5 Career Lessons from a Boeing Design Engineer | HireEdge Careers Unlocked

This post is part of our Careers Unlocked series, where we talk to professionals across industries about their career paths and advice for college students and grads entering the job market. Watch the full episode with Boeing design engineer Chris Doherty: Chris Doherty on Careers Unlocked.

Chris Doherty is a design engineer at Boeing, where he works on interior components for the 777 freighter program. He holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in aerospace and mechanical engineering from Syracuse University. 

Here are five takeaways from our conversation with him.

1. Childhood curiosity can point straight to a career. Doherty traces his interest in aerospace back to museum trips and aviation documentaries as a kid, paired with a habit of building LEGO sets. What started as a hobby became the foundation for a specific, deliberate course of study in college.
   
   
2. Hands-on projects can matter more than grades on a resume. Doherty says his five years with Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) building an off-road vehicle from scratch was the single biggest factor that helped him stand out in Boeing's hiring process. It gave him real experience with the full engineering process from requirements to testing to talk about in interviews.
   
   
3. Real responsibility can arrive faster than expected. Within six months of starting, Doherty was already designing components slated for commercial aircraft. This was a level of responsibility he found intimidating at first, until leaning on experienced coworkers helped build his confidence.
   
   
4. Company resources can make a cross-country move manageable. Relocating from New Jersey to Seattle for the job was a major life change, but Doherty says Boeing's relocation support covering a travel agent, movers, and a real estate agent significantly reduced the stress, in exchange for a one-year commitment to the company.
   
   
5. Confidence in your own ideas is a skill worth building early. Doherty's advice to graduates: listen to feedback, but don't undervalue your own designs and ideas. Companies invest heavily in new hires because they already believe in what those hires can contribute. Speaking up, even as the newest person in the room, is worth the risk.

Want more advice from professionals across industries? Check out the full Careers Unlocked podcast series on our HireEdge YouTube Channel.

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