Would like some guidance

[Patassa]

I'm a mechanical engineer at an EPC firm doing most project engineering (documentation, specifying equipment, checking vendor packages for technical acceptance, etc) with 4 years in plant maintenance/some reliability and about 1.5 years in the EPC world. I'm at a bit of a crossroads and need some help cutting the fog.

My current boss is the GM of this firm and has been explicit with me that he very likely will be taking VP position at another firm soon and wants to take me with him. His goal is to get me into a project manager role very quickly after obtaining my PE. My guess is within 1-2 years I'd be managing small to medium capital projects if I stick with him. That is one option and the main appeal here is quickly jumping up in compensation and having a boss that trusts me, believes in me, and wants me to climb up the ladder with him.

Another option is to move across the parking lot to another firm and do more technical things that I haven't gotten experience with such as pipe stress and vessel design, while also being the project engineer on small projects. The PMs at this firm are all older and well rooted so I wouldn't be a PM here any time in the near future. The appeal of this job is getting some of the technical pieces that I feel I'm lacking.(and slightly insecure about, I can't really explain the insecurity other than to say that I don't like not knowing about things within my discipline)

A third option is to return to a production plant environment for a large corp like Shell or BASF and return to that very slow but steady career track. The shell role would be more reliability based where the BASF role would be more of a strategic role that opens the door to other positions in the company. The appeal here is the retirement benefits, very steady work, and training budget for certs and continuing education.

I honestly have no clue what I really enjoy doing in engineering, compensation is a big factor for me but so is personal development. Anyone have any guidance or wisdom roughly 5 years into my career?

 

[KENAT]

I honestly have no clue what I really enjoy doing in engineering

I'm afraid that is the crux of the issue, and only you can determine that.

I'll be frank and say I have a low opinion of project managers & the like that don't have a decent level of experience and technical competency - even if a bit rusty. A project manager should know enough to understand what he's being told - or at least be able to tell who is technically competent and should be listened to. I avoided going this route deliberately, I suppose due to my philosophical concerns about doing so. If you don't share that philosophy then my advice won't be for you.

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[Patassa]

@KENAT

I share some of those feelings about PMs also. I'm clearly torn between feeling like I need to get down in the trenches and do that stuff myself for a few years vs. learning about them from people who are doing it along the way up. I don't want to take a step backwards career wise if I don't need to. But anyways, yeah you avoided that path and that is an option for me as well. Thanks.

 

[IRstuff]

The other issue, of course, is whether you'll honestly know whether you'll like PM at all. PM is for those that don't particularly care about chaos and indeterminancy.

TTFN
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[Patassa]

@IRstuff,

That is an issue but I'm going to have that issue no matter which direction I go at this point. The only thing I can say for sure is that I didn't find maintenance at a refinery particularly interesting because I've had enough experience with that to have made up my mind.

 

[Panther140]

How sure are you that your GM is legitimately inviting you on a grand career adventure? How many other people has he asked? Does he usually talk softly and carry a big stick, or the other way around? His character and other factors here need to be analyzed. How stable is that other firm? Retention rates? Hiring trends? Average age of PM there? Growth rates? ROI trends for the firm? Publicly traded or privately held? (that last one is extremely important)

I have this ideal view of engineers early in their career getting as much technical experience as they can. However, there is almost never a universally optimal path through matters like this.



"Formal education is a weapon, whose effect depends on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed." ~ Joseph Stalin

 

[Patassa]

I wanted to thank everyone that replied. I thought long and hard about the responses and I wanted to give an update for anyone that spent the time to reply or who might be browsing and read this thread.

My boss resigned and took his VP position at another design firm. I did not follow him there. The same day that he handed in his resignation, I was offered another job.

I have been offered and accepted a small projects role at the best refinery on the gulf coast (in my and other's opinion) where I'll be able to grow technically and professionally. I basically avoided the fast track into project management because I think long term this will be better for me and my career. The company has an incredibly generous benefits package and I'm thrilled to join their team. A company that I can truly be proud to work for. I'll be allowed to go as far technically as I'm capable or care to go with 3 supervisors there to give technical guidance, mentorship, and education. The company regularly has in house ASME and other training courses to develop their project engineers. I couldn't be more thrilled with the opportunity and have no doubt this was the correct direction for me to go.

 

[MatthewJWillis]

"Good judgment comes from experience. Experience, from bad judgment." (Old proverb...)

Good choice.

R/
Matt

 

[SNORGY]

Patassa,

Well done. Happy for you!

 

[Ron]

I'll be frank and say I have a low opinion of project managers & the like that don't have a decent level of experience and technical competency - even if a bit rusty. A project manager should know enough to understand what he's being told - or at least be able to tell who is technically competent and should be listened to. I avoided going this route deliberately, I suppose due to my philosophical concerns about doing so. If you don't share that philosophy then my advice won't be for you.

...well said! Agree completely.

 

[KENAT]

Congrats Patassa.

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[Patassa]

Thank you @Kenat

Your comment rang true to my own feelings on the matter and I knew that ultimatly I should follow those.