Working for Intamin/B&M

Hi I've read these forums for a while now and finally decided to create an account and join the PointBuzz fun. To start off, a possible career I'm thinking of is to join Intamin, B&M, or even to own my own amusement park. In order to create successful rides like Millennium Force just to name one and to give me a better chance of working in this industry, what classes do you think I should take in the remainder of high school and then college? If I ever get the chance to help design a coaster headed for CP, that would be a dream come true. I want to have the most advantages possible when looking for this type of job down the road. Thanks!

Neither intamim nor b&m are currently hiring. And the best degrees to shoot for would either be mechanical engineering or civil engineering which require very high level math. You will need calculus and physics. I will be taking calculus next year in college and I have heard that it is very hard. I took physics this past year in high school (senior year) it was difficult, but if you study and find it interesting, which i did, it will be a little easier.

Dont just take those classes for the sole purpose of designing coasters because chances are, its not going to happen. I dont want to burst your bubble or anything, but there just is not a high demand for coaster designers.

I am in the same boat as you are though. I am striving to be apart of an amusement parks planning and design team or work for a coaster designing company. Im going to be a freshman in college this fall and plan to major in civil engineering. I will probably be working on designing roads and bridges once i get my degree, but i will definitely be keeping my eyes open for job openings in the engineering departments of the amusement industry.

If you're an American planning to stay here, you're better off trying to work for Premier Rides or something.

I want to be an astronaut. How should I go about that?

^Get a job at Astroworld.

If you set your mind to it, bust your butt off and never ever give up, you WILL succeed. Wether you want to be a astronaut or a coaster designer, you CAN do it it you work for it and never ever give up!!!!

All successfull people were told they couldn't make it. Thankfully they did not listen to the sceptics :)

all the best!

JD

If you plan to take the engineering route along with going heavy on the math and science taking drafting and/or CAD would be a good idea. For the owning a park route business classes would probably be a good idea.

bholcomb said:
I want to be an astronaut. How should I go about that?

Was this really necessary Ben? If I knew you weren't trying to make a smart remark, my answer would be major in physics, engineering or aviation.....or as 99er said, work at Astroworld.

Anyway, yes, go the engineering route. I'll warn you now, it's hard and as has been pointed out, it's hard to get a job designing coasters. Shoot for the stars though kid.

However, I believe a question like this has already been asked and answered on this board. I'll try to find it for you but that has a lot of information.

I don't mean to be a "Debbie Downer," but major in Business MGMT or something else... Engineering is too hard and you will not be able to enjoy your experience in college. You will be studying 24/7 and will be stressed out all the time. And someone stated before that it's tough to get a job in the Amusement industry unless you wanna sell cotton candy or fetch basketballs at the 3 Point Challenge... Just sayin man...

Yeah, because lots of people went far by not challenging themselves.

BRcoastrpsycho34 said:
Engineering is too hard and you will not be able to enjoy your experience in college. You will be studying 24/7 and will be stressed out all the time.

Couldn't disagree more.

College was a fantastic experience for this BSME holder. Hard? Absolutely. Enjoyable? So much so that I'd do it again, if money were no object.

JD83 said:
If you set your mind to it, bust your butt off and never ever give up, you WILL succeed. Wether you want to be a astronaut or a coaster designer, you CAN do it it you work for it and never ever give up!!!!

All successfull people were told they couldn't make it. Thankfully they did not listen to the sceptics :)

That's really not great advice, you have to keep some realism in there. Sure if you do that you'll absolutely have BETTER chances of going far because you won't let things keep you down, but just because you worked hard doesn't guarantee you'll ever get to work as a coaster designer. It's naive to assume that just because you want it you will get it. I work hard and don't give up and NASA isn't knocking on my door.

Ron Toomer did a Q&A at Coastermania for the 10th 

anniverary of Magnum.

He got asked how to get a job designing coasters.His answer

was "get your master's in Mechanical Engineering" then come see me".

For those of you considering pursuing an engineering degree,

I've got my B.S. and M.S. in Environmental Engineering,and have done

Post Graduate studies in Civil Engineering.I also lecture Civil Engineering	

and Land Surveying classes.

Engineering is a tough major,very heavy in math and science,but doable,as long 

as you're willing to work HARD and put in a lot of hours studying.

Calculus is what we call the "weed out" class.Get through that and 

you should  able be to handle most civil engineering classes.

My most important words of advise:Keep up with the work,including homework.

My one professor always told us "you can't cram for engineering classes".

^that was a great thing to read. Ill keep that in mind when I start my studies in civil in the fall!

Well good luck... I didn't mean to sound mean, but I was just trying to be realistic. $$$$$ My uncle graduated from VCU Engineering and currently designs highways/bridges $$$$$. I think you mentioned that you were interested in the same thing.

The roller coaster dream I would say is a little far fetched, but what do I know... Who knows, you might start the next major roller coaster company "SSL488 Rides!!!" I should patent and trademark that before you graduate :-) HAHA Wait, we will all be dead before that anyway so who cares!

It is very difficult to land a job in the "coaster designing field". As any other big amusement park/coaster fan, I too wanted this going into mechanical engineering. My freshman year that "desire" went away really quickly.

I am now finishing my junior year and start my senior level mechanical engineering classes. I have done (4) different intern/coop's at various companies... I worked in medical with CT/MRI/PET medical equipment, in aerospace working with military and commercial jet engine turbine airfoils and lastly with the worlds largest aluminum company, working on the refurbishment of the worlds largest aluminum forging press.

Going into the field, I wanted coasters and all that. But you QUICKLY realize it is a very difficult field and you are better off using your energy to other jobs you may enjoy in the field. Don't do engineering if you hate math or science... Don't go into it thinking it will be easy as well. It is one of the most challenging fields.

Although the curriculum is very intensive, Calculus was one of the easiest portions for myself and most of my best friends I go to class with. It starts to get difficult with classes like dynamics, fluid dynamics, machine design, strength of materials, differential equations, etc... Calculus is the least of your concerns. That and physics are some of the easiest classes you will experience.

I highly recommend going for a civil/mechanical engineering degree if you that field interests you. But look at the field as a whole and what type of jobs you can get with that degree, and not just working for a coaster company. But with the right drive and such, you can do anything. Even start your own company if you get enough real world experience. I *HIGHLY* recommend doing plenty of internships/coops (generally always paid... For example, I was paid $15/hr, $15/hr, $22/hr and $23/hr for all four internships I did). They pay well. Get the experience.

Hope this helps :)

Invertalon said:
...differential equations, etc... Calculus is the least of your concerns.

Indeed. There's a reason "diff-eq" became known as "diffy-screw". :)

It is probably easier to become a NAVY Seal. Starting thinking outside the box too and looking at companies like Disney who have HUGE design departments. The Imagineering Department has something like 127 different types of jobs that all deal with concept and design. They hire engineers like they are going out of style. Still hard to get in to but a lot easier when compared to getting in with B&M and the like.

Invertalon said:It starts to get difficult with classes like dynamics, fluid dynamics, machine design, strength of materials, differential equations, etc... Calculus is the least of your concerns. That and physics are some of the easiest classes you will experience.

Took the words out of my mouth. I tested out of Calc 1 & 2, having taken the AP tests. I sailed through Calc 3, feeling confident.

Then, the classes you mentioned knocked me down to or below the level of those remaining in the program. Of course it depends much on the professors, but most of mine believed that a 2.0 C should be the average in the class. When you're fighting to beat those odds with a class of highly refined students, there are many times you'll ask yourself, "Why am I doing this? Am I really going to use this? Do I really WANT to use this?"

Times will be tough, but in the end, it might be worth it.

Thanks for all the suggestions and advice. I do enjoy math and science classes, so some type of engineering is something I've considered for a while. But there are plenty of other things I could do besides design roller coasters, since like some of you have said, it is very hard and unlikely to get into.