Career change leads to new path in mechanical engineering for graduate

After a short career in advertising and marketing, William Flynn found himself unemployed during the COVID pandemic lockdowns. That’s when he decided to make a career change and pursue a degree in engineering.

“That big shift back into academia was a challenging adjustment, especially at such an uncertain time. It was an exercise in self-discipline and commitment to work toward accomplishing a long-term goal. I am proud to be at the end of this journey, finishing the program on time, and stepping into the next phase of working as a professional engineer,” he said.

For the next phase in his life, the mechanical engineering graduate will work as a systems engineer with RoviSys, an automation and information solutions company in Oakbrook, Illinois. RoviSys focuses on building and manufacturing automation in various industries. Its engineering projects range from small product test stands to massive plant-wide integrated automation systems controlling every aspect of a process manufacturing facility.

His role will involve designing, implementing, and configuring automation systems as he works in and out of the office, often traveling to customer facilities to provide training and system start-up support.

“Automation in industry is essential to the success of domestic production and manufacturing. It allows for improvements in safety, environmental impact, profitability, and job quality across all industrial sectors. Automation transforms manufacturing by making production faster, safer, and more efficient by handling repetitive or hazardous tasks and reducing errors and costs while allowing workers to focus on more complex roles,” he said.

Flynn added that automation creates opportunities for new, skilled positions, pushes the evolution of workforce training and education to prepare for future manufacturing jobs, and is central to the future growth and competitiveness of the U.S. industry.

At UIC, Flynn enjoyed the problem-solving process in engineering and getting to design and build parts, devices, or processes that solve technical problems, which he found to be a rewarding experience.

“I chose mechanical engineering because I believed it allowed me to apply engineering problem-solving techniques to all kinds of real-world problems. I am excited that my first job after completing the program will expose me to a variety of industries, processes, and machinery to develop my critical thinking and problem-solving skills even more,” he said.

As a returning student, his success was supported by the MIE faculty whenever he needed them, and by taking advantage of opportunities to collaborate.

“The faculty at UIC has been invaluable in my education and development as an engineer. I have gone to professors for information about their research to help me prepare for job interviews. I have collaborated with professors, writing papers about my work and research while in the program. I recently attended a conference to present a published paper I co-wrote with one of my professors,” he said.

Whether a student is returning to college or enrolling as a first-year student, Flynn is happy to endorse mechanical and industrial engineering at UIC.

“I would highly recommend MIE to high school students who are serious about becoming engineers and committed to the responsibility of that role,” he said. “Completing the MIE program is a challenging path, but it has so far been extremely rewarding for me, and I believe that more people should commit to the work of improving the world. Perfection in engineering is often unattainable, and I have learned that the most important thing is constant improvement and development throughout the engineering process. Future decisions can be significantly improved based on the present work and results when done correctly and well documented.”