Timothy MacDonald

Before I got started, I had been laid off from my CAD Drafter job that I got fresh out of vocational school. I realized I wanted to do more and further my experience, so I registered for classes for the Mechanical Engineering Technology – Design associate’s degree program. I started off full-time but then dropped down to part-time, taking night classes, because I had a family and had to work full-time while attending school. 

My overall experience at Cincinnati State was wonderful. I loved the small class sizes and I really appreciated the resources available to ensure success. Every person that I worked with, from advisors to instructors, were all super helpful. They even recommended that I get into the CAD certificate program since the courses overlapped with my degree, and this would allow me to graduate with my Mechanical Engineering CAD certificate along with my associate’s degree.

One thing that stood out to me is how “career oriented” Cincinnati State is compared to other colleges. When it came time to co-op, my co-op advisor helped me update my resume, and next thing you know I was going on two and three different interviews for co-op jobs.

After my first co-op, I took a leap of faith and decided it was time to find a job in my field. I had contractor positions for two companies to add to my experience: first at G&W Products as a Project Engineer and then at Ethicon Endo Surgery. My passion for engineering grew even stronger and I found a permanent Mechanical Design Engineer job at A&P Technology. The experience was great, but I decided to move on, and my co-op advisor at Cincinnati State helped me find a job at Theorem Solutions.

This was where my career really took a turning point for the better. I had a year left to complete my associate’s degree and the company was willing to work with me until I finished my degree. My job at Theorem Solutions was a mix of applying Mechanical Engineering principles and working with CAD software. I stayed for more than two years and was promoted to a Technical Consultant position during my second-to-last semester at Cincinnati State. 

I graduated in 2019, and then a friend recommended that I apply to Siemens. I had the chance to attend a Siemens conference, and I used the networking skills I learned from Cincy State to introduce myself to members of the Siemens team. At this point I had already completed a phone interview and an in-person interview, and just before the conference ended I received a call from the Siemens recruiter telling me that I had the job as an NX Applications Engineer! This job typically requires a bachelor’s degree!!

I have to give a lot of credit to Cincinnati State. I couldn’t have done it without such a great college and the skills you taught me. Attending this school opened lots and lots of doors for me and I am super blessed to be able to say that I am an alum of Cincinnati State and a current employee of Siemens Corporation.