Ever feel like you're in over your head? 14

[bradpa77]

I'm having one of those days where I just feel inadequate for my job. I just feel like all of this engineering stuff is too much for my somewhat feeble brain. I'm not contemplating a career move or anything but I just get like this sometimes. I just feel like I've gotten myself in over my head. I was never a straight "a" student in high school and I kind of fell into engineering by mistake while I was looking for a major change in college. I worked my butt off to finish with good grades and land a job but sometimes I just can't shake the feeling that I'm not smart enough for this line of work.

Anyone else ever get like this from time to time?

 

[ivymike]

I only start to worry when I don't feel like that.

I've spent most of my career wondering when "they'd" figure out that I'd snuck through... somehow I keep fooling them. I think the fear keeps me motivated, and makes me double-check my work more thoroughly.

 

[mog69]

I feel you might have opened the flood gates here!
Member number 3!

 

[graybeach]

bradpa77
I totally agree with ivymike. This is a hard job, and there is no way to know everything. I keep telling myself that "when the going gets tough, the tough get going." Getting going might mean doing research, getting expert opinions, thinking really hard (sometimes for days), drawing something to a large scale, etc. Getting going might also mean telling my boss that I am being asked to do something that is out of my discipline.

If you run across something you cannot solve, it is important to be vocal about it early in the project. Don't just sit on it until it is too late.

 

[JAE]

In the structural arena, there has always been, for me, an underlying sense of dread that some other structural guy will eventually "find me out" and expose me for an inadequate engineer.

This sense has slowly diminished over the years and now I do realize just how similar we engineers are in terms of self-identity and self-confidence as well as how we think, what we know, etc. This Eng-Tips site goes a long way to showing how similar we all are.

bradpa77 - don't know how many years experience you have, but if you are fairly young, I'd suggest you just keep plugging along and do your best. You will probably find your best is beyond what you imagine.

 

[Guest0527211403]

I was having one of those days a few years back and I received some sage advice from a wise old plumber. That advice turned into my Eng-Tips handle.

 

[IRstuff]

I think that you SHOULD feel that way, otherwise, what are you doing but repeating something you've already done a million times?

Ignoring the intellectual satisfaction, new challenges and exercising your "little gray cells" is purported to reduce the risk of getting Alzheimer's.

TTFN

 

[wes616]

I read recently that 'FEAR' is by far the biggest motivator in modern (working-middle class) society.

As my dad would say, "Welcome to life."

Wes C.
------------------------------
Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

 

[IceNine]

The first thing my first boss told me was that I'll never feel comfortable.

 

[ivymike]

did he follow that up with "so get used to it?"

 

[Kwan]

I just worked a wing repair and had very small margins. My DER and the FAA approved it and everything is fine (double and triple checked after my own scrutiny). The aircraft has been flying without any issues. BUT, I sometimes envision the wings folding up. YIKES!

I worked with a great stress analysis guy that has a nickname, "The King". He also told me about dreams he has that are similar.

Do your best. Accept advise from others and stay humble. You will go far!

 

[l3city]

bradpa77:
Don't worry, most engineers feel like you do. I do. That's why there are several fields within an engineering field. For example, in my case, I mostly work on high power for buildings, but how about doing big "electrical" substation, or when they talk about electronics. When I get electrical plans like those, I have no idea what are they talking about sometimes (even though is electrical engineering related) However, I agree with the above comments, when you have "fear" about a design you double or triple check it, ask some questions here and there, that's engineering, avoid failure, making sure its done right.

 

[bradpa77]

Thanks guys. That's the sort of responses I was hoping to hear. I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only one who sometimes gets overwhelmed at work. Keep the great replies coming, they are helping me to feel much better. Thanks.

 

[gaufridus]

Some thirty years ago I joined a fledgling company as their first and only design engineer. The owner would take on any job/contract that he could lay his hands on - anything from missile test rigs to machines for mining coal, archery arrows to air bearings. The number of times I felt completely inadequate and totally alone not knowing anything at all about the technology of the particular projects is innumerable. When I tried to point this out, my boss used to say words to the effect 'We've got the contract so if you don't know about it then find out' - it always worked, I've even shot down one or two so-called 'experts' along the way and built up my own reputation in certain areas.
Yes, bradpa77 you are certainly not alone, you have to keep exercising your brain cells and keep plugging away all the time in engineering - it would be boring otherwise - you might surprise yourself and people will start to look up to you and consult you for your knowledge.
All the best

 

[wes616]

(off topic - )

Gaufridus, sound like you have a frigging fantastically cool job! Sign me up!


Wes C.
------------------------------
Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

 

[mcutchi]

I've never felt adequate, yet for the last 25 years, I've worked all over the world, and they still hire me ! You know you'll shine on some days and some projects, and on some you wont. Just be humble enough to know you can learn from everyone you meet, and if you do the right thing every time, you cant go wrong.

 

[IRstuff]

10 yrs ago, I didn't know anything about laser designation systems; now, I'm the expert.

muuhaahaahaahaa!!



TTFN

 

[mog69]

In my experience, the most dangerous people are the ones who believe they DO know all the answers and are totally confident they're right.
The best boss I ever had told me that the trick to being able to sleep at night is knowing what you don't know, and never being afraid to say you've reached the limits of what you do know. That way you put yourself on the path of continuous learning which to me is the adventure of engineering.

 

[kchayfie]

Every now and again it occurs to me that I just answered that guys question without having to refer to my notes or check with someone else and maybe, after all, I do know a little bit about what I'm doing and I have learnt something over the last 5 years. Then something else will come up and I have to go get advice from someone else coz I don't know the best solution.

I'm hoping the balance will eventually tip more towards the former than the latter but I'm sure that both will be in the mix for the rest of my career.

 

[zdas04]

I welcome projects where I've never been before. I add in a bit to the bid for some boning up and exhibit extreme confidence that I almost never really feel. I've found that some things really are impossible (but there is often a good-enough substitute) and that clients will often be happy that you abandonded a dead end in favor of an approach that will save them considerable cost over time.

I did a project once that had three key concepts that had never been "solved" by anyone. When I bid on the job I outlined my approach to solving them and described the uncertainty of my being able to solve them. The project was approved and the first black hole turned out to be pretty tough but solveable, the second was impossible (for me) but there was a work around, and the third turned out to be a subset of the first. The project cost millions and returned billions. Everyone was happy. They never knew how frightened and uncertain I was at the kick-off meeting.

David