Analyzing a Job Posting

Everyone, at some time in their life, has to look at, and respond to a job posting.  This response usually includes a resume and cover letter.  What many people concentrate on while composing these documents are their own specific skills and experience, which are very important.  But the one thing that people often forget is that they can hand tailor their resume and cover letter for each specific position that they apply for.  Some of the things that one could research before composing a resume and a cover letter for a specific position include: the nature of the company's business, its values, its corporate structure, its history, and also its accomplishments.  Then, after researching these items, one could link them to their own personal values, structure, history, and accomplishments.  I am going to go through the process that I took while researching and typing a resume and cover letter as if I were applying for the position.

Job Posting
The job posting that I will be "applying for" is for a Part-Time Student Position in Forestry Quality Engineering through John Deere.  I found the posting on John Deere's website, by conducting a simple search.  The position is located in Dubuque Iowa. The posting itself is located at the end of this article.

History
While researching the history of John Deere I was surprised to find out that John Deere, as a company, has been around since 1837.  But it wasn't until 1918 that it started manufacturing tractors.
The way that I would link my history to that of John Deere is I would state that I have a farm background, and my family has been using John Deere machinery since the 1940s.  I may even state that I helped restore my great-grandfather's 1949 John Deere MT (a model of tractor).

Values
The John Deere website states that its four core values are integrity, quality, commitment, and innovation.  Knowing this, I would try to show that my personal values line up with those of the company.  I would state how I was raised ,embedded the fact that quality is what matters, and that if something wasn't done right, it had to be done again.  I would also possibly state how I helped redesign the tool inventory process at one of my previous jobs, to make it far more easy to operate and also perform much better. This would align with their values of quality and innovation.

How to put these into a cover letter/resume
Just simply knowing about a company, and relating it to yourself, will not make your cover letter better.  While creating your cover letter, you want to point out these similarities, but then expand upon them.  You don't want to focus on the company's achievements, but your own. And the last thing that you want to do is sound desperate.  You want to be polite, but not a brown-noser. They could interpret this to mean that you do everything that you are told and not think for yourself. 


Job Posting

There are 7 billion people on this planet and by 2050, there will be 2 billion more. Making sure there is enough food, fiber and infrastructure for our rapidly growing world is what we’re all about at John Deere. It’s why we’re investing in our people and our technology like never before in our 175-year history. Here, the world’s brightest minds are tackling the world’s biggest challenges. RIGHT NOW.

Job Description 

Part-Time Student - Forestry Quality Engineering - Dubuque, IA-50666146 Why John Deere: John Deere combines innovation and technology to produce exceptional equipment and services that delight our customers. We are a world leader in providing advanced products and services and are committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land – those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world’s dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality built on a tradition of integrity.  We make John Deere a great place to work through an emphasis on work-life balance and a values-based culture that encourages professional development and community involvement. What You’ll Do The Part-Time Student Program is primarily designed to augment the Company's regular full-time staff, and is for students who work in parallel to their school schedule. In this position you will: Analyze customer warranty data to identify quality improvement projects Drive customer warranty issues back into production line inspections Work with supplier quality engineers to identify corrective action for supplier part issues What It Takes We need excellent communicators, who thrive on solving problems and working in a team environment.  Ideally, you will be pursuing a degree in Mechanical, Agricultural or Industrial Engineering; others may qualify.  In addition, we require: Must be registered as a full-time student at a local university Must be able to commute to the work location on a daily basis Graduation date of May 2017 or later  Cumulative GPA of 2.8 or above  16 - 20 hours/week during the academic year 35 - 40 hours/week during the summer semester Knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word What You’ll Get At John Deere, you are empowered to create a career that will take you to where you want to go. Here, you'll enjoy the freedom to explore new projects, the support to think outside the box and the advanced tools and technology that foster innovation and achievement. Part-time employees receive competitive compensation and are eligible for many benefits, including tuition assistance. Can you imagine the challenge of a lifetime and a rewards package that makes it all worthwhile? The information contained herein is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of individuals performing the job. The qualifications detailed in this job description are not considered the minimum requirements necessary to perform the job, but rather as guidelines.  John Deere is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability. Job - Quality Engineering Primary Location - United States-Iowa-Dubuque Organization - Construction & Forestry Schedule - Part-time Shift - Day Job Posting Date - Apr 21, 2016

Collaboration In Mechanical Engineering

Group work is one of the things in life that we either love or hate.  It all comes down to the ability to plan, be flexible, and be fair.  Engineers have to collaborate on a daily basis in order to overcome tasks.  One of the main reasons for collaboration in engineering is a time constraint.  We have all heard the common expression that time is money.  This is very true in the sense that we, as humans, are genetically impatient.  We want things done fast, and will even pay more to have it that way.  With more than one set of eyes on a project, it generally can get done much faster.  This is possible because we all have different skills and techniques, which enable us to spot others mistakes, or do something faster.

Major Collaborations

One of the most recent examples of collaboration in engineering that I could think of is the collaboration between Ford Motor Company and General Motors on developing a new 10 speed transmission.  The transmission is designed for use in front engine rear drive applications, such as the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Silverado.  The main reason for the collaboration in this case was to not only cut the required time for development, but also cut the costs normally attributed to research and development.  The transmissions, which started development in 2014, are planned to go into production on the 2017 Camaro ZL1 and the 2017 Ford Raptor.

How to Effectively Work as a Group

UsaToday.com says there are seven things that, if done correctly, take the pain out of group work. These seven things are: Choose group members wisely, find out how to communicate, set deadlines, take control, don't procrastinate, use your resources, and last but not least, stay positive.  Out of these seven tips, I believe three are the most important: communication, take the lead, and stay positive. 

Communication

Without communication a group just isn't a group, and is more just a couple people who are all confused as to what is going on.  For a group project that I am currently working on we used three forms of communication.  The main two we used were email and in-person contact. The third medium of communication that we used was texting, and we only used this in order to get a message out quickly to everyone.  We also used Google Drive to work documents and spreadsheets all at the same time, without having to physically be together.

Taking The Lead

Some people are born leaders, while others have to learn that useful skill.  Either way, having leadership skills will help you survive through your group project.  Whether it be scheduling group meetings or being the one to turn in the final project. Also as the group leader you are usually the one who makes sure all of the assigned tasks are completed, and picks up the slack if they aren't. 

Staying Positive
The one thing that can completely destroy a group project is a bad attitude.  The moment that you start yelling at or getting frustrated with your group members, is the moment that your group project has started going down hill.  The best thing to do is keep your head up, and just push through. This way you are not putting unneeded stress on yourself or your group members.

           

Usability Testing

What is Usability Testing?

According to Usability.gov, usability testing “refers to evaluating a product or service by testing it with representative users.”  These tests can be helpful in many fields from software engineers trying to figure out if their site is user friendly, all the way to car designers attempting to find the most visually appealing design for the bodywork of an automobile.

How does this help?

Using the information gathered by the usability test, the person conducting the test can improve the product that was being tested. For instance if the tester told the software engineer that they got bored while reading, the engineer might add more color of better blocking of material, to give the readers eyes something to look at. It can also be used to add more or less details to an instructional brochure/video, as the author might have misinterpreted his/her audience, and either not put in some steps that he/she thought would be necessary, or put in too many.

What sources did I use for constructing my test?

During the process of researching how to make a great usability test, I stumbled across two websites that looked very helpful in terms of helping develop questions for my test.  These sites are Validately.com and Usertesting.com.  Both of these sites ran me through processes of how to construct my test to receive maximum information gain.

Some of my questions and why I asked them

The first question that I asked on my test was, “Was the script formidable for all audiences? What aspects made this possible or not possible?” By asking this question I opened up the main question that I was wondering, which was “Would this make sense to everyone?” Also by adding the secondary question of what made it possible/impossible, I received ideas on how to change it.

Another question that I asked during my test was, “Could you follow my thought path? Did I cover the information thoroughly enough?” I asked this in order to figure out if I would need to add more details, or if I needed to cover specific parts again.

The final question that I asked my testers was, “Overall what rating would you give this script, in terms of usability? (1-10)” This was to not only give the tester a sense of completion, but also to give myself an overall rating. By asking for an overall rating, it signifies to the tester that the test is done which, unless you thoroughly enjoy taking tests and giving your opinion, is a good thing.

My Usability Test Results

The usability test in which I constructed was going to be used on the final draft script for an instructional video on how to construct a sealed subwoofer box. The audience that I was aiming for includes car audio enthusiasts looking to make a box themselves, and also beginners in the car audio community.

One main objective of my test was to figure out if I covered the material thoroughly enough for the target audience.  This includes not covering to much basic material, like how to run a cordless drill, but still cover enough information on what I am doing.  

My draft covered the same amount of information that I included in my final video, with some filler language added in the video just to reduce the risk of people becoming bored and leaving. The test group that I chose included three other men from my Writing in the Technical Professions Class.  I believe these individuals represent my target audience quite well, as they all have some technical experience, but probably haven't built a subwoofer box.

After receiving the results of my usability test back, I was happy to see the average score that the three men had given me was a 8 (from 1-10). The major feedback involved some of the language that I used, and how it would only be suitable for those who DIY or are used to basic construction. All of them said that it was easy for them to follow, but could be difficult for someone with less experience.

While changing my script, I decided to cut out much of the technical language in exchange for more basic language. I also changed the way that I was going to create the box, as the current format would take up far too much time.

Innovations in Automobile Technology

Every once in a while someone picks up an object, or even looks at an object and wonders, “How can I make that even better?” People like this are called innovators. These are people who, want to keep improving life.  For an innovator, nothing is ever “Good enough”. This is different than an inventor in the sense that their ideas are based on ideas of others. One of the coolest recent innovations, in my eyes, is the WayRay Navion.  The Navion is a super advanced heads-up-display that you can connect to your phone and your car to try to eliminate distracted driving.

What is a HUD (Heads-Up-Display)?

According to Howtogeek.com, “A HUD is a digital transparent image that is projected onto the windshield of a car, displaying the same information you would get from the dashboard.”  These have been around since 1988, when General Motors first introduced them on their Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.  Nowadays they can be found on many cars from brands such as GM, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and even the Korean economy brand Kia.  Saying this, we can assume they are becoming pretty main stream.  The only downside is that many still only display the information you could just as easily find on your dashboard.  This was until Navion came along.

What can the Navion Do?

I called the Navion a “super advanced HUD” for a reason.  This is because the Navion takes the HUD available on a mainstream car, and combines it with a HUD similar to what you get in Forza Motorsports.  This includes a line of arrows simulating a racing line, displaying current speed, and also the distance until your next turn.  And these features are only the ones on the base model.  If you are willing to spend a bit more, you can get your Navion with an infotainment layer that connects to your Android or Apple device via Bluetooth and uses gestures and voice commands to interact with the system.

Why does the Navion help?

By projecting the navigation and infotainment information translucently on to the windshield, this eliminates the need to look at multiple screens while driving.  By not having to look at multiple screens you are a far more observant driver. This in turn makes the world safer.  

My Review of Navion

While the Navion isn’t out yet, I will still try my best to give a review on it. The questions that I will be asking myself while reviewing it are: “How is this better than existing HUDs on the market?”, “How well does it project information?”, and finally “Is it worth your money?”.

In my opinion the Navion is better than many existing HUDs in the fact that it displays information onto the actual windshield, rather than having to install a secondary opaque glass pane.  It is also the first of its kind, in the fact that it actually scans the road ahead of you, to give a much more accurate path. The Navion is also the first HUD to use holographic projection.

Judging only from demonstration videos, the Navion looks like it projects information rather well.  The image looks very high definition and also quite distinct.  The only problem I could see with the image, would be if the road were green for some reason.  This would cause the hologram to get lost in the background. A way to solve this would be to employ a red display that you could toggle between using a switch or button.  

As for the question that is truly on people's mind, price, I have an answer! The base Navion prices out at $300, while the model with the infotainment layer is $500.  This is an amazing deal, and I would spend the extra $200 to upgrade.  While this $500 may seem like a lot, you can consider it an investment, almost an insurance.  While I am not suggesting you replace your current auto insurance, I would complement it with a Navion. It can save you a lot of money that you could end up spending on car repairs, from an accident that occurred while you were messing with your GPS or answering a text.

Where could it go from here?

I myself look at the Navion and think it is great! But at the same time I am also thinking of ways to make it better.  What if you could link it a database that calculates braking distances for every car, and tell you a minimum following distance for that specific car.  What if you could take the specifications of your car and it could give you the perfect driving line for racing (around a track of course). The possibilities are seemingly endless.

How to Build a Subwoofer Box

This video gives instructions on how to construct a sealed subwoofer box for 2 10" subs.  The external dimensions of the box are 12" x 15" x 30", with the inside of the box having a volume of 2.19 cubic ft.  The materials and tools used are listed below.  Thanks for watching! Have fun bumping!

Materials
1 @ 4' x 8' MDF Particle Board (3/4" thick)
1 @ Speaker Box Terminal
1 @ tube of wood glue
2 @ 12 oz tubes of Silicone (I used window silicone)
40 @ 1" x 1/2" corner brackets
80 @ 1" wood screws

Tools
Table saw (one that can put miter on edge)
Jig Saw
Drill
3/32" Drill Bit
1/4" Drill Bit
Tape Measure
Square
Impact Driver

How to make your blog "C.R.A.P."py!

Why would I want to make my blog crappy? You don't! Actually if you follow these rules it will probably make your blog better. The rules of which I am talking about are known as C.R.A.P.  According to DailyBlogTips.com, it stands for contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. These rules aren't just for blogs either, as they can be applied to almost any form of electronic media.

Contrast

Contrast may be used to differentiate between your headings, body, pictures, articles, and even ads if you have them. If you used a constant size, font, and color all throughout your blog, readers may become bored, or even lost in what you wrote. For example I went with a red, black, and white color scheme for this blog. I used red font for some of the information which I wanted to stand out more, including the blog name, article list, and any links to other website in my articles. I used black as the background, as I believe it is easier to read white font on a black background, than vice versa. It may also be better for mobile users, as it may help their battery last longer (because more of the screen is black than white).  I did stay consistent with the font style, but I did bold the headings in the articles to help separate different subjects better.


Repetition

This does not refer to stating the same material over, and over, and over again! That is bad, as your reader may get bored. This repetition means using the same colors, sizes, and formatting throughout your blog. I tried to make my articles very consistent in length and also format.  This meant keeping the font, size, and color consistent for the bodies, headers, and links. I also tried to make the images match the color scheme of the blog as a whole.  Repetition helps your reader relate one article to the next, while still keeping them separate.  It makes your entire blog flow together better.


Alignment

Alignment helps keep your blog clean and sophisticated.  This includes not just putting visual elements in just because. It should be thought out, as well as consistent. For instance, I tried to keep my page balanced by putting more images on the left side than the right, as my profile information and my picture are on the right.  I also wanted to keep the pictures in the actual body, with the text wrapped around the picture, to better associate the image with the text.


Proximity
This element refers to keeping similar information close together.  This includes keeping the headers in your articles close to the actual body, rather than inserting a space.  This is also known as blocking, as the information looks like it is in separate blocks, instead of one huge paragraph or individual sentences.  This also helps the reader find a piece of information again, and also helps with the overall flow of your blog.

The Known and Unknown of Mechanical/Automotive Engineering

Names like James Watt, Archimedes, Nicolas Otto, and Leonardo da Vinci are names most, if not all people have heard at least once in their lives.  These are just a few of the many engineers and visionaries that helped to transform the world into what we know it as today.  Everything from the transmission (first thought of by da Vinci) to the four-stroke engine (invented by Otto) and even the simple tools of the lever and the pulley (credited to Archimedes), were created by engineers.  But none of these people are alive anymore. How are we still improving technology so rapidly without the minds of these brilliant individuals?  There are some new innovators in the world, and a few may even surprise you.

Elon Musk
In my opinion, Elon Musk is the most brilliant mind in the world today.  Not only did he found the companies Zip2.com, PayPal.com, and SpaceX, he also doesn't even have an Engineering degree! He does however have degrees in Economics and Physics from the University of Pennsylvania.  According to Biography.com, he also attended Stanford to receive a Ph.D in Energy Physics, and then dropped after a mere two days of classes.  He dropped out in order to start his first company Zip2.  Even though he does not have a degree in Engineering, he defiantly fits the description. He is currently the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, a company devoted to re-inspire people into space travel and make it economically viable. He is also the CEO and Product Architect of Tesla Motors.  This is the company that Elon Musk is most known for today.  This company, which was started in 2003, now makes the quickest (0-60mph) production four door sedan in the world.  People are even calling him a real-life "Iron Man", hinting at the fact that he is working to innovate energy and transportation as a whole. I wish Elon Musk, and all of his companies good luck, and am interested in purchasing a Tesla someday.

Alba Colon
I didn't know about Alba until I started researching minorities in engineering. And though I didn't know of Alba, I have heard of many people associated with her including: Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr., and Danica Patrick. These are all NASCAR drivers, which is fitting as Alba is the first non-Caucasian female to work as an engineer on NASCAR vehicles. According to TheHenryFord.org she was born is Spain and moved to Puerto Rico at the age of three.  She studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico. After receiving her degree in 1994, she was hired by General Motors. During her climb to where she is now, as Chevy's NASCAR Sprint Cup Program Manager, she encountered obstacles, with many coming from her gender. Even throughout college, she faced barriers, being one of only seven women in the mechanical engineering program.

James Flaherty
James Flaherty is the Vice President and General Manager of Federal Machine Co, which is based out of Fargo, ND. This company specializes in the heat treating of
 metal products. Some of his responsibilities at Federal Machine Co include working with product design engineers to design better products and also communicating with the customer.  These communications may include anything from reports to drawings. James also co-teaches the Mechanical Engineering 221 course at North Dakota State University.  This course covers the internal and external forces required to keep a system static, or not moving. I had the pleasure of having him as my lecture instructor in the Fall of 2015.

Electric Cars: Perfect solution? Maybe not

The electric powered automobile has come and gone throughout the ages.  In fact the electric car was invented before the gasoline car.  The first electric cars, conceived during the early 1800's, were simply buggies, that were once horse drawn, equipped with batteries and a small electric motor. According to the US Department of Energy, it wasn't until 1890 that the first successful electric car was made here in the U.S. It held six passengers and had a whopping top speed of 14 miles per hour. Compare that to the Tesla Model S, the quickest (0-60) production sedan ever made, and you could say improvements have been made. 

Tesla Model S

Benefits of an Electric Car

One of the main benefits of an electric car is not having to pay for gas.  Even with the lowest gas prices since 2008, I don't know a person who would turn down not having to pay for gas. Another key factor that influences someone to buy an electric vehicle is the environment. Electric cars, unlike gasoline or diesel cars, do not emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Another benefit of electric cars is the smooth ride, as there are no gears to shift. An electric vehicle doesn't have to change gears as the torque is immediate. It isn't like a gas engine which takes a certain RPM to reach maximum torque and horsepower. An electric motor produces just as much torque at 1 RPM as it does at 6000 RPM.

Another benefit of this immediate torque is performance. With peak torque available with a minimal amount of throttle input, some electric cars can actually be fun to drive. According to CarandDriver.com the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV has 140hp and a whopping 400 ft.-lbs. of torque. Compare that to its gasoline counterpart at 84hp and 83 ft.-lbs. of torque, and you see quite a difference. That is a 167% increase in horsepower, and a stunning 481% increase in torque. A gas engine with comparable torque numbers is a GM Ram Jet 350 crate engine. Yes it takes 5.7 liters of gasoline powered engine to pump out as much torque as an electric motor in a compact car. And it takes revving up to 3500 RPM to reach that max torque, whereas the Spark EV's torque is immediate.

What they don't tell you

While many car dealers and electric car owners will tell you, "Well if you buy this electric car you wont have to pay for gas ever again." or "My car doesn't hurt the environment.", they are forgetting one thing. That is that this energy that is powering their cars isn't free, and it doesn't just come from nowhere. Much of the electricity consumed by Americans is produced by burning coal. This process releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. And the more strain is on the grid (the more electricity used), the more coal has to be burned. So based on this electric cars release greenhouse gases, indirectly. The amount that is released is significantly lower than that of a common automobile, but it is still an impact. Also, unless you have an immensely generous power company, you have to pay for all of the electricity that you use. So unless you have a Tesla and use their system of Supercharger stations, you are still paying for your fuel. Once again, it is about a fifth of the cost of gasoline, but it isn't zero.

In the end, the electric car may be a more suitable solution to the depletion of fossil fuels and the accumulation of greenhouse gases than gasoline cars, but it is still not the PERFECT solution.

What is Mechanical Engineering?

We have probably all heard about this field, but what exactly is it? Mechanical engineering is probably the broadest branch of engineering, spanning the concepts of energy, force, and motion. In short, mechanical engineering is the designing of things that can move. This could include anything from a furnace in your home, to the air conditioner in your car (or even your car itself).  Also included could be the watch on your wrist, or the chair you are sitting in.  

What does a mechanical engineer do?

It is very rare for one single mechanical engineer to be designing all of the items listed above. Many mechanical engineers have specialized in a more specific field to better their understanding of that individual subject. One may focus on automobiles, while another focuses on hand drills. The possibilities are seemingly endless. But even though their specialties may be different, they probably still relate to the same concepts of energy, force, and motion. 

What is a mechanical engineer like?

To me a mechanical engineer is the person who goes to work Monday through Friday, designing some of the things that I spoke of before, and then on the weekends can be found tinkering in his shed, garage, or shop. This is the kind of person who will spend a rainy Saturday watching reruns of Modern Marvels, MythBusters, and How it’s Made.  Then the next day he/she may try to design or test some of these things on his own. A mechanical engineers mind is constantly asking the same three questions: “How does that work?”, “Could I make that better?”, and “What’s next?”.

How do mechanical engineers help the world?

You may be asking, “Okay, now how do they help me?” The answer is simple. Look around! That car you drove to work today, that was a mechanical engineer.  The mouse you are using to scroll with right now, yeah that was probably a mechanical engineer also. A mechanical engineer possibly also played a role in designing the shoes you have on your feet. And these are just the things YOU use. Mechanical engineers play a role in designing helmets for our armed forces. They also have an influence on the way firearms and other weapons are made. These items help to keep our country, and our soldiers, safe. So like I said, look around. Most of the things you can see, a mechanical engineer had a part in designing.