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KetTarma posted:Being unhappy with the idea of working more than 40 hours a week seems like engineering is a field where you will be frequently unhappy. I don't think the working hours get better as you increase in seniority. Many engineers work 40 hours a week but many also work 80 hours a week. As a DoD employee, soon I'll only have to work 32 hours a week!! Lucky me!! 
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Apr 2, 2013 00:25
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grover posted:I only work 40 hours a week. Exception that proves the rule. At my last job my boss actually chewed me out for "only" working ~45 hours/week. It was, in his words, "the bare minimum" and demonstrated that I "wasn't really committed to the company."  Of course, at my new job 45 hours is a lax week (I averaged at least 55 in March), but I don't mind since I enjoy the work and our overtime policy is pretty generous.
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Apr 2, 2013 00:52
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Apr 2, 2013 01:03
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I don't get overtime as part of my employment contract so I will do up to 10% additional hours in a week. Basically set your rules and stand by them. I've done the whole million hour weeks before for extended periods of time and suffered a complete loss of work/life balance and didn't get a cent extra for it. Whether you do 40 or 100 hours, make sure what you get out of it is fair for you and don't burn out like this guy did.
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Apr 2, 2013 01:41
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Common sense and knowing yourself are what you are looking for here. A buddy of mine is salaried with overtime in the Power industry so a lot of us oogle over his paycheck, but he gets pretty pissed because in his words "Yknow, ya the extra is ok, but I'd like to actually have a loving life." Then you have people who work the 60+ hr week because they just love the work, it turns em on. My rule for working more than 8 is that I stay until I feel like I accomplished what I wanted to that day, or have found a good break point. This usually ends up in 45-50 hr weeks and I never feel burnt out. I also haven't been part of many make or break deadlines so ymmv depending on the work you do. Edit: Also it almost sounds like you didn't get a real offer st all because he can still dump you "contingent on the current work you are doing", so I would almost say just accept it but still hit up other companies in case the guy is a skeeze. Likewise, working there will let you know what the boss and other engineer are like. In a 3 man operation I would say liking the other 2 guys is just as important as anything else. Crazyweasel fucked around with this message at 02:19 on Apr 2, 2013 |
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Apr 2, 2013 02:15
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Apr 2, 2013 02:37
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Why to never work in naval nuclear propulsion: I have worked 100 hour weeks for several months at a time in shipyards. I have worked 80 hours a week for a year straight. The last decade of my life averaged about 70 hours a week. ...and that's why I got into electrical engineering
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Apr 2, 2013 02:45
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Crazyweasel posted:Common sense and knowing yourself are what you are looking for here. A buddy of mine is salaried with overtime in the Power industry so a lot of us oogle over his paycheck, but he gets pretty pissed because in his words "Yknow, ya the extra is ok, but I'd like to actually have a loving life." Then you have people who work the 60+ hr week because they just love the work, it turns em on. The guy isn't a sleeze; the whole offer being contingent on other work sounds strange when I tell other people, but it's only because I knew how to do some really specific things he was looking to get done immediately. I could have just said I didn't want to and went forward normally, but if I don't take the job from him getting paid for this is nice. I guess the best bet is just to get a number out of him and figure out how it will break down hourly. That should make it pretty obvious if it is worth it to me. It's mainly the long rear end commute time that makes it an unappealing, if it was working 50+ hours in an office 2 minutes away that would somehow sound a lot better.
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Apr 2, 2013 22:28
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Do you have any other job prospects right now? If not, take the job, see how it goes and if it doesn't work out find something else. I took the first job I could get out of college. It didn't work out and after a year I bailed to another job. No big deal.
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Apr 3, 2013 03:05
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Apr 3, 2013 03:38
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I'm going to my uni's career center tomorrow. What kind of questions should I ask? I've been having trouble finding a job and understanding what kind of position I should be looking for.
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Apr 3, 2013 20:40
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Pollyanna posted:I'm going to my uni's career center tomorrow. What kind of questions should I ask? I've been having trouble finding a job and understanding what kind of position I should be looking for. Start with what qualifications you have & things you're interested in / hobbies, social interests etc. Your uni career centre should be there to help you figure out what kind of positions and industries you should be looking for. From there, basically request all the information about each industry you can. You'll probably have to go back and forth a bit in order to narrow things down, but it helps to have people give you ideas based on your personality, things you like and what you're qualified to do.
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Apr 3, 2013 21:59
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I'm thinking about going back to grad school for Computer Science. It would be part time and I would be able to adjust my work schedule to accommodate my classes. However, I routinely put in 50-60 hour weeks (70+ when poo poo gets real) so I'm hesitant to add classes into the mix unless it's worth it. I'm fortunate enough to work in a research lab doing what I want to do. The graduate degree is purely to pad the resume, and I'd only considering it because I could possibly get it all paid for by my company. My questions: Anyone here regret going to grad school? What's the consensus on a Master's without a thesis? What about a Master's without a thesis via distance learning? I think I could handle coursework part time if I didn't have to worry about a thesis and I'd graduate sooner. I'd have more choices in schools via distance learning with the non-thesis option, but I'm not sure I'd want to take online courses if I didn't have to. I have no desire to get a PhD. When I ask my coworkers for advice (mostly PhDs), I get horror stories about advisers, lack of sleep, stress, postdocs, etc. But then they tell me they don't regret anything and they strongly suggest going for the Master's with thesis option. I think I work with a bunch of masochists.
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Apr 4, 2013 11:12
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Pollyanna posted:I'm going to my uni's career center tomorrow. What kind of questions should I ask? I've been having trouble finding a job and understanding what kind of position I should be looking for. This might be too late but you are just looking for entry-level engineering positions in the bio/medical/life sciences industries. Make sure to ask about on-campus interviews etc.
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Apr 4, 2013 16:03
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I've had the occasional 60 hour week, but they're incredibly rare. I usually average 40 or just over. Ill happily stay late if I've got a deadline to hit, but realistically I'm salaried with no benefits for working overtime and our company is staffed such that I don't normally need to stay late to get everything I need to get done. I've done travel on the weekends, worked weekends to get a system out the door, etc, but that's the exception rather than the rule.
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Apr 4, 2013 16:21
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henn and potion posted:I'm thinking about going back to grad school for Computer Science. It would be part time and I would be able to adjust my work schedule to accommodate my classes. However, I routinely put in 50-60 hour weeks (70+ when poo poo gets real) so I'm hesitant to add classes into the mix unless it's worth it. I'm fortunate enough to work in a research lab doing what I want to do. The graduate degree is purely to pad the resume, and I'd only considering it because I could possibly get it all paid for by my company. Check out the grad school thread in business and finance for sure. I know tons of people who got an engineering masters degree and highly recommend it (and I'm one of them!) but CS is different enough that I can't say it's the same for sure. Grad school is great though, getting paid to get a degree is very nice.
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Apr 4, 2013 16:23
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henn and potion posted:I'm thinking about going back to grad school for Computer Science. It would be part time and I would be able to adjust my work schedule to accommodate my classes. However, I routinely put in 50-60 hour weeks (70+ when poo poo gets real) so I'm hesitant to add classes into the mix unless it's worth it. I'm fortunate enough to work in a research lab doing what I want to do. The graduate degree is purely to pad the resume, and I'd only considering it because I could possibly get it all paid for by my company. I got my MS in CS while working full-time at a software company doing QA. I don't regret getting the master's - it led to a promotion into a SDET role and a lot more money. I also feel like it opens up more avenues for lateral career moves in case I ever get laid off - my linked in exploded when I listed my MS (my undergrad was in philosophy.) I was able to handle three classes at once and 60 hour weeks at work, but I barely survived and wouldn't recommend that for anyone. Regarding thesis versus non-thesis master's, having a thesis is more "prestigious" and may help you get into a phD program, but the companies I was trying to impress (Apple, Microsoft, Google) didn't seem to care that I didn't do a thesis (you should have a project or something you can talk about in the interview.) I've never seen anyone with a MS in CS from distance learning. I went to a not-very-well-known local school not famous for its research and I suppose it'd probably be on the same level.
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Apr 5, 2013 03:59
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Apr 5, 2013 15:01
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The problem with distance learning and not doing a thesis for grad school is that you miss out on the networking aspect that comes with being attached to a lab. My main advisor knew basically everyone in the area doing stuff I'm interested in, often at a very high level. I just got what is basically my dream job and the fact that the founders knew my advisors personally helped a ton. Then again that doesn't really apply if you aren't planning for a career change soon. 5 years down the road it won't matter.
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Apr 5, 2013 16:23
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Apr 5, 2013 16:45
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Crosspost from the LinkedIn thread: I spoke to that recruiter I mentioned earlier. He came across my resume I assume on LinkedIn, and thought I qualified for the job since I had experience with CT machines and technology and also mentioned having some experience in programming/software development. Plus, the company is looking for recent grads according to him. The client is apparently a subsidiary of Samsung, so it's not a total unknown. I do have experience with CT and similar technology - I had an internship in the medical physics department at Mayo Clinic, and some work at UMass - and the position "requires candidate's input in all facets of software development: requirements, design, implementation, verification, and release." That said, I graduated as a BME BS - that's a plus on the medical device side, but I feel lacking in the software development/electrical engineering department. The company wants someone with experience with medical device software, writing assembly instructions, writing GPU algorithms, and electrical hardware. He did mention they'd be willing to train me on the job, though I'm not sure to what extent. They are looking for a contract-to-hire position, I don't know if that's a problem - is it? I feel like the position is slightly more geared towards people with a CS or EE background, but if he thinks I qualify, I might as well apply for it, right?  I really wanted to know why he thought I was a good fit for the position, and I understand why he would. I would like to know other people's opinion on this, though.
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Apr 5, 2013 16:57
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It never hurts to apply, particularly if someone, headhunter or not, thinks you may be qualified. You can always turn a position down.
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Apr 5, 2013 17:52
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Pollyanna posted:Crosspost from the LinkedIn thread: You've been posting in this thread for awhile now and I think me and a few others have been posting the same advice; if you're interested in the position, go in confident, be cognizant of your weaknesses, and regarding your weaknesses: I'd use your personal time to train yourself up on these skills you keep complaining about "not having"; tons of resources on the Internet about programming. I'm pretty sure CUDA and OpenCL have Python bindings now, so you don't even have to fight C/C++ if you don't like. EE-wise, we have a great thread here that'll get you started, and though I'm loathe to say it, there's this little thing called Arduino that a solid few weekends of projects will familiarize you with basic EE and basic embedded systems.
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Apr 5, 2013 18:10
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In all seriousness, you could pick up a few books on those subjects from the library today and have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of assembly/C within a week. Alternatively, learn python. Understanding any single programming language means that you can learn any other language with far less difficulty than someone that knows no languages. My schooling doesn't require any IT knowledge to graduate but that doesn't mean that I'm not studying it in my free time just in case a network engineer job shows itself. I have no idea what I'm going to be doing 3 years from now so I'm preparing for any eventuality. If nothing else, it's better than playing WoW.
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Apr 5, 2013 19:48
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Pollyanna posted:Crosspost from the LinkedIn thread: Just go with it. I was a philosophy major when I started working on medical device software and I haven't killed anyone yet! (You'll learn way more on the job.)
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Apr 5, 2013 20:53
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Apr 5, 2013 21:27
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What is the difference between Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Engineering? I've been looking for potential universities and I've noticed that some offer courses as BSc and others as BEng.
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Apr 14, 2013 13:06
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Frankston posted:What is the difference between Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Engineering? I've been looking for potential universities and I've noticed that some offer courses as BSc and others as BEng. grover fucked around with this message at 14:07 on Apr 14, 2013 |
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Apr 14, 2013 14:04
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Frankston posted:What is the difference between Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Engineering? I've been looking for potential universities and I've noticed that some offer courses as BSc and others as BEng. I have a BE! Honestly I think the big difference is it's just where you went to school, ostensibly the BE is more focused on engineering specific applications of stuff, but I think it's just dressing. I'm also American and I went to an American school.
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Apr 14, 2013 14:24
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Frankston posted:What is the difference between Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Engineering? I've been looking for potential universities and I've noticed that some offer courses as BSc and others as BEng. I have a BE as well. I talked to our department chair once about it, and apparently BS requires a certain number of lab courses (at least in my state). Because of all the engineering course requirements my major had already, they dropped several of the required labs for a BS and had to call the degrees BE.
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Apr 14, 2013 14:27
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Apr 14, 2013 16:16
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The school can call their degree whatever they want. As long as the program is ABET certified, you're good to go.
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Apr 14, 2013 17:48
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Thoguh posted:I can't speak for undergrad. But when I did my Masters the difference between an MEngr and an MS was whether you did a thesis. To add to this, usually a master of engineering is unfunded and you (or your employer) pays for it, while a master of science lets you have a GRA or GTA position that pays for school and has a stipend.
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Apr 14, 2013 17:54
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henn and potion posted:I'm thinking about going back to grad school for Computer Science. It would be part time and I would be able to adjust my work schedule to accommodate my classes. However, I routinely put in 50-60 hour weeks (70+ when poo poo gets real) so I'm hesitant to add classes into the mix unless it's worth it. I'm fortunate enough to work in a research lab doing what I want to do. The graduate degree is purely to pad the resume, and I'd only considering it because I could possibly get it all paid for by my company. 1. I'm glad I went to grad school, it got me a masters in engineering and now I have a higher salary because of it. I don 't recommend going directly after your undergrad though, you should work for a few years first if you can. This will be much better for you longterm. 2. I did a masters without a thesis. A masters level thesis is pointless unless you plan on dping a PhD. No one actually care about them. 3. It doesn't matter if it is distance learning so long as the school and program are decent and it's accredited. quote:I think I could handle coursework part time if I didn't have to worry about a thesis and I'd graduate sooner. I'd have more choices in schools via distance learning with the non-thesis option, but I'm not sure I'd want to take online courses if I didn't have to. I have no desire to get a PhD. I honestly wouldn't listen to them. I wouldn't a thesis for aasters unless you plan on doing a PhD.
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Apr 15, 2013 15:37
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Thoguh posted:I can't speak for undergrad. But when I did my Masters the difference between an MEngr and an MS was whether you did a thesis. My masters was non-thesis but it was an MS so  . I think it's different for every school.
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Apr 15, 2013 15:46
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grover posted:I've never heard of "Bachelor of Engineering." Is that a European thing? Bachelor of Science degree in engineering is typically a 4-year program in the US and qualifies graduates to become licensed professional engineers. It's not to be confused with degrees in "engineering technology" whose graduates are generally considered technicians, not engineers. It only qualifies you to take the FE there are additional requirements to get a PE.
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Apr 15, 2013 17:25
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Lord Gaga posted:It only qualifies you to take the FE there are additional requirements to get a PE.
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Apr 15, 2013 23:18
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How possible/useful would it be to do a Master's/PhD in Industrial Engineering/Operations Research after an undergrad in Mechanical? I was pretty good at math and mathematical modelling and want to look into that further.
Isentropy fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Apr 19, 2013 |
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Apr 19, 2013 01:13
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:13 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Apr 19, 2013 01:18
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Thoguh posted:What are you wanting to do with it? I could see that being pretty viable for a manufacturing engineer. Well, I was thinking of working in the energy industry as an operations research analyst. You can also tell me whether that is a crazy idea.
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Apr 19, 2013 01:34
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