The Profession 19

[DannyGlover]

I just want to give my two cents about the state of the profession.

1. I believe for the most part it is an incredible amount of work for how much money it pays. Many organization expect too much free overtime in name of professionalism and too many meek engineers just give it. Stop it. A god damn plumber is smart enough to not work for free. If you are scrambling to get a project out, ok but if it is an every week thing knock it off.

2. Organizations treat engineers like cattle and just an expense. I don't feel anyone in management really gets the expense of bad engineering. Engineering is an expense and the cheapest is often seen as the best option.

3. Engineers do an incredibly bad job conveying their worth to an organization. The reason why analyst and people in other occupations do well is because they make their worth to the organization measurable. Engineers make no effort in quantifying their efforts. Why is this?

4. Every company has no interest in training an engineer for anything. Every company would rather gobble up someone who worked at some other organization. If they do hire someone new, two many organizations believe that and expect a green engineer can somehow bootstrap himself to an expert without the expense of mentoring. If you worried about your new engineers being a flight risk, apply for a H1-B visa. Never have to worry about them switching companies for more money.

5. I really get tired after being several years out of school and being close to applying for my PE license, having to explain why I am better than a fresh grad. People switch to adjacent positions all the time and never have to explain why they are better than a fresh grad. I also get tired of people who believe that being good at software package X, makes you a good engineer and extremely valuable to the company. When did the software package become engineers? Does our profession do such a bad job in promoting itself that people believe that engineering is nothing more than being familiar with a software package? Would you let a plumber work on your car because he knows how to turn a wrench?

6. I truly believe any engineer worth his salt could have made more money becoming a plumber or electrician and starting his own company. Most engineers are smart cookies and motivated. What the hell happened to this profession? I have half of mind to just drop from the profession and start my own company. A lot of politics, low wages, and low security. If I want low wages and low security, why not start my own company?


7. Shortage in the industry? Really, why aren't people more vocal over the fact that there is absolutely no shortage. The only shortage I see is of engineers with 15+ years of experience will to work for X, which was caused by many industries not being interested in training newer engineers due to the fact that is an expense.

8. If there is a shortage, why haven't the effective wages been going up? The effective wage of engineers has only been going down in the US. Am I in bizaro world? What kind of shortage is this?

9. Why are electrical utilities screaming that their is a shortage of power engineers and believe that getting more students interested in engineering is going to solve this supposed problem? Only 30-40 percent of graduating engineers go into engineering. What are we trying to do? Reduce that number to 10%?

10. If there really is a shortage, I'll tell you how to get broke college students serious about engineering. Pay nice starting salaries. Period.

Maybe , engineering is completely different for you if you have 10+ years of experience. Much of this though I just don't get or understand. I like engineering a lot but it has left me a little frustrated lately.

 

[321GO]

a brilliant rant from TS, so true

Engineers seem to have collectively resigned to (mis)threatment.

For sure everybody has a diferent character, if your the "quit&absorbing type' that's perfectly fine, but it sure sets you back in the company big time.

To be honest, i cannot even blame them for treating engineers in such way(selfinflicted for a large part)

 

[321GO]

"and push back a little. But make sure you do it nicely, politely, and professionally."

Such nice guy behaviour is detrimental and indirectly sets the scene..

The spectrum is broad between "nice guy & jerk" one should simply not be at the extremes (all the time)

My opinion

 

[FeX32]

123GO



Fe

 

[321GO]

The fierceness at which some defend 'this profession' reminds me of Apple Fanboys

No matter how mistreated, they continue to rave, meanwhile hunting the critical one's with the intend of biting their heads off

Highly enjoyable read this!

 

[lacajun]

I talked with a ME today that believes the commercial side of engineering is much better than the engineering side of engineering. You are treated better, earn more, and don't have near the hours, headaches, and travel to project sites.