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Is anyone else bitter about work? 37

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shadow401

shadow401

Civil/Environmental
May 3, 2008
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US
I don’t know if it’s the engineering field, Corporate America, or just me but does anyone really love being an engineer anymore? Sure, it pays the bills but is anyone actually excited to show up to work in the morning?

Most of the people I work with have become cynical and are more interested in making themselves look good then completing a project. Engineers, developers, government agencies, inspectors, contractor, and sub-contractors are all on different teams and only looking out for their own interests. Even within my own company different departments try to push each other down to appear more profitable. Lazy employees get promoted over hard working employees and it feels like some fundamental rule that we learned in kindergarten about being fair and doing what’s right has been lost. I used to love the though of becoming an engineer but after 7 years of the real world, I just don’t care anymore. Am I alone?
 
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Well, I still love being an engineer, but do get frustrated at being an employee of my current employer where many of the things you mention happen.

However, my last employer, while not perfect, was - especially with hindsight - a lot better.

So, I still like to believe it's the employer not the industry - even if a lot of employers are like it.

Posting guidelines faq731-376 (probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​
 
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Lazy employees get promoted over hard working employees and it feels like some fundamental rule that we learned in kindergarten about being fair and doing what's right has been lost.
Click to expand...
Fairness was never a rule, just an ideal... this is not kindergarten. "Lazy" employees can't get promoted if "hard working" employees don't do their work for them.

I've always done the best that I could in my situations. Were there politics to deal with? Yes. Were there brown-nosers? Yes. Did others take credit for some things I did? It has happened. Would I switch careers? No. I would not trade the challenges or statisfaction I have encountered for anything else. Of course, if I found that I really enjoyed digging ditches with a spoon more, I'd look into pursueing that line of work.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?
 
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I am a bit bitter - to the point I find it hard to work sometimes.

After advancement ground to a halt at my first job (about 8 years), I decided to move. I thought the company I was with for 5 years seemed ok, but now I know how most people see them as a bunch of D-bags, which I do too.

I think it also incorporates US politics as well though. I find it hypocritical of the overwhelmingly "conservative" engineers out there pushing for local tax increases that will fund projects, just so there workload stayed strong. Of course, these are the same people that are against the current ARRA funded projects. Just the politics? I think so.

The first company above realized they were screwing people and came to their senses when they had a hard time getting new people. The improved moral, wages, and benefits. The second company is just looking out for the bottom line, and has let a lot of the good people go, and driven off many other good people through poor management. Meanwhile, some of the laziest, and most difficult people to work with are still there.

While I understand businesses provide jobs, I seriously disagree that most people at the top of a company are really looking out for the true good of their employees, because they have their interest in front of the employees 100% of the time.

Excited, no. I almost dread getting up in the morning. I would seriously make a change in career if I could get through school for something else quickly, and get a job making close to what I am now. I just do not want to take a big financial hit.

In other ways, I get pissed to hear of a friend that made more than I did last year, only having worked for 4 months. And anther friend that pulls in about $130K to watch a radar screen in the middle of the ocean. Hardly makes it seem worthwhile to bust my hump to appease short-sighted, arrogant clients.

End of rant.

BTW, could you tell I had thought of starting a post similar to yours?
 
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I'm not bitter about work. I work at a great company, but I am a bit bitter about my salary right now. If I were to look elsewhere right now (which I've been doing superficially), I could get a 20% raise and only be where I should be at my current company (if our pay hadn't been cut and I got modest raises for the last two years). I should be looking to make 15% - 20% more than the 20% more than I'm getting now. It's a crappy place to be!!
 
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I read a book recently entitled "Shopcraft as soulcraft" that addressed a lot of the malaise contained in corporate life. The author uses too many big words, but still seems to speak to me about many of the ills of the so-called white-collar trades. There is an article that turned into the book at:


If you are young enough you should consider changing careers to something more satisfying. You might end up happier.
 
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Nope, life's just not fair, period. There are people who barely managed to graduate from high school and college to play professional sports and pull in 10 to 100 times $130K.

But you are not them, they can't do what you do, and you can't do what they do, for the brief time that they can, before ligaments, tendons, and bones give out.

If you're stuck in a boring job, it just may be that you weren't meant to be an engineer. As Johnny Bunko learns ( "There is no plan."

Personally, I love being an engineer. I would be bored silly watching a radar screen in the middle of an ocean for the duration of my watch duty. Just bear in mind that his pay is commensurate with his responsibility for dozens, hundreds, or thousands of lives, depending on the type of ship; not to mention being away from home and family most of the year.

This thread seems to be a bit of the "grass is greener" griping session. Well, get over it; EVERYONE gripes about their job. Even Donald Trump thinks he doesn't have enough money.

Either find a new boss, new job, or new profession. If you're complaining, then you're only complaining about yourself, since you're the only person that can do anything about your situation. You'er an engineer, so engineer a solution to your problems.

TTFN

FAQ731-376
 
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Well, I'm about 35. I do like engineering, but not the client part I guess. It has been to long since I have had enough good, interesting engineering to do. I really just need more of a shift in where I am going, but that is hard to do right now.
 
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Nope, but if I were I don't think I'd gripe about it here.

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - [small]Robert Hunter[/small]
 
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IRstuff, you put my unwritten implication, you can always try to find something else.

I really do believe that in many cases it's the employer rather than the job that is the issue.

Posting guidelines faq731-376 (probably not aimed specifically at you)
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I enjoy engineering. I'm excited about what I do. It is sometimes demanding, sometimes just plain fun, and sometimes routine. It all comes with doing what we do.

I do not enjoy corporate life...and for those of you who think it is rosy as a corporate person or having a higher "position"...it ain't so! Been there, done that...it's a lot more fun in the trenches.

I left the "corporate world" (meaning working for a larger engineering corporation), 5 years ago. No regrets. I do what I like and do not have a corporate structure to try to control me every day. I'm very fortunate, but I also made that decision on my own and it is only up to me what I make of it.

I'm disappointed in the direction of the engineering profession. I think the engineering societies have sold out to politics and do not protect the true values of engineering in the way that they should. Engineers compete at if they were subcontractors trying to get a landscaping job. It's absurd. What happened to qualifications based selection? Why do engineers allow themselves to be put in the position of "bidding" on projects? One engineering firm is not as good as another and they should prove their qualifications beyond the issuance of an impersonal bid. Engineering is not impersonal. Yes, we are often "introverts" and don't deal with people very well, but the personal part of it comes in the commitment each engineer gives to his profession and the honor of being correct in what we do.

Until we say a resounding "NO" to bidding instead of proving our qualifications, we will continue to have these issues. In the late 1970's, the US Supreme Court struck down a provision in the Engineer's code of ethics that prevented bidding. Since that time, we have been on a downward slide. Slowly at first, but we are approaching avalanche. There's always someone out there who will do it cheaper. They are not interested in holding up the professional stature we all strive for and deserve.
 
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Heard through the rumor mill yesterday from an Electrial Engineer friend that employers are only hiring those between the ages of 25 and 50. If true, that really s#@$s.

"Bitter" is not be the word I would use...

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
Motto: KISS
Motivation: Don't ask
 
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Ron, when we have people bid for us we consider technical competancy not just the $ value. Just today I had to tell a vendor we probably wouldn't pick them not because of price but because of concerns over their technical ability.

Is this still a bad thing?

(Sorry if this detracts from the whine fest, who's brining the cheese?)

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Kenat...no, that's OK. We have a similar process in the state here where the consultant submits qualifications in one envelope and their price for the work in another. The agency is then supposed to select based on qualifications, then negotiate. If they cannot negotiate with the first qualified group, they move to the second and so on. That's essentially what you are doing.

Also, Kenat, I agree with your comment about it being employer based with regard to our satisfaction in our jobs. If the employer sucks, we'll hate where we are. If the employer is good, we'll like it, even in the tough times.

Wine before whine![shadeshappy]
 
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I love engineering, it is fascinating and challenging and fun. For most of my career I got up in the morning looking forward to work and not believing I was paid for what I did. I consider myself extremely lucky for it.

I am bitter these five minutes, but I am aware that it is for a particular set of circunstances (company, project, situation) that have very little to do with engineering.

Everybody in this forum is making an extra effort by the fact of participating in it. Hence you must like engineering (at least enough to talk about it and share experiences with the rest of us). Do not confuse that with hating or being bitter with a particular job, project, company
 
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