Mechanical inspectors give advice to help companies keep their machines running smoothly and do tests on equipment to make sure that machines are running safely. The work might also include giving companies advice so they can pass safety inspections. In order to become a mechanical inspector, you generally will need a college degree and possibly post-graduate training. It is also helpful if you are the type of person who has good eye-hand coordination and who has a natural talent for working with mechanical things.
Getting a bachelor's degree specializing in mechanical engineering is useful if you aspire to become a mechanical inspector. Mechanical engineering includes coursework that will enable you to learn skills relevant to the functioning and upkeep of machines. Also, completion of a college internship would not only give you hands-on supervised work experience but also it would help you become familiar with what a typical work day for a mechanical inspector is like, the typical challenges that mechanical inspectors face on the job, and the functional aspects of helping companies adhere to state and federal laws pertaining to machines and safety in a work environment. In addition, during the internship, you will quickly find out if your personality and skills are a match for pursuing a mechanical inspecting career.
Most likely you will apply for your first job in mechanical inspecting during the last semester of your college engineering degree. If you hope to become a mechanical inspector, working with the career services department at your college or doing an online job search can help you get a job more quickly. Or, if you successfully completed the college internship, in some cases it is possible to get hired by the company where you did your college internship.
Pursuing a career as a supervisor or manager is an option if you wish to become a mechanical inspector. After working for two years or more, pursuit of the Master of Science (MS) degree in mechanical engineering is generally recommended if you are interested in a supervisory or engineering management position as a mechanical inspector. The MS degree will give you the tools you need to become well grounded in engineering principles and able to supervise others in an engineering and safety inspection environment. In addition to the MS degree, it might also be helpful to assist professors with engineering research projects during the graduate program because research experience could be helpful in enabling you to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in mechanical engineering if you are interested in eventually becoming a college professor in engineering.
If you aspire to become a mechanical inspector, you have several options in terms of work environment. For instance, you could work for a safety organization. You could work for a manufacturing company. Or, you could work for a city agency, a state agency, or the federal government, if you would feel more comfortable working in a government environment.
