Advice on moving from QA into another engineering position. 1

[vitaminb]

Hi all,

I'm 32 and a Quality Engineer in the lead-acid battery industry. I've been here for about 2 years. Previously I worked for a tier 1 automotive supplier for Toyota (plastic injection molded parts). I've gained a lot of leadership experience in the past 3.5 years in Quality. Previously I was a technician in the R&D department for a battery company where I did a lot of electronic testing.

My degree was in Engineering Physics(Sometimes called Engineering Science) with a concentration in Photonics were I took almost a major's worth of EE courses, a large Materials Science component, and some upper-level physics Anyways, it turned out that my degree wasn't very marketable for entry-level jobs when I graduated, then the 2008 recession hit. My past 3 companies were plant start-ups which gave me experience in office politics and leadership due to high turnover of managers. As things have finally settled down at my plant I have decided the following:
1. I do not want to be pigeon-holed into Quality
2. There has been excessive political drama in Quality Dept. The only places where there only seems to be real stability are at the big auto manufacturing plants. I've seen Quality get scapegoated too many times because upper management sidetracks us on projects like consolidating all of the work instructions, trying to search for all the missing scrap process engineering generates without cutting any paperwork with materials.
3. I am tired of start-ups. You succeed (get promoted) or fail (fired) if you are a manager. As a quality engineer you just endure.

My engineering courses have been over 7 years ago, I am concerned that my electronics experience has faded. I really want to work more with my hands again. I think I am suited to designing things. How hard would it be to get a real Electrical Engineering or Materials Science job even if it is only entry-level (entry-level may be hard at my point in my career. I could see myself as a design or product engineer. Perhaps I should try to transition into a another type of position at another battery company and leverage my industry experience?

 

[MikeHalloran]

Set up a lab at home.
Invent something to make your day job easier.
Start at the top of your own startup.

( I left out a few thousand steps, but you'll eventually be able to fill them in...)



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[GregLocock]

Hmm, bit tricky. To be honest I got pigeon holed at 24, and it took until I was 40 to get out of that pigeon hole into the job I'd actually wanted, so don't give up.

Rather than Mike's excellent plan, perhaps you might do a two step. You need to leverage what you already have, so could you bite the bullet and move into QA at a company that designs the sort of thing you are interested in, and then aim to do an internal transfer?

I'd have thought anybody combining a TMS background and batteries would be a natural recruit for any number of EV startups.



Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[MikeHalloran]

I'd like to address the components of item 2, if I may:

2. There has been excessive political drama in Quality Dept. The only places where there only seems to be real stability are at the big auto manufacturing plants. I've seen Quality get scapegoated too many times because upper management sidetracks us on projects like consolidating all of the work instructions, trying to search for all the missing scrap process engineering generates without cutting any paperwork with materials.

Drama is constant in a Quality Dept that is not working correctly.
Consolidating work instructions is a process issue, not a quality issue.
Finding missing/undocumented scrap is a process/ material control issue, not a quality issue.
In a startup, it's okay to help other people/departments with their job, but not at the expense of your own.

There is much less drama in a Quality Dept. that is working correctly, because the staff's tasks are limited to answering one question:
"Does this part/product/sample/whatever meet the specifications, or does it not?"

Unfortunately, it takes a very strong leader to transform a submissive Quality department into a superior one.

If you can become that person, there may be a career in it for you.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[zappedagain]

Where are you located?

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