Career direction

[GRoberts]

I've been an engineer in the welding field for about 13 years now. Most of it has been in a production support roll. I am working at a decent job now, but the longer I'm in the production support role, the more it seems to be getting mundane. I'm sure my employer doesn't see it this way, but is seems liek the most exciting part of my job is when we run into metallurgical/welding problems, as I enjoy the challenge of solving problems. So I am currently trying to think of ways to get prepared for more of a problem solving/analytical type job than strictly production support. Any ideas? Part of my problem is that I need to stay in western Washington State if at all possoible (Seattle or south), and compared to many other parts of the country, it is light in the welding industry.

I am currently working towards getting my AWS CWEng (certified welding engineer), as Washington doesn't have a PE in Welding engineering (as far as I know, Ohio is the only one). Is there anything else I should be doing? Is a MS in metallurgy a better option (I have a BS in engineering right now). What sort of industries/careers should I be looking at? Does anyone out there have a welding/metallurgy problem solving job that they just love? How did you get started?

Another question- Since Washington State doesn't have a PE in welding engineering, what are the rules for offering services to the public if I were to start my own business at some point?

 

[Twoballcane]

Hmmm, this is only my opinion and you have to check with your state, but I think ME PE is a good fit. ME PE is a prettey big umbrella that welding I think should fall under.





Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."

 

[HgTX]

As a welding engineer you should be able to go work for an engineering consulting firm. Especially if you don't mind traveling for work.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[KENAT]

I think Twoballcane may be correct. My background is aero though I now work in non aerospace as mechanical. When I looked up PE in CA the closest was Mechanical, though not a particulary good fit from what I could see.

Combined with my education and most of my experience being in the UK PE or even EIT is a ways off.

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

 

[GRoberts]

From what I understand, are there only 2 reasons you would need a PE as required by law? One for where the law requires a PE stamp, such as structural calculations for buildings, and 2nd to offer engineering services to the public even if a PE stamp isn't required for those services if done under the corperate umbrella. Is that generally correct?

It seems strange that the govt. would require a PE to offer services to the public, but not have a PE in the appropriate area. I do know WE's that arent PEs, doing Welding Engineering, but I think they are doing as "laboratry services" instead of Engineering services. If the law doesn't define what a "Welding Engineer" does, how would they determine if you are providing "Welding engineering" services?

Anyhow, on the PE issue, when I got out of school, everyone was saying you couldn't get a WE PE, so why bother taking the FE. But I recently took the AWS equivalent to the FE, and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. So if I did decide a PE would advance my carreer, I had been thinking metallurgical. Any comments on that vs ME?

HGTX:
I'm traveling about 3 days a week now, so it isn't out of the realm of possibilities. The only consulting engineering firm I'm familiar with in the WA state area that deals with a lot of welding &/or metalurgy is about 3 hours north. Not a daily commute.