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Travel and the Engineering Profession 13

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nornrich

Mechanical
Jun 12, 2002
194
Since graduating from University 8 years ago, I have worked in small, medium and large size companies. In all the size ranges it seems that to be an engineer these days requires a commitment to travel. The level has ranged from 30% to 75% depending on the scope of the project. I was curious if this is de rigueur for the profession as a whole or if the career path I have chosen has led to this point?

The other question would be of a more personal nature and that is how to balance family life with career. On the projects where the level of commitment is over 50% most of the "older" engineers involved seem to be working on 2nd or 3rd marriages. It seems that the number of marriages increases in direct proportion to the amount of travel. Is this an inevitability if you travel more then 30-40%?

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Richard Nornhold, PE
nornrich@redrose.net
 
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Man, I used to travel to Germany, then the UK, then home in one week, every two months. Plus I traveled to "corporate" every month and a trade show every now and whenever. I calculated that I was missing 1/3 of my children's childhood.

Now, my passport is expired and I travel about once every four months. Still married after 15 years and I see my kids every morning and I'm home for dinner.

No amount of money could pry me away.

It depends on who you work for and what they want you to do. No two firms are the same.

 
Stressriser is correct,
In our group of 6 the amount of travel is across the spectrum. Over the past 2 years:
Eng 1 - about 70%
Eng 2 - about 40%
Eng 3 - about 40%
Eng 4 (parttime) 3 or 4 times
Eng 5 - 0
Eng 6 (me) - 1 time
I cannot speak for the other 5, but I have had plenty of times to travel, if I wanted I could be at about 25%, but I do not see a need to travel I can accomplish the same at home by working phone, e-mail, fax and on. If I have hardwre problems normally it is returned, and evaluated at "homebase".
My 2 cents.
 
Engineering is a vast and broad profession. There is room for everyone’s personal lifestyle. You can take jobs with 100% travel and see the world or you can take jobs where you never leave the home office.

Its simply a matter of deciding what you want and going for it. If there are no job offers that are what you want then you may have to comprise a little bit and say take 10 % travel.

I have had both extremes. I never left home for 5 years and over the last 9 have been away from home. (Although I have gotten home most weekends) Both jobs have their advantages and disadvantages.

I am glad that I was home when the kids were little and needed their dad around. Now that they are grown, the travel is a little easier. Yes I am still married and its now going on 25 years.

I also had a chuckle about the bean counters reducing per diems for continental breakfasts. I had a similar experience once early in my career. It happened in a government It involved having a dry hard and inedible sandwich on an aircraft and the accountants wanted to reduce my per diems due to the included supper on the plane. I thereafter simply booked travel that was not over meal times and every trip took at least one extra day. I also refused to travel after normal work hours. When the boss asked why. I told him that airplane food disagreed with me and I needed eat in restaurants. Since at the time there was no written policy that allowed for travel being scheduled over meal times and there was one entitling me to a meal break and to being able to refuse overtime, the eventual cost was far more than a $18 supper.

Why is it that those who enforce the travel policies and get picky about claims are the same who state that we have it so good travelling, but never will leave the office?
Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion
 
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