Confused and ready to move on 2

[n00bME]

I graduated this past December from school. The end of the year snuck up on me as I was busy with classes and such. Because of this, I rushed to get a job, any job that I could find that was willing to pay me. I found a job and took it immediately (immediately being my first day of work was 3 months after my last day of class) and within the first month I realized that this was not the place I wanted to be. My first plan was to stick it out and get a masters because the company pays for it but I have been bored at work every day for the past 3 months. All I do at work is add and subtract and look at old drawings and I have seen what the other people in my group do, and it just does not interest me. I'm sorry but I did not spend $120,000 on school to get an average engineering salary and add and subtract all day.

My question is this. I know the company that I work for now, is not the field I want to be in at all. It is nuclear and however interesting knowledge-wise, I find it bland as a job. I like to see things work, not just design huge plates and such that just sit there. I also think that I want to help people in some way. Not just by designing a motor or something, but I would like to figure out things to make people's lives better. I don't know. Does anyone know of any places or sites that can help me figure out what I want to do and where I want to go? Also, should I even worry about this now? Or should I get more experience somewhere else before I try and find the "dream" job?

Thanks for reading and I hope to hear your advice!

 

[MikeHalloran]

You have to wonder why anyone would pay a college graduate, or anyone for that matter, to add and subtract all day when computers are so cheap, and don't get bored.

Nuclear design cycles are now, what, three decades? So if you managed to out- compete all the other people who are bored crazy and starved for mental stimulation, and got to actually design one part, you _might_ live long enough to see it constructed? And you probably wouldn't live long enough to see it reach the end of its own life.

Aerospace is a _little_ better, with design cycles of only a decade or so, and product lifetimes possibly not exceeding your own.

Medical equipment design cycles measured in single digits of years, and the product lifetimes are on the order of half a decade because of advances in technology/ fashion or corrosion.

Automotive has still shorter design cycles and product lifetimes.

Yes, you should worry about it now. Don't quit and then go looking for a job, though. First, find another job, then quit. Or, stay and learn what you can, by which I don't mean a master's program.

In large companies, you will typically get pigeonholed into some specialty, sort of like where you are headed now, perhaps with a little more scope.

In small companies, (or in a small group of what I call 'pirates' in a large company) you will not be bored. You will be stretched, in every sense of the word.

But in order to be any good at it, you need to first learn a bit about how large companies work, so when you are asked to bring some order to utter chaos, so the small outfit can grow without imploding, you will know what to do, and what to not bother doing. From that perspective, there is much to learn where you are now.




Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[bvanhiel]

Start by learning where you want to go. Mike has given you a great overview of several industries. I would add machine design and product design near the bottom of the list, with shorter product cycles.

The best way to learn is to actively network with people that you percieve having a better job or company than you. Call them up, ask them to lunch, and ask questions about what they do. Most importantly, get from them the names of a couple of people that you could ask more questions and repeat until you've gathered enough info.

Once you know where you want to GO, you can make your plan to get there.

-b

 

[DaveVikingPE]

" All I do at work is add and subtract and look at old drawings and I have seen what the other people in my group do, and it just does not interest me."

And you think you can be trusted your own being right out of college?

"I'm sorry but I did not spend $120,000 on school to get an average engineering salary and add and subtract all day. "

$120k on an engineering degree? Well, let's see, at $30 k a year, yep, yep. Dang, that's a lot of money for an engineering degree.

 

[IRstuff]

Must have been a really good school
Caltech's tuition for last year was $27,309 (pg 70):

http://pr.caltech.edu/catalog/pdf/catalog_05_06.pdf

Have you talked to your supervisor about more challenging assignments? If you don't ask, how would he know?

TTFN

 

[ziggi]

Holy Jesus's sweaty boots Batman, you spent $120k on your bachelor's degree??? I'd expect a Master's and PhD attached to that price tag. Either that or a sweet paying job right after graduation, I assume that for that price you went to MIT or something.

As for making a huge difference and seeing the results of your work immediately, try "Engineers without Borders". It's pretty hard to get in, pays little to no money and in some cases you have to spend your own money to get to site. But if you want action, adventure and plenty of mental and emotional stimulation, I'd give it a go. Not to mention that it looks super on your resume.

 

[wes616]

One of the best classes i took in imagineering school was engineering economics.... ROI...

I paid $10,000 for my degree... and my first job was making $32,000 a year... ROI...

Wes C.
------------------------------
When they broke open molecules, they found they were only stuffed with atoms. But when they broke open atoms, they found them stuffed with explosions...

 

[ziggi]

wes,
I guess the cost of education has gone up quite a bit relative to the starting salary. I paid $20k and started at $45k. I liked engineering econ too, it was my best class actually, it was coincidentally the class I went to the least (I stopped going after the first class).
It made me realise that my profs are bloody rubbish and that I can learn more by staying at home and studying by myself.
Consequently my grades reflected my attendance, I failed the class I always attended. If only I had learnt that lesson in first year, I may have done better in Calculus.

 

[SomptingGuy]

I paid zero for my degree (actually it was less than that given a London-weighted full 1980's student grant!).

 

[Comcokid]

I'm putting my son through college right now. $120K sound about right - 5 years of out-of-state tuition at around $10K per semester. This is for a computer science degree at a fairly good school.

Actually, give the other expenses that don't go directly to the school (car, insurance, clothes, etc) $120K sounds cheap.

I went to a in-state school in the late 70's. Tuition was $320/semester when I started, and $600/semester when I finished. Times have changed!

 

[waskillywabbit]

College life is fantasy island compared to the real world for most students...it was for me.

I hope you've learned a valuable lesson here...that the old addage still holds true that "those who fail to plan, plan to fail".

Find another job that does interest you, then quit.

Make sure to pass on the lesson you've learned to your friends that are still in college and/or younger siblings...maybe they'll listen and learn.

Brian

 

[SomptingGuy]

I don't know how it works in the US, but here in the UK a good engineering degree opens many doors in professions outside of engineering. Some require a short 1-2 year conversion course (some even pay you through it!).

 

[ziggi]

Here in Canada, engineers can sometimes wind up in finance and business...they usually make more doing it....makes me wonder why I'm still practicing engineering.

 

[KENAT]

I obviously don't know your situation in detail but one thing I would be careful of is not to try and run before you can walk.

For many new engineers the first year(s) will see them do some fairly boring, monotonous even menial tasks. Whilst part of this is just because you’re typically ‘low man on the totem pole’ (apologies if that isn’t a PC phrase these days) it’s also about learning the basics.

Few if any engineers graduate college as the ‘finished product’ who can immediately step into an engineering job and be really productive from day one. Most take a while to become really useful/good at what they do; this process can take from months to years depending on the individual and the situation.

Bear this in mind before you make any major decisions, it may seem you’re doing menial work but you might just be serving your apprenticeship as it were (yes even us with degrees, no matter how expensive, usually have to do this process).

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Ziggi,

You mentioned Engineers Without Borders (hurray!) but what do you mean it's hard to get in? All you have to do is call up your local chapter, go to a meeting and get invovled however you want.

Ziggi is right thought, that as a working engineer, you would most likely be expected to pay for your own travel if you worked on a project abroad. I highly recommend EWB (I've been a member since 2002 and I helped found my university's chapter) --it can be absolutely life changing.

 

[ziggi]

Bruno,
I tried to sign up for an overseas volunteer post, but they wouldn't take me unless I had a master's. How are the local chapter meetings? I'd really like to sign up, considering that the local "Habitat for humanity" doesn't need me right now.

 

[DaveVikingPE]

EWB is having a meeting here in New York city next month, I think. I was considering joining them - just to see what's up.

Someone with an engineering degree can most likely do anything and be successful at it. My favorite example, as I've mentioned in a few other threads is Dolph Lundgren.

 

[Ashereng]

Tough to say. Could be lots of things:
1) Bad job. If you change company, may get better.
2) Bad industry. If you change industry, may get better.
3) Bad career choice. If you go back to school, may get better in another career choice.

Or,

4) Unrealistic expectations about real working world.

You've been out what, 1/2 a year? And working for what, 3 months? And, after 1 month, you've decided that it's boring.

I don't know. I am not you. I am not there. You are.

If indeed it is one of the first 3 reasons above, then a change is good.

If it is the 4th reason, until your expectations are more in line with reality, it may be the same regardless of where you go, what you do, industry you are working in.

Good luck figuring it out.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[ziggi]

Asher's got a point, you've only been out for a bit. The first bit is usually dead boring either through lack of work for you, b/c of your inexperience most ppl won't trust you to handle the juicy jobs, or you get crap jobs to do. At one point at my first job I was taking the rubbish out, initially I didn't mind it b/c I had nothing else to do, but then I got pissed off about doing it and told my boss so......I got paperwork instead, boring, boring paperwork but at least I was busy.
I've been at it for three years now, and while I've had interesting tasks to do in those years, the majority has been pretty dull, it's only lately that I've started to enjoy myself. I think that's primarily due to the fact that I understand more now and the senior people are starting to realise that, thus leading to more interesting tasks.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Ziggi,

Well, the local meetings can be a waste of time...like any meeting I suppose. What I would recommend, if you want to get involved quickly in an overseas project is to work with your local student chapter. The students are required to have a professional engineer (or professor)oversee their project and travel with them.