What's take to succeed? 5

[bellx1]

This is a very broad question and has to be by nature but I'm becoming more and more worried that I won't get what I want out of engineering. While I could write for days about my confusing feelings and expectations I am very curious to see what the response of fellow more experienced engineers are.

Did you get what you wanted out of engineering and are content with the results whether it be money, chance to work on a cool projects or something else. If you did what did it take to get there and if not what's holding you back or cut your goals short?

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[GregLocock]

After 30 years I admit that I'm a bit disappointed to have ended up as a technical analyst rather than a system designer. However that is largely because the latter position scarcely exists in the field I've ended up in, in this country.

In terms of money and so on I seem to be doing reasonably well, I'm not paid as much as many of my friends, but then I don't work silly hours, and most of my work is interesting and entertaining and largely self directed. To be honest I very rarely hear of a job that seems 'better' than mine. So that's pretty damn good. There are 'better' projects overseas than I get to work on, for sure, but in Australia we do implementation rather than research, so that's what I do.

Cheers

Greg Locock


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[ajack1]

My career has certainly been determined by a set of circumstances and opportunities rather than being carefully mapped out. I currently own my own company which I started about six years ago having been made redundant.

So in theory at least I can choose to do the cool stuff when I want, in reality you still need to balance the books and doing the boring grind well is what makes a company successful. Money was really tight in 2009 but improved slightly in 2010 and currently we are turning away work and can be far more choosey what we take on.

As to getting on, well in my experience the people who get on are hard working and confident with a good balance. Most people don’t like to be bullied and have little respect for people who allow them to bully them. People who have a strong input and make things happen but will except the consequences of their actions tend to get on, people who are always negative and look to always blame others don’t.

For me at least personal happiness is far more a state of mind than something you can easily quantify. Lets take money as an example, I probably earn in one month about the same as Bill Gates does every time he passes wind, I also earn more in that month than entire towns in third world countries. A £50K rise would not alter that, but who I choose to measure myself against will.

 

[Ron]

Obviously it depends on what you want to get out of it!

As for me, I've typically been driven by a desire to work on interesting things and solve problems...not just analytically (that's often boring), but solving problems "on the fly" by part analysis, part common sense, and part experience.

For that I've been extremely fortunate. In my area of practice I've been able to work on very large and very small projects, short term and long term projects. They have covered a very broad range of materials, metallurgical, civil, mechanical, structural and forensic work. I've done physical modeling, mathmatical modeling, testing, construction, repair and remediation on soils, concrete, wood, composites, steel, concrete and other materials. I've worked on high profile projects (Space Shuttle pavement, Atlas rocket umbilical boom testing, moving the Cape Hatteras lighthouse, major theme parks, rides and attractions, international airport pavements, sensitive military projects, harbor expansions, etc.) and low profile projects such as the house down the street.

I've been recognized by my peers and I've been able to publish. So yes, I've gotten at least what I expected from engineeering. I have thus far thoroughly enjoyed my jobs and the vastly varied experiences I've been able to accumulate.

As for compensation...I've typically been at or above my peers in salary. I have started and run two different businesses, so with those I've made what I wanted to make in terms of money. I want to be comfortable, but know that engineering work is not a path to riches.

 

[racookpe1978]

mmmn.

Seems like .... If you have fun with what you are going to do every day, and can make enough money doing that to support yourself and your family without undue stress, then you've succeeded.

By the way - plan for a satisfactory eternity after life ends - if such is part of your religion. St Joseph was a carpenter, or a city planner - depending on your translation of the old texts - so it seems to me there's always gonna be a job in heaven fer engineers.

 

[IRstuff]

Well, you didn't say what you wanted out of engineering, so hard to tell whether you'll get what you want.

Overall, engineering has been very good to me. I still find it surprising that someone's actually paying me money to do what I enjoy.

TTFN

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[KENAT]

As others mention/hint at, define 'succeed' - or at least what it means to you.

What it takes to advance technically in a firm of X size may be slightly different from what it takes to advance in management in company of Y size, or what it takes to succeed as your own boss in the Z sector...

At a previous employer, working hard, showing initiative etc. was sufficient to put me well ahead. At my current employer, those same traits while impressing my immediate management, haven't really propelled me to the same extent.

Am I making millions doing high end design on the next fighter aircraft - no. Have I managed to live within a few minutes of where I work, not yet.

However, I make OK money, actually by most accounting I probably make pretty darn good money. My current job has good days and bad days, sometimes interesting & challenging, sometimes boring and frustrating.

However, when I compare my lot with many other folks in the world, or even the US or UK, I figure I'm doing OK.

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[lacajun]

Why do you think you may not get what you want in life from engineering?

Engineering, while not the easiest of professions, has given me more than I could dream of as a child. I have made good money over the years. I've had some interesting projects small and large. While the industries I've worked in haven't always been next to the customer, they've provided feedstocks or parts for the final product. Those products have made life better in many regards across many facets for a lot of people, which is ultimately a good thing and what we are supposed to be about.

I've learned a lot in school and on the job. I've been able to exercise my brain as much or as little as I desired. I've been pretty much setting my own schedule for the last 10 years. One employer paid for my master's in engineering. They also paid for my PE registration completely because they support professionalism and want employees to be committed to the profession of engineering.

I've met some wonderful people along the way, who have added immeasurably to my life. I hope to have added to theirs.

I've been able to travel, which I didn't dream of as a kid. It's given me a pretty good life.

I used to think I wanted to be a physicist but engineering courses were more logical to me. I love mathematics but wanted to know the application of math, which you get in engineering. Programming is OK but I know some who can't pull it all together like an engineer can. Engineering was home to me.

And as racookpe1978 wrote, it's best to have a plan for eternity. Heaven for me is through Christ and He is my ultimate boss. When days seem bleak in the profession, I think of what He has done for me and is doing for me. It's a great comfort!

 

[mauricestoker]

I've found much greater satisfaction in my career once I understood the principle of lowered expectations. It works for my wife-we're still married and she' still mowing the lawn and chopping fire wood, so I figured I would try it.

 

[moltenmetal]

Money doesn't matter much to me, but the respect it implies DOES matter a great deal. When I was paid a salary and uncompensated overtime was compelled from me in the name of "professionalism", I was deeply dissatisfied. But I didn't just grumble about it, I made a change. Now that I participate more fully in the value chain I help to create, I feel that my contribution is better respected than it once was. That's key, for me anyway.

Interesting work is also very important to me. All jobs involve drudgery, sacrifice and other unpleasantness to some degree, otherwise they'd be charging you admission rather than paying you. But some people LIVE there, in the land of drudgery or sacrifice, even as engineers, and that would bore the p*ss out of me. Again, grumbling does nothing- you need to change things if you're unsatisfied.

Engineering suits my aptitudes and interests very well. I have other interests and aspirations and I make sure that my job doesn't suck so much life and time from me that I have nothing left to give to those. Again, that was as a result of a deliberate change- workaholism is very easy to fall into for engineers, and hard but NOT impossible to recover from.

Am I successful? I think so, by fairly objective standards. Am I satisfied? That changes from day to day. I don't think you're growing unless you're at least a little dissatisfied. But what I am not is POWERLESS to change what dissatisfies me.

 

[bellx1]

Thanks for all the replies.

Lacajun - I'm extremely worried that I won't get what I want out of engineering which is a chance to live a comfortable life yet still be able to learn new things without extreme fear of consequence. More and more I've been getting the impression through these forums that engineers are demanding to produce working goods with ridiculous expectations, little respect and minimal pay. As MoltenMteal said I hope that I am respected for my work, given that I produce quality work, and treated fairly. I'm not expecting to make 7 digit salaries but I hope there's room for both my salary and my knowledge to grow without undue stress.

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[Twoballcane]

“I hope there's room for both my salary and my knowledge to grow without undue stress.”

I think I see your issue. Are you a risk taker, a person who makes a plan to advance your career and then puts it into action, and take on jobs or task out of your comfort zone? All of these take on a lot of stress. However, it comes with rewards if you advertise it correctly to upper management (i.e. the people who sign your promotion and bonus form). Have you even been trying to advance your career? There are many books and seminars on how to advance your career or even show you how to shine professionally in front of management. If you just sit in your cube hoping that others notice your work, you will surely be overlooked at the next ranking cycle. Things that worked for me were branding my skills so that I am the subject matter expert, asking for a recognition letter to be sent to my boss or department manger if I did a great job, and willing and eager to take on high profile jobs or tasks (red team level). Even trying to network up thru management so that they know who you are and what you do. You will have to give management a good reason to pay you six figures. If not, why would they?


Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
“Luck is where preparation meets opportunity”

 

[lacajun]

belix1, many engineers are cranky people and just whine a lot. For Pete's sake one EE here has "cranky" in his handle.

Sometimes I fall into the same trap. I apologize.

I think engineers are problem solvers of all types from human to technical. Consequently, we see the problems with people and often are powerless to help or improve the situations because we are not management. That is frustrating for people who like to solve problems and move on.

You will be able to live a comfortable life, learn, and apply that newfound knowledge without fear. My compensation has increased over my career as my responsibilities increased along with my knowledge.

I took risks to accomplish many things in my jobs but they were worth it. Granted, some of the pressure was self-inflicted because I am an advocate for change, i.e., needed change. Management seldom likes change even when its necessity stares them boldly in the face. Change often means expenditures, which they try to avoid. Would I change anything I tried? Not one thing. If anything, I should've shed what fear I had and tried more.

There are negative aspects of life and you should anticipate some negativity during your journey. Learn how to handle it through what you learn here. There are a lot of very intelligent and wise people here who have learned to navigate troubled waters successfully. Twoballcane provided some excellent guidance. Some of my greatest life lessons have emanated from hardships. It's the "iron sharpens iron" thing.

Fear feeds off of fear so don't get bogged down with it.

 

[ScottI2R]

Wow! Lacajun,
If you ever decide to leave the Engineering community, you may want to consider motivational speaking! STAR for you!

Scott

I really am a good egg, I'm just a little scrambled!