Working under a SE (structural)

[erik1938]

I have recently posted here, about a month ago about a new job at a structural company. Since then things have changed, but I am not too sure what the norm is for other EIT's just starting at a structural company, so I would like to throw aout a few questions:

How close do you work with the SE on projects?

As an EIT fresh out of school what does your boss expect from you, job performance wise?

I believe that my boss may not care too much about the structural eng work at this small company, because he is working on other projects(that may be more proffitable to him)and it seems that he trys to pawn off the structural work on me and I have little experience and he offers very little help. When I do finish a job it seems that he doesn't check it thoroughly enough in my opinion.

 

[UcfSE]

You work as close as the SE deems necessary or has time to provide.

Your boss expects you to be unexperienced and unknowledgeable (BS only), unless you claimed otherwise in your interview, and expects you to be willing to learn and pick up your slack.

You can ask him about it if you want to rock the boat some. Remember to be nice and polite and find a good way to approach instead of a negative one. Make sure to double up on how well you check yourself. That's a sorry way to learn engineering though. It's hard to gain self-confidence if you never know if you're doing it right. Sounds familiar, that's how I had to start, so it's not just you.

 

[Ashereng]

I am now "senior" engineer. Where did the time fly to?

I still double check my own work. I find it is harder to find my own mistakes than it is to find mistakes in others.

When I work with "inexperienced" colleagues under my charge, I check their work, since I am responsible for it. Depending on what I find the first time, I adjust the quantity of my checking up or down, as their quality, and my confidence guides me.

I try (and I am struggling with this) to give positive feedback whenever I remember, but like I said, it is easier to find the faults. I think your SE may be struggling with this too - he/she forgets to tell you that you are doing a good job.

I encourage people to ask me for my opinion - especially those reporting to me. It helps them, AND, it really helps me. It doesn't have to be formal. It can be just dropping in to my office, when I am getting coffee, before/after a meeting when cleaning up the room, etc. It also doesn't have to take long. A few minutes is often all it takes.

Oh, one last thing. I find that most people who worry about how well they are doing are usually doing well (because they are conscious of trying to do well)).