Engineer that is worth-to-be-employed

[shvet]

Good day, forum
Actually I don't know how to ask my question.

I am a petrochemical process engineer that lives in a developing country, better to say in a hardly developing country. And I am not satisfied with how engineer's work is managed and overall business is carried on. So I would like to change industry sector from developing to developed country and therefore place where I and my family live. I understand that I can't move to another company/country and say: "Hallo guys! Now I work/live here! Good place, move a little."

My questions are:

1. What is your experience concerned process engineers in developed and developing countries?
Is there any difference? Salary, social benefits, professional capacity, freedom degree, prestige, personnel management, sound competition and so on and on. All kind of things we call "work".

2. What qualities/skills I should acquire to become let's call it "worth-to-be-employed"?
Fluent language or multi-language speaker but only in petrochemical process engineering? Excellent process engineering knowledge or facilities operation and maintenance? Feasibility design or process modeling or detailed design or commissioning or existing facilities revamp/reconstruction? Risk based approach and risk assessment or traditional design? Any thoughts would be great as I don't know which answers I seek.

3. What qualities/skills are most sought by employers that are, let's call them "worth-to-work-in"?

I intentionally don't ask how to be employed because this is a postponed question. As per my experience it's not so hard to find a work in an occidental company.

 

[epoisses_]

1. You mean, experience concerning working conditions, having worked as a process engineer in a developed vs developing country? I have not worked in a developing country but I do visit petchem sites and refineries in developing countries occasionally. I would guess as an engineer in a developing country you have a higher status than in a developed coutry, but that is probably offset by more old-fashioned HR policies, the need (formal or informal) to work on Saturdays in certain countries/companies (oh yes) and lesser protection from being laid off and such.

2. By all means, if you change countries and languages (as I did), stay in your line of business and use your experience to the maximum, or you'll only be good enough to clean the bathrooms - sorry for exaggerating. Cherish the skills and qualities you have now and target a new working environment that suits those as much as possible.

Concerning the examples you mention, all depends on where you currently work and what you want to work in. Change countries first and stay in the same kind of job. Then later on change jobs if desired. That would be my advice.

3. I think engineers who make it from a developing country to a company in a developed country are envelope-pushers. People who know what they want and manage to get it. We need those in the industry. I met a couple of engineers who made it to companies in Europe from countries like Venezuela, Kazachstan and such, and they were all exceptional.
Envelope-pushers, but not lone wolfs please, able to work with others and enjoying it.

 

[gerhardl]

Your first question is about how you can find a company where you can be happy with management style and contribute with your skills. This could as easily be your home country as anywhere else, perhaps even more so. This is a leadership/practical human relation question.

You often see skilled engineers from developed countries taking position (as leaders of groups or companies) in developing countries. This is you local challenge: be an engineer that can contribute positively, and find a company that will support you in this.

My advice is to add to your skills by additional education, and at the same time to contact companies (home and/or abroad) directly.

Start where you are employed today to have a discussion on your future with them. Dont be critical, describe how you can contribute.

 

[shvet]

epoisses__ and gerhardl thank you very much for feedbacks. There are a lot of things I should think more.
Frankly speaking there is one more thing concerning moving to developed country. I have a kid and I am not satisfied with education quality in my country.