"Training" isn't as it seems..Boss frustrations... 4

[rocketmaster]

So, I feel I'm in a bit of a dilemma.

I was recently hired at a new company as a Mechanical Engineer shortly after graduating with my BSME. I have lots of design, manufacturing, and leadership/project management skills right out of the box. Hired in the Aerospace Industry.

Unfortunately, ever since I've been at this company (~7 months), the company President has been assigning me tasks that he feels will "well-round" me in my career. I've worked with Quality, Inspection, Planning, and have had a handful of special projects that really only I am in charge of.

Herein lies the problem: My direct boss is getting NO use out of me. Therefore, my training within the Engineering department is has been slim-to-none at this point and I'm starting to see my boss' frustrations with the fact that he has a guy in his department that he can't give projects too.

I feel like, although I have no control over it, my boss is beginning to feel like I'm useless to him. He's a great guy, but when I tell him what I'm working on he doesn't seem to care anymore. I don't want to lose his trust that I can be a good engineer, but I also can't exactly tell the President that I don't want to do these projects anymore.

I'm troubled. Wait it out a year and then move on? Sucks because the pay is good and the work (I should be doing) is interesting..

 

[MintJulep]

If you are going to be in the good graces of someone, the president is as good as it gets.

 

[kirrer]

I agree with MintJulep. If the president is taking the time to groom you, as it sounds like he/she is doing, then do the very best at each of the tasks you are assigned. There must be a reason for this which is larger than just getting the most profitability out of you, right out of the gate. Additionally, having experience with quality, inspection, planning - these are all people who you will continue working with in the future in your design/manufacturing/project management roles, and the experience you are gaining now will pay out in dividends in the future.

Look at it from the other angle. It is not a solid business plan to continuously switch your career path or even to make you a 'well rounded engineer' for that purpose alone. The company would not make any money that way. It seems to me, the president is investing in you long-term and is betting on your experience and well-rounded-ness to make you into a great leader / project manager.

Last note, it did rub me the wrong way (a bit) when you claimed you have lots of design, manufacturing and leadership skills right out of the box. While self-confidence is important, humility is required if you want anybody to work with you. As a leader or project manager, that would be pretty important.

 

[berkshire]

rocketmaster (Mechanical)
You have a champion in that company, next time you and he have a discussion, ask him very tactfully how he feels about your current boss.
The answers should give you a sense of how to tread, be careful!
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[TheTick]

Have you tried communication? I'm sure that's a skill your boss and Mr. President can both appreciate.

 

[rocketmaster]

First off, thank you to everyone for such informative and well-thought out posts. I guess I should expect that from Engineers..

I do appreciate the President taking a roll in my training, and I understand how important that relationship can be in a company. The following will surely give those reading some perspective: My direct boss has been at this company for some time now (a long while) and the President has been brought in just recently. So yes, there is probably some form of resentment built up there, but I'm afraid it's stemming onto me because of my inability to help. I'm just wondering if at some point I should time this out if I feel my boss has given up on making me of use to him.

As far as communication, I have relayed to my direct boss many times that would like to begin doing more work for him, but the statement quickly looses meaning by a surprise project from the President or some other department manager. It's as if at some point someone said, "Everybody can use this kid, take him when you need him," and everyone jumped on board. I have not gone to the President about this as he is the one doing the assigning, and well, I just don't feel comfortable telling him I want to do more engineering.

Lastly, about my experience, I did not mean to come off as cocky. All I meant was that I had a good amount of experience compared against most others in my class (which I actively worked hard for). Lead manager for all undergrad projects,internships in "professional" and "race" settings, President of my University's SAE organization for two years and a design/manufacturing member three, experience with sponsorship's, metal cert's, organization finances, leading projects from start to finish, full-scale design and testing, FEA, Numerical Coding, ProE/SW/CATIA/CAD, etc. I am also a very friendly, social person who can communicate well with almost everyone who speaks English. I felt well-rounded leaving school and I directly attribute that to receiving a job.

Again, my concern isn't geared as much towards losing these skills as it is toward preventing my boss from giving up on me. I KNOW I have something to offer. And if I was truly cocky I would be ranting about in the office, but instead I've came here. Hoping to find someone who has also been torn between two superiors and about to lose faith from the one who's closest.

 

[MintJulep]

It is your direct boss's responsibility to go to the president and say "Hey, you gave me permission to hire rocketmaster to fill a need in my engineering department. If you are going to use rocketmaster for other stuff then I still have a need. Either let me use rocketmaster for the job that we hired him for, or let me hire another new guy for that job."

 

[SomptingGuy]

The new pres may just be passing through. Higher management don't always stick around in any one place for long.

- Steve

 

[berkshire]

Rocketmaster,
Based on your latest reply, the problem is not yours, It is a turf battle between your boss and the president of the company.
The problem you have now, is not getting trampled when these two finally have it out.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[MikeHalloran]

I used to get 'side jobs' from the Chairman/ Founder/ Majority Owner of a Fortune 400 company with 50,000 employees worldwide. I was not all that special; he had 50 or so 'Champions' with a variety of skill sets.

Our relationship caused some overt and some covert resentment in the seven or so levels of bureaucracy that otherwise separated us.
He protected me from reprisals.
... until he died.
I don't work there any more.

I can't say it was good for my career.
... but it was a hell of a ride.

Your mileage may vary, and probably will.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[KENAT]

"My direct boss has been at this company for some time now (a long while) and the President has been brought in just recently"

Funny, I was suspecting this might be the case and on reading your later posts you go and say it.

I was in a very similar position my first job from school, new technical director hired me to nominally work for the 'post design services' manager (sustaining engineering may be the more common term) who though he'd been there a long time had recently taken on the role for all products not just one market segment. First day there the tech director basically monopolized my time for the foreseeable future to work on his pet project which understandable frustrated my direct manager who needed what ever help he could get - even though as a new grad I didn't know much that was directly useful.

There was a bunch of back story etc. and other characters but to keep it short I essentially managed to convince my direct manager that I wasn't just the tech directors toady and squeezed in work for my manager around the tech directors tasks.

Tech director left after I'd been there less than 2 years but fortunately by then I'd managed to show to my manager and other folk that I wasn't there to play political games or favorites.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

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

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

 

[kylesito]

Work hard at the tasks your being given. You're a new engineer...most of what you "perceive" at this point is probably incorrect and many of the jobs you are doing now are probably the type of jobs that more experienced engineers/managers don't want to do. Your key to success and moving up has very little to do with the type of jobs you are doing and more with how you go about doing them.

This is coming from my experience. Early in my career, I was caught up in the type of projects I was being given. I occasionally got excited when I didn't feel like I was doing very useful things. I should have been more focused on demonstrating I could work hard, handle multiple tasks, and provide innovative solutions.

So, what you are perceiving may not actually matter. Whether your boss approves or not is irrelevant if you can show him (or the President) that you are capable of taking on more advanced roles then these things will come.

PE, SE
Eastern United States

"If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death!"
~Code of Hammurabi

 

[TheTick]

I've been the subject of such turf battles before. It's flattering but you are right to be concerned about impact on your career. In spite of favorable exposure to politically big players, this can actually damage chances for advancement, as you become less of a person and more of a resource to be controlled.

 

[KM]

IMHO, Director should not be going to you directly. Line of authority is through your boss. That the Director is cutting your boss out of the equation is a real problem, unfortunately you are in the middle of it. Is there any way you could say to the Director when he asks you to do things "I'll have to check with by boss to make sure I have time for that?"

 

[MikeHalloran]

Is there any way you could say to the Director when he asks you to do things "I'll have to check with by boss to make sure I have time for that?"

Only once.


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[KENAT]

You could perhaps ask if the Director has/will inform your direct manager - but even there tread a little carefully.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

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

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

 

[Nereth1]

This is a very old thread that I'm bumping at this point, but this reads a bit to me like various parts of the company needed access to Engineering skills+resources, or a technical all rounder, for projects, the engineering department didn't have the manpower to oblige, and they hired someone to take on a roaming position for a while. You're in the engineering department because you need to have senior technical staff to refer to as a graduate, but you're not supposed to be tied up by the engineering departments projects, because that would defeat the purpose.

 

[Sparweb]

I didn't see this thread when it passed through the first time, but it's fun to read.

My guess is that our young "rocketmaster" is the new boss of the engineering department by now.


STF

 

[vonsteimel]

It sounds as if your a bit green still...?

Right out of the box, there is no skill you have a lot of. Deflate your head a bit, soak up what skills you can by doing the jobs your boss gives you, build his confidence in you, then talk to the man.

And do not forget engineering is 1/2 politics. Do not forget.