas as to what I should make? The apprenticeship is mechanical engineering but I don't think it necessarily  has to be related to that. 

Any advice is  greatly appreciated


----------



## Ramnares P.E. (May 8, 2017)

What year of engineering school are you in?  If it's your Junior year you should have at least one project you have completed by this point.  What type of work does this company do?


----------



## Owism (May 8, 2017)

i made a 3d printer and showed off the customer 3d parts during the interview.


----------



## JHW 3d (May 8, 2017)




----------



## Georgereflex (May 9, 2017)

Ramnares P.E. said:


> What year of engineering school are you in?  If it's your Junior year you should have at least one project you have completed by this point.  What type of work does this company do?


Sorry I should have been clearer. This is an "on the job" type training opportunity for non engineers. So basically you take certain tests, they pick the best candidate and fully train you over a span of years. 

So I have no engineering experience, the task is just "bring something you have made", they just want to see if you have practical ability and are able to plan a simple project.


----------



## Ramnares P.E. (May 9, 2017)

I'm sorry but your initial post said this was an engineering apprenticeship.  Now you're saying it's on the job training for non-engineers.  Have you been in an undergraduate ME program?  If so, you should have at least one project you've completed at this point.  If you haven't been in an undergrad ME program I'm not sure how to advise you.


----------



## Georgereflex (May 9, 2017)

Ramnares P.E. said:


> I'm sorry but your initial post said this was an engineering apprenticeship.  Now you're saying it's on the job training for non-engineers.  Have you been in an undergraduate ME program?  If so, you should have at least one project you've completed at this point.  If you haven't been in an undergrad ME program I'm not sure how to advise you.


Yes this is an apprenticeship for school leavers... I have absolutely zero engineering experience as do the other candidates. The company takes you on and trains you on the job + sends you to college. I'm not sure exactly of the college courses involved. 

I passed the exam and now I need to "make something" to demonstrate my practical ability in the interview. Again, because this is a school leavers thing it doesn't have to be massively technical.

Thank you


----------



## kevo_55 (May 9, 2017)

Just make something the night before with legos. 

Just because that's what all engineers do at work, right?


----------



## matt267 PE (May 9, 2017)

Try building a bridge, or some other structure, out of balsa wood. See if you can make a light bridge that holds lots of weight.

https://scioly.org/wiki/index.php/Bridge_Building


----------



## JHW 3d (May 9, 2017)

Make a really great trash can.

And if your interviewer doesn't like it, tell them you know where they can put your application.


----------



## JHW 3d (May 9, 2017)

Georgereflex said:


> Yes this is an apprenticeship for school leavers...






Georgereflex said:


> because this is a school leavers thing


It's Saturday detention for you, truant punk!


----------



## Ramnares P.E. (May 9, 2017)

If it doesn't have to be technical then your best bet is to follow Matt's advice and build a balsa wood bridge or something similar.  If none of this sounds appealing then you're better off asking the school for examples of hands-on projects that were submitted in the past.


----------



## FLBuff PE (May 9, 2017)

Build a miniature trebuchet, so that you can launch peas at the interviewers.


----------

