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?

 

[Senselessticker]

I once read a book titled "To Engineer is Human". The book pointed out how engineering failure has lead engineering break threws.

Realizing that sometimes you don't know exactly what you are doing forces you to dig deeper and often times leads to new discoveries.

 

[UNLengineer]

To me, an engineer needs to display confidence that he knows what he is talking about, even if he displays confidence and then studies up later, as ziggi suggested. If I do not know 100% of what I am working on, I spend the time to learn it.

That is one of the great things about engineering jobs, your job is to keep learning.

 

[Tomfh]

I've never understood exactly what I'm doing. All these equations we do are just circles we draw around around horribly complicated phenomena in the hope we catch it all. God knows what exactly is going on.

 

[Ron]

Tomfh....shhhhhh...you're not supposed to tell everybody that!<g>

 

[winpop123]

Yep-you opened the flood gates. I too sometimes get in over my head. No advice to offer but along the lines of being in over your head I have an observation that goes along with that and wonder if anyone else has seen this.

In my expeience (Aerospace/Defense mainly) we very often have to provide analysis in advance of testing as a formal contract item to the customer. And in other instances the customer may have to supply us analysis data to assist in our design. What I have found over the years is that many engineers are very reluctant to supply detailed calculations outside their own organization and become very defensive and argumentative when any of their assumptions are questions. Is it insecurity? Anyone else seen this?

 

[HgTX]

"To me, an engineer needs to display confidence that he knows what he is talking about, even if he displays confidence and then studies up later"

Displaying confidence when you don't know what you're talking about is DANGEROUS. Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous, stupid, and a bad idea.

The only exception to this is if you're confidently giving what you KNOW is a conservative approach that will work, and what you don't really know is whether there's a less conservative way to do it.

Hg

Eng-Tips policies: faq731-376

 

[dbooker630]

I believe it was Werner von Braun who said "basic research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing." Also works as a BS line.

 

[Senselessticker]

Unless an engineer has had advanced education in material properties, chemistry, physics, mathematics, etc… I believe it is impossible for an engineer to really understand what he/she is doing. We (engineers) are basically glorified calculators. We utilize commonly accepted theories and mathematical principles to generate approximate models of the physical world. So…in many ways…we do not have a clue what we are doing. Engineering is much more an art than a science. I always assume I’m in over my head.

 

[Hoagie]

Learn to roll with the punches....remember, you've come this far and are doing fine...embrace that confidence. In the event that you come across a problem that you haven't seen before, trust yourself that you have the talent and skills to solve it. After 15-to-20 years of hanging in there, only then, you just may be able to relax~lol.

 

[IRstuff]

Confidence does not necessarily imply all knowledge all the time. My customers have confidence in me precisely because I tell them when I do know something and when I don't know something. It helps to have more situations where you know and fewer where you don't know.

It also helps to know what you know in intimate detail. That instills confidence. But, you also need to know how to distill that detail for your audience.

Conversely, there's nothing more disconcerting than to see an engineer looking puzzled when he's staring at his own Powerpoint charts.

TTFN

 

[UNLengineer]

HgTX,

I am not condoning making decisions when you do not know what you are talking about, that is stupid and dangerous.

But, you can display confidence without making stupid, forced decisions, if you do not really know what you are doing.

On the other hand, if you look like you have no clue, doesn't matter if you learn it in the future or not, nobody will ask you again.

 

[KENAT]

Bradpa,

I felt like that about ½ - 2/3 of the time at my last job (my former colleagues may argue I was out of my depth most of the time) and almost all the time at my present job.

I tried telling my current manager this and he basically laughed

While I get the idea of being stretched etc leading to growth sometimes I think I’d like an hour or two off the rack!;-)

Being stretched in my own field or in a field where I think I can either learn or find someone to help is one thing.

Being stretched in a field I know nothing about, no one in the company seems to know much about and the supplier only understands their product, not how we’re going to use it, pretty much sucks.

OK, flood gates sured up for now.

 

[EddyC]

I share HgTX's sentiments, but none of my employers felt the same way. If I told them that I feel "out of my depth" they will give me grief and turn the projects over to someone else who just does it and keeps their mouth shut. After 20+ years in engineering, I've come to the conclusion that is just the way the engineering business is. I have managed to meet some folks who do designs without any real formal calculations. Hopefully their work will never be taken to its design limits. But I guess the employer's feel that's what insurance is for. Too Bad.

 

[SamChem]

I'm very glad to have read through this topic, since days like this have happened to me, also. The thing I love about the job is the constant challenge, even when I'm figuratively chewing my nails to the wrists over some technical point of disagreement with other engineers. Even at the worst of times, though, I'd rather be challenged than bored. If I get too far toward drowning, I know there are resources to go check, other engineers who might be willing to toss me some advice, and if all else fails, the option to say I need further training or tools or time.

I try do do my own training and get my own tools to make some progress all the time, but if I haven't guessed correctly which details I might need, I've found asking for more time and applying copious skull-sweat generally does keep me and my work well on the safe side. If it didn't, I'd fess up. I'd rather be let go than have someone get hurt or dead. I've only had to do it once, but I'd do it again despite how hard it was.

 

[SomptingGuy]

If I get too far toward drowning, I know there are resources to go check, other engineers who might be willing to toss me some advice, and if all else fails, the option to say I need further training or tools or time.

The going really gets really tough when those resources just don't exist ... yet. There simply isn't anyone to ask and no amount of training can help. You are responsible for solving some previously unsolved problem, or coming up with a new process. This is when lateral thinking and analogy with other areas comes into play and makes the job exciting, if a little scary.

 

[PSE]

Over my head? I'll let you know as soon as I get the chance to come up for air.