Next step in my career 1

[cksh]

Hello,

I am looking for some advice on wether or not to pursue an MBA (or another type of MS degree) or just plain quit whining and do my same old job . I did some searching but I couldn't find what I was looking for.

A little about myself. I have been working in engineering since 93. Working my way up from drafter to engineer over the years while going to school. I graduated in May of 05 with a BSME. At the same time I started with my present employer as a Design Engineer. Before that I was an engineer/designer for over 4 years working on electromechanical devices. A BSME seemed a logical choice considering I have always worked on mechanical machines/device design.

My current company is an Automotive supplier and I really like them but I have a questionable future (Anyone who is in Automotive does I guess!). I am content as far as salary, benefits, and atmosphere. However, I do not feel I am challenged anymore and have been wodering if maybe a career choice would suit me better.

A lot of engineering departments I have worked for really had their engineers focused on the business side of things. I always thought that it was the future. Engineers spending as much time engineering as they do in business planning meetings was the norm. Thats why I thought an MBA would be best for my future.

I thought about an MSME but I don't want to sit through classes for two years only to be at the same desk doing the same thing after I am done.

I guess my question is: what do I want to be when I grow up?

Here are my choices (And believe me I have though alot about all of them)

1. Get an MBA and see where it takes me (nowhere with current employer). Maybe engineering management someplace else? I would probably focus on leadership training.
2. Really drive my wife nuts and get a law degree and work as a patent attorney (I am an engineer so this will tie in nicely but will take the longest to pursue. And lots of money!).
3. Stay where I am at and possibly work as a Program Manager. (Very unlikely at current employer but no one else will hire me as one since I don't have the experience!) But I have talked to my boss about it and he tends to have an open mind. Will get me off the tube and looking at engineering from another perspective.
4. Try to get back to my roots as far as the type of work I am doing (possibly involves a paycut) More mechanical design and number crunching.
5. Get another type of degree. A lot of people (including my boss) are getting MS in Industrial engineering or something like it. It sounds very limited and I don't want a hiring manager asking me "what is a masters in Industrial management?" the company will pay 100% though.
6. Stay where I am at to pay the bills and write novels? (I wish I was joking but I love to write!)

Sorry for the book! see number 6!

Cksh

 

[Theophilus]

You love to write, yet the options you list seem to ignore what you love (apart from the suggestion-in-jest). Sounds like you have a battle to face with fear. Perhaps your options are--hedge your bet with what you think will continue to earn bread (and continue to feel the drudgery)--OR--work to actively develop the undeveloped creative (different creative from engineering) side of your personality with the risk of financial hardship.

I faced a similar situation years ago and started my own business. The pay started out at roughly half what I left to do so.

I'm facing this situation again as I've grown aware of another set of gifts--that which I "love" to do--and am making plans to pursue that with my wife. The house is already up for sale.

It's scary, but don't risk not-living from a mere fear of failure. Great people risk failure (and often meet it) many times in their lives. Merely successful people avoid such a risk--but are not "great". What do you want?



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[IRstuff]

Well, one thing you should do with your list is to spend some time imagining what you'd be doing with that option 10 years from now, or even 20 years. What will get you out of bed 20 years from now to go to work? You're apparently in your mid-30's, so you have possibly 30+ years of working before standard retirement. Can you see doing any of these options for 30 years?

Sadly, management is often rarely about leadership. Cost, schedule, and butt-wiping comes to mind. Good employees are easy to manage. You'll find that you spend 90% of your management time on the 10% that require handholding, or whine continuously. And, you need to really like dinking with schedules and budgets.



TTFN

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[TomBarsh]

I also started out as a draftsman and eventually wound up with a BS in structures and MS in engineering mechanics (rather impractical degree but gratifying for me).

A friend of mine a long long time ago commented how the few engineers in her MBA program blew away the business students (the engineers had a much better math background). But nowadays MBAs are all over and the degree doesn't provide much cachet.

I have known several engineers-turned lawyers who have done quite well and find it interesting. Probably lots of writing too.

I know a brilliant engineer/businessman who has published at least one science fiction novel.

My vote would be to more seriously consider the law degree.

Good luck!

 

[dwt]

Ah yes, What to do?
As IRstuff says the answer is going to depend on where you see yourself 10, 20 or 30 years down the road, and that, you have to answer yourself.

Do you want to be the leader or the doer? Do you see yourself as a GM, President or Engineering Manager? Do you want to be involved in the technical/design details or the bigger picture project and business management?

To paraphrase a quote I recently saw "If you don't know where you want to go, then it doen't matter which route you take."

 

[Ashereng]

Cksh,

I think you hit the nail on the head. You need to determine what you want to be when you grow up. Put another way. Until you figure out what you like, chances are pretty good that any of the choices you listed will do until you answer that question.

There are many self-help books, as well as free services (eg. at your university/college) around that will help you determine what you like, don't like, etc.

It is tough to figure out how to get there when you don't know where your destination is.

Good luck.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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[cksh]

Thanks everyone for all of your feedback. Sometimes I forget I have 30 years left to go! Looking at it like that I really do need to focus on what will make me happy for the next 30 years. Or at least something short term that will lead to something gratifying down the line.

Guess I have some thinking to do!

Thanks again!

 

[GregLocock]

About the patent thing - a friend of mine switched from engineering to patents, she did not need another degree, but she had to take a couple of long exams (51% pass mark), two years after that she was offered a partnership.


Cheers

Greg Locock

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[atlas06]

from cksh "Or at least something short term that will lead to something gratifying down the line."

Me, what I really want to be is Wine taster and get paid for it, now that would be really "gratifying down the line" wouldn't it?

Enjoy life and as Ashreng says: Don't worry too much about matematics, his (or his friend's Einstein) are far greater!!!!