New job and lack of mentorship. 14

[designosaur]

Hi everyone,

So I'm a recent (2010) grad. I have one year of work experience so far in product development which consisted of a six month internship and six months at my current job. Before I moved to take the new job, I was informed that my boss had been let go. Ordinarily this wouldn't have troubled me as much, but it is a small company and now I'm the only technical person at my location. I was assured that they were looking for a replacement and I figured it would be a good learning experience in the mean time.

Lately there has been a lot of confusion and disarray in the company. I have a difficult time getting clear direction and I find myself with a lot of downtime between projects. The person I now report to lives in a different city and, to make matters worse, spends a lot of time traveling. There is really no one I can turn to in the office to get solid technical guidance from and I find myself spinning my wheels quite a bit. Our clients have even begun to question our technical competency. I brought this up with the ownership and they responded by questioning my maturity and commitment level and reminding me that I could be easily replaced. On the plus side, I'm well compensated and I'm getting some good exposure. I do worry about my long term technical development though, as I more or less feel like I work in a vacuum.

Part of me wants to stay put for a while and ride it out. The other part of me sees attractive job postings elsewhere and is considering jumping ship. I would appreciate your advice and insights. Thanks.

 

[Gymmeh]

When I graduated collage is got a similar job designing cranes for a large company. The senor engineer retired shortly after. The PE i was supposed to get direction from was in another time zone and it made it very hard to get any serious work that needed his approval done.

The good thing was I was able to spend alot of time on Eng-Tips and use it like a mentor.

I also used the time to over analyze any real engineering work i needed to do. I.E. learn and know alternative equivalent bolts for the a connection why the company did it one way...

But i can say the best thing i did was quite and go to another company with 6 engineers 2 which are very senor.

The best part of my quitting was, talking to the PE and having him till me he was quitting because he did not feel comfortable with the way all the MBA's were using our engineers and that were trying to cut cost on stuff that was "industry standard" for safety reasons. He then said I should find another job because they were unfair to me, and would probably press me to make decisions above my ability, and pay.

I told him "Can I'll call you back in 10 min?"

I took my letter of resignation down to my boss, handed it in.

Returned to the phone, "I just resigned too, I had the letter on my desk and just needed a kick in the pants."

 

[designosaur]

Thanks for all of the advice. I had another conversation with the owner. He acknowledged that my concerns were valid and that I was right about the situation, which they are taking steps to rectify. I also managed to score a verbal offer a few days back from another company. It seems like it would a perfect fit for what I'm trying to learn at this stage of my career not to mention more competitive pay, better benefits and a world class city unlike the sleepy suburb where I now reside. My folks tell me I should stick it out for at least the year. I have a lot of thinking to do over the coming days.

 

[Steven73]

I would consider gently reminding your boss repeatedly about your lack of a mentor and if something wasn't done in a reasonable amount of time, quit. It's your career and you're not doing yourself any favors by staying in a position where you're not learning from someone who has already been there.

 

[ports394]

This could be a great time for you to take charge and come into your own. Learn your job in your spare time... study up. And then start designing things, building things, according to current standards. You are in a position to come into your own.

Or.. you could quit, go to another job and be mentored more.. and be someone else's 2nd banana for another 3-5 years.

 

[fade2blue]

It sounds like management will boot him before he can get up to speed.
"You're an engineer you should be able to control the weather right?"
Sincerely
Greedy Moron

 

[tz101]

I would consider management's warning that they could replace you as a red flag to get your resume polished. My experience has been that when you hear something like that it's only a matter of time.

This company sounds like dysfunction junction, and you need to play the team-player role to the hilt until you find another job, but definitely get looking sooner rather than later.

Best wishes, and I hope everything works out in your favor.

TZ

 

[lacajun]

I brought this up with the ownership and they responded by questioning my maturity and commitment level and reminding me that I could be easily replaced.

That is bullying and it is wrong. It creates mental stress you, and they, don't need. I'd say it's pretty mature, commendable and demonstrates integrity to be concerned about the customer's perception of the competency of your company. After all, that's how your company makes its money, i.e., keeping its customers satisfied and confident they're buying a good, solid product. Customers walk, positive cash flow walks.

He acknowledged that my concerns were valid and that I was right about the situation, which they are taking steps to rectify.

He can admit his mistakes, which is a good trait to have. He may have had a bad day, when you discussed the customer's perception. But remember, his first response is the reaction of a bully.

Getting rid of employees is usually not a rush decision. That was my personal experience. They knew years in advance.

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

 

[designosaur]

I ended up getting let go. The reasons given were that they couldn't afford to give me a boss, pay for my learning curve or give me the exposure I needed to be successful. They felt that I needed a lot of supervision and they wanted someone that could work autonomously. The strange thing is that they even gave me some recommendations on where I should apply. The good news is that I have been on the job hunt for months now and I'm starting to get some interviews/interests. I worry about how to explain this previous situation as I don't think people want to hire employees that have been cut.

 

[zelgar]

My advice is not to be too worried about being cut/fired/whatever. Be upfront and honest with future employers about why you're between jobs. Most places wont place new engineers in a vacuum, but in an environment where they are expected and encouraged to learn. Good luck with your job search.

 

[lacajun]

Tell the truth and don't worry about it. It will all work out in the end. Don't let bitterness, resentment, or anger seep into your perspectives on your previous employer and that situation. Take the high road every time and let bygones be bygones. The right people will appreciate your honesty.

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

 

[pittguy12]

You will do fine if you follow the advice given of being honest and open. The idea of being let go or fired does not carry as much of the same reputation as it maybe did in the past. There are so many people who have been let go or downsized in the past 3-4 years that most potential employers at least understand that it isn't always the employees fault.

 

[AgeXVII]

I was kind of in this boat of no training really offered, also a recent grad (Dec. 2011). I got here and day 1 was take the drug test/paperwork day 2 they said hey you are going to this project prebid meeting at 2, don't be late. I asked them some questions such as what was it about and what do I do at the meeting etc? I got a few very vague answers then I finally just came out and asked if he would go with me to this meeting since I have never done anything like this and I wanted to get an idea of what I was supposed to do/what info. was relevant for me to get. To this question all I received was "No, we hired a EE because you are trained as an engineer. That means we can drop you into impossible situations and you will be able to at least come back with something. It might not be everything but at least we will have something to go off of." That made me feel a little better but not much and here I am just over 2 months later getting better at it. I don't think it is my dream job but it is a start to get me on my path to where I want to be and to move up these days you have to have some experience.

 

[Forensic74]

I wouldn't worry about being let go in this situation. You were basically in a department that collapsed. Your management sounds like a bunch of loose cannons, but I think their reasoning for letting you go is the best decision for you, and them.

There are engineers out there who can hit every curve ball like Mike mentioned, but those types of engineers generally dont have a leg to stand on if something should go wrong.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Being let go isn't a big deal.. being fired for cause is...

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[designosaur]

I ended up getting another offer. I was fortunate to only be out of work a few weeks. This new position is also in an area I have been trying to break into for a while. The company has a good history of training new people so hopefully I won't run into the same issues again. I'm looking forward to starting my 'new' career off on the right foot. Thanks again for your advice and encouragement.

 

[macmet]

MadMango nailed it.

"I brought this up with the ownership and they responded by questioning my maturity and commitment level and reminding me that I could be easily replaced."

To me, that is time to start looking for something better to move on to.

I'm glad to hear you found something else so quickly. I was in your situation once and got laid off too, it took me almost 6 months to find anything new.

 

[EngineerErrant]

Just as a random semi-related contribution to this thread, I have been working for 5 years out of college, and have yet to find a job with direct experienced engineering oversight. Sometimes I wonder what it's like to actually have someone to check your work or bounce ideas off of.

"Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems." -Scott Adams

 

[patprimmer]

EngineerErrant

The main purpose of this site is so you have people to bounce ideas off.

Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376 for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &

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

for site rules

 

[EngineerErrant]

True, and I'm extraordinarily thankful for it, but there's a lot that I have to worry about insofar as nondisclosure, revealing project details, and simply giving enough background for someone outside my particular field to understand enough of what's going on to give helpful advice.

Also, I can only ask for help if I know I need it. There's an old machinist here who'll snoop over my shoulder every so often and catch a glaring error in my design before it gets to be a huge problem. I can only imagine the sort of stuff an old engineer would catch.

"Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems." -Scott Adams

 

[Jboggs]

You gotta love the apprentice system! Wish we still had it. Look for that "mentorship" opportunity in future employment.