Hello Mr. Peter Starr. I begin by thanking you for the opportunity, honor, and privilege, sitting down with me to discuss your position.
1. What is your current role?
Platform engineer (L4 engineer) at Caterpillar.
2. What does your role entail?
Subset of mechanical engineering Platform engineer is one who owns an engineering platform (e.g. how 1 engineer owns Honda car platform (makes sure vehicle (product) works.
I own gas 3500 electric power engine (3500 is the service part of the engine/ fuel is natural gas- this being an electric power (EP) concept- the EP is what consumer purchases. What is sold is the generator hooked up to this engine (subset) gas in the engine produces electricity when consumer runs gas into engine, energy runs. I own the engine within the generator. Engine is owned at different tiers L1-5. I am an L4 engineer. Other levels own differing parts of the engine from L1 owning small components of the generator to L5 owning the whole generator which houses the engine. I am in charge of workers who construct this engine and have focus on efficiency, economy and product lifecycle. Product produced based on market need. An example of this would be an engine required to weigh less than 20,000 IBs but produces a precise amount of electrical power. This would mean to break out steps of construction and to ensure L3 workers are coordinating well. I also am a budget manager and architectural designer of these engines as I want to ensure we keep the product within the confines of budget and is built for practical needs.
3. How is your role organized (remote, in-person, hybrid)?
Hybrid work in-office 2-3 days a week.
4. What is the work schedule of your position?
Normal work schedule 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sometimes 1 hour lunch, but I sometimes work through this. My boss is normally flexible and allows our work to be flexible as long as all work is completed, and we work a 40-hour work week.
5. Does your position require physical labor?
It can… working on the shop floor moving things, harvesting materials, modeling things. 95% of job is not physical and is mostly computer based.
6. What is the hierarchical structure of your position? Is there a recommended/encouraged starting position for a person looking into your profession?
Caterpillar spits organizational framing up very differently from how it runs projects. I am currently on the low end of an expansive chart. Experienced people arise by working with a team. I am a junior level engineer on a very expansive team. Below this is being a contracted engineer (as I was previously) above this is being a senior level engineer, a team leader, and then finally a manager.
7. What software/computer languages/applications might be recommended to learn in accordance with your current role and roles like it?
Two biggest ones are Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. It is a must to know all of the essential advanced functions of both to succeed in this role. With Caterpillar, there are a couple additional software including CAD (Computer aided design), CREO which is a type of CAD software, and a Team software that houses the CREO software. All of these are model-design software that contribute to the prospective production of a better product.
8. What are things recommended to be learned and mastered early on within this position? How would you evaluate success within this position?
Willingness and eagerness to learn. Retention and use of learning. Curiosity, this being asking a lot of questions and understanding the why. Therefore, asking questions needed to complete a task. Once obtaining this would be to apply what is learned to the real world. Some things (both in asking questions and application) may take time to fully understand.
9. What does your work life balance look like? What hobbies do you find help to alleviate the stresses of working within your profession?
Free, but also want to take good initiative. Normally start at 7 with the overall ambition of ending at 4:00. This would be to make time to be with my wife and to enjoy the rest of the day.
10. What is the most enjoyable, satisfying, fulfilling, relaxing, part of your role?
I enjoy learning and keeping curious in my role. More specifically initial training on engine design internally housed.
11. What is the most challenging aspect of your role?
Designing something that is affordable, works well and doing so in a reasonable amount of time. Most engine projects are a multi-year endeavor. The faster an engine is correctly constructed, the more money it makes and additional push/incentive to construct the engine quickly. This can be very intimidating.
12. What did it take to get there? What certifications did it take to be in your current role? What did your journey look like?
My journey was not the standard. The biggest thing I did that impacted my journey was to join an engineering co-op (an intern-like structure that lasts a whole year. This led to being behind in my study by one year, but overall, positively impacted my learning and provided me with experience desired by a hiring company. I also contributed to summer internships during my college years. I worked my last internship position for 5 months after graduating college. Worked at Samaritan's Purse as an operations and procurement manager. Finally, I worked as an engineering contractor for RFA before obtaining my current role. (RFA is a contracting company that works alongside a great variety of engineering centric companies such as John Deere and Caterpillar. It also provides companies working with a “long-term” interview with workers contracting with them).
13. If there is one thing you would like to do all over again to get to where you are or even where you might rather be in your journey, what would it be? This can be either professional or personal in nature.
I should have pursued a concentration in Agricultural and Biological Engineering in College rather than Mechanical Engineering Technology. The reason for this is that ag and bio were more clearly tied to mechanical engineering. Ag and bio had more theory and application where I received more application but lacked in theory.
14. Who would you say was your greatest motivator/inspiration that pushed you into your current role and into your life path? Could you provide one piece of advice they gave you that helped you in your life pursuit.
Personal - Parents (Alan & DeEtte Starr) - advised me to do something I love, but something that was profitable both in terms of income and in lifetime learning. Professional- Professor at Purdue (John Lumkes)- showed engineering can be fun and apply to the things we love - 1 of the 4-5 smartest people I have ever met - showed how engineering could be a utility - association gained by contributing to a program of his that designed off-road tractors interned for 4 years and knew of him since early high school.
15. If you are to give a young aspiring individual one piece of personal advice regarding your journey, what would that advice be?
To view mechanical engineering as a fuel and thing of materials that are learned in school. However, one should not be hung up on learning equations but should have a practical mind. How do I apply this to the real world? Learn to work as a team and know principles to apply in an area. Best way to obtain an application would be to obtain an internship or CO-OP (or know a family member in the field). Be proactive in going to career fairs and apply, apply, apply.
16. I want to be a voice for the college students and young professionals looking to get into your field or one like yours. Are you willing to provide any references (this can be as direct as a business email or as indirect as a website) that might help them in potentially applying for an internship or job within your company?
LinkedIn and therefore RFA were big parts in eventually getting employed by Caterpillar.
17. How did you hear about your role?
Applied for RFA- easy process and job found through LinkedIn. RFA is a very easy way to get into Caterpillar as Caterpillar hires contractors through RFA.
18. Job rating.
10/10- Caterpillar is a great company to work for. Professionally I have never been as satisfied in a role and what a role entails then I am now.
