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Project 3
Jacob Burton
Nov 28, 2016
ENGL 2100, SLCC

Table of Contents
Cover Letter.3

Writing Samples
Technical Description: Gives a brief overview of Autodesk
Fusion 360.4
Technical Instructions: Gives detailed instructions on how to
create a toy bike using Autodesk Fusion 3605
3D Printed Car Design: Shows the dimensions and design of a
3D printed pinewood derby car I created10
Project 1 Revision: A revision of a previous report, which was
focused on mechanical engineering.11

Resume.17

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Jacob Burton
tigerbabes8@gmail.com
emeraldsn@weebly.com
November 21, 2016
Dear Linda Rodgers,
I am applying to join your JPL Summer Internship program, as I believe that I could greatly
contribute to the program while receiving valuable experience for my future as I work to obtain a degree
in mechanical engineering.
One of the ways that I could contribute to the program is with my engineering skills. One of
these skills is my ability to design and create 3D printed objects. As I have learned to create these
objects, I learned how to work with tolerances, digitally and physically design objects, edit designs, and
solve problems. A good example of this was when I created a 3D printed pinewood derby car for my
drafting class. The vehicle had to be a specified weight, have the proper dimensions in order to fit on the
track and have a compartment that could open and hold weights. I started by sketching my ideas to get
the basic layout of the car. Then I dimensioned the car so that it would have the proper tolerances and
fit on the track. Afterwards, I designed the car on the computer and printed off the prototype. I then
analyzed the prototype, made adjustments to the design and printed off the final product.
Another way that I could contribute to the program would be with my work ethic. Whenever I
have received a project, I make sure to consistently work on it to avoid cramming. I also am an efficient
worker. While working for the Jordan School District, I learned how to work quickly since I was only
given a certain amount of time to complete my cleaning route. However, I would always make sure that
the quality of my work was good. By consistently learning how to increase my efficacy while maintaining
good quality, I became one of the best cleaners.
Another way that I could contribute to the program would be with my leadership skills. For my
Eagle Scout project, I had to direct a group of boys and properly delegate work to complete the project.
From this, I learned how to keep a group on task and effectively organize a group. I have also used
leadership skills in school projects. For a recent project, I made sure that every part of the project was
covered by a group member and helped direct the group. Because of this, each critical point of the
project was addressed.
Thank you for your time and for offering this wonderful opportunity. I look forward to working
with you. I can be reached by email at tigerbabes8@gmail.com or by phone at (801)-253-1535.
Sincerely,

Jacob Burton

All images are authors own screenshots

All Images are Authors own Screenshots

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Technical Drawing of my 3D Printed Car

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An In Depth Look on Mechanical Engineering

Jacob Burton
English 2100
October 8, 2016

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Abstract
The subject of this paper is mechanical engineering, specifically on what the average mechanical
engineer does, the different variations of mechanical engineering, and how mechanical engineering
compares to other engineering careers. The purpose of this paper is to dive deeper into this career to
see whether this is a desirable career. The information for this paper was obtained through a personal
interview, and the internet.
Keywords: Mechanical Engineering: career, variations of, Engineering

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Introduction
The field of engineering is very broad, ranging from chemical engineering all the way to
aerospace, and breaks down even further into analytical and field work. With so much variety, its
difficult for those who are interested in engineering to find which division of engineering would best fit
them. I have run across this problem as I have considered which career I would like to pursue, so in
order to assuage the problem, I looked further into the career that I have considered to pursue, which is
mechanical engineering. In this search, I looked for what the average mechanical engineer does, what
variances there are in mechanical engineering, and how it compares to other engineering jobs.
Methodology
In order to obtain the information I needed, I used two sources. The first source was a personal
interview of an engineer from Precision Systems Engineering (PSE). Some of the questions that I asked
included, what is mechanical engineering, what do you do as an engineer and how does your job
compare to other engineers. This interview was conducted at the PSE building, located in Sandy, Utah,
so that I could see the workplace and better understand the job culture. The second source was the
internet. To find the information I needed, I went to the Google and searched engineer report, and
then looked under the video tab and used the key words mechanical engineer.
Results
What A Mechanical Engineer Does
According to the engineer from PSE, Jonny Karadzic (personal communication, September 16,
2016), a mechanical engineers main job is to look at parts, size them properly, calculate how a piece
works under certain conditions, and figure out how to make the parts fit in the final project. He also
stated that engineers usually spend about a fourth of their worktime on concept designs and making
calculations, another fourth of their time is spent customer and supervisor relationships, which is
essentially informing both groups on the projects progress and making sure that the project satisfies

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their demands and constraints, another fourth of their time is spent looking at the physical project out
in the field or in the workshop, and the rest of their time is spent on writing reports. These reports are
written with the intent of describing research and results in a quick and concise manner through the use
of text, images and graphics. The writing style for these papers is very similar to MLA format, as they
both have an abstract, introduction, a section to explain the writers methodology, a section for results,
discussion of results, and a conclusion. However, engineering reports do deviate from MLA format, as it
includes a section to discuss the literature used for the report.

Variations Of Mechanical Engineering

Not every mechanical engineering job is the same, as the size of the company tends to affect the
conditions of this job. Large engineering companies have thousands of engineers working together on
various projects and usually have little direct interaction between engineers of different disciplines. On
the other hand, small companies, called boutique firms, usually have around 4-6 engineers that only
work on specific projects (Karadzic). The culture of the job is also affected by the companys size, as
small companies, according to Nivay Anandarajah (2014), tend to have a weak hierarchy and allow
workers to converse and [have] a say in the overall project.
Another way that mechanical engineering jobs vary from one another is the workplace. While I
was interviewing the engineer from PSE, I noticed that each engineer worked in an office like
environment and worked in a cubicle. However, the video Mechanical Engineering from ThinkTVPBS
(2015) showed that the working environment resembled a warehouse where engineers would walk in,
study the product that they were designing, and carry out design work on the computers located in the
warehouse.

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How It Compares
According to Karadzic, most engineering careers are very similar to one another when it comes
to working conditions, work hours, and how they work. The main way that these jobs vary from each
other is what the engineers work with. While mechanical engineers focus on how to make the project fit
together, structural engineers work with steel and designing metal structures.
Discussion of Results
From this information, I realized that mechanical engineering isnt quite what I thought it was.
Rather than having a focus on building, as I had supposed, mechanical engineers worked more on design
work and figuring out how a project could be realistically assembled. I was a bit disappointed when I
discovered this, as I would like to have a career that is more involved with building the project, but I still
am somewhat interested in design and analytic work. Another detail about mechanical engineering that
I wasnt aware of was extent that the engineers are expected to interact with customers. Previously, I
had assumed that project managers handled customer relationships, but instead, it seems that each
engineer is required to explain their work to the client and resolve any problems or concerns that the
customer may have. I also found this bit of news a bit distressing, as I would like to avoid working with
irate or incompetent customers, but seeing how most engineering jobs require customer relationship
work, I would be willing to overlook this problem so that I can pursue a career in engineering. The last
part of mechanical engineering that I was not aware of was how many different variations of mechanical
engineering there are. I found this information to be very encouraging. The reason for this is because
with so many different versions of the same job, I can look for one that best fits my needs and desires.
Conclusion
After looking into mechanical engineering, I found that I would still like to pursue this career.
While this job may not be exactly what I expected it to be, it is the closest field of engineering to my
desired job of designing and creating products. Since there are so many different variations of

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mechanical engineering, I believe that I should intern at multiple companies to better explore my
options. Before I can do that, however, I would need to further my secondary education, as I have found
that many engineering firms require interns to have an associates degree. I could then tailor my
education towards the job that fits my needs and desires the best as I finish up my bachelors degree. By
doing this, I believe that I will find the most satisfaction in my career.

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References
ConnectEd. (2014, June 3) Talking with Nivay Anandarajah [Video podcast] Day in the Life: Mechanical
Engineering. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocqceS7KlzE
ThinkTVPBS. (2015, October 8) [Video podcast] Mechanical Engineer. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLHItgLHx9g
Purdue OWL. (2016) Writing Engineering Reports. Retrieved from
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/647/01/

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Jacob Burton
tigerbabes8@gmail.com
emeraldsn@weebly.com
Education
Salt Lake Community College
Expected grad date: 2018
Bingham High School
Graduated in 2016 with a 3.96 GPA
Work Experience
DP Cheesesteaks
(Cashier) Aug 2015- Current
Jordan School District
Sweeper Aug 2014- July 2015
Technical Skills
Drafting
Basic welding/metalworking
Basic robotics/programing
3D printing
Personal Skills
Leadership
Hard working
Strong problem solving
Highly efficient
Awards
Eagle Scout
Utah Scholar Award
Enhanced diploma
Graduation cords in Science, Math, CTE, and Social Science