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mitztronic posted:Getting really frustrated trying to leave RF satellite communications and move to literally anything else (SF area)... none of my experience seems to be useful for anything. And it's been quite impossible to find an entry or junior level RF engineering in another field. I don't mind taking a step back in my career to switch industries but that's not even possible. I feel like accepting this job 4 years ago suicided all of my career options. This is really weird to hear. What specific RF area are you in? Are you doing hardware? Or systems? There's too many guys with spreadsheets doing satellite systems type poo poo IMO, but there's not enough nuts and bolts hardware guys available. I know Facebook was looking for RF hardware guys for those floaty wireless routers in the sky they're making. I work in RF. Do you hate RF? Everyone I know who left satcom RF for other RF areas basically had their pick of where in the country they wanted to live and are doing well. If you're under 50 and you have any working knowledge of RF, you are in high demand from what I've seen and heard. Why do you want to go into consumer electronics or cellular? I ask because I work with designers who support both high-rel and consumer/cell phones, and they loving hate dealing with Apple/Samsung/etc. They love high rel. I have coworkers who came from Qorvo (Triquint) and other MMIC/FET foundry type places and were soooo glad to leave. If your job isn't getting your hands dirty, I suggest trying to get into the hardware design side. I loving love my job. But hardware is the way to go, it's for manly men, and you get to talk down to paper pushers and power point engineers, because you're basically a magician weaving black magic spells to make intermodulation distortion lower and noise figures sexier.
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Aug 28, 2015 22:16
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Gorman Thomas posted:Agreed. But also, sometimes, it's dumb. This is true. I had a junior engineer leave the company... Let's just say he wasn't exactly doing any work the last six weeks apparently. Then they pushed up the ISD 6 months. Another junior engineer is killing it though sortibg through his mess and putting out great work. I suppose I should have been paying a bit more attention but he had gone through an entire project with me already and I layed out everything I had for him to do. The most annoying part is finding my markups not addressed at all. He is going to consulting from the cushy utility world too, could be a rude wake up for him. New guy is killing it though which is sweet. We will make the project happen and will look awesome in the end. I love having my PE but sometimes I just have way too much asked of me that it makes proper checking hard. Ooh well suppose I should just stamp everything since construction needs it now now now (joking as I tell them tough and check it all good before stamping).
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Aug 28, 2015 22:20
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CarForumPoster posted:I want to state again how I did not appreciate the pointlessness of the salary number and that I massively upgraded going from 101k -> 72k from Bay Area to Florida. I know its tacky to say what you make but I think it'll help new grads realize. Most important if you are working for a Bay Area corporate job, make sure the job pays the big money to make up for the higher cost of living. Bay Area depending on the area can be 2 to 4 times the cost of living versus other possible engineering jobs areas such as Texas, Washington, Florida or Colorado.
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Aug 28, 2015 22:38
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I'm two months in working as a Mech for the US Navy / DoD (Government, not a contractor) and it loving owns and I love it
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Aug 28, 2015 22:55
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Party Alarm posted:I'm two months in working as a Mech for the US Navy / DoD (Government, not a contractor) and it loving owns and I love it Wishing I was you right now. I'm currently getting my M.S. in MechE and will probably start shooting out hundreds of apps on USAJOBS next year. My current courses are full of veterans right now though, so...
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Aug 28, 2015 23:20
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I graduated with my BSME in May and have been working as a project engineer at a large industrial mfg. facility for a 4mo now. It's pretty alright. Mostly ordering stuff and managing installations for material handling equipment, and designing the odd widget to make something fit/work. It isn't exactly my passion or anything but It's good experience and heavy industry is interesting. Hourly is union though, which is an odd dynamic. Especially when the crews I'm directing have guys older than my dad.
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Aug 28, 2015 23:37
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I changed jobs to a mid-size semiconductor company a couple years ago after years of working for startups and due to my seniority level within my group my manager is getting me to mentor/supervise the junior engineers. At first it was fine because I was supervising a couple of real capable go-getters (one of whom was a co-op). Things were great, we planned out schedules, met the targets, did good work, things went smooth. But now I am supervising a couple of real dim bulbs who don't listen, can't remember anything I tell them despite me asking them to write it down (or emailing it to them directly so they have it - they then deny getting the emails until I re-forward them the original and so on). They're 2 years or so out of university and yet utterly incapable of problem solving so you have to show them how to do anything or else they'll just throw up their hands and surf the web. On top of their work slacking they are constantly treating the equipment like poo poo, stacking expensive PCBs on top of each other, damaging the test equipment and generally being idiots. We were in the midst of an ISO audit last week and one of them was wandering around the offices carrying a prototype PCI Express card around with no anti static bag, in carpeted areas the loving moron. On top of all this one of them has breath that could kill a yak at 500 yards and the other fiddles with his crotch constantly which is weird and disturbing. Basically I'm saying when you go into engineering, don't be those guys. Please.
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Aug 29, 2015 07:28
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Would a class on Microprocessors and Computer Organization be useful for an EE, or is that sort of thing only useful for CEs? The class description is: Organization of computer systems: processor, memory, I/O organization, instruction encoding and addressing modes. Introduction to microprocessors, control unit, and interrupt system design. Design of hardware and software for microprocessor applications. Assembly language programming. Microprocessor system case studies. I'm between this course and Electro-Optics, but EO doesn't seem to have many jobs at the Bachelors level, and a Masters is impossible at this time. Both courses have good teachers, and I'm fairly confident I will do well in either. I'm trying to figure out which will be more helpful in getting a job.
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Aug 30, 2015 23:14
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notZaar posted:Does anybody have advice for an ME looking for a job that actually requires moving around and using the body instead of just sitting in an office all day? I have a BS and MS in ME and right now I work doing CFD in a machine building company and it's starting to drive me a little nuts. Just sitting around all day is boring as hell. Don't you lift already? That sounds like cardio.
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Aug 31, 2015 03:06
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Globofglob posted:Would a class on Microprocessors and Computer Organization be useful for an EE, or is that sort of thing only useful for CEs? The class description is: I am not an EE, but having had programming beaten into my thick neanderthal ME brain, this course makes the wacky things that go wrong make more sense than they would have without it. That is assuming it roughly corresponds to what I have taken. I've heard from CS/CE guys I know that that kind of study really helps if you're going to end up coding C or other close to the hardware languages.
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Aug 31, 2015 12:44
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Eskaton posted:Don't you lift already? That sounds like cardio. It would be nice to have a job active enough so that I would not have to waste another hour of my day at the gym after work.
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Aug 31, 2015 13:26
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notZaar posted:It would be nice to have a job active enough so that I would not have to waste another hour of my day at the gym after work. That is why you just need to start bike commuting
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Aug 31, 2015 14:35
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spwrozek posted:That is why you just need to start bike commuting I ride to work about 4 days a week, 30 miles round trip. I would highly recommend it: gets exercise out of the way and I feel loving great all morning. High on life and such.
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Aug 31, 2015 20:05
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 16:24 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Aug 31, 2015 22:55
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Excellent point, sorry I forgot to mention that. If I had to sit around in 15 miles of crotch sweat all day I would not be riding to work.
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Sep 2, 2015 19:49
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Thoguh posted:Offer only valid if your workplace has showers though. A nearby gym membership would work also if you can swing that.
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Sep 2, 2015 20:09
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I got an aero degree in May and started a job in June which has been pretty decent. Not an absolute dream job, but the job itself is ok and the people are great. Bog standard aero stuff, nothing too exciting. I would have no problem staying at the job for years. Unfortunately, it required a move across the country to the east coast which is pretty terrible. Fine for now, but I don't really enjoy angry east coast types and wouldn't want to raise kids out here. The biggest problem is my fiance who is a teacher and got a job that is turning into a nightmare. Her commute is much worse than we had anticipated and her kids are assholes and there are too many of them. She is already having problems dealing with her new job and the year just started. My fear is that if it got worse, she would start getting depressed and that is making me feel like poo poo for dragging her out here. Plus life is too short to do go awful jobs for too long. But what is too long? If she just quits in the middle of the year that looks terrible on a teaching resume. However if she had to move due to me getting a transfer, apparently that is pretty common for teachers. I would have no problem moving back home right now, but I have no idea how I would possibly explain this at job interviews if I have to no or in 2 months or 4 months. It just looks bad. Is there anyway to spin this if it comes up? My current plan is to bail after a year here and move back, but if I could do it sooner I would probably take the financial hit and do it. Any thoughts from any of you with more experience with real jobs and hiring?
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Sep 3, 2015 01:15
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I think your best play is to be really REALLY supportive until she is at least done her first year. Make that transition as smooth as possible, and I would say the ideal minimum at your job is 2 years, but people have done more with less. When I read your post, my gut told me that she is stressed and scared. I was there 1 year out of school where i got a new job and ended up making the poor decision to bail after 1 week because i and no one in my support network knew what workplace stress was so it was all "ya man that sucks leave that place". I personally think i would've been better off mentally and professionally if i had help working through it. Also I was really lucky my old place took me back. I think you need to help her boil down what is stressing her out and giving it a real good try to solve it. Unless it's a real bad situation (serious harassment, obvious neglect from administrators, etc.) I think it can be a great learning period for you both. Plus I can't imagine many schools hire half way thru the year wherever you end back up. Anyways, I agree life is way too short to be stuck in poo poo circumstances, but that is usually the realm of daily abuse or like washing dishes for minimum wage. Usually in the mid tier professional world (engineer, education, etc.) there is some good to working through these things. Are you in MA? I can't imagine being a West Coaster living out there...you are correct, Puritan behaviors run strong... Crazyweasel fucked around with this message at 03:16 on Sep 3, 2015 |
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Sep 3, 2015 03:11
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Why cant she just get a job at a new school and not move across the country again?
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Sep 3, 2015 03:46
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rockamiclikeavandal posted:I got an aero degree in May and started a job in June which has been pretty decent. Not an absolute dream job, but the job itself is ok and the people are great. Bog standard aero stuff, nothing too exciting. I would have no problem staying at the job for years. Unfortunately, it required a move across the country to the east coast which is pretty terrible. Fine for now, but I don't really enjoy angry east coast types and wouldn't want to raise kids out here. Just explain the situation in interviews, most places that you would actually want to work at would be pretty understanding. You tried to move across the country, but you and your wife were unhappy so you moved back. Only a year at a job isn't too bad, my record for having a job is a year and a half (I'm bad at choosing employers and have gotten laid off a few times) and never have trouble finding work.
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Sep 3, 2015 16:38
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dxt posted:Just explain the situation in interviews, most places that you would actually want to work at would be pretty understanding. You tried to move across the country, but you and your wife were unhappy so you moved back. Only a year at a job isn't too bad, my record for having a job is a year and a half (I'm bad at choosing employers and have gotten laid off a few times) and never have trouble finding work. Also in the current work culture it's fairly common for people to switch jobs after 1-2 years.
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Sep 3, 2015 22:57
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Thanks for the advice people. You can't swap teaching jobs mid year apparently and if you quit mid year they can theoretically suspend or revoke your licence. Looking around on other sites it doesnt really seem to be a big problem as long as I'm not hoppjng jobs every 6 months. The fact it happens isn't the issue, the frequency is. I think I will passively looks for jobs and if someone is willing to accept my short stint than great. Otherwise I'll stay here for a bit.
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Sep 4, 2015 13:24
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rockamiclikeavandal posted:her kids are assholes and there are too many of them Is this also her first post-degree job? Because this sounds like a fairly standard US classroom.
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Sep 4, 2015 14:36
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Hello Sailor posted:Is this also her first post-degree job? Because this sounds like a fairly standard US classroom. This was my thinking. God I was a lovely kid to teacher stuff to... ...though in retrospect plenty of them said I wouldn't be very successful and I am more successful than every one of them. Burn in hell all of you awful teachers. I hope I find them on LinkedIn just to rub it in.
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Sep 4, 2015 23:11
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Hey all, I bought a domain a couple months back and finally planning on making it my personal engineering blog where companies can find out more about me (still an undergrad). Here are the themes I've been looking at from Envato Market. Tell me which is your favorite and/or think employers would find easiest to use and find info on. I'm leaning towards the second just because of its simplicity but I'd like some input. http://themes.ishyoboy.com/kopy/ http://demo.parksandparker.com/basic/ http://themes.pixelwars.org/bloggy-wp/ Thanks a bunch. Dangerous Mind fucked around with this message at 23:08 on Sep 7, 2015 |
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Sep 7, 2015 23:06
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Employers don't even read 2 page resumes, why would they be checking out your blog?
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Sep 7, 2015 23:35
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They don't have to if they don't want to. But some do.
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Sep 7, 2015 23:56
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My resume was two pages but it was filled up with relevant work experience
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Sep 8, 2015 00:04
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Dangerous Mind posted:Hey all, I bought a domain a couple months back and finally planning on making it my personal engineering blog where companies can find out more about me (still an undergrad). I think you should pick your favorite. The content is going to be what matters 
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Sep 8, 2015 00:07
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notZaar posted:Employers don't even read 2 page resumes, why would they be checking out your blog? When my boss hands me a resume at 9:30 and says, "We're thinking about hiring a new [programmer/EE/ME/whatever], they'll be here at 10:30," even a lovely blog that gets updated just a few times a year is a good way to stand out.
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Sep 8, 2015 00:08
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I always always check eng portfolios when looking at resumes, it's way better than some bullet point erudite word salad.
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Sep 8, 2015 19:35
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Hello thread! I got a small question. At the moment I am getting a double MSc degree in mech eng and applied physics after completing a BSc in mech engineering. I am in no way a special student; my grades are pretty average. I did tons of extra stuff, if that matters anything. And although I love the study I am doing.. I am not sure where to look for a job. The thing is, I want to do something 'for the world' as my first job, but I have no idea where to look. I mean, if I had attended med school, I could have checked out docters without borders for example. Since I am from Europe, the peace corps isnt an option either. Any suggestions where to look or start looking? Would be great if it is something technical, but most other things are fine too.
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Sep 11, 2015 18:20
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Thatim posted:Hello thread! Tons of companies are working on big stuff ranging from research heavy like NASA/ESA to wearable health related things in silicon valley in the USA. Your description of what you want isn't really specific enough to give you actionable advice.
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Sep 11, 2015 18:42
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CarForumPoster posted:Tons of companies are working on big stuff ranging from research heavy like NASA/ESA to wearable health related things in silicon valley in the USA. Your description of what you want isn't really specific enough to give you actionable advice. Oh right. Well, maybe non-profit or something in a developing country. I know it is still rather vague, but I am looking for a starting point. For profit-companies it is easy to get into contact with, they do alot of campus recruiting.
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Sep 11, 2015 18:51
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Thatim posted:Hello thread! Doctors Without Borders has support positions, mostly logisticians, they need engineers for. It's pretty competitive if you don't speak French though. I was told if I spoke any French I would have been in the field as soon as they got my CV. There's also Engineers Without Borders in the US but I don't know much about them.
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Sep 11, 2015 18:54
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lightpole posted:Doctors Without Borders has support positions, mostly logisticians, they need engineers for. It's pretty competitive if you don't speak French though. I was told if I spoke any French I would have been in the field as soon as they got my CV. Engineers without borders do what they sound like they do. The one based at my alma mater did low cost no electricity water filtration. I know them as a campus/school oriented thing not sure of the opportunities in the "post university" realm.
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Sep 11, 2015 19:17
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It looked like there was post university opportunities but they either don't send out emails to the meetings or send them out a day late so I've never made it to one. Could also look into Halo Trust. I'm not sure what else is out there, I looked into the organization doing migrant rescues in the Med but they have all their slots full for engineering officers on the ship.
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Sep 11, 2015 21:22
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Should I list patent applications that have only been filed with the patent office or are these things generally only listed on resumes when they're actually approved (which from my understanding takes years)?
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Sep 15, 2015 00:40
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Put the applications on, and just put patent pending on it.
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Sep 15, 2015 01:38
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Whomever was looking for a non-office engineering job, I'd say go the route as working as a Construction Engineer, or Plant Enginieer (Power Plant, chemical plant, or some other large facility). However even if you're walking around all day or climbing up/down vessels and columns you're not going to necessarily stay in shape...
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Sep 15, 2015 05:31
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