Career change 2

[MontyHall]

I think I know the answer to my question but would like to ask anyways...

I worked in a wafer fab for 5 years as a process engineer, also did co-ops w/ Dow Chemical while in school. Process/Manufacturing engineering is the most uninteresting and unrewarding job. Literally no use of engineering skills other than common sense. It really is just "operating/scheduling" not "build/design" a process. To put it bluntly, process engineering seems to be professional babysitting. Again, I like to "build/design" not "operate."

Already into my ChE degree and a few terms @ Dow, I already knew I made a huge mistake. Since I was a computer/electrical aficiando since childhood, I decided to salvage my ChE degree by working in semiconductors. However, design of processes in semiconductors are done in a golden lab in the sky. If the process yields are low, researchers will kick the door down in manufacturing and make you run their experiments. So unless you're one of the PhD physicist/chemist/ChE that designed the process, you're babysitting the process. What I learned is that process (really should call manufacturing) engineering is process engineering whether in hi-tech semi's or commodity chemicals. It's just uninteresting.

When my plant closed and I was laid off 2 years ago, I remember telling my boss "This will be the best thing that will happen to me." - as I was completely miserable w/ process engineering. I was a dual EE/Comp Sci major in the early 90's but switched to ChE due to a bad economy - a mistake that I've always regretted and now can fix. I will enter an MS EE program this fall and was wondering if I am suffering from "the grass is greener" syndrome. My EE colleagues in the fab were doing interesting work in design and build of products and test equipment. I would assume I would be doing the same. Or will I be basically babysitting again?

The reason that I am writing is because I just recieved two offers - one in a semi fab and the other in ultra pure metal salt solutions for use in semi fabs - in process engineering. Should I turn them down and pursue my MS EE(something that I believe strongly will suit my temperment) or accept the process engineering job and suck it up (because it won't be much better in EE). Many folks are telling me "it's a good paying job - take it." But my guts says, "Stinks you're not going to make money for a few more years, but do what suits your personality."

Thanks

 

[Beggar]

That really sounds like a question that you need to answer for yourself.

At age 40, with a mortgage, stay-at-home wife, and 3-year-old child, I'd say "take the job" if it looks to have some reasonable chance of being around in 3-5 years. Otherwise, roll the dice and go for the degree.

For me, adequate compensation and potential for remaining gainfully employed are the most important things. I've moved past being worried about whether I particularly like the work.

As a younger man, the character of the work was important; now the ability to work is important.

'fraid you gotta make your own call on those kinds of things.

--------------------
Bring back the HP-15

http://www.hp15c.org

--------------------

 

[MontyHall]

I forogt to mention that I am not married, no kids, and no mortgage. The folks that tell me "take the job," have exactly the same reasoning as the post above. It makes me wonder if I am setting expectations for my job unrealistically too high - as far as job satisfaction. Maybe the reality is that a job is just a job - a means to an end and nothing more(satisfaction irrelevant) in 99% of all employment. If that's the case, its a harsh reality check. I've always thought that through planning and some luck one could find a career that has "med to high" levels of satisfaction.

I've been laid off for 2 years. The 1st year, I worked as a consultant in RF engineering - loved it especially the design/build/test/programming aspects. I didn't loose any money. However, the last 8 months, I've been SOL. So, while my other peers are getting married, purchasing their homes, building equity and seniority @ work, getting their advanced degrees, and having their first children. I'm living @ home, making no money, single, and am falling behind as a .bomb casualty.

It's because of this "falling behind" squeeze that the process engineering job is now starting to look very attractive because I can start making money NOW and not in two+ years. Not to mention, even w/ a MS EE I'll still have to fight for a job. Still, my experience in process engineering is pretty unfavorable. I just can't imagine my experience in process engineering being different in a 3rd and 4th company - hence the reason for not even looking for a process engineering job until just last month and my admission to the MS EE program.

 

[Beggar]

Any way you could leverage your ChE degree into something in the petroleum industry or the power generation industry? Those both seem like places that hire.

The other industry that hires ChE process engineers is the biotech/pharma industry. The work may or may not be stimulating (don't know anybody inside) but the industry's pretty stable by comparison to some.

If you start out doing straight process engineering (I've been a MfgE and track with your original thoughts), you might be fortunate enough to hook up with one of the teams that develops the process.

Off the top of my head, EE hasn't sounded like a real marketable area in the recent past. The "should I take the job" question must be answered in part by how much ability you have to forego a paycheck for the next couple of years.

If I were younger and single, I'd pick an industry and skill set that I thought were likely to be around and growing for 20-30 years and move into that area by education and experience.

--------------------
Bring back the HP-15

http://www.hp15c.org

--------------------

 

[GregLocock]

Well, if you heartily loathe process engineering there seems little long term benefit in taking another job in that industry. I'm a bit surprised, frankly, I would have thought there were decent jobs available in most disciplines.

Perhaps you were expecting to leap immediately into a fantastic research position? That rarely happens. Everyone has to spend time doing the boring trivial jobs while they learn the ropes, and when you switch industries, guess what, you'll have to do the boring trivial jobs while you learn the ropes.

In my industry I'd say you need 10 years experience before you could reasonably expect a significant and challenging research type job, until then you are mostly going to be running small investigations or working very much in team mode.



Cheers

Greg Locock

 

[HgTX]

Maybe the reality is that a job is just a job - a means to an end and nothing more(satisfaction irrelevant) in 99% of all employment. If that's the case, its a harsh reality check. I've always thought that through planning and some luck one could find a career that has "med to high" levels of satisfaction.

I sure hope you're right, cuz I couldn't survive without reasonable job satisfaction.

Hg

 

[sms]

Monty, if you have no mortgage, no wife, no kids, and no other entanglements, and can afford to do what you want, then you need to pursue the career path that gives you the most satisfaction. I have found that people who love what they do, do it with excellence and great productivity, and over time are well rewarded for it. While those that are doing a job, because it is a job, and it pays the bills, don't have the incentive to excellence and productivity, and as a result have careers that are at best exceedingly average.

Do what you love to do, what you have a passion for doing, you won't regret it. But if you do have responsibilites like a wife and kids, their needs have to come first.

 

[ProbaSci]

I'm going to challenge this notion that if you have a spouse and kids you shouldn't do anything than take a job that pays well and you will hate.

Having a family is all the more reason to do something you enjoy. If you hate your job, most likely that bad emotion will begin to creep into your personal lif. In a worst case, you may begin blaming (unfairly) your family for "trapping" you in a bad situation.

This is not to say you shouldn't negelect your responsibiliteis to your family, but there is much more to life than a pay check.

MontyHall sounds like you need to do some seriour soul searching and get both of your personal and professional priorities in order. Life is what happens when you're busy planning the big events.

 

[HB2U]

Will either of the job offers pay for schooling? Then you can have your cake and eat it too. Otherwise, the more future options you can create for yourself (multiple degrees) the better off you are. That way when you DO have a wife, kids and mortgage, a layoff won't be so traumatic cause you'll be able to look for all sorts of jobs in various industries.

Good Luck.

HB

 

[APH]

I've seen people who has 3 kids + a wife and they are in their late 30's and the husband is going back to school. I guess, you need to make decission based on the fact today and what you think the fact will be in the future and go do it. You can't exaclty predict what the future holds. You're single, enjoy while it last. Things get difficult when you're marriage and have kids.

cheers
APH

 

[tygerdawg]

Very wise advice from all, you should take it to heart. Consider this:

A few years ago my nephew sought my advice. He had become an All-American in a collegiate sport, graduating from college and had his life all laid out for him: was gonna marry his girlfriend, go to Law School, live happily ever after. Then he received an offer to play his sport semi-pro. Egad! What to do? I told him to do what thrills him because he can always apply to Law School later and the girlfriend will stick with him if she was meant to be. I told him that he won't be a young hotshot too much longer and he won't be able to play this sport he loved so much. In the end the girlfriend dumped him, he went to play, and is fabulously happy.

When I was younger, while everyone else was getting married, accumulating "stuff", then divorcing, I chose to pursue higher education, travel the world, work a couple of different jobs, and discover what it was I REALLY like to do. Now I am terribly cursed because I actually had one of those great jobs in which I couldn't wait to wake up in the morning because it meant that I got to go to work! Brilliant. I could care less how much money I was getting paid because it was so much fun and the co-workers were the best. How much value can you put on being happy? But it ended as it was destined to do.

Getting my Master's was good because it opened more doors and developed my confidence and drive. Now, mid-career, after being laid off for three years and surviving the recession by freelancing, I'm happy to have landed a job because LIFE happened to me and gave me a wonderful spouse and a disabled child to support.

You've got the entire world in front of you. Go make your own opportunities and do what thrills you before life happens to you, too.

TygerDawg

 

[BLadewig]

Can you take the job *and* pursue the degree at the same time, and just work like a dog?

 

[haggis]

Tigerdawg has got it right. Be happy, enjoy, before life happens to you.

He gave an example of his nephew, I'll give you one of my eldest son. Ever since I could remember, he was fascinated with anything that flew. I couldn't talk him into higher education after high school and he got a job at a local airport handling freight. He spent his money (and a lot of mine) learning how to fly. At the ripe old age of 22, he was a licenced commercial pilot flying short haul freight in WW ll vintage C49's then commuter turbo props. He knew it would be a long time before he ever seen the right seat in an airline, if ever, and not through impatience, became disenchanted with the whole thing after 8 years. His words were that it had become as exciting as driving a semi or a bus.

He went back to college and now works in the film industry doing computer graphics and animation and loves it.

MontyHall, maybe my point is : Are you sure that it's not the profession you are dissappointed with rather than what you've been doing or have been assigned to up until now? When my son made this revelation to me, he thought I would go through the roof so I made my own confession to him. It may sound of the wall, but over the past few years and even now, I've pulled up beside a police officer at a red light and thought, Mmmm, if only I was young enough! Alas, life had already snapped me up.