|
Daviclond posted:Anyone got experience of migrating abroad in engineering? How hard was it? In a very general sense, upstream means oil fields, which means you're in Texas or Alaska, or the upper midwest (like North Dakota, or even Canada). There's also the gulf coast if you want more of your traditional oil platforms at sea kind of thing. If you could somehow transition to downstream, then all the coasts open up to you as that's where the refineries are. Out of Texas, Alaska, and North Dakota (in the US), Texas is probably the most like what you seem to be looking for. Frinkahedron fucked around with this message at 12:17 on Aug 12, 2014 |
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 12:10
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 14:24 |
|
|
If you don't want to be where the oil/gas comes out of the ground then engineering contractors/consultants are your best bet. My experience is upstream and I move to Switzerland next month, so you definitely don't need to be next to the well.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 12:28
|
|
|
Sorry I should have specified, I'm currently working for a contractor in an office-based design role, though I have a fair bit of experience spent offshore on rigs commissioning new equipment due to projects that have come up. So I'm not looking necessarily to be where the wells are, just wherever the hubs are for companies that support the industry. Working for an operator in a more hands-on role would be really cool but I'm more keen to make the geographical move than the contractor > operator transition. Frinkahedron posted:If you could somehow transition to downstream, then all the coasts open up to you as that's where the refineries are. While I hear downstream and petrochem are very interesting to be in compared to the relatively simpler upstream processing, refineries in the UK are taking an absolute beating and struggling to compete so I don't anticipate a move any time soon. The money is also noticeably worse. BigFatFlyingBloke posted:My experience is upstream and I move to Switzerland next month, so you definitely don't need to be next to the well. Cool!  Are you moving within your current company or joining a new one?
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 13:04
|
|
|
Daviclond posted:While I hear downstream and petrochem are very interesting to be in compared to the relatively simpler upstream processing, refineries in the UK are taking an absolute beating and struggling to compete so I don't anticipate a move any time soon. The money is also noticeably worse. For sure. They are taking a battering from US refineries at the moment and are pretty much in a race to see who will be the last man standing. quote:Cool! Moving within my current company, which was easier.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 14:13
|
|
|
I'm an EE looking to eventually parlay my experience into an environmental/energy research role. As I work in the environmental division of a civil consulting firm, I think I'm already in the right direction; would it be worthwhile for me to pursue a Masters in Environmental Planning and Management, or am I better off career-wise going for something less managerial in nature (straight EE or Power Engineering)?
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 14:17
|
|
|
I would say straight theory is better for your chances of success doing research, but there is so much politics involved in research I wouldn't discount an actual MBA management track as a way to end up working in the area you want as a project manager. The downside is you probably won't actually be working, you'll be facilitating. Which if you've ever had a good manager means all the world to actually getting things done on a project, but it's not super satisfying. Re: Best field I'd say ME is so varied it almost is an "I'm not dumb" card more than anything. Sure I'd love to be designing tooling and flows, but that poo poo takes place at the plant level, which does not take place where I am. My path ended up in controls, which in some ways makes me wish for more practical CS experience with compiling *NIX stuff, dealing with Windows AD, and ethernet architecture. At the same time, as an ME, I was trained in flows and materials and physical things my non-ME co-workers don't intuit and can lead me to the root of a controls issue faster. It balances out, I'm not saying I'm super-engineer because I did well in ME, but I feel like I have an advantage even outside my specialty of traditional Mechanical things like Statics/Dynamics or fluids.
|
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 15:06
|
|
|
Daviclond posted:Sorry I should have specified, I'm currently working for a contractor in an office-based design role, though I have a fair bit of experience spent offshore on rigs commissioning new equipment due to projects that have come up. So I'm not looking necessarily to be where the wells are, just wherever the hubs are for companies that support the industry. Apart from what's been mentioned, Denver and Oklahoma City are another couple of metro hubs people sometimes forget about. Also, there's engineering jobs outside of oil and gas proper. Plenty of banks have engineers in Houston working for their energy investing groups. This kind of work is more focused on economic evaluations than the direct technical design work you mentioned though. metasynthetic fucked around with this message at 22:02 on Aug 12, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 12, 2014 21:55
|
|
|
It looks like I have less than two weeks until I have to make the journey to the UP and Michigan Tech for civil engineering. Is this going to be fun?
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2014 17:11
|
|
|
Eskaton posted:It looks like I have less than two weeks until I have to make the journey to the UP and Michigan Tech for civil engineering. Is this going to be fun? Since I went to school there, hell yes. I would move back in a snap if you could make money up there. Great program, awesome job fairs, good professors. I hope you like winter and skiing or snowboarding! Don't forget about the Mt Bohemia $99 one day season pass sale. That place is awesome. Mountain biking is amazing until it snows too. Basically it is a great outdoor time. Classes are generally pretty tough but not too big in size. You are making a great choice if you can handle the cold and winter. Also there is plenty of drinking just don't expect any parties really from Sunday night through Thursday night. Too much school work. It has been 6 years since I left but if you have any questions about the area let me know. Glad to help out. Do you know what you want to do in civil?
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2014 18:04
|
|
|
spwrozek posted:Since I went to school there, hell yes. I would move back in a snap if you could make money up there. Great program, awesome job fairs, good professors. Thanks. I've never done any skiing or snowboarding, but I love snowmobiling. Winter is good. quote:Do you know what you want to do in civil? I was thinking transportation, but I really liked the structural professor I met when I visited (Bulleit). I also heard the job market for them is really tough, though.
|
|
#
?
Aug 13, 2014 21:17
|
|
|
So I am 3+ months out of school with nothing to show but four phone interviews and one follow up video interview. Things are looking especially grim with ~30k of debt about to hit in three months. I've been applying every where, and to any position that requires an engineering degree. This includes field engineering positions in the middle of no where. Breaking in as a ChE seems nearly impossible, and I am sure as time goes by that my chances of finding a job are only decreasing. My location(south Florida) has little to no industry so even getting a non-engineering position in a company that hires engineers is nearly impossible. Goons is there anything left for me to try, or is this the end of the road for me?
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 17:28
|
|
|
Eskaton posted:Thanks. I've never done any skiing or snowboarding, but I love snowmobiling. Winter is good. I did structural. The professors are great. One guy retired but his replacement is really good. I found transportation boring. No one can predict the market in 4 years though. Just do what you like and are good at. The job fair up there will give you a real advantage. Go every time. Take a resume and just talk to companies. No one will hire you your freshman year but great experience and who knows what will happen.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 17:53
|
|
|
Xeom posted:So I am 3+ months out of school with nothing to show but four phone interviews and one follow up video interview. Things are looking especially grim with ~30k of debt about to hit in three months. I've been applying every where, and to any position that requires an engineering degree. This includes field engineering positions in the middle of no where. Breaking in as a ChE seems nearly impossible, and I am sure as time goes by that my chances of finding a job are only decreasing. I was unemployed for about 9 months after graduating with a ms degree in materials science with only summer research experiences. When I was at the 3 month period that probably would sound terrible that I might be unemployed for another 6 months. There is no end of the line, and no way to give up. You have to get a engineering job eventually. I put myself under a lot of stress and it is not worth it. Think about your 40 year career ahead of you, with this being the difficult first step. With your debt this may mean getting a job doing anything while continuing to search for that first engineering job. I know a chemical engineer that literally had a job at a gas station before landing a position. Is there a fall career fair coming up? I eventually got a job from hundreds of online postings aka throwing paper into a void but felt the interviews at the career fair were much easier. Standard questions: are you tailoring your resume and cover letter for each position? Have you posted to your linkedin network that you are looking for opportunities? My only other thought is consider preparing seriously for the fundamentals of engineering exam. It provides a good answer for when interviewers ask you what you have been doing and will likely improve your application.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:10
|
|
|
Hollis Brown posted:My only other thought is consider preparing seriously for the fundamentals of engineering exam. It provides a good answer for when interviewers ask you what you have been doing and will likely improve your application. This is good advice. Although it always confuses my when people did not take the exam during the last year of school.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 18:30
|
|
|
My department didn't really encourage people to take the FE, in fact I remember being told that it was kind of pointless unless I wanted to start my own consulting firm some day.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 19:20
|
|
|
Hollis Brown posted:I was unemployed for about 9 months after graduating with a ms degree in materials science with only summer research experiences. When I was at the 3 month period that probably would sound terrible that I might be unemployed for another 6 months. Its hard to keep the faith man. Being unemployed and living with my mother again has really crushed my spirit. I have been studying for the FE exam, and I am registered to take it next Friday. Currently I tell interviewers I've been studying for the FE exam and teaching myself to program C++. I am hoping to attend the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers career fair later in November. My school also has a career fair in September, but it is fairly terrible so I am not sure I want to make the 9 hour drive for it. My LinkedIn network is fairly small, and I've yet to hear about someone getting an engineering job from LinkedIn. Unless its from a recruiter and they are local. I don't tailor my resume or cover letter.There is nothing to really tailor on my resume it already has all my major projects worth mentioning. I could put more of a customized touch on my cover letter. Noctone posted:My department didn't really encourage people to take the FE, in fact I remember being told that it was kind of pointless unless I wanted to start my own consulting firm some day.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 20:05
|
|
|
spwrozek posted:I did structural. The professors are great. One guy retired but his replacement is really good. I found transportation boring. What did you think was boring about transportation? I'm only feeling it because of Simcity and I like that thread in A/T. Also, how good is a resume if I don't have any work experience or engineer projects at all? I don't want to be laughed at if all I've got on it is my high school (And maybe family farm work if you want to stretch it). I'd love to dress up and check out the fair anyways, though. I also already have a LinkedIn profile set up.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2014 21:34
|
|
|
Xeom posted:So I am 3+ months out of school with nothing to show but four phone interviews and one follow up video interview. Things are looking especially grim with ~30k of debt about to hit in three months. I've been applying every where, and to any position that requires an engineering degree. This includes field engineering positions in the middle of no where. Breaking in as a ChE seems nearly impossible, and I am sure as time goes by that my chances of finding a job are only decreasing. Are you restricting yourself to south Florida only? If you are, just check how many job postings there are, for example, on the west coast.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2014 00:00
|
|
|
Xeom posted:So I am 3+ months out of school with nothing to show but four phone interviews and one follow up video interview. Things are looking especially grim with ~30k of debt about to hit in three months. I've been applying every where, and to any position that requires an engineering degree. This includes field engineering positions in the middle of no where. Breaking in as a ChE seems nearly impossible, and I am sure as time goes by that my chances of finding a job are only decreasing. Don't lose hope. 3+ months is nothing, particularly now. Try not to restrict yourself engineering - there are plenty of areas where an engineering degree is highly valued, you'll still get to use what you learned, and you get paid about the same. I graduated last May in AeroE with a sub 3.0 gpa, and after almost a year with only a couple interviews I ended up having to take a QA position at a server company. A few months later, I hear back from a USAJOBs posting that I hardly remembered applying for, and now I'm working as an operations research analyst. No, it's not necessarily *hard engineering*, and it's not aero, but people I work with have engineering degrees, management has engineering degrees, I get to use what I learned, and I can see a career path. Try putting yourself out there for things that look for people with math backgrounds, but that are in applied areas where knowing how things physically (or chemically!) fit together is important. Getting that first job is the important part. If you wind up out of ChemE, you can always try to get back in if (read: when) you go to grad school.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2014 02:06
|
|
|
I am applying to engineering positions across the nation. Yea the thing is finding some kind of job like that. I can't even think of such a position in south Florida. South Florida seems to be completely based on medical/tourism. Not to mention its a terrible place to work/live, terrible wages and high cost of living. Wishing I could relocate to Houston.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2014 05:40
|
|
|
Eskaton posted:What did you think was boring about transportation? I'm only feeling it because of Simcity and I like that thread in A/T. I just thought all the equations were easy and it was not challenging. Granted I design power lines now, which are big easy linear projects. But graduating in 2008 wasn't really a prime time to get into building design. You might love transportation though. The nice thing is tech will make you fake in them all and you can figure it out. Go to the fair though for sure, meet some people, get some cards, add them on linked in, it will prepare you for the two deal when you land the internship next year (or the year after).
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2014 05:56
|
|
|
I have a friend who's had a few run ins with the law. He has a PHD in a hard science, but was hit with a dui a few years ago, and another a few days ago. His first DUI was tossed out by the judge because he passed the field sobriety test and it was his first offense. His second one he blew a .016 and was going to be let go but he got so stressed out he fainted so the cop gave him a dui for medical problems, again not convicted. So basically he has 2 arrests on his record but that's it, no convictions or expungements or anything. How screwed would he be in getting a job as an engineer?
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2014 20:39
|
|
|
How good is he at engineering?
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2014 20:58
|
|
|
If a job requires him to be a company driver, he's in a bad position
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2014 21:07
|
|
|
Hed posted:How good is he at engineering? I assume good? He's a physics major but got his phd in an engineering lab. He applied to jobs after the first arrest and the background checks just showed the arrest record (since he wasn't ever convicted) but he ended up doing a post doc instead. With this second one I think he's freaking out pretty bad since he wants to move into industry and out of academia.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2014 21:18
|
|
|
.
Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:17 on Aug 10, 2023 |
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2014 21:20
|
|
|
Thoguh posted:If he got pulled over and asked to blow at a 0.016 and passed out from the stress I'm guess there is some stuff you're leaving out of this story that could impact his employment prospects. No drugs or anything, I think he has some blood pressure issues and that together with him thinking he was about to have his whole life hosed away over one beer was too much. He had stopped drinking almost completely after the first one and was out at a going away for another grad student. Hence why I'm posting here (didn't see a more appropriate thread), trying to help the dude see if he'll be able to get a decent job commensurate to his education (phd with post doc experience). -edit- He was pulled over for a dead headlight, he lives in a college town on the east coast and with school starting up again dui tests are pretty frequent. Not saying he's not an idiot, but what's done is done. JacksLibido fucked around with this message at 21:37 on Aug 22, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2014 21:35
|
|
|
Back in 2007 my buddy got a DUI during his final year and still got a job with Wisconsin DOT despite that. So it probably just depends on what the job is and who it is with.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2014 22:39
|
|
|
spwrozek posted:Back in 2007 my buddy got a DUI during his final year and still got a job with Wisconsin DOT despite that. spwrozek posted:Back in 2007 my buddy got a DUI during his final year and still got a job with Wisconsin DOT despite that. Thanks! I don't mean to derail the thread on a dui/legal bend, was just looking for experience with he reps and background checks from people with arrest records but not criminal records.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2014 22:53
|
|
|
Maybe he should try for a government engineering job, or something else low stress cause if he goes down after blowing a 0.016 due to stress then he's going to be on the floor more often than not during a product dev cycle.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 00:40
|
|
|
spwrozek posted:Back in 2007 my buddy got a DUI during his final year and still got a job with Wisconsin DOT despite that. To be fair, if Wisconsin stopped people from DUIs working, the whole state would be unemployed.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 05:00
|
|
|
While we're sort of on the subject, I have a question. I'm kinda waffling between going into the automotive industry as a ME, or doing Aerospace. I'm in central Florida so the biggest prospect for the latter would be LockMart. Years ago (2008) I was arrested on a paraphenalia charge (had a dirty pipe in my pocket). However, for a short time it was bumped up to some random felony charge ("Posession of drug manufacturing equipment with possible intent to transport and/or sell" or something along those lines). It was a bullshit charge; a quick call to the county clerk and it was immediately reverted to the misdemeanor para charge, and I ended up doing pretrial diversion to get that charge dropped. However, the result of the bogus felony charge is that as far as I know, I know have a felony arrest on my record, albeit from a long time ago. I'm aiming to graduate around spring 2017, possibly later. How badly would that mark on my record affect my ability to get a job or, if needed, a security clearance? My gut tells me I'm worrying over nothing, but I figure I should ask. Just as a disclaimer, I haven't touched any illegal drugs since the arrest, so this is purely in regards to the past stuff.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 06:07
|
|
|
Do criminal records usually come up in engineering job interviews? I could see them being important if you're applying to Lockheed Martin or companies like that but engineering on the whole? There just seems to be a lot of unwarranted concern on this page.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 12:16
|
|
|
As long as you were totally honest about it and provided all documentation, you should be fine for security clearance screening. If you try to hide something or act as though you are non-reformed, you will probably not be fine.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 12:19
|
|
|
.
Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:26 on Aug 10, 2023 |
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 14:05
|
|
|
Thoguh's advice is good as always (this is good just general advice regardless). My question of how good is he is exactly that though--as an interviewer if he has good talent and comes across as smart and skilled, then it's easy to overlook incidents like that. Exactly as was said--HR will use it as a screen more than anyone who is actually doing a technical fit or team fit interview.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 14:48
|
|
|
Yeah where I am at HR takes care of that and the normal interviewers are kept completely isolated from that info. I guess its a risk reduction thing so people who don't do interviews a lot don't say something stupid due to that knowledge. VVVV What is your focus? As an EE, I almost never touch AutoCAD. PCB layout programs and chip layout programs, yes. If I do need to make something mechanical I use Solidworks. Not saying you'll never use it, but its a bear to work with. Also, if you make a PCB layout entirely in AutoCAD, gently caress you. Uncle Jam fucked around with this message at 22:13 on Aug 23, 2014 |
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 16:30
|
|
|
What's the best way to teach yourself AutoCAD? I'm in an Electrical Engineering Program right now, but AutoCAD isn't going to be covered for awhile still, and I want to learn it early.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 20:47
|
|
|
Just get a copy of AutoCAD and go through whatever tutorials you can find. There's plenty of books, I don't know if anyone is better than any other. You only ever use 10% of AutoCADs features but WHAT 10% changes depending on what job you have. Unless you're asking about how to learn proper drafting standards in general which is also a very good subject to learn, but one I'm not really qualified to explain.
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2014 22:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 14:24 |
|
|
The Hitchhiker's Guide to AutoCAD Basics in the application help files is a good introduction to the basic editing and navigation commands that you'll spend the most time using.
|
|
#
?
Aug 24, 2014 01:39
|
|
