The field is SO broad. If a graduate decided that they wanted to start in automotive or semi-conductors or aerospace or any other, how much, if any would that inhibit them from crossing over into one of the other industries at a later date? Thanks!
For practicing engineers it is largely a function of time – time in a particular position and/or time in a particular industry. After about 5 years of experience, you start to become the “airframe structural engineer”, and transitioning to another (unrelated) position becomes more difficult. Naturally, the longer you stay, the harder it becomes to transition to something else.
After 10-15 years, you are pretty much glued in place. Your options, should you want to transition to something else are to A) start out in a lower (maybe even entry level) position, B) have a friend who works in the area you want to transition to put in a recommendation for you, or C) go back to school.
It is certainly not impossible to move around – people do it all the time – but it will usually require a little bit of effort.
5 years is probably a good estimate for developing a “label” as to one’s field of specialty. It is also a two way street. The employer is also starting to look at specific skills mastered to determine how much you are worth (i.e. your pay). To not have the label at that point may also mean smaller (sometimes; if any) pay raises.
As much as one should always be learning new skills to keep “current” and relevant in your chosen field, you can tweak that label a bit each year without much effort. Many companies, if they think you are a valuable employee, will allow one to make a major tweak to their job in order to retain you. Just don’t expect to do that major tweak more than one or two times.
5 years is also a good number for you to know if that specific field is what you want to do for the rest of your career. if you don’t know by then, then you will never know.
Thank you both!