Anyone else fall into this trap? 11

[Lion06]

I have been at my company for almost 2 years. I have recently been given projects of my own to run. I do all the design and detailing, coordination with architect, etc.....
I used to be given specific tasks and have to design stuff -connections, flexible wind connecions, shearwalls, foundations, etc. I was very efficient and good at that. Now that I am being afforded more responsibility, I find myself not wanting to do all this extra leg work (read non-engineering work). I understand that coordination with architectural drawings and making sure my column baseplate will fit inside their wall is important, it just isn't as important to me. I know it is part of the job, it just doesn't seem like engineering to me and I really don't get enjoyment out of it.
While I am doing a good job and being relatively efficient, I'm definitely not as efficient as I was (or would like to be) when I was just doing design.
Has anyone else experienced this? How have you handled it? Do you have any advice to get me back on track?

 

[Plasmech]

Believe me when I say I am trying to be helpful and constructive here... Please sit back and read this sentence again and think about it:

"I really don't get enjoyment out of it."



-Plasmech

Mechanical Engineer, Plastics Industry

 

[MadMango]

Everyone likes to be a rock star, no one wants to be the roadie.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[IRstuff]

There's nothing necessarily with not enjoying it. However, you need to look to the future as well. People's temperments change, so you might enjoy this sort of work later on. And, you need to see if 20 yrs from now, whether you want to be competing with the young bulls on the same jobs, at lower wages.

You say you're less efficient, but you're not using the right benchmark. If you are as efficient or better, than someone else doing the same planning/execution job, then you are at least as efficient in your new capacity.

The question of efficiency gets back to the first point. Efficiency is piece-part mindset. Do you want to be a piece-part worker all your life? Or do you want to move up the food chain. It's your choice, but it needs to be conscious and well-thought-out choice, since the ramifications are far reaching.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[csd72]

StructuralEIT,

I understand where you are coming from as I had similar contemplation when I was at your stage.

What you have to realise is that your apparent efficiency at the previous design role was probably largely due to your superiors 'laying the tracks' so to speak. Someone has to do all these other tasks and it might as well be you.

All jobs have aspects that we dont like, even the really glamourous ones.

 

[KENAT]

I've seen/see a lot of Engineers who seem not to like the 'bigger picture' aspects.

Unless they are real technical experts this seems to limit their prospects somewhat.

I've shot past more experienced guys that weren't willing/inclined to do this.

Do I enjoy making meeting minutes/action lists, creating Purchase Reqs, chasing purchase reqs, coordinating ECOs, making project plans, reviewing SOW, writing technical responses.... for the most part NO!

However the fact I do them, and do them if not well then at least adequately has paid off in some larger than average pay raises, and surviving lay-offs.

Basically, suck it up. Decide that you are going to excel at it and do so. Find ways of speeding it up/making it easier etc. An example for me is ECOs, I hate doing them, see them as a waste of my time (not sure you need a degree to write one) and can't stand the way they are handled here but, I've learnt to prepare them as well as if not better than anyone else in Design.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[TheTick]

Lose your fear of tedium. Engineering is details.

 

[rday]

It's that way, as you gain more responsibility you do less number crunching. As my boss once put it, to progress you have to do more than "size beams".

About half my time is devoted to "non-engineering" tasks realted to coordination, review of drawings for non-technical issues and project management.

 

[Umassengr]

"Basically, suck it up. Decide that you are going to excel at it and do so. Find ways of speeding it up/making it easier etc."

KENAT, well said..., a star from me.

 

[Lion06]

Well, I already planned on sucking it up. I was just wondering if others have experienced the same sort of disconnect during their transition and, if so, get some ideas for how to be better at a part of my job that I'm not enjoying right now.

 

[JAE]

StructuralEIT -

From one structural to another - here's my view:

I once had a guy on my staff come to me (after about 2 years or so of experience) and say, "Man, I've scrambled around all day on the phone, talking with our architects, getting some meetings set up. I haven't had a chance to do any redlines today at all. I feel so...so...inefficient."

My response to him was that he needed to stop measuring efficiency by how many redlines he pumped out each day, or by how many beams he designed.

As you grow in your field, you are simply experiencing an expanding of your role as an engineer, which isn't: [blue]all technical all the time.[/blue]

We all face the challenge of remaining true to our technical side (staying up with the codes, etc.) all the while learning how as an engineer we bring enormous value to a project by leading, managing, communicating, coordinating, etc.

I always described this challenge as similar to [red]Wiley Coyote[/red] on his rocket roller skates, coming up on a large chasm, one foot on one side and the other foot on the other side. One side represents the technical realm of engineering and the other side the management/leadership side. The chasm gets larger and larger and for a while, old Wiley can spread his legs to stay on both...but at some point he will have to choose, or fall.

Some folks stay technical only. That's fine if that's what you enjoy. Some firms allow for technical track careers, many don't reward them at all.

 

[PEDARRIN2]

Here's a slightly different perspective on what you are encountering.

If you are worried about coordinating with the architect as to whether your structural element fits into his wall, you need to ask, "What is holding the building up?" Your member or his wall.

Coordination goes both ways. In my opinion, your designed structure takes precedent over his wall. Let him chase you and coordinate instead of you chasing him and coordinating with him. That keeps you from excessive "non-engineering work". When push comes to shove, his wall is going to move, not your column.

I recently had to coordinate with a structural engineer about beam penetrations. Since his stuff was holding up the building and my stuff was only transporting the waste from the toilets, I chased him to coordinated. He had enough on his plate making sure the structure was designed and calculated correctly to spend a lot of time determining if I had determined how many times I had to penetrate his structure.

Just my $0.02.

 

[KENAT]

Structural EIT, I tried to express that yes I've experienced the same to some extent. Sorry if it wasn't clear.

As to how to get better " Find ways of speeding it up/making it easier etc. " was my advice. For example, come up with templates/checklists etc. that work for you maybe even a standard layout for your design folder if your firm doesn't have one; work out a way of prioritizing your various tasks; find out if there are certain times of the day that are better for doing things. Maybe the best time to make phonecalls is first thing, or after lunch before you get into the flow of things.

Sounds like a lot of what you need help with is effectively project management aspects, try looking in that forum. forum768

If you can learn to be an effective project manager without selling out on the technical side then you will be a major assett to any company.

However, I now recall that you and I have had trouble getting the other to see our respective points of view before so will leave it at that, at least for now.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[macmet]

I fell into that trap. I feel exactly the same way as you.

I put pressure on my boss and superiors to get out of the project engineering side of things. When I was hired I was told I'd be in a different role but a retirement around that time got me into the project eng. department. So, things have not worked out as I was hoping and now I'm looking for a new job.

I think 10-15 years from now I would like project mgmt jobs, bur right now it is not what I want to be doing.

 

[csd72]

Working as a Structural engineer is always technical, just because you are not performing calculations does not mean that you are not using structural engineering skills and knowledge.

In fact it requires a fluency in structural mechanics to be a good scheme designer and construction problem solver.

All the other things are just what is required to bring a good design into fruition.

It really depends on if you want to design structural members or if you truly want to design buildings. You cannot really claim you have designed a building unless you have done everything from start to finish.

I used to love doing calculations, now it is the problem solving that interests me. Calculations is just the way of proving that my solution works.

 

[MintJulep]

Why do you feel that having earned the trust of your employer, being given the opportunity to advance in your career, have more responsibility, interact with other professions and generally being on track for bigger and better things is a trap?

 

[Lion06]

mintjulep-
I didn't necessarily mean trap like they caught me in something I didn't want to do. I just meant that the role is very different than what I expected. Like I said, I am not complaining, I am ust looking for some ideas/advice from others who may have felt similar when making this transition about how to best get/stay motivated for these tasks that, at this point in time, aren't fun.

JAE & csd-
Star for both of you, I appreciate your input, as always.

Kenat-
My post about sucking it up was directed more toward umassengr. I understand what you're getting at. He picked that one line out of your entire post.

 

[msquared48]

Structural EIT:

Please correct me if I am wrong here, but in another string of this forum, you recently posted some questions regarding going out on your own and starting an engineering business. Apparently, you are finding out right now that you do not like a portion of what that would take to succeed.

I suggest you consider that when you start out, unless you can hire someone else right from the start to do the work you do not care for, you may not like going out on your own.

Believe it or not, doing the other tasks you are talking about is really rounding you out into a better engineer. It is a lot better than getting pigeon holed in to designing wing spars at Boeing for 40 years. It will also help you diversify your structural expertise to pass your Structural Exam more easily when that day comes. By the way... a belated congrats on your PE.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[Lion06]

I did pose a question regarding starting your own business. That was more of a curiosity question. I have always wondered how people make the decision to do that. I wouldn't mind doing that someday, but I feel I am a long way away from that.
I hope you meant "Project Engineer" with the PE. I am 2 years away from taking the structural PE exam.

 

[KENAT]

By the way the "Decide that you are going to excel at it and do so" didn't come from me originally.

My wife is a social worker. When she first started her current job which has data-entry/accountancy aspects in addition to the social work she didn't think she'd ever get the hand of what they call "processing". However after struggling the first time or two and wanting to give up she decided instead to just get on and learn to do it and be the best processer in the place.

Well, within a couple of years she was processing approximately 3X the average of the main office.

Goes to show that people can learn new skills in areas they wouldn't normally enjoy and still excell at them.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...