Do you reccomend engineering as a career? 1

[Fanman72]

I've only had 6 months of experience and my role is more technical sales/marketing than actual engineering. Right now I'm holding onto my job (as everyone else in today's economy) and performing well, but I can't imagine doing this for the next 20 years

Anyway I'd like to get input from you guys with more experience. My little cousin is considering engineering. Like all of us he has a knack for numbers and seems to have the capabilities/motivation to get through an undergrad curriculum. Still he's not sure about the engineering as a career

So my question is this:

Would you recommend this career to him, or anyone else for that matter? I sense a general negativity on this board, and not sure if that's because it's the actual career or simply the nature of the posters.

Also some perspective is nice. I'm curious to see if responses vary according to, let's say, from the power industry to semiconductor industry. Which industry do you work in? How much is your pay? What's your title? How many years have you been working

 

[plasgears]

In my early career I rubbed shoulders with great engineers in a large aero company environment. Learned a lot, too. The PE prep experience was a life changing experience, and I recommend it to all graduate engineers.

You could do much worse: lawyer, car salesman, politician, etc. Go bio-med-eng; it is health and well being related unlike some defense industry pursuits. The market for health care related work is growing. Aero really had bad ups and downs.

 

[ctopher]

I know a couple ex-engineers that decided to quit and become realtor's when the housing market was rising. They wanted to "make the bucks to pay off their school loans."
Well they lost several years of engineering experience...we know where they probably are now.

I know one of them that can't find 'anything' related to engineering, even with a degree. Why? It showed his heart and mind wasn't in the engineering filed in the first place.

Chris
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[Ztrain1985]

I would recommend an engineering degree for everyone. No one is the same after going through an engineering program. You grow up, become responsible, understand the world around, pick up a great many skills, develop time management, etc.
With that said, people need to realize that an actual engineering job is not for everyone. I made the mistake of listening to everyone else to much. I would have rather ended up in a state park as a forest ranger, perhaps even a guidance councilor because I like to help people.

In summary, the degree is amazing and life changing, the job is only so-so. (at least in my perspective)

 

[GregLocock]

"I would recommend an engineering degree for everyone. "

I admire your enthusiasm but I don't think this desirable or realistic. The fact is that engineering degree courses are already cluttered up with people who don't get it, or can't hack the maths ( I went from being 99%ile at my high school to maybe 50%ile in Maths during my degree). Now, I've argued before that the maths is too advanced in an engineering degree, but that is a separate issue.

Cheers

Greg Locock

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

 

[excognito]

KENAT said:
>> I think engineering/engineering education would be better off without as many of the 'good at math and science so best study engineering but no interest in it' crowd and leave room for a few more people passionate about it but maybe not quite as academically gifted. (I'm not saying no one from that crowd should take engineering, I'm sure many of them end up having decent careers & contributing etc but just not as many.)

Interesting. My first perception, straight out of University, was that the maths and physics types were generally more enthusiastic and complained less than pure engineers.

== Bester, having worked with a lot of ex servicemen, I have to say they tend to have a sense of self confidence somewhat higher than your average 'civilian all the way' engineer, to a level that borders on seeming arrogant. I came to realize that it was just how ex servicemen tend to be and in most cases deal with it, maybe your colleagues haven't worked this out.

I'd support that view. I had some difficulty getting used to being what I thought a civilian ought to behave like and what they could be asked to do and ended up pussy-footing around things my nature would rather have fixed bayonets on. However, I underwent an epiphany a bit ago when I got really hacked off with the way a project, out of my control, wasn't happening, put my metaphorical uniform back, put my nose into the C2 loop, and have felt much happier since - civilians do jump if addressed in the right (ie, positive) way

== As to the outgoing thing, twoddle. Yes many engineers tend to be a bit introverted/socially awkward, however that doesn't mean more socialy astute folks are prejuciced against. If anything these types are more likely to get into leadership & management roles etc.

I have to say I haven't encountered any generic "prejudice" against extrovert engineers, either; but then again, I haven't encountered many of the 'stereotypical' introverted engineers either. My business (aerospace systems) seems to have a reasonable range of personalities from Really-Good-Guys (and Girls) to the Parents-Lived-Under-A-Rock-And-Should-Never-Have-Met types.

 

[Bester2]

Kenat,

I think you hit the nail on the head. I am an arrogant SOB. I am sure the military did not help but I was an arrogant SOB way before I joined the service. I have tried not to be but this is just who I am. Put me in a room with a bunch of people that think they can rule the world and I am right at home. That makes me think. What career attracts the most arrogant people? Politics, Banking, Criminal enterprises?

Back to the posters point. I thought about this and I think when it comes to engineer the best engineers that I have met have shared one trait in common, they were extremely organized. Being an organized person may be the single best trait any engineer can have. So if your cousin is an organized person I would say that is the number one thing that will not only allow them to finish engineer school but also be a very successful engineer.


SW 2007 SP 5.0

 

[excognito]

== I am an arrogant SOB.

Do you really mean "arrogant"? Arrogance is defined as *unwarranted* pride, confidence or sense of superiority.

Consider an average brand new Second Lieutenant and a Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM). Both may be quite capable of looking down their noses at "lesser" life forms. However, Arrogance (aka "stupidity" in this case) is the attitude displayed by the 2nd Lt telling the RSM how to suck eggs. The other way round is not, by definition, arrogance.

I've even known a few people who definitely think they're the bee's knees and look with disdain on those a bit slower than themselves, but are actually better than they think are!

.....

I don't know what word conveys the concept of a justified attitude of superiority. Maybe I should find out so I can get it on my appraisal this year (insert emoticon for hysterical laughter)

Stuart

 

[JakeAdkins]

Trying to define 'a justified attitude of superiority'?

I would start with 'Jerk'

 

[KENAT]

Funny, what I'd consider one of the best engineers at this place isn't particularly well organized, at least in the classical sense.

I still think the question to your cousin should be more "do you want to be an engineer" than "do you want to study engineering" but maybe I'm wrong.

Is your cousin interested in things that are engineered, not necessarily the kind of guy that spends his spare time taking things apart just to see how they work but at least a bit of a bent in that direction.

KENAT,

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

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

 

[swivel63]

i went into it because i was good at physics and math. turns out i ended up doing something that was actually fun. but that was dumb luck. because if i didn't like it, i'd probably have dropped out. any engineering undergrad (as i've always said) is the most difficult undergraduate degree to obtain. and it's really not for those who don't want to be there. 2/3 of my freshman class made it to sophomore year and 2/8 from my freshman dorm floor made it to 2nd semester. the rest went into humanities. and i'm willing to bet that these numbers aren't uncommon.

oh yea,

i'm not arrogant, i'm confident. a wise person once told me:

"my confidence + your insecurity = my arrogance."

 

[swivel63]

wait, that's supposed to say 2/3 didn't make it to sophomore year.

 

[moltenmetal]

Don't get me wrong: I love engineering personally and have found it to be an ideal match to my personal aptitudes and interests. But then again, I went to school simply to get the piece of paper that said I was qualified to do what I'd been doing my whole life...

I hate working with people who aren't really into what they do for a living- and I get the impression that they pretty much hate their own jobs too. I already meet too many pseudo-engineers in my professional life. If you're not passionate about it, pick something else to do for a living!

And as an engineer, I'm realistic about the NUMBERS. In Canada we educate too many and let far too many immigrate here- to the point that many of them drive taxis and curse Canada. 2/3 of our own engineering grads leave the profession- some by choice, but most not because that's what they wanted from day one. Rather, most leave because they can't get a suitable job- or because the grass really IS greener on the other side of the hill. Of the top six people in my graduating class, four of them left for the 'States- and I'm the only one who is still in their home province.

 

[Bester2]

Swivel63,

"my confidence + your insecurity = my arrogance." I think I am going to have that quote framed and put on my desk.

Kenat,

"Is your cousin interested in things that are engineered, not necessarily the kind of guy that spends his spare time taking things apart just to see how they work but at least a bit of a bent in that direction."

That was me as a young lad. I took apart anything I could find, figured out how it worked and put it back together. Sometimes it even worked after I was done with it. That was fun. Sitting at a desk all day arguing about the line weight on a drawing and if the font is the correct type for a certain aspect is nothing like what I did as a kid. At many places engineers are not even allowed to touch the product. Therefore I think steering people that like hands on work to engineering may not be the best use of their skills. What those kids should be steered to is machine operators. In order to keep more manufacturing in the states we really need to get extremely good machine operators that are able to fulfill their tasks and keep improving what they are doing which in turn will increase efficiency and keep jobs here.

Just my "humble" opinion


SW 2007 SP 5.0

 

[KENAT]

Engineering runs a massive range, from so theoretical & abstract you're almost more of a physicist to tasks that almost overlap with repair technicians etc.

Even within Engineering some people are more suited for some types of role than others.

There's plenty that'd argue the finer details of drafting are best left to Designers/Drafters not Engineers.

KENAT,

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

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

 

[spongebob007]

Don't do it for the money. In that respect, engineering is a dead end career. As far as money goes, I think for new graduates, engineering offers a good bang for the buck-probably one of the highest starting salaries for having "just" a 4 year degree and no experience. But if money is your thing, your success will depend on how quickly you can get out of engineering and into something more lucrative.

 

[diarmud]

A fellow how worked for me said we've got it wrong in the US about engineering.

You go to college to learn about the world and get an education about many thinks.

You go to engineering school because you like engineering or you want to try to make $.


Forget the big money, the finance guys and politicians get it. Do it for the enjoyment or don't do it.

Regards.

 

[HgTX]

I went to engineering school because I liked math in high school. That turned out not to be enough, and I left.

I went back to engineering school because I wanted to build big stuff outta steel. That worked.

Bester2--don't generalize people's lack of appreciation for your apparent (based on your own description) jackass attitude to a statement that no one but introverts can survive as an engineer.

And while sometimes being talented and right ends up being perceived as arrogance by the insecure, often it is because one is not satisfied with simply *being* talented and right but must go around making sure everyone *knows* one is talented and right. If you're doing that, and it ain't workin' for ya, then cut it out. Just be talented and right and if you're *that* talented and right, people will know it.

Hg

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