10 Side Hustle Ideas for Mechanical Engineers

Summary

This video script discusses the benefits of side hustling for engineers, including financial security and skill development. It offers ten diverse side hustle ideas, such as tutoring, career coaching, part-time lecturing, freelance design, consulting, manufacturing advice, sales, 3D printing, YouTube content creation, and online course development. Each idea is tailored to leverage an engineer's skills, with tips on getting started and potential earnings.

Takeaways

• 💼 **Side Hustling Benefits**: Having a side hustle provides extra income and a safety net in case of job loss.
• 💰 **Financial Security**: A side hustle can offer financial security and bridge the gap until a new job is found.
• 🚀 **Skill Development**: Engaging in side projects can push individuals to learn new skills and explore different aspects of their abilities.
• 📚 **Tutoring**: Tutoring engineering students in subjects they struggle with is an easy side hustle to start.
• 👨‍🏫 **Career Coaching**: Offering career coaching or mentoring services to engineering students or graduates can be a lucrative side hustle.
• 🏫 **Part-Time Lecturing**: Becoming a part-time lecturer allows for formal teaching opportunities and can be a structured alternative to tutoring.
• 🖋️ **Freelance Design**: Freelance mechanical or CAD design work can be a profitable side hustle leveraging existing engineering skills.
• 🔧 **Engineering Consulting**: Consulting on engineering projects can be a high-value side hustle, especially for those with more experience.
• 🏭 **Manufacturing Consulting**: Assisting companies in the manufacturing process is a specialized side hustle that can be very rewarding.
• 📞 **Sales Representative**: Working as a sales representative for mechanical parts companies can help build sales and communication skills.
• 🖨️ **3D Printing**: Investing in a 3D printer and offering printing services or selling designs can be a creative and potentially profitable side hustle.
• 🎥 **YouTube Channel**: Running a YouTube channel allows for skill development in video production and online marketing.
• 📈 **Online Courses**: Creating online courses can be a lucrative side hustle, especially when leveraging an existing audience.

Q & A

What are the primary reasons for pursuing a side hustle as an engineer?

The primary reasons for pursuing a side hustle as an engineer are to earn extra income and to have a fallback in case of job loss. Additionally, it allows for personal growth by pushing oneself to learn new skills and explore different aspects of one's abilities.

What is the first side hustle idea mentioned in the script for engineers?

The first side hustle idea mentioned is tutoring, where engineers can help engineering students with courses they struggle with and prepare them for exams.

How can one find clients for in-person tutoring as suggested in the script?

To find clients for in-person tutoring, one can leave flyers around the closest university, ask friends still in university for referrals, or stand in front of a lecture hall after class ends to attract students.

What are the differences between career coaching and tutoring as side hustles?

Career coaching involves working one-on-one with individuals, often engineering graduates or seasoned engineers, to help with job hunting or career advancement. Tutoring, on the other hand, focuses on helping students with specific course material.

What are the keys to successful career coaching according to the script?

The keys to successful career coaching include having strong credentials to showcase, targeting clients with expendable income, and defining a clear niche in terms of who you're helping and what you're helping them achieve.

How does the script suggest becoming a part-time lecturer?

The script suggests becoming a part-time lecturer by identifying topics you can teach, searching for part-time lecturer positions online, reaching out to universities or schools without current postings to create your own position, or looking for online lecturer positions.

What financial investment is required for freelance mechanical design as a side hustle?

Freelance mechanical design requires a good laptop to run CAD software and either paying for a CAD software license or having the customer provide one.

Why might freelance CAD work sometimes pay low rates as mentioned in the script?

Freelance CAD work might pay low rates because the work can be done by people without engineering degrees, leading to competition that drives down prices.

What is mechanical engineering consulting and how can one get started as suggested in the script?

Mechanical engineering consulting involves larger projects where clients need help with the entire engineering and design process. To get started, one can advertise their services on LinkedIn, create profiles on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, and build a website to showcase past work.

How does manufacturing consulting as a side hustle differ from mechanical engineering consulting?

Manufacturing consulting focuses specifically on helping companies with the manufacturing process, from design for manufacturability to finding suppliers and managing production runs, whereas mechanical engineering consulting is broader and can include designing and engineering new products.

What are the potential downsides of working as a part-time lecturer as a side hustle?

The downsides of working as a part-time lecturer include the need to find a university or company willing to hire you and the potential for the position to be for a limited duration.

What is the script's advice on running a YouTube channel as a side hustle?

The script advises that running a YouTube channel can be a great side hustle for learning new skills and deepening knowledge in specific topics. However, it's not recommended for quick money due to the time investment and不确定性 of earnings.

What are the potential ways to monetize a YouTube channel according to the script?

The potential ways to monetize a YouTube channel include AdSense, affiliate links, sponsorship deals, and selling digital products like templates, ebooks, or courses.

How does the script suggest using a YouTube channel to support other side hustles?

The script suggests using a YouTube channel to bring traffic to other businesses, such as tutoring, coaching, mechanical design, or manufacturing consulting, by making videos that attract potential customers who might need the products or services offered.

What is the final side hustle idea presented in the script?

The final side hustle idea presented is creating online courses, which can be done on platforms like Skillshare or Udemy, or self-hosted on platforms like Kajabi or Gumroad.

What advice does the script give for creating a successful online course?

The script advises researching the market, identifying gaps where there's interest but few courses available, and leveraging an existing audience from platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, or Twitter to sell the course.