|
Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll go ahead and become more involved. I'll do some ASME volunteering gigs, work more in my robotics club, and just try harder overall. It's REALLY comforting knowing that someone else turned out fine even though their GPA wasn't the best. I want to do robotic Research and Development kind of stuff, but from what I read in this thread so far is that you really need a PHd or at the very least a masters for that. I'm an "idea person". Guess I'll shoot for those.
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2014 03:50
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 17, 2024 10:20 |
|
|
I needed a 3.3 just to enter engineering my junior year so a 2.8 is going to look bad for some people.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2014 13:44
|
|
|
Hello again, engineering thread. Today I have weaselled my way into writing some requirements for a process for handling changes to our test flow. What I would like to ask is what are your best starting questions/approaches when beginning a new requirements doc? Any other advice for technical writing is very welcome too.
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2014 03:11
|
|
|
"What requirements did we forget to consider for the last project?"
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2014 07:58
|
|
|
BumbleChump posted:Thanks for the replies everyone. Was in the same boat coming out of college 2 years ago. Luckily I had some intern experience thanks to an awesome TA I had in my embedded electronics class, he hooked me up with a small engineering company he worked at. Definitely try to get internships, they give you a major leg up and valuable experience. I worked at a small ~10 people contract engineering firm with only 1 electrical and 1 software engineer and then me doing a mix of both. It was awesome and I got to take on some cool projects mostly by myself because of how small we where. I cannot stress enough what it means to make connections with teacher and TAs they can give you invaluable recommendations if you just show some enthusiasm and are not cripplingly anti social. I just moved cities this summer and subsequently found myself job searching with only 1.5 years work experience post gradution I was very nervous I was going to be railroaded with limited experience and a low GPA. I only had 1 place ask me about my college GPA, after a preliminery interview in which they expressed a lot of interest in doing an in person interview. They called me back the next day to follow up as they forgot to ask about my GPA. I told them and I never heard back (hah). Oh well, I see it as there loss if they want to still hold fast to GPA cutoffs. I landed at a job at an amazing company with some really cool people and I'm not even concerned with my college grades at this point going forward. Just land that first job after school and you'll be set. Work a few years and no one will give 2 shits because it really doesn't matter. Unless of course you are going to grad school but that can be managed.
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2014 20:53
|
|
|
What's seen as better internship experience: ones at smaller companies or larger companies? I've been working at my present internship (ChemE) for the past six months at a company of about 40 people, and I feel like I'm just doing technician level work, instead of getting the experience companies are actually looking for. The people are nice and the schedule is flexible during the year, but I just feel like a larger company might be better equipped to give projects you can actually learn from (The entire point of my major seems to be process scaling and a small company really can't do that), and would pay better to boot.
|
|
#
?
Oct 26, 2014 23:12
|
|
|
motoh posted:Hello again, engineering thread. Today I have weaselled my way into writing some requirements for a process for handling changes to our test flow. Find the company template for this type of thing. Then get really irritated because a bunch of the standard language is inherently awful and poorly thought out but you aren't supposed to change that part of the document.
|
|
#
?
Oct 27, 2014 00:13
|
|
|
Shipon posted:What's seen as better internship experience: ones at smaller companies or larger companies? I've been working at my present internship (ChemE) for the past six months at a company of about 40 people, and I feel like I'm just doing technician level work, instead of getting the experience companies are actually looking for. The people are nice and the schedule is flexible during the year, but I just feel like a larger company might be better equipped to give projects you can actually learn from (The entire point of my major seems to be process scaling and a small company really can't do that), and would pay better to boot. I think it depends. A larger company will probably look better on your resume but a smaller company will more likely be more enjoyable. The last time we had an intern at a large company we were'nt really able to get them up to speed and then just cut the string in two months. I got a salary question for the folks in this thread. I received my Mechanical Engr. degree roughly 3.5 years ago. I have been working at the same company for 5 years, coming this Spring. (I finished my degree while working as a technician full time.) Any guesstimate as to what I should be looking at salary wise? I think I should be making around 72-75k(not including overtime and benefits) but maybe I'm being greedy here. I don't have my P.E., or my EIT although I'm working on it. Let's say I'm in the Gouston area.. Am I being too greedy here? It sucks that most Engineering companies don't have worthwhile salaries and benefits AND are fun enjoyable places to work.
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2014 23:19
|
|
|
I know ASCE does an annual salary survey that gives civils a good sense of what they're making in relation to other civils in their region; does ASME do the same?
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2014 23:27
|
|
|
Senor P. posted:I think it depends. A larger company will probably look better on your resume but a smaller company will more likely be more enjoyable. The last time we had an intern at a large company we were'nt really able to get them up to speed and then just cut the string in two months. Glassdoor gives salary info if you register (for free). That's what I use for everything and it has been very accurate (anecdotal example: I got an offer in Atlanta that was exactly what glassdoor suggested). I feel like you are low-balling yourself but that is 100% coming from my gut.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2014 02:13
|
|
|
DTQwRgoS1aQDbZzLsK82 47CEbLtGgsmXI0SNw9Tf H2WtyELD0i4mbqY5bhW5 fcyUtlm5kzyVuvXEPAzV taBkkrUIPnVvKb3gm6SB zslYF1S3GxtEKZQxOAtT 8QYb7ruz4jsrOuFqOAgE d0aJzT7YyZvkXFVWI6DK zoAaffuofVdaUzw5cMZN x59lI76vFVGDhtd0eel3 Plasmafountain fucked around with this message at 23:20 on Feb 27, 2023 |
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2014 16:35
|
|
|
Corla Plankun posted:Glassdoor gives salary info if you register (for free). That's what I use for everything and it has been very accurate (anecdotal example: I got an offer in Atlanta that was exactly what glassdoor suggested). I feel like you are low-balling yourself but that is 100% coming from my gut. Yes, but glass door does not provide information for time in position.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2014 20:51
|
|
|
Zero Gravitas posted:Does anyone have any recommendations for continuum mechanics textbooks, or a source with some worked examples (specifically about working out the spatial description of a material field/material description of spatial field)? Gurtin is a decent book, but even with a textbook, continuum mechanics is a horrible tensor explosion.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2014 21:49
|
|
|
hcAg6oAnDfnJZtgIG6jA f2OvIhqRp081M1ekmxzA 0JKEUbNMBBt4nE0FNcVt 0yhbnUnQ2ahex5co37D7 tEp22eD7lXo8KZ5OsUaa OC4fv9Ss5mZfwAtbta9Z jess6PFuanDxcQ5rJHR5 r2zrKuznS2D1kTNKlv9Y jGuBQl9McDiNNPplMdED gULWHYzb4e0KncBCjCGS Plasmafountain fucked around with this message at 23:20 on Feb 27, 2023 |
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2014 22:15
|
|
|
In general, how are the prospects for someone looking to get hired and work as an engineer before they've graduated if all they have left is their design project class? It might come down to taking 3 hours my last semester if I take this extra class they just decided to offer this semester 
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2014 23:10
|
|
|
Senor P. posted:I think it depends. A larger company will probably look better on your resume but a smaller company will more likely be more enjoyable. The last time we had an intern at a large company we were'nt really able to get them up to speed and then just cut the string in two months. I think you're aiming low, that's based on my gut. I started around there out of school in the Midwest and that was four years ago. I had 2.5 years of co-op experience and passed the FE exam, but I don't think the latter mattered whatsoever. EE/CpE for reference.
|
|
#
?
Oct 31, 2014 00:01
|
|
|
KetTarma posted:In general, how are the prospects for someone looking to get hired and work as an engineer before they've graduated if all they have left is their design project class? It might come down to taking 3 hours my last semester if I take this extra class they just decided to offer this semester You will be an intern/co-op at best. I can't imagine anyone hiring you without the actual degree. I did my degree in 4.5 years and my internship my last summer was for $20/hr. I started full time at the same company at $25.48/hr after my degree. movax posted:I think you're aiming low, that's based on my gut. I started around there out of school in the Midwest and that was four years ago. I had 2.5 years of co-op experience and passed the FE exam, but I don't think the latter mattered whatsoever. EE/CpE for reference. For Mechanical and Civil the FE/PE track is pushed pretty hard. When I took the test at school pretty much all of them were from those two disciplines. I would say it does matter for Senor P. For reference I work for a large electric/gas utility and you can't get past Engineer 1 without the FE passed, can't get past Engineer 2 without the PE. Goes for Civil, Mechs, Nukes, Electricals, enviros, I guess any others we have. Senor P. posted:I got a salary question for the folks in this thread. I don't think you are being too greedy but you will never really know until you get out there and find an offer. Also for what it is worth you shouldn't even consider the years before you graduate as worth anything, no one else will care at this point. Just for a reference point, I work in Denver/Texas, PE in both states, 6 years out of school: Base Salary: $86K PTO: $10.4K Bonus Target: $9.6K (although it can actually be $14.6K) Health and other benefits: $13.4K Retirement Benefits: $14.5K (pension and 401K match) Health Bonus: $0.9K Transit Pass: $0.6K Total compensation: $135.4K Good pay, benefits, and a cool place to work (it does exist in engineering just have to find it). You are right though usually you can't get all three.
|
|
#
?
Oct 31, 2014 04:19
|
|
|
.
Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:25 on Aug 10, 2023 |
|
#
?
Oct 31, 2014 12:57
|
|
|
Senor P. posted:Yes, but glass door does not provide information for time in position. That information is encoded in the job title in my experience.
|
|
#
?
Oct 31, 2014 14:16
|
|
|
Thoguh posted:Generally not going to happen, but since you're a non-traditional student it is definitely possible. I even worked with a former Air Force tech who got hired on the condition that he just start consistently working on on engineering degree once he joined the company. I am kind of in a complicated situation. Sorry for the rambling but here goes: I am on educational leave of absence from a major engineering corporation. My last manager wrote me great evals but didn't have the headcount to bring me back next summer. I'm now in a general pool of interns that are still getting benefits but do not have a return offer letter for next summer. I keep getting told to just apply to external positions while waiting for a manager to grab me from the intern pool. Despite this, I'm still hoping to go back next summer. With regards to school, I basically have 12 hours planned for junior-spring semester. My senior year right now only has 12 hours for fall and 6 hours for spring. Realistically, I could probably reduce senior-spring semester to just my 3 hour Design 2 class. Regardless, I have to take at least 12 hours to get my full financial aid which leads me to my conundrum. Also complicating things is that if I decide to take a night senior design 1 class so I can work, I have to take a night senior design 2 which will suck (especially if I cant find a jerb). Right now I guess the plan is to stay the course and take 6 hours of bs classes to keep financial aid my last semester.
|
|
#
?
Oct 31, 2014 23:05
|
|
|
KetTarma posted:Right now I guess the plan is to stay the course and take 6 hours of bs classes to keep financial aid my last semester. Well, they don't have to be arts degree classes. You could see if you'd be able to take some graduate-level EE courses to give you a head start on completing a MS or Masters of Engineering further down the road. If that's not an option, you could take some more EE electives or interdisciplinary engineering courses to broaden your appeal to prospective employers.
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2014 08:38
|
|
|
Hello Sailor posted:Well, they don't have to be arts degree classes. You could see if you'd be able to take some graduate-level EE courses to give you a head start on completing a MS or Masters of Engineering further down the road. If that's not an option, you could take some more EE electives or interdisciplinary engineering courses to broaden your appeal to prospective employers. I took 2 grad civil classes my last semester since I only needed 9 credits. They have actually come in pretty handy.
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2014 17:15
|
|
|
Had a question about the FE come up. My freshman design class instructor advised me that the general portion of the FE contains questions about circuit analysis, which is a course I don't actually need to take for my major (EnvE). I'm strongly against taking unnecessary courses, partly because I'm old and don't want this degree to take any longer than it has to and partly because I'm already going to hit the maximum number of credit hours after which I no longer qualify for financial aid (thanks to wasting several credit hours when I was younger and dumber). Should I really take circuit analysis anyway or can I get by just fine with a good textbook (and can someone recommend an older one I can pick up cheap)?
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2014 17:43
|
|
|
Hello Sailor posted:Should I really take circuit analysis anyway or can I get by just fine with a good textbook (and can someone recommend an older one I can pick up cheap)? Take an FE prep course/buy a FE study guide specifically. It'll cover what you need of circuit analysis (and kinematics and engineering economics and whatever other topics you've never studied before) with strategies how to solve the kinds of problems you'll encounter on the exam.
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2014 18:01
|
|
|
Just get this book and you should be able to learn what you need. Also you can look at how many actual circuit questions there are and weigh that against spending any time learning it (I think it was 6 when I took it, but our CE/EnvE department required us to take a circuits class). This book and a bunch of practice problems will be just fine to pass. http://ppi2pass.com/fe-review-manual-3rd-edition-ferm3-print.html
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2014 18:26
|
|
|
Yeah, when I took the FE the circuits questions weren't much harder than what's covered in general calc-based physics.
|
|
#
?
Nov 1, 2014 19:15
|
|
|
I just saw a terrific title on LinkedIn... Senior Engineer in Training.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2014 08:19
|
|
|
I am a meteorology graduate from Penn State but I am interested in transitioning into environmental engineering. I am currently studying to the FE sometime in the next couple of months. I have two questions: 1) Do you know of anyone who made a similar jump? 2) Assuming I pass the FE, would my meteo education from Penn State be enough to get my EIT license? I'm in Texas if that matters.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2014 17:52
|
|
|
Check out rule 133.31 here: http://www.tbpe.state.tx.us/downloads/law&rules.pdf There's a lot of conditions and it seems unlikely that meteorology could satisfy them but I don't know that much about meteorology degrees.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2014 18:08
|
|
|
Big Spoon posted:2) Assuming I pass the FE, would my meteo education from Penn State be enough to get my EIT license? I'm in Texas if that matters. In TX, your meteorology degree would have to have covered 8 credits of calculus and 20 credits of engineering sciences (so, for EnE, things like wastewater treatment, transport phenomena, site remediation, and so forth). If you can't meet that, you'd want to look into getting an M.Eng or M.S. in EnE rather than hope your bachelor's squeaks past the degree evaluation.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2014 18:27
|
|
|
Big Spoon posted:I am a meteorology graduate from Penn State but I am interested in transitioning into environmental engineering. I am currently studying to the FE sometime in the next couple of months. I have two questions: Keep in mind that EIT/PE is a state-by-state licensure process. One state is under no obligation to honor a PE earned in a different state.. so keep that in mind if you decide to pursue a professional engineering license. State matters -a lot-
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2014 19:07
|
|
|
The Chairman posted:In TX, your meteorology degree would have to have covered 8 credits of calculus and 20 credits of engineering sciences (so, for EnE, things like wastewater treatment, transport phenomena, site remediation, and so forth). If you can't meet that, you'd want to look into getting an M.Eng or M.S. in EnE rather than hope your bachelor's squeaks past the degree evaluation. I have calc up through differential equations so that should be good. I don't think I can get into a MS program without the EIT though.
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2014 20:14
|
|
|
Big Spoon posted:I have calc up through differential equations so that should be good. I don't think I can get into a MS program without the EIT though. I don't think I've ever seen a grad program that required you to have an EIT, honestly; at most they'll ask non-engineers to pass the FE exam to demonstrate basic competency, but you don't need the state certificate
|
|
#
?
Nov 3, 2014 22:46
|
|
|
The Chairman posted:I don't think I've ever seen a grad program that required you to have an EIT, honestly; at most they'll ask non-engineers to pass the FE exam to demonstrate basic competency, but you don't need the state certificate Hopefully not. I applied to the University of Houston and got shot down once. I'm looking at getting an EIT mostly to bolster my chances of getting into a master's program.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2014 04:45
|
|
|
The Chairman posted:I don't think I've ever seen a grad program that required you to have an EIT, honestly; at most they'll ask non-engineers to pass the FE exam to demonstrate basic competency, but you don't need the state certificate Given that a lot of professors don't have/aren't eligible for their own PE, I would hope that any grad program requiring an EIT would be ridiculed mercilessly.
|
|
#
?
Nov 5, 2014 04:06
|
|
|
Most of my professors had passed the FE as it is an academic exam and not a practical knowledge exam. In my experience, they knew little about how these concepts were actually used in the industry. I was working while attending university and frequently found myself thinking, "That isn't how we do it at work."
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2014 19:11
|
|
|
Yesterday I accepted a job offer, after six months of job hunting lightning finally struck. The position is with a fairly large disposable containers company, they own solo cups. I will be working as a process engineer. This will be my first engineering job, and I wan't to do the best I can. What sort of advice do you guys have for someone about to start their first engineer job.
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2014 20:24
|
|
|
Xeom posted:What sort of advice do you guys have for someone about to start their first engineer job. Listen to criticism (hopefully it's constructive). Learn from your peers. Stay humble. Communicate effectively.
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2014 20:30
|
|
|
Xeom posted:What sort of advice do you guys have for someone about to start their first engineer job. Just chill, you're expected to be 100% useless for a good while. Ask questions if you don't know what's going on. Listen carefully when people are talking. Don't get drunk at work.
|
|
#
?
Nov 8, 2014 21:39
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 17, 2024 10:20 |
|
|
BeefofAges posted:Don't get drunk at work. Please tell me there is a story here.
|
|
#
?
Nov 9, 2014 00:06
|
|