Advice for a College Student - Structural Engineer 6

[mattkh]

Hello Everyone. I am very new to this forum as I just discovered it a few days ago. Needless to say, this is my first post.

Background: Senior in my bachelors degree in civil/structural engineering. Have 1 year left before graduating. Planning on pursuing a MS in structural engineering immediately after graduating from my undergrad.

In any case, I have been thinking about my future for about 1/2 a year now. I've been reading career related books (i.e. "What Color is Your Parachute," "Getting from College to Career," etc.), tried to get as much internship experience in my fields of interest, and have been trying to talk to people in the companies that I am somewhat interested in. However, even after all this, I am still unsure of what I want to do with my life and feel that I am running out of time. I am interested in working in a big designing firm like Mustang/Jacobs or in the petrochemical field like Chevron/Shell.

I am looking for any kind of career related advice. If there's anything you wished you would have known or done prior to graduating, what would it have been?

 

[msquared48]

Been taught how to use the Building Code. Even just being introduced to it would have helped.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Drink more beer - hardly possible.

You have a good outlook. Get internships, get your Masters if you wish - start with a fairly low paying job that will quickly go up.

Don't be afraid to change jobs once in a while - not every two years! - this is where your real pay raises will come from.

Maybe try to become somewhat of an expert in two or three areas - making yourself indispensable.

Goof Luck

 

[Jboggs]

Thoughts from an old fart at the other end of the career span:
The only thing you are running out of time for is your first job. Believe me - your education will BEGIN when you enter the work force. That means you will learn things you never dreamed of. You will see things in whole new ways you never thought of. And you will continue to make career-related decisions for SEVERAL years. I applaud your efforts to make sure you get as good a start as possible. But you should remember it is just that - a start. I get the sense you are trying to plan your whole career.

For example, you say "I am interested in working in a big designing firm like Mustang/Jacobs or in the petrochemical field like Chevron/Shell." That statement only applies based on what you know right now. Believe me - after you've done that for a while you may want to try some other world, like maybe a smaller firm, or even a contruction or project management firm, or some of a myriad of other options.

Yes, you degree prepares you for the work, but in the longer term all it really does is open some doors. So my advice is to "just chill". it will all be ok. Those doors will continue to open and close during your life. Follow your heart, your passion. Never, ever, ever allow yourself to get out of the "learning" mode. Do this and you will have a fulfilling career.

 

[JedClampett]

I wished I would of been taught to read drawings. But luckily the guys I worked with were pretty patient.
As far as working for a big firm right out of school, that's what I did. The upside is that they're used to developing new engineers. They usually have enough work, so they can predictably balance staff. The downside is that you might end up doing the same type of designs (pipe supports, galleries, etc.) for extended periods. And they tend to be bureaucratic. Filling out forms for copies or pencils gets pretty old.
As has been said above, don't restrict yourself. Part of the enjoyment of life is letting surprises happen.

 

[Forensic74]

I highly recommend getting some work experience before pursuing a MS degree. Not only should you be sure you want to go into this field before spending more time and money on an advanced degree, but you get so much more out of grad school if you have some design experience. I dont think it's any secret that undergrad programs usually do a terrible job at showing you the real world, so your reality can easily be skewed.

Did you intern anywhere?

 

[stanweld]

mattkh,
Some EPC firms are beginning to staff up in anticipation of considerable growth in the petrochem and power industries within the next several years. A number of multibillion dollar projects are in the initial planning stages. I suspect that engineering hiring will increase substantially in 2013.

It could be good time to take that initial engineering job after your graduation next year. Of course governments can stifle or promote many of those projects.

 

[mattkh]

Thank you everyone for your kind, honest, and helpful advice.

MainMan10--I've interned at a couple of places. I've worked on the field, in a geotechnical lab, in an asphalt lab, in a concrete lab, and am currently doing structural analyses at a blast engineering firm. I am trying to get some designing work, hopefully some time soon, but we'll just have to see.

Also, I have another question that's been on my mind for a while now. I've noticed that many of my colleagues have been getting jobs at petrochemical companies (exxon, chevron, etc). Why is it that these companies are hiring structural engineers? To me, it would make more sense to hire a petroleum engineer over a structural engineer. Any ideas?

 

[stanweld]

As I stated above with the EPC firms, Owner Companies are staffing for the high dollar volume of new projects. Many of the Owners have cut staffing over the past 30 years; they are now realizing that they may be weak in the Engineering disciplines needed to support the planned new work.

Planning ahead - what a concept!!

 

[msquared48]

mattkh:

There are a lot of structural design needs associated with refineries and oil rigs, and lots of expansion going on in the industry, especially in the Houston area right now. Lots of offshore exploration going on.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

 

[Forensic74]

That being said, I think you should really get some structural design experience of buildings or petrochem before going for the MS. It would be silly to spend all that effort, and then get out there and find out you have a passion for some other niche. Based on your experience thus far, who knows you may want to specialize more on the materials side of structural engineering, rather than design. Maybe get into corrosion, those guys make serious money. There are a wide array of courses to take in grad school and you cant take them all, so it's best to know where the ship is headed first.

When I went back to grad school, I saw way to many guys without design experience who didn't have a grip on what they were studying and how it would be applied to their future career.

 

[tz101]

The work world will do some things differently than your college studies taught.

Go into your first job humble, not prideful in your educational accomplishments.

Show that you are a hard worker and you will most likely be rewarded.

Trust God to give you the wisdom and discernment to know where your career path is heading.

 

[PicoStruc]

I will play devil advocate here.

For sure... After you started to work, started to live.... you will never come back to school to do a master study. If you do... you really need motivation !!!

I did my master right after university and i don't regret it. Note : I did knowing that I really liked structural engineering (Did stages during my studies)!

Now I work... and I will never go back at school again...

 

[nivitweety]

Is it wiser to persue masters in architecture.if i want to build up my own firm..im presently into my btech in civil engoneering and intend to do work in structures.

 

[TonyDeRamo]

Civil engineering and architecture are two different things, although somewhat linked.

I graduated about a year and a half ago from a respected university in structural engineering. I had 5 internships during my studies.

It was my last semester at school when I realized that I didn't want to do structural engineering for a living. Monotonous calculations day in and day out. The banality of drafting is only more dreadful. I'm planning on going back to get my MS in either construction management, environmental, or some other dynamic working environment. I work as a project manager right now at a small company and need to move into something more lucrative.

OP, tell us what is it that you are passionate about, what it is it that you would rather be at work doing than be at home?

 

[MiketheEngineer]

What do you think holds up all those rigs, boilers, cat crackers, pipes, etc. A Structural Engineer

 

[abusementpark]

I am interested in working in a big designing firm like Mustang/Jacobs or in the petrochemical field like Chevron/Shell.

Do you live in the South?

I am looking for any kind of career related advice. If there's anything you wished you would have known or done prior to graduating, what would it have been?

If you plan on getting your master's degree, I would recommend trying to find a structural engineering design firm that will hire you as an EI part-time while you pursue your degree. This is how I did it and recommend it for a few reasons:

1. Financially, you usually come out ahead and can avoid taking out student loans. Most assistantships don't provide enough money to cover all your expenses. Or least you won't have much extra spending money.

2. You start gaining experience in your field, which will allow you to take the PE sooner, which again, has significant financial implications.

3. You immerse yourself in a nice balance between practical and theoretical knowledge. By working in the field, your early experiences can help guide you in choosing a masters curriculum that will be most useful throughout your career.

4. You get to start seeing what the work of a practicing structural engineer actually entails before investing a significant amount of time in a master's program. You may experience some things that cause you to re-think your chosen specialty. It would be a lot better to find that out during grad school, as opposed to after it.

One big downside is that you give a lot of free time by doing both at the same time. But I didn't find it to be too overwhelming. My weekdays were long: work and school during the day and studying/homework at night. But the balance ease the pain associated with that. You won't be working on the same thing for too long.

 

[mattkh]

Everyone--Thanks again for the great advice.

I do live in Texas right now but am open to go wherever my career takes me.

As far as my passion in structural engineering, I am not entirely sure. I do enjoy using structural engineering software (RISA, SAP, etc), structural dynamics, and seismic. I would also prefer working at a bigger firm just because the smaller firms seem to be all consulting, which is okay, but I would like to work on bigger projects. One thing I do know is that I don't want to be working on the field everyday or be being a construction manager.

I was also talking to many people about whether to go to grad school right out of my undergrad, working for a couple of years before going back, or doing both. Ideally, I would like to work for a firm that is willing to pay for my master's, but am not sure how this is going to work since most of the firms I've talked to only hire master's students.

abusementpark--was it not difficult to study for grad school and work at the same time? To me, that would seem extremely demanding.

 

[kylesito]

Thread is sort of dated but I will add that one of the best things I did before leaving school was get the FE/EIT out of the way. Becoming registered, particularly as a SE, is vital. You will never be in a better position to pass the FE/EIT than you are right at the end of your college career.

I am not one who advocates strongly for a MS right away as I simply haven't seen the benefit to it other than another a check box on your resume. However, if you decide to pursue it, I do encourage you to at least get some part time 'real world' experience at the same time for the same reasons mentioned earlier.

PE, SE
Eastern United States

"If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death!"
~Code of Hammurabi