Need Career Path Help 2

[ISUMechEng]

Hi all,

I lurk here a lot, don't post much.

I've been at my current job for 1.5 years. Went there right out of school. I majored in Mechanical Engineering, but the economy was rough and I was forced to take more of an Industrial Engineer position. Lucky for me, it was with a very well respected company and I was able to gain some valuable welding manufacturing experience.

I've gained a good reputation there this last year or so and recently was handed a challenge of becoming the lead engineer in a new process the company is having trouble dialing in. I'm excited for the new opportunity and hoping it challenges me more, as process instructions and tool purchasing aren't doing it for me anymore....

Just today, another very well respected company contacted me wanting to interview me for a design position. I'm attractive to them because of my manufacturing experience, particular in the field of welding.

Lately, I've been feeling a little inadequate as an engineer. I'm not engineering much of anything at my current job. I'm more a glorified secretary. Documenting work instructions, fighting daily production fires, and seeing how many things I can multi-task at once is the definition of a good "engineer" in my current position. I miss the figuring out problems and coming up with solutions of my college days.

Anyway, I don't know how aggressively I should pursue this design job. I think I'm beginning to feel more and more that it could be something I want, but again, I'm not sure. I've never had it. All my work experience (internships included) have been in manufacturing. I'm happy enough where I am. I'm obviously doing well. They're also paying for my masters degree.

My bottom line question is, for you more experienced professionals, how long can I stay out of the design world and in the manufacturing side of things before I have pigeon holed myself into only being in manufacturing / production support / operations? Part of me wants to stay in my current position, finish my masters, and obtain my CWI. But would it be too late to get a design opportunity by then (approx another 2.5 years, 4 years out of college)?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[GregLocock]

You are in a great position, and have two nice alternatives to consider. I'm inclined to say stick with the current job, design can wait, manufacturing is good experience.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

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[msquared48]

I went in the military for four years out of college, and it did not help with my engineering career. You will lose your edge - that's a given, particuarly if you are driven career-wise to take the PE exam for your state. Your present job probably does not require that though, typical of many manufacturing engineering jobs.

Have you at least taken your FE yet?

I read on the internet that engineering is fourth the most lucrative degree to graduate with currently, with EE's top and ME's second for what it's worth. That copuld change in a heartbeat though. Good luck.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
Motto: KISS
Motivation: Don't ask

 

[jpankask]

How aggressive you are depends on what you want. If the other job interests you, you should at least check it out, unless you are happy enough with your current job.

I was in a similar position as you, took a job with a manufacturing company out of college. Though I did get a little design, I did some of the same things you are doing. I liked it and I liked the company and the people I worked with. I did not pursue very aggresively a job in my "preferred" career path, then one day company closed my plant (after a series of layoffs, etc.). Luckily my MS was almost complete and I did get a job fairly soon with the company I had been wanting to work for.

Moral of the story: you need to do what will make you happy and take you where you want to go. One thing to consider is that if the company is paying for your MS, there may be some agreement for time to work for them after you graduate, or you may have to pay them back.

 

[OneDay11]

There are a lot of folks out there that would give a lot to be in your shoes my friend! Whatever you decide to do just keep your work ethic and things will be fine job wise. A few years in the future try not to let doubt and regret invade your mind and you will be laughing!

 

[tygerdawg]

I've always said degreed engineers are trained problem solvers. Use those school skills to work on this. Create a weighted category comparative analysis on the pros/cons of each opportunity, and be thorough about it.

Some insights to consider:
[ul]
[li]Design can be a lot of sitting at a desk, manufacturing work can be less so.[/li]
[li]Where will you be in 2 years? Five years?[/li]
[li]Do you like the current company / people / environment / bennies / corporate direction & philosophy? How about the other place?[/li]
[li]Seems like the new opp in your company could be a place to shine or your next Living Hell assignment. Are you being dumped on, or are they offering the next logical progression after a job well done learing your craft? Do you have the skills to solve deep manufacturing problems? This may be an opp to move get some six sigma training and expand your horizons.[/li]
[/ul]

TygerDawg
Blue Technik LLC
Virtuoso Robotics Engineering

http://www.bluetechnik.com

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Greg hit it pretty succinctly... I'll add that it might be useful to tell the approaching design company that you're interested, but you feel it would be beneficial to spend a bit more time in manufacturing. If they have an interest, you'd like to revisit such a position with them in a year or two and feel your continued manufacturing experience would benefit them even more. You get to keep the new company in your good graces, and you get some great experience.

You get the idea...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[ISUMechEng]

Wow guys, thanks a lot for the feedback. I'm actually a little surprised on the responses. I thought most of the posters here were design guys and would be telling me to jump ship.

Another thing I forgot to mention; while my next opportunity at my current company definitely will be a challenge and I will be in the spot light to upper management, I am also uncertain if I will like the side of manufacturing I will be in and if it will help me land a design job in the future.

Obviously, my current welding position (with a little assembly experience on the side) helped spark the interest of a company looking for a design engineer. I'm inclined to think if I continue to develop my current skills, a similar opportunity will still be there at some point down the road. Especially if I finish my masters and obtain my CWI. My next opportunity at my current company is in the new rustproofing and paint facility. There will definitely be a lot to learn, from all the chemicals and automation involved with the process. However, and maybe I'm wrong, I don't see how being a manufacturing engineer in a paint facility would better prepare me for a design job. I've never heard anyone say they designed a certain piece of machinery so it could be painted easily...

I hope all of this is easy to understand. Sometimes I ramble a bit when typing out thoughts and feelings.

Anyway, phone interview is finalized for Wednesday at 11:00am. I'll keep you all updated.

Thanks again

 

[GregLocock]

True story- at Toyota manufacturing is a more prestigious career path than product development.

Cheers

Greg Locock


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[MacGyverS2000]

Tell that to their brake division...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[KENAT]

At my place, and the other place I worked, design is far more prestigious and more highly paid.

Although, at my previous employer, the cream of the crop from the manufacturing side actually got to go further in the company - or so it seemed.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

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(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[GregLocock]

Toyota make their own brakes? How quaint.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

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[ISUMechEng]

Yeah, at my current position the design engineers are thought of in much higher regard. However; it's the operations people (supervisors and manufacturing/industrial engineers) that move up quicker. There are more supervisory roles to be had in operations and people burn out much quicker on that side of the fence. At least in my experience.

Anyway, had the phone interview today. Went very well. Got offered to do an onsite, so we'll get that scheduled and take one step at a time. Still don't know what I'd do if I was offered the job tomorrow.

 

[rmw]

I hope it is my company you are interviewing with. I am in a design department and we badly need someone with your resume. We design a lot of weldments and not many of the engineers on staff have much "hands on" experience. I think one of our next hires is going to be someone of your description (if we can find him/her).

I came back into a purely design department after being "outside" for many years. I was rusty as he** on the book learning stuff, but knowing where to find the formulae is what is required, not being able to recite them. I work with engineers who have done nothing but design and they can recite the formulae from memory. But their designs reflect that fact that they never had to build anything or take anything apart.

They don't know how a weld symbol on a drawing relates to some guy in the shop or on a construction site who is hot and sweaty and tired having to contort himself all around to make the weld and do it so that it will pass inspection.

Unless you think that you have arrived and are in the career path that you want to be in for the rest of your life, now is the time to jump and try something else.

One thing guaranteed. You can always come back to manufacturing production any time as those positons are in demand. Some design background would help your resume if you do.

But, if you stay, soon you will move up into management and there you may stay.

I only got back into design because I had previous design experience and that plus the practical "hands on" experience I brought back has put me in a sweet position. Your experience can do the same for you. I am having as much fun as I have ever had in my life. But... it is because of what I bring to the job.

Hopefully the design position is something that will build on what you have already accomplished.

rmw

 

[ISUMechEng]

rmw - Thanks for your response a while back.

I ended up accepting the job. My last day at my current position is tomorrow, I start the new job one week later. It's all a bittersweet situation. I didn't feel like I accomplished everything I wanted to at my current job, but I wasn't happy there either. I was nervous I wouldn't get to every have the opportunity to try my hand at design, and like rmw said, now is the time (pre-home purchase, pre-wife, pre-kids).

Also, the company I'm going to has a much more open culture to lateral movement to completely different departments in an effort to retain good talent. This puts me at great ease. My current company, I was very much pigeon holed.

Thanks for your help. Hope I don't regret this!!