Internal Job just opened ... need advice on career path

[bradpa77]

So, I've been unhappy with my job lately and I've been on the prowl for something new for a while now. Unfortunately though, the job market is terrible and I'm realizing that right now isn't the best time to land my dream job. I do need a change though and my job search has kind of helped me figure out what step I'd like to take next. The next step I'd like to take is a lead design engineering job but it seems as if I'm lacking some basic leadership or project manangement type experience. In a nutshell, here's my experience so far.

BSMET
PE Certified
7 years experience
Pro/E design work (primary function for 1st 3 years)
ANSYS analysis work (primary function for last 4 years)

There's a job that just opened up internally for a "Process Innovation Engineer". Basically, it sounds like I would be involved in leading, planning, and overeseeing 5S/Six Sigma projects. It's not what I'd call my dream job ... not even close really, but I think it might be a great short term move. I could spend a couple years doing that to round out 10 years experience and hopefully get some leadership/manangement type experience out of it. That would set me up to be in a good position for a lead design engineer role and by that time hopefully the job market will be back on its feet. I don't know. I guess anything would be better than racking up more of the same experience. I'm not getting anywhere with that approach. I've been doing the same thing for a while and I don't feel like I'm progressing in my skills or knowledge base. It's time for a change.

Basically, I'm hoping someone could give me some insight and/or advice on this plan. Plus, I'd like to see if any other people have been involved in this type of job and what it has done for their career.

 

[IRstuff]

My experience is that lack of leadership or lead engineer experience is often not a detriment. Most engineers like doing engineering, and don't like doing management. Someone with engineering background who likes to do leadership roles is rare, so I don't think you'd have that much competition in that regard.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[xnuke]

It sounds to me like the kind of position that gets eliminated when the economy gets bad, since it probably only incrementally adds to the bottom line. I think a design job is a safer position right now since it relates to bringing in money for the company.

xnuke
"Live and act within the limit of your knowledge and keep expanding it to the limit of your life." Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged.
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[jmw]

I am reminded of a "Girl Friday" (the principle applies to all job changes) who was at long last promoted out of her dead end "dull as ditch-water" job into something new.
Alas, too late, it transpired that it was the latest management wheeze to get rid of people without paying them redundancy..... their intention was to get her onto a new contract with the new job and thus also, a trial period and then sack her for failing to meet the job standards at the right moment.

Of course being management, they missed the deadline date and ended up being taken to court for wrongful dismissal which cost them a damn site more than redundancy would have done.

The moral is, be sure you have an exit plan.
Be sure that management appreciates you before you accept... be very suspicious of a new internal job if you know management aren't totally happy with you.
Be very sure it has a well defined job spec and that you think you can hack it.

Listen to xnuke.



JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[KENAT]

Listen to X nuke.

My job involves (or involved) a lot of effort not in 5S/Six sigma as such but in other quality related work setting up or formalizing various company procedures, standards etc.

It didn't make me many friends, and it isn't the reason I still have a job.

I'm not saying don't take it, but think long and hard about what the others above say.

KENAT,

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

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

What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484

 

[GregLocock]

I'd be slightly more positive about Six Sigma than the above, maybe because the company I work for has swallowed the Kool Aid in a big way. That is to say, there's nothing much wrong with the 6s processes (there's nothing much new there either, but that's a different argument), and if it is supported by senior management then you WILL be able to help change things, demonstrably save money, and demonstrably improve the product. If it is not supported by senior management and you don't have the tenacity of a bulldog then it will be a frustrating waste of your time and theirs.



Cheers

Greg Locock

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

 

[bradpa77]

It sounds to me like the kind of position that gets eliminated when the economy gets bad, since it probably only incrementally adds to the bottom line. I think a design job is a safer position right now since it relates to bringing in money for the company.

I definitely agree with you there. I work in R&D right now though, so I've been a bit worried that we would be the first to go. So, I'm not so sure that I'm in an extremely rock solid position as it is already.

I agree with you though, it sounds like it could be a somewhat unstable situation if things get worse than they already have been getting around here. Of course, R&D has been taking some significant budget cuts and the Process Improvement team has been steadily growing. So, maybe it would be an improvement in job security. Who knows in this economy really. It seems like everything is a crap shoot. You just never know.

if it is supported by senior management then you WILL be able to help change things, demonstrably save money, and demonstrably improve the product.

This whole Process Improvement intiative is coming from very high up in the chain of command. The big guy seems to be very deeply invested in this kind of stuff. We have been doing 5S/6 sigma projects for several years now and this job posting is part of the second wave of Process improvement engineers and leaders to join the efforts. The first wave of hiring brought in 8 Process Improvement Engineers and 5 Process Improvement Leaders. So, they really seem to think this stuff is important and worth putting money into.

My experience is that lack of leadership or lead engineer experience is often not a detriment. Most engineers like doing engineering, and don't like doing management. Someone with engineering background who likes to do leadership roles is rare, so I don't think you'd have that much competition in that regard.

Well, that's definitely good to hear. I'm just basically thinking I would need some leadership/management experience because I've seen it as a desired requirement for a lot of the lead engineer type positions I've run into. Also, they are jobs I failed to land. I assumed I didn't have the leadership background and therefore got beat out by others, but maybe it was for other reasons.

I don't know. I took a night to sleep on it and I am definitely not overly excited about this job opening. It's mostly just a short term solution to my current situation. I'm just very frustrated because I've been unhappy here for a while (2 years or so). I held out on my job search until I got my PE and then once I started looking the economy tanked. Now there's nothing out there and I've been at my wits end here for way too long. I think I'm just getting desperate to have a change. When the first wave of Process Improvement Engineering Positions opened up, I wouldn't have touched it with a 10 foot pole. That was when I thought I had other options though. Now, I'm entering survival mode and I'm just trying to keep my job and expand my range of experience if possible.

 

[Japher]

The economy slump is also only temporary. They obviously need someone to do the job or else they wouldn't post it. Granted it may only last until the improvements are done.

If you took the position you could leverage it to get project management training and six sigma training, which would make you more marketable.

If you want to move into management and don't plan on being with the company for more than 1-2 years more I would think it might be a good move.

 

[bradpa77]

Well, I just made up my mind. I'm going to stay away from the job. I just don't want it. That's really the bottom line. It doesn't make sense to take it. I don't want to leave a position I'm tired of (but liked initially) to go to a position that I am not even remotely excited about. I'm just going to have to keep looking and try to make lemonade out of my lemons. I'm going to have to make this existing position of mine better somehow.