Field Engineering 1

[knight185]

Over the past couple of years I have gotten several calls/emails from recruiters asking about field engineering jobs for steam turbines, combustion turbines, generators. Is there a huge demand right now for field engineers in this field? It seems so. Despite the seemingly high demand, some field engineers in this industry have told me to stay away if I can help it. They said some of the USA assignments are okay but overseas assignments can be bad…many months away from home, certain areas require that you be under armed guard protection, no more tax advantages to working overseas, etc. I think one of the particular engineers got paid straight time for his overtime work and had to pay for expenses himself and get reimbursed afterwards instead of being able to use a company credit card.

Is there anyone one this thread that has worked at a single location and decided to go into the field? What was the primary incentive?

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Be ready to travel ANYWHERE for a LONG period of time

Young - not married - go for it if the pay is GOOD!!

 

[ScottyUK]

In addition to your list of observations -

Pros - excellent money; you get to see the world; lots of air miles; possibly a lot of time off

Cons - lousy hours; lots of pressure from clients; most of the places you see are airports, hotels and industrial sites; relationships disintegrate and friendships grow distant; your plans will often be wrecked at short notice.

Short version: it's well paid for a reason - it's a crappy way to earn a living. If you can put up with it for a few years then you can bank some money or knock your mortgage down to manageable proportions and then come back to a regular job.

 

[srijey]

Love that ScottyUK's answers. To the point and factful. Few amendments to that response: Not all overseas positions are same. Perhaps at a later date you can pick the one you love and get settled. I've got friends working in Japan, Afghanistan, middle east, Europe - many obvious differences - just one point - if you love the position, get lot of $ and future family accepts - go for it. No need to plan ahead - 2012 is one of the best years for career change!!! Pick your choice. Good luck (you do need it).

 

[Mr168]

The bulk of my career thus far has been field engineering activities for new construction. Yes, the hours suck, there's a lot of pressure, and it involves plenty of travel and relocation.

However, the lessons learned, way of thinking, and experience was absolutely priceless, and I wouldn't be in the position I am today without it. I feel like 1 year in the field, if you're genuinely immersed in the project, would easily equate to about 5 years in a corporate office in regards to practical knowledge learned.

 

[knight185]

Thanks for the good information. The one major issue for me is that I am indeed married and have a 4 year old son (I'm 29 years old). My wife always jokes around and says that if I made enough money that would allow her to not work, then I can go in the field for as long as I want. My engineering income would be considered great by many people but I can't stretch it far. I can pay for all of my household bills but there isn't much of anything left to save and have fun with at the same time. The lack of fun has caused issues in my marriage. My wife's opinion is that it is better to enjoy life rather than save every dime and not enjoy any of it. Since rewinding the clock is impossible, which means the financial committments aren't going anywhere soon, I can either ride out my current position and live off the additional raises/overtime and potential promotions or I can do something aggressive to bring in more money. More money is the only way I can pay off debts fast and start saving. My wife is not able to work full-time due to health issues and her line of work doesn't have the earning power as mine. Going into the field seems like an easy approach due to the high demand but I'm not sure if the negative impact on family life would be worth it. Right now I'm among a crop of young engineers for a power utility and the guys who where hired in the 1970s are retiring. If a "secure job" ever existed, I am probably in a good position for now.

 

[pmover]

I lasted less than a year . . . and I was single at the time, but much older. There definitely was no social life. Went home to an empty home, and depart a few days later. No schedule or routine whatsoever. Could not develop friendships, not able play a round of golf with people you know (at least not after work or on weekends), etc. A field engineer is simply not part of society. I found myself establishing more friendly talks with airline folks & clients than people at home. Occasionally, I saw the same flight attendant on different flights. Monthly income was never predictable.

I'm not saying this applies to all field engr's or similar occupations, but I was ignorant & perhaps a little naive going into the occupation.

However, the lessons learned were definitely valuable and enriching, especially when working in the designing, planning, & preparation stages of projects. So, give up some of life's qualities for well-earned lessons and make improvements as life progresses I suppose.

Wish you good luck and happy grazing pastures.

 

[lacajun]

knight185, I was single when traveling 50% of the year and it does take a toll on your life. My friends eventually dropped me from invitations. When I inquired about it, they informed me it wasn't their responsibility to know when I was in town or out. I went home to an empty house and often had to run right back out for toilet tissue and food. Consequently, if I ever took another job traveling, it would be no more than 25%/year.

My married colleagues learned very hard lessons mixing family and travel for work. You are still young and have a long way to go. Learn to work with your wife on how to utilize the money. Increasing salary is often like buying a larger house with lots of empty room, i.e., eventually it gets filled and with things you may not like, need, or want. It takes self-discipline to keep spending under control.

All the best in your decision!

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC

 

[knight185]

The loss of friends wouldn't be an issue. I'm a big-time introvert and have always kind of been a loner. I actually went through 5 years of college without making any strong friendships. I had applied for a field job while in college but my first offer was not in the field, but it was in an industry I liked, so I took accepted the offer and was able to finish out my senior year with the comfort that I had a job lined up. But as a father and a husband, I do feel an obligation to remain at home if I can. Being married and having a son is a blessing but it also brought on more financial burden than I ever imagined, especially the medical expense. I don't see how my aunts and uncles were able to raise 10 kids in their day. Money stretch much further I guess.

 

[lacajun]

Money goes much further w/ a healthy family. I'm sorry medical expenses are so high for your family. I hope those are not long term and everyone regains health very soon.

Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC

 

[brandonbw]

I would think the pay would have to be very good to travel. Can your family go with you? Would be a fun experience probably. If armed guards are in the picture I am thinking really good pay.

I have a good friend who packed up his, after many years of struggle and hard work, mortgage business, and follow his wife around the world. They are in India for the next year and moving to another country every couple of years for her job. It sounds interesting but I think everyone has to be on the same page to be successful together. I think they are both just enough crazy and go well together to make this work.

Have you looked into working in a country that pays higher than where you are at? My example was I was looking in Australia a while back where Civils can be paid much higher than in the States.

B+W Engineering and Design
Los Angeles Civil Engineer and Structural Engineer

http://bwengr.com

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http://bwstructuralengineer.com

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http://bwcivilengineer.com

 

[SNORGY]

knight185,

This is only my personal advice and I am in my early 50's.

I would not take a job that required substantial lengths of time away from your wife and young son. You cannot get that time back; there is no do-over.

My wife and I are not well-off by any stretch, but her attitude is similar to your wife's. Her approach has great wisdom. Unless you have a strong desire to prioritize material wealth above other things - and there is nothing completely wrong with that in any honourable context - her way is as good as any.

Just my thoughts. Best regards...

 

[knight185]

Travel for my wife is out of the question. And I'm sure some locations would be totally off-limits. One field engineer I know was building a power plant in South America. He said his hotel is surrounded by a wall and armed guards and armed guards transport the engineers to and from the job site. It was a 3 hour round-trip. I also wonder how many places are dangerous for Americans.

 

[Forensic74]

To me, it sounds like you need to get out of the power industry or maybe move somewhere with a lower cost of living. I do a lot of travel >50% for my work and can be considered a field engineer, but I also work from home a lot and the pay is over double that I can get in an office. However, I would never consider a job that would take me away from home months on end no matter how much it paid.

 

[knight185]

Can't get much Lower cost than where I live. I have a 3 bedroom house with three levels of livable space for $70,000. I have been an engineer for 6 years and make between $80,000 and $90,000 per year. Started out much lower. I thought that was a decent salary. Not sure which industry would pay more at this point for a lateral transfer. My lifestyle is similar to my parents but I have newer cars and school loan payments. The kind of lifestyle that I would like is comparable to an uncle of mine but he and his wife both make my salary. I guess it depends on what you want on life. They do not live fancy at home but travel several times per year.

 

[Forensic74]

Hmm, yea you could say you're doing awesome cost of livingwise. Well either your medical/school loan bills are astronomical or you're trying to save way too much money. Tough to tell. If medical bills are that bad, then you should have a good reserve.

 

[IRstuff]

I guess I'm a bit confused with your info. According to the US census stats, you're above 69% of households in the US, and you should be able to save something. Do you have a 401K? Perhaps some sort of automatic deposit might help you with saving? I guess it boils down to what your definition of "have fun" entails. I don't know anything about your situation with your wife, but her philosophy by your account seems warped in a not so good direction. What does she think she's going to live on during retirement?

The bright spot seems to be that your house is currently large enough to probably handle your near term needs and is relatively inexpensive, compared to the median home price in the US.

TTFN
faq731-376

 

[knight185]

My wife's philosophy does not dictate our money management. It is just an example of our different approach.

The big trouble happened after we got married. First, my income took a huge medical premium hit when going from Single to Married to Family. Due to a job location change (internal transfer, not much choice), my commute went from 15 miles per day to 120 miles per day and gas shot up to $4/gallon. I lived far from the job so my wife could stay close to her college and family since she was pregnant and was high risk. My money was consumed by gasoline costs, medical bills (high risk doctors, several ER visits), and I was also trying to keep her 15 year old car running. That eventually became too expensive (engine components failing, gas tank rupturing, exhaust falling off) and I bought a Honda Civic. I had been trying to avoid two car payments. The other car was nearly paid off when someone crashed into it. I had been looking to use that car payment money to put into savings. Instead of buying a very old cheap car, I bought a Honda CRV for my wife to drive. It was $80 less per month than the previous car (and included 100,000 mile warranty and free oil changes and tire rotations), but it was still an additional car payment. That is why I say mortage, school loans, both cars, and gas for both cars consume a lot of income. Unfortunately I still pay for things like cable tv, cell phones, etc. Having fun for us is going out to eat and to a movie. Most meals are $12 or less. Special occassions are more. I can't be the only one wasting money on cars. I see tons of new cars where I live. For me, I shouldn't be spending more than $300/month on car payments but that hasn't been possible yet.

I do contribute to my 401k. I do have some non-retirement savings but nothing that would cover any kind of living expenses for several months. Vacations aren't really an option right now.

 

[berkshire]

Get a small part time job near your house.It does not matter what it is and you only need to work an hour or less.
Drive from your full time job to the part time job. You can the deduct the travel expense from job 1 to job 2 from your income taxes.
At least it will get you 60 miles a day in travel expense.
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor

 

[ScottyUK]

The IRS would allow that? I wonder if I could do that here with the Inland Revenue...? :-D