Is the tech industry the best place to work?

[zer0c123]

When I came out of college in 2010, I had a long and tough period of looking for work. I did not have any internship experience, which really made the job hunt difficult. Eventually I had offers from a major semi-conductor and a public utility (natural gas) corporation. This was 2010/2011 when the economy was somewhat recovering and I had been job hunting for close to a year. I took the position in the public utility mostly because they offered first and I needed to start paying back student loans. I got the offer from the semiconductor company 3 weeks later , but had to turn it down as I ready accepted the offer from the utility.

Now it's been 4-1/2 years now and I have stopped to wonder what my career would have been in the tech sector. I recall my panel interview with the semiconductor company was very stressful, but informative. After the interview was over, one of the interviewers gave a tour of the facility. He showed all the labs and pointed to certain equipment and commented this is why we asked you this tech question in the interview. For the most part, my current job is okay, but I am somewhat bored. I've looked at other departments within my company, but I can't shake the bug of venturing out into the tech industry.

You read everywhere that tech industries are big now and you should be working for them. One thing that holds me back is that I've met plenty of mechanical and electrical engineers within my company who worked in the tech industry when it was booming and into the down turn ~ 2008/2009. They were all laid off or quit. They would tell stories of working late with unpaid overtime and last minute travel demands to overseas vendors. In addition, you would deal lousy computers that would crash or take forever to create pdf drawings that needed to get out to the overseas vendor asap. If you left early, co-workers would give you the stare “what! You're leaving!?” Since many vendors were in asia, you have to stay late or come in very early for teleconference meetings. The one consistent comment from all is that working in the public utility is way better than the tech industry in terms of stress, work life balance and benefits. They know co-workers still in tech who would give their right eye to work here in public utilities.

In addition to the comments of my co-workers, many of my class mates from college have gone through several job changes already. Public utilities looks to have stable employment and I see people with 30+ year careers here. The one thing that keeps me chasing for opportunities to try the tech industry is that I'm still young and not married yet, so I can afford the risk to venture out. However, that long period of time when I came out of college and looked for work will be forever ingrained my mind.

Is the tech industry that bad of a work culture?

 

[IRstuff]

Well, "tech industry" is an awfully broad stroke of a description. I'm in defense, so it's technically a "tech industry," but it's substantially different than Intel, which is substantially different than Facebook, which is substantially different than Western Digital. Even within the semiconductor industry, there are probably substantial differences between Intel, AMD, Analog Devices, National Semiconductor, etc.

IF you want safe, then a utility is pretty robust, but not much is going to be happening. It's the churn in designs and engineers that makes a company dynamic. If nothing else, it will probably not be particularly boring, but there certainly will be business cycles to deal with,

TTFN
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[ScottyUK]

IF you want safe, then a utility is pretty robust, but not much is going to be happening.

"...but not much is going to be happening.!

Wow. Really? The ten years I spent in power generation were technically challenging, physically and emotionally exhausting, and had the best camaraderie I've known in any job. I would love to be back in that industry.

 

[MikeHalloran]

>>> It's the churn in designs and engineers that makes a company dynamic.<<<

I've been, uh, churned, multiple times in multiple industries.

A few of my employers were indeed dynamic; most of them were just in some kind of quasi-equilibrium while circling the drain, and so screwed up that they couldn't see that they were bailing into the boat. ... and not accepting advice from The New Guy.

Starting over is not fun.

Given a steady job, you have the opportunity to build stuff on the side, and maybe sell a little from time to time.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[JMirisola]

While it may appear to be, the grass isn't always greener. Be sure, should you make the jump, that you go in with your eyes wide open.
Years ago, I applied for a position that I'd coveted for years. Turns out, it wasn't all that I'd made it out to be.

Jeff Mirisola, CSWE
My Blog

 

[TheTick]

There's crappy jobs to be had in every industry. Simply switching industries is not the key.

 

[lacajun]

Since you are young and still single, what are your hobbies? What do you do for fun? Can you do those living in a hotel room? What do you want the next 35 years of your life to look like? All business and no play? Balance? Or something else you define? What do you want your family life to be? Do you want to miss important events in your family life? Birthdays? First piano recital? First baseball game? First lost tooth? Anniversary? How much community involvement do you want? Want to know your neighbors and throw neighborhood BBQs? Tomorrow morning at 10AM, what do you want to be doing and who do you want to be doing it with? Who do you want in your network, personal and professional?

You don't need to answer those questions for anyone but you. It is your life to design and live.

Heavy travel will destroy certain parts of your personal life even as a single, young person. Determine how much business travel you want. It is not glamorous, in my experience. I saw mostly airports, hotels, windshields or windscreens, and customers. I much prefer leisure travel.

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

 

[Comcokid]

At the technical leading edge, the half-life of knowledge is estimated to be 18 months. Half of what you know, or have learned becomes old or obsolete. The life-cycle of a product - concept, development, production, phase-out, end - maybe measured in months. Quarterly statements, stock price, and profits are the goal. People become part of the fuel and lubrication to keep the gears turning. Some people like this kind of excitement, but then again some people like base-jumping, or free-climbing cliffs in Yosemite without a rope, or running with the bulls in Spain. The fact that your posting your grass-is-greener question after 4-1/2 years at a utility and not after 3-months tells me that you are not one of these people.

I've had several medium-tech and one start-up type job. It creates a manic-depressive existence between being employed, and being unemployed with no time in-between. Learn from the experience of your friends. Utilities somewhat have stability and staying-power. When the economy turns-down people still need heat, light, and water.

 

[KENAT]

As others suggest, first define what to you is "best place to work" then maybe we can give more meaningful input.

I work on the edge of the tech industry and the following applies for me at one time or another while here:

They would tell stories of working late with unpaid overtime and last minute travel demands to overseas vendors (managed to get out of foreign travel myself but many colleagues don't). In addition, you would deal lousy computers that would crash or take forever to create pdf drawings that needed to get out to the overseas vendor asap. If you left early, co-workers would give you the stare “what! You're leaving!?” (true for the odd manager but not generally colleagues). Since many vendors were in asia, you have to stay late or come in very early for teleconference meetings.

Implied but not explicitly stated is the high workload - especially since the events of 2008-2009 when our staff was massively reduced. Also implied is the drive to outsourcing not just of production but much engineering etc.

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