Senior Engineer 4

[Bernoulli31]

When can an engineer start calling himself "senior" engineer?

Not that I care much about titles, but since I discovered that in my workplace, becoming one is a promotion that comes with a few extra $$$, I'm asking myself that question.

Looking around me and on professional social media like LinkedIn, there doesn't seem to be a pattern. I see "kids" with less than 10 years experience with a "senior" title. I see others with lots more experience who're merely "engineers". I've always had an issue with this title as it would put me on the same level with seniors I work(ed) with, who I find much more experienced and skilled than I am, and that will always be the case until the day they retire.

Anyway, just wondering. It all seems so random.

I design aqueducts in a parallel universe.

 

[Ron247]

Seems I remember a Cheers episode where Woody Harrelson wanted a raise but Sam conned in him into thinking a Title was better than a raise.

 

[hawkaz]

Unfortunately I resemble many of the comments above...

Back to the subject at hand, as many have indicated, it is arbitrary per company.
The best metric however is your productivity and client relationships.

I don't recall the exact numbers anymore, but I saw a chart many years ago that read something like:

PROJECT BUDGET EXPECTATIONS:
Entry level engineer 130% of budget hours
Staff Level engineer 100% of budget hours
Senior engineer 80% of budget hours

 

[Sparweb]

When can an engineer start calling himself "senior" engineer?

When your boss starts calling you that.

http://www.sparweb.ca

 

[Rabbit12]

When you can order off the cheaper menu at IHOP?

 

[truckandbus]

Our local natural gas authority took changing engineer's titles very seriously. Junior engineers had 56 sq ft office (7x8), grey in/out baskets, and a single line phone. When you were promoted to regular engineer, maintenance would caom and mov your cube wall a foot (8x8 office), replace the in/out baskets with black ones, and change the phone to multi-line.

My current company has gotten rid of a lot of similar rules but in years past you needed a decoder ring to figure out who was who - an office with low walls versus high walls, High walls but no ceiling, a ceiling but no door, no ceiling but with a door, ceiling and door but with a window in the door...

 

[Bernoulli31]

an office with low walls versus high walls, High walls but no ceiling, a ceiling but no door, no ceiling but with a door, ceiling and door but with a window in the door...

Now I understand why management is pushing for open offices everywhere.

I design aqueducts in a parallel universe.

 

[zeusfaber]

I got moved into open plan office space just as I became eligible for a personal hatstand. Happy days!

A.

 

[urgross]

It's great being a "senior" because it means getting a closed office room with a door so I can use

"The door opened with a jerk"