From Detroit Free Press

DETROIT — When Doug Smith wants to hire an automotive engineer, his first question to the candidate often is, “Where do you get your oil changed?”

If the person says around the corner at some quickie outlet, Smith might seriously think about crossing that person off the list.

“If they don’t change their own oil, they probably don’t fit our profile,” says Smith, who was born in Ypsilanti, Mich., and attended the University of Michigan. “We like kids who service their own cars.”

Smith knows a bit about what makes a good engineer. As president and CEO of Roush Industries in Livonia, Mich., he is responsible for overseeing the company’s engineering and administrative functions, including Roush Racing, which has won the past two championships on NASCAR’s top circuit.

Smith’s job includes hiring 30 to 50 automotive engineers in any given year, some for Roush Racing’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, Busch Grand National Series and Craftsman Truck Series teams.

On Wednesday, Smith shared some job-hunting secrets with a couple hundred eager young engineers, like what race teams look for when they hire new crew and technical support personnel.

Among six automotive leaders who participated on a “Young Engineers” panel at the 2004 SAE Motorsports Engineering Conference & Exhibition in Dearborn, Mich., Smith talked about what it takes to land a dream job in racing, or at least what Roush Racing looks for.

“Of course, we want someone with high academic skills,” Smith said. “But that’s just the start. We are after an individual with a competitive spirit, who is passionate about automobiles and has hands-on experience.”

These candidates sometimes come from the University of Michigan, Kettering University in Flint, Mich., and Lawrence Tech, Smith said. They might also be members of SAE, which provides resources and programs to help accelerate the careers of young engineers and offers engineering students a variety of competitions in which to display their talents.

Jerry Chen, a senior at Cornell University, is someone who might fit Smith’s bill. As a participant in the Formula SAE competition, Chen, 22, helped build an open-wheel race car with fellow engineering students at Cornell. Chen and his pals conceived, designed, fabricated and put the 90-horsepower racer on the track in less than a year.

“It was great hands-on experience,” said Chen, who lives in Park Ridge, N.J. “I worked on building the drivetrain.”

Chen would like a job with a race team after he graduates. He’s a Formula One fan, but isn’t too fussy as long as he gets to build fast cars.

Although Cornell’s racer — a combination of Formula Ford and dune buggy — was geared to run 90-100 m.p.h., Chen believes it had a lot more left in the tank.

“We got to run it in the school parking lot,” Chen said. “We had to observe a speed limit because of other traffic. If we could have started it up at 2 in the morning, I think we could have gone a lot faster. Of course, I don’t think the university would have liked the noise.”

Alba Colon approved of Chen’s need for speed. Colon, NASCAR program manager for GM Racing, cruised Wednesday’s exhibition at the Hyatt Regency, while checking posted resumes from students searching for internships and full-time positions in motor sports.

“We look for engineers who can work under pressure and to a budget,” Colon said. “They should also know how to lead a team and express themselves.”

Smith likes the Formula SAE program.

“The engineering students get to build their own cars, get their hands dirty, work as a team,” Smith said. “That’s how we do it at Roush Racing.”

Copyright 2004 Detroit Free Press. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. All Rights Reserved.

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