Not enough work to do, what should I do? 5

[TurbineGen]

I'm a younger engineer who changed jobs fairly recently and moved from the power utility to the petro chemical industry. I was hired in to fill a position that apparently they had a hard time filling and it had been open for several months. When I first started I had several tasks, plenty to keep me busy. Since the plant was preparing for a shutdown/turnover was a lot going on so if I ever got done with my work, I could always find something to be working on. The problem is that now that the shutdown is over with, I have a small workload, so I find myself with what I feel is too much free time.

There is another problem as well. Part of my job is to learn about plant operations and equipment from a guy who is planning on retiring in the next few years. He says he's busy often and seems to shut me off from working with him.

I have asked fellow coworkers if they need assistance and haven't got anywhere. I hate to keep asking as it might display idleness. In leiu of that, I also have bought myself some training CDs and have been teaching myself AutoCAD. The question is; What should I do or be doing? Am I going about this right?

Thanks,

------------------------------------------------------------------------
If it is broken, fix it. If it isn't broken, I'll soon fix that.

 

[plasgears]

Some years ago 3M Co published a booklet on energy reclamation in industry. It is an eye opener. I hope it is still available. Contact them for copies.

 

[thruthefence]

Turbinegen, You are on the right track with your wanting to do a good job. Instead of ( and I am gonna catch flak for this comment ) worrying about "mandatory overtime" cutting into your snowboarding trips. My compliments to you.

 

[calguy07]

zapster,

why should a "newbie" waste an hour of company time on research when a 5 min conversation on a technical aspect will solve the problem???

the older "moss backs" always amuse me; they always seem to forget where they came from. mentoring is such an important aspect of engineering.

 

[ykee]

TurbineGen, it's funny that when I suggested going for a beer you are immediately concerned about your ability to hold your booze. I suggest altering your perception of how much you should be drinking when out with coworkers or industry colleagues, otherwise you could become the subject of much amusment at the xmas party, or the next time a vendor takes you out for lunch.

I think you catch a bit of what is expected of you when you read some of the responses from the "moss backs". Most of them feel for some reason or another that you've got to pay your dues. Just remember that to the old dude work is just work, he just wants to do his job, then go home, I doubt he goes home and really thinks about his job. Regardless of whether or not you agree, the fact is, this guy has info that you need, and you've got to figure out how to get it!

 

[Pud]

If I were you I would develop the skills of not having enough work to do into an art form.

I managed to loaf along in well paid jobs for 30 years - fortunately I had bosses who were pretty well technically illiterate but great man managers. Keep them (and their bosses) happy, and an easy life lies ahead.

Oh, one other thing: Do not start your own business EVER as then you will find out what "Work" really is!

H

 

[thruthefence]

I hope this was a satirical response. Too much of this thinking & the Republic & western civilization will be in peril.

Oh, wait a bit.....it is, isn't it?

 

[Zapster]

calguy07
To start, newbies need to do the research no matter what and they should become good at it. I don’t mind telling someone where to research something or where I found the information when I started, but I won’t spoon-feed anybody. My view is similar to the Chinese proverb, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. When I help someone I have no desire to create a dependency, I want the person to become independent. I want the newbie to think independently for a lifetime.

You must be young to generate a response like, “the older "moss backs" always amuse me; they always seem to forget where they came from. If you think for a minute that most older engineers have forgotten where they came from (even if it only metaphorically) just because they don’t make life easy for you, then you are wrong. In addition, the comment “always amuse me” says more about a young engineer than an “old moss back”.

 

[BigInch]

Improve something. You can't tell me there is nothing that can be improved at your plant. Find it and do it.

**********************
"Pumping systems account for nearly 20% of the world’s energy used by electric motors and 25% to 50% of the total electrical energy usage in certain industrial facilities." - DOE statistic (Note: Make that 99.99% for pipeline companies)

http://virtualpipeline.spaces.live.com/

 

[jimgineer]

Zapster,

I know where calguy is coming from. I'm young and have been on both sides of the ball, already. Fresh out of school, if someone had said a term I use in everyday conversation now, I would have returned a blank stare. And I've caught myself thinking, 'wow, you don't know that?' once or twice, too. But I've had one boss in particular who wouldn't give me the time of day because he made up his mind that I didn't have the chops. I thought he was making the statement that I should be able to struggle my way to the answers and come up with it myself, but in reality, he just had no capacity to share knowledge or care about another human being, at all. And I was left not improving as much as I should have been because I just happened on a mentor/team lead who had absolutely no patience for someone who wasn't completely contributing and heading in the right direction on day 1. Everyone starts somewhere.

You need a little of both - I guarentee you that every good senior engineer out there learned a lot on their own, and learned a lot from other engineers who were willing (or even enjoyed) helping out others along the way. I know there are a lot of engineers that kind of get off on sharing their knowledge with others on these boards. It's normal, to an extent. The thing that gets me is when someone asks a question but is not truly interested in obtaining the knowledge and experience needed to use it in the future.

I used to get this out of my family sometimes when in school - they used to ask a question about electrical engineering basically to make conversation or feign interest.

I think that all you can ask out of a young engineer is that they are passionate about the subject and devoted to learning it. You can't ask someone to have experience they don't have, and that includes the experience to know when to ask the question and when to struggle through to the answer.