Manufacturing is the industry responsible for the production of finished goods which are then sold in various markets including food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, iron and steel, textiles, automobiles, aerospace, petrochemicals, and more. Before the industrial revolution, products were typically designed and created all by one person. After the industrial revolution, products designed by one individual began being built by many workers and machines on assembly lines and in manufacturing plants.
The design and manufacturing industry includes two categories of goods:
Design is a subindustry within manufacturing, focusing on the creation of plans for how a product or system works:
Design Engineers
Shape every product we use, focusing on the functionality and cost of each product or system, taking aesthetics into consideration.
Areas of Design
There are four main areas: industrial, graphic, interior, and landscape. Design engineers typically work within the industrial design area.
Engineers who work in the manufacturing realm are responsible for research and development, analysis, planning and design, surveying, facility evaluation, testing and more. In the design realm, responsibilities and paths include:
- Designing and refining the products to be manufactured
- Designing the machines and tools that make products
- Working independently, for manufacturing companies, or for engineering firms
- Ensuring the safe and effective production of diverse products and systems
This industry employs engineers of all backgrounds—including electrical, manufacturing, industrial, chemical, environmental, and systems backgrounds to ensure the safe and effective production of diverse products and systems.
Computer scientists are also becoming more important in the manufacturing and design industry due to the increasing use of automated processes to build products.
Industry summary sourced from FirstHand Vault Guide.
SAMPLE JOB TITLES
- Applications Engineer
- Controls Engineer
- Environmental, Health, & Safety Engineer
- Distribution Engineer
- Industrial Engineer
- Mechanical Design Engineer
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Plant Optimization Engineer
- Project Engineer
- Process Engineer
- Quality Assurance Engineer
- Quality Control Engineer
- Software Developer
- Software Engineer
- Stress Engineer
- Structural Design Engineer
- Systems Engineer
- Technical Sales Associate
- Test Engineer
SAMPLE HIRING ORGANIZATIONS
- American Cast Iron Pipe Company
- Armstrong World Industries
- Ascend Performance Materials
- Caterpillar
- Chevron
- Club Car
- Eastman Chemical
- General Motors
- Georgia-Pacific
- Goodyear Tire & Rubber
- Graphic Packaging
- Harris Corporation
- Honda
- Hyundai
- Ingalls Shipbuilding
- International Paper
- Kimberly-Clark
- Michelin
- Milliken & Company
- Oxy
- Packaging Corporation of America
- PepsiCo
- Procter & Gamble
- Rheem Manufacturing
- RoviSys
- Shaw Industries
- Starrett Bytewise
- Textron
- WestRock
$75K
Average starting salary
*based on 534 responses from 2020-2024 AU Engineering Graduates on the First Destination Survey
RECRUITING TIMELINE
Depending on the type of employer and the role, the recruitment timelines vary. Governmental organizations, large companies, and manufacturers recruit most heavily in the fall for positions starting in the spring or summer. Opportunities still exist beyond the fall but are often more niche opportunities with smaller companies. Additionally, companies will hire throughout the year depending on the needs and demands of their projects or government contracts.
Seek opportunities to connect with employers at fall events such as the fall Engineering Career Fair, as well as at employer table talks, employer-in-residence, Ask Alumni Anything chats and student organization meetings. Search for posted opportunities on Handshake and other sources referenced below.
SAMPLE OPPORTUNITIES
Student Organizations
- American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
- Mechanical Contractors Association of America
- Auburn Off-Road
- Design Build Institute of America
- Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
- Materials Engineering Society
- Pi Tau Sigma
- Society of Manufacturing Engineers
- War Eagle Motorsports
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS & INDUSTRY RESOURCES
- AIGA, the American Institute for Graphic Arts
- American Society of Mechanical Engineering
- Industrial Designers Society of America
- National Association of Manufacturers
- Society of Automotive Engineers
- Society of Manufacturing Engineers
- Society of Tribologists and Lubrications Engineers
Internships + Co-ops
With sample hiring organizations + companies recruiting through
- Engineering Career Fairs & Industry Days
- Handshake job platform
Meet with an Engineering Career Coach for more information about accessing opportunities + strategizing your search for co-ops, internships, research, and more.
ALUMNI IN THE INDUSTRY
- Brody Matthews, '16 Materials | Supplier Quality Engineer | Mercedes-Benz
- Christopher Scheinert, '16 Chemical | Business Development Leader | Emerson
- Conyers Coupland, '15 Biosystems | Lead Manufacturing Engineer | Outpost Technologies
- Corey Cooper, '04 Mechanical | CEO and Founder | BOTE Boards
- Devante Brown, '15 Mechanical | Operations Manager | Georgia Pacific
- Eddie Seay, '16 Wireless | Senior Software Engineer | Chick-Fil-A
- Haley Huff, '12 Industrial & Systems | Industrial Engineer | RAPA
- Mandy Ledkins, '02 Chemical | Human Resources Manager | International Paper
- Marc Ivey, '92 Biosystems | National Sales Manager | Bush Hog LLC
- Mark Plyler, '97 Biosystems | Director of Product Engineering | Madix, Inc.
- Michael Keyser, '15 Mechanical | Series Planning Equipment Engineer | Mercedes-Benz
- Nicole Harris Odum, '02 & '10 Materials | Senior Research & Development Engineer | AM/NS Calvert
- Tariq Martin, '15 Mechanical | Program Manager | Kion Group
- Victoria DeBaets, '17 Industrial & Systems | Senior Manager, EV Supply Advanced Planning | Toyota Motor North America
You can access alumni such as these to learn about career paths, skills for the industry, and build your network through LinkedIn. Create an account and build your profile, then search for Auburn alumni by major, company, location, or other criteria on the Auburn University LinkedIn page. Chat with an Engineering Career Coach on strategies for networking and reaching out to connect.