career ideas

[bigTomHanks]

What are some industries that most people consider crappy because of the travel, lifestyle, working hours, etc. but make a good career if you can adjust to them? I've already been interviewing with the major railroads but need more ideas in case I don't get hired by any of them. I'm interested in places with management training programs and places that hire fairly inexperienced people too. Any help would be appreciated.

I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering, 1 year coop experience, and 3 years military experience.

bigTom

 

[ChemEng84]

offshore oil production.

 

[monkeydog]

Big aerospace companies (assuming the military experience is US).

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Traveling Circus -- Sorry - just had to say that!!

 

[TheTick]

I think you meant Halliburton, Mike.

 

[ctopher]

Tom Hanks from "Big"?

Sorry, had to mention it.

I also agree that 'big' aerospace companies have what you are looking for.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 08
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
ctopher's blog
SolidWorks Legion

 

[tygerdawg]

Dig around a little on the job sites and try to discern what the most numerous jobs are. It's a pretty good bet that they would be painful because companies can't seem to hire anybody. Or they are constantly re-hiring.

One experience of mine was setting up a Field Service organization. Techs with 2-year degrees were being paid extravagant salaries, on a par with senior 4-year degreed engineers. "Why?," I asked my buddy the Field Service Guy who was 15 years younger and paid more than I was. Because they were on 24-hour call, parachuted into hostile territory on a moment's notice (get my machine up NOW, dagnabbit!), had little Management support, couldn't have a family life or personal life, and the list goes on and on.



TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering

http://www.bluetechnik.com

 

[Krautso]

Definitely oil and gas. Offshore work pays well (as does pretty much any remote work like the tar sands) but you're always traveling. Fitting for guys who are looking to make a years salary in 10 months because they have expensive vacation tastes...

 

[KENAT]

I agree with the above about field work/field support in many sectors of industry.

If you are OK at it & can stick it you can make big $.

There are different types of field work and they vary a lot by industry so not all are like this but a significant chunk are.

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at

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

 

[MechEng2005]

Engineer on a crab boat for any mechanical problems. I saw it on TV. I think you have to have experience with large boat engines or a family member as captain though (probably both).

-- MechEng2005

 

[jpankask]

The nuclear industry is gearing up for new construction. Big hiring right now is mostly East coast, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida or Texas but there's also other places available if you look. With the right company you can potentially travel quite a bit or work a lot of overtime for large sums of cash, especially if you get with a firm involved with building plants in other countries (i.e. China, Finland, etc.). Check out Westinghouse, Areva, General Electric (reactor vendors) or Progress Energy, Exelon, Duke for utilities potentially building the plants. Also, any number of contract engineering companies working as the go-between among these two groups; Shaw, Bechtel, Black and Veatch, Enercon, Washington Group, etc.

 

[hokie66]

Mining of all descriptions. In Australia, it is coal, iron ore, gold, diamonds, as well as lot of other stuff. Almost all in remote areas, but the pay is great. Similar opportunities in Africa, South America, southeast Asia.

 

[engsolution2]

I started off as a supervisor in a food production facility and quickly moved upwards from there. The original position I took worked was not in the engineering field and involved weekends and shift work. Not very many people were interested in the job. However, you learn quickly in such an environment and when I moved on into plant engineering I was that much knowledgeable (as well as 20 years younger than anyone in a similar position)

 

[proetools]

Jimmy Carter has an engineering degree ... nuclear I think. I hate Quality Control.

Bart Brejcha Chicago
DESIGN-ENGINE|EDUCATION

http://www.proetools.com

surfacing and Pro/CABLE training

 

[MTPipeliner]

I'd also vote for oil and gas. This could run all the way from the drilling side to the downstream pipelines and all the services in between. Inspectors on large projects get all the time on the road that anyone could ever want.

HDD companies that have large rigs would definately fall into this catergory from what I've seen. Lots of hours, lots of travel, good pay.

Jobs that require extensive travel and long hours are definately not for everyone, and that's why they usually pay well. Most of they people I know who have done it or still do it have paid the price on the family side of their lives. Many have been divoriced one or more times, don't see their children, spend too much time in the bar, etc.

If it's something that you really like to do it seems to just become a way of life. I know people who would rather be on the road than at home.

 

[Mr168]

Plenty of E&C work as well, especially overseas. I'm hesitant about domestic nuclear work pending the election results, but plenty of work overseas in that department as well.

 

[PJones]

Field service for Pulp & Paper.

 

[Bribyk]

Just about any field/site work makes more money and has less tolerable conditions than the 9-5 jobs. Pick an area that you're interested in. I took a 40% pay cut plus student debt to get out of the field work. I guess the military would prepare you well for the lifestyle and conditions but it does get old. It doesn't hold the same valor & prestige when inanimate objects are trying to kill you.

 

[ctopher]

I hate working in I.T.
Days can be slow or in a rush...changes any minute.
Every where you go, people complain about 'everything'.
Then when/if some find out you are from I.T., you get an ear full!

I was thrown into I.T. only because I use CAD!

I like medium size companies, less re-org's.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 08
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
ctopher's blog
SolidWorks Legion