What to expect...

[jdmwerks]

Hello,

I am new here and new to engineering. I'm starting a job early this week and its an HVAC position. I'm curious as to what to expect. Its my first engineering job and I am very nervous to say the least. The reason I ask is there was really no interview so not a lot of information given.

Any information would be great! Thanks.

 

[CptHk]

Congrats. I agree with jnam82, without an interview combined with the fact that this is your first engineering position, you'll most likely be given small tasks. Most likely there are experienced people at that company that need help right away and that is why there was no interview.

If not, the company is in real bad shape and probably refuses to pay for experience and knowledge.

 

[RossABQ]

Whether or not the interviewer offered you information about the job, you should have demanded it. How can you expect to succeed going into something so blindly?

 

[ChrisConley]

My first consulting job also didn't have much of an interview process. I spent a number of weeks 'spinning my wheels' trying to be helpful.

Don't be afraid to ask senior engineers for work, and then for help on how to do the work. My favorite problem is finding more work for hard working new hires.

 

[mauricestoker]

I've had two jobs without interview. The first time was my first enginering job. Didn't take too long to find out what "low man on the totem pole" means.

As low man on the totem pole, you should expect to get all the crappy admin and field jobs to begin with. If you do that with a good attitude, you move up from being the man holding the bucket. If not, you might start getting jobs like investigating sanitary vents and crawling pipe shafts for isolate valves. The sanitary vent inspection was my favorite for newbies with a bad atitude. If that didn't work, sending them to oversee steamfitters was usually good.

Have a good attitude, be respectful, and use common sense. Don't eat cabbage soup before your first performance review.

 

[hollandhvac]

An advice given to me once was; If you do not know any thing or little about the job, (open your ears) listen to other people, but do not speak too much yourself.

 

[cdxx139]

In the beginning you are probable just going to help out more senior engineers workload. You may do work that is "beneath" you like cad. Just do it. Get in a groove and listen.

Dont try to understand everything right away. Its good to ask questions, but I know I asked too many. I was too excited. I needed to do things 3 times to finally fully understand (or what I think is fully understand, until the next project). Listen the first time. Try it, get a senior to review. Next time the same issue comes around, youll be "experienced". Do it, ask questions, as it is being reviewed, and youll pick up some more. and on and on.

That was the biggest thing I learned of myself, but everybody is different...

Good luck!