At a disadvantage due to my age? 2

[civiln00b]

I'm 31 and I just got my BSCE. Considering that entry level positions in engineering are usually secured by someone younger, do you think I'm at a disadvantage due to my age?

 

[TheTick]

No.

 

[carnage1]

me either, just remember to leverage the extra decade of experience you have. It doesn't matter what it is in, you are still a better decision maker and problem solver than you would have been at 20ish.

Luck is a difficult thing to verify and therefore should be tested often. - Me

 

[IRstuff]

Perhaps, then again, there are those who will never be good problem solvers, eh? ;-)

Nonetheless, the only issue is whether you're going to ask for more salary than a 20-something. Otherwise, you're on a level playing field, and your experience should aid you.

Bear in mind that companies no longer expect to keep employees for life, and employees no longer expect lifetime employment, so the fact that you're 10 yrs closer to retirement than the typical new graduate is not relevant.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[dvd]

Just remember that the HR function is not to find hidden gems, such as yourself, but to rule you out for no apparent reason. Therefore, both your age and your youth are strikes against you.

 

[vc66]

You just got your BSCE at 31. What have you done since you were 18? Was it something in that general field? That will help you more than anything.

V

 

[GregLocock]

Since you are where you are this is not really a useful question. What you should be asking is - as a new grad aged 31 what can I do to best find the sort of job I want?



Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[moltenmetal]

If you ask for anything beyond a fresh grad salary you WILL be at a disadvantage, and you should be at a disadvantage. That's the key problem I've seen with mature grads- they sometimes (often, actually) expect their pre-grad experience to be counted as if it were equivalent to engineering experience. It indeed may be of value, but it's NOT the same as working as an engineer for the same period of time.

If an employer discovers that your added maturity and pre-grad experience is adding to your job performance, a decent one will bump your salary up quicker than that of the average fresh grad. But it's good strategy to find out what a new grad makes and ask for no more.

 

[Lion06]

No way!!! I got my BS ET at 30, turned 31 five months later and am thriving at my job. You bring a great deal of real life experience and maturity that 22 year old kids typically do not exhibit. Additionally, I am assuming that since you took the road less traveled through college that you are more interested in your profession and have a greater drive than most. Many kids go into engineering for no reason other than they are good at math and science.
Best of luck to you!!

 

[HgTX]

At 50, you might or might not be facing a disadvantage. At 31, not at all. I was 29 when I was not just hired but recruited for my first engineering job.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[KENAT]

I'd agree with some of the others that the biggest issue is probably that being a few years older you'll probably be wanting slightly more pay than a younger grad with fewer financial responsibilities, mainly if you have a house/family etc, . Or at least, on the same pay you wont have the same lifestyle. However this is a sweeping generalization, maybe you're a swinging bachelor/ette and I've know a few youngsters who already have a wife, kid & mortgage (more common in the States than UK from what I've seen).

Sometimes the age will be an advantage, sometimes a disadvantage.

The important thing to notice is that at least 2 of the posts above are from people who graduated at a similar age and seem to have done OK, so it is possible.

Might want to think about what Greg put too.

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

 

[TheTick]

How can you not turn your age to your advantage? Unless you did absolutely nothing for the last ten years...

 

[MadMango]

If you've had relevant work experience for the 15yrs before you received your degree, I don't think you should be looking for entry level positions. You don't have to draw attention to the fact that you just graduated on your resume.

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

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

 

[cksh]

I graduates at 32 with my BSME so I was kinda in the same boat.

But I had been working in an engineering department professionaly since I was 21 due to my associate degrees. Mostly CAD and anything else related to it.

About one and a half years before I graduated my employer at the time recognized I was close to my degree and promoted me to a ME even though by that time I had already been doing the job.

Unfortunately I got about a 10% raise. I think that is pretty standard. But considering I made next to nothing before my promotion it was a poor raise.

After I graduated I left and got another making low 60's. Not bad, although someone with no experience in their early 20's made almost as much in my field. Low 60's can be extremely good depending on the field.

It still amazes me that some employers look at my graduation date as when I started working as an engineer. A lot of them are head hunters though.

I kinda fell into my current field. I am not exactly thrilled about it but I have averaged 8-10k a year in raises since I left school. And the previous experience (pre BSME) did come into play to get me where I am at.

You really need to realate pre grad xp with something engineering related if expecting a better then graduate salary.

Careerwise I do not believe you are at any disadvantage. Although I would imagine you will meet people at work that are younger then you but make more money. But you'll get that anywhere. The supervisors here still say to me "hey young man" so they probably think I am a twenty something. The next youngest engineer here is 10 years older then me.

OT but kinda makes me wonder if ME's are a dying breed? all the young engineers here are EE or have Computer science degrees. Maybe it's an xp thing for my particular field.

 

[chicopee]

Your situation at 31 is no different than many people that I know of. Several CE's that I met when I worked for a CT. bridge contractor worked in their early years as iron workers, masons, etc and ultimately got their BS's in CE and had no trouble getting jobs because of what they had learned in the field.

 

[Senselessticker]

In reference to the OP... You are only at a disadvantage if you think/act/behave/react like a younger new grad. If you use your age/maturity to leverage your skills, then your salary and position will follow suit.

Also, hiring managers are often more comfortable hiring someone who has some some age/reality under their belt as opposed to an early twenties new grad who has to spend two or three years learning how to "not" act like a college student.

All things considered - I believe the extra age is actually a real advantage rather than a disadvantage.

 

[feaplastic]

civiln00b,

just to raise your confidence, one of my colleaque finished bachelor degree in engineering at 40 and was hired 1 year back. Reason: He was running a small business where he gained a valuable experiences from winning business to delivery. As our work is mostly project management for automobile parts, his experience is valuable.

Hope you might have done something related to your engineering degree and use that accordingly. All the best..

 

[Sailor53]

I retired from the Air Force after 22 years, during which time I had zero engineering design experience. I did have related experience, including teaching engineering at the Air Force Academy. I now work for a consulting firm designing building electrical systems. My starting salary was less than I made in the Air Force but it has risen steadily which I attribute to the strong work ethic I bring to the job. Basically my answer is try your best and things will probably work out.

And I don't think being 30 is a minus; I started my second career when I was 46.

Steve

 

[monkeydog]

Only if you spent the last 10 years in prison.