Hi all,
I've been busy trying my hand at many things over the last year, the biggest one was purchasing a foreclosure for me and my wife and renovating/moving into it. I have been out of my industry (Mechanical Engineering) for a little over a year and really want to stay relevant in the field so that I am not eliminating an opportunity that I currently have. As I see it, engineering pays well, I enjoyed it, and I worked hard/spent a lot to create that particular opportunity.
I have started looking for part time work as an engineer around where I live. While I haven't exhausted every resource yet, early feedback seems that nobody wants a part time engineer. If I wanted to work full time, then I think I would at least have a shot at a number of jobs near me. I may go down the path of full time if that's my only option, but I'm not done trying to find a job that would have me working 2.5-3 days/week.
My only thought so far is to start my own consulting firm, but I don't know if I want to spend the upfront cost of a computer capable of running a good CAD program, and the cost of Solidworks, especially when I do not currently have any clients lined up. Do I have any options I'm overlooking?
I basically have 3 goals:
1. Stay relevant (employable) in the engineering field to keep my options open
2. Earn $35+/hour* (since I don't need benefits)
3. Work 3 or less days/week (I am guessing 30 hours or less/week)
*Note that $35/hour is the going rate around me for full time engineering jobs near me. As I don't need benefits I'd expect it to be higher