Oct 2009

Well we have just started our new term.  Many of you know me because I’ve been actively involved with ASME--San Diego Section since 1990.

This year is particularly tough for Mechanical Engineers in San Diego.  I was the Chair back in 1994 when General Dynamics left town.  I would like to focus this year strongly on connecting people.  I know this is very important for people looking for jobs.  It is equally important for potential employer looking for the right candidate.

Here is a short list of how ASME--San Diego Section can get involved for the membership:

   1.  We realize that searching for jobs on the web can be very time consuming and frustrating.  On the other hand, the employers get too many lengthy résumés and have very little time to study each one of them.  So as a first step we have set up a special page on our web site.  Starting on the home page http://sections.asme.org/sandiego and click on Jobs and Training on the left.  It is an easy to use platform for both people looking for jobs and people looking for help.  We welcome any suggestions of how we can improve it for the membership.

   2.  We would like to help new entrepreneurs.  If you are trying to set up a company and looking for customers, ASME—San Deigo can help you put your services/products out to 900 memberships within San Diego.  We are planning to send out a newsletter.  We encourage you to contact any of the Executive Committee members.  The cost may be just the mailing cost of the newsletter, shared among people who are interested.  The newsletter will also be posted on the web.

   3.  We are planning a series of face-to-face meetings.  Mechanical Engineering is a vast field of disciplines.  These meetings would be specific for each discipline so that we can connect people with similar interests.  The first one is planned for Thursday, October 22, 2009.  Please see the newsletter or the web site for more details.

We would like to do a lot more.  Any new ideas are welcome.  Let us support our fellow Mechanical Engineers get through these tough times.

Our Section always welcome any volunteer who would like to help.  If you can devote a few hours each month or even a few hours each year, please contact me (nip.shah@hs.utc.com or 858-627-6251).