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It’s really up to the individual, but it seems there are plenty of good engineering jobs that don’t require any kind of complicity in something generally considered morally atrocious. Also, being nice to your coworkers and subordinates doesn’t redeem you nor does it remove your involvement. I guess if you can live with the consequences of being a cog in a machine that profits from humanity’s worst instincts, then go make your fat stacks.
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Mar 13, 2018 18:51
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Kanish posted:I just posted some background on my interest in pivoting careers to the Civil Engineering field in the advice thread : https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3533210&pagenumber=37postid=486042262 I did something similar (got a BSEE while working full time at a coal mine) between the ages of 28-32. It was hellish as I, in addition to a going to school full time, worked 48+ hours a week much of the time but I would do it again in a heartbeat. My new job has better pay, better work-life balance, better coworkers, and better career prospects. The best advice I can give is to be ready for burn-out. You will probably feel it on week one, but eventually you’ll adjust to the schedule and it will be tolerable. Also, be fine with not getting all A’s. In my case, having great relationships with my professors and an easily demonstrable work ethic led to me being, by far, the highest paid new graduate despite my 3.25gpa. But, I was lucky in that my employer let me break the rules with regard to shift schedules. Also, I made enough money to pay for my education out if pocket. And I lived between school and work, each was a 30 minute drive.
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Jul 12, 2018 16:29
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Murgos posted:Circuits 1, Circuits 2 and Microelectronics. When you finish these classes, move on to a digital logic and microcomputer architecture class. These classes will be very rewarding to you if you really want to see how the hardware gives rise to software. Also, machine code.
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Jul 20, 2018 17:24
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I’m pretty sure even phd’s don’t automatically get their PE. In fact I think they have to teach for a number of years before they can sit for it. Edit: Anecdotally, I know of a couple of tech degree engineers with PEs. But, they got their degrees in the 70s and at the time, there were no 4 year engineering programs within several hundred miles. wemgo fucked around with this message at 23:38 on Nov 6, 2018 |
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Nov 6, 2018 23:33
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I work for a utility and yeah, regulatory compliance and the associated clerical work sucks. However, my position allows me to balance that against some design work and technical troubleshooting. Maybe ask your boss about cross training or something.
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Jan 8, 2019 19:48
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In my experience, being able to say that you’re signed up for or have passed the FE can be a big boost in an interview. Even for disciplines where a PE doesn’t mean jack poo poo, it shows that you’re a proactive self-improver. Also, many business/upper-management types think that having a PE means you’re better than non-PE’s. This can make the stamp something bosses look for when hiring.
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May 17, 2019 19:53
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If you’re running low on money, then get the best job you can wherever you can as soon as you can. Having work experience as a sales associate at Lowe’s or as a bank teller is better than having absolutely no experience. It also has the added bonus of you not starving.
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Dec 4, 2019 01:18
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Take the FE/PE. Some companies gate promotions behind it for various reasons. Its better to have it and not need it than vice-versa.
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Feb 27, 2021 00:45
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The best way to get a good eval is to become invaluable and/or underpaid. Learn the skill that no one else has and/or take the important role that no one else wants. Otherwise the best you can do is above average unless you’re willing to play politics (dont play politics).
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Mar 15, 2021 02:20
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I work at a utility and our promotions are based around performance and perceived replaceability. We have levels that are 1 through 4. 1->2 is 2-4 years typically. 2->3 is gated by having a PE and generally is given around 4 to 6 years after hire. 3->4 i’ve seen given to people with 6 years of experience (these folk make management before 10 years) but i know people with 20 years of experience that haven’t gotten their 4. The 10 year mark for this promotion is typical for a good employee. Those who are at 15+ years with no 4 are definitely low performance relative to the group.
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Jun 15, 2021 19:02
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Yeah, in my company each title level has a specific pay range. If you reach the top of the range for your title, then you are stuck until you either get a promotion or HR adjusts the ranges.
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Jun 16, 2021 23:24
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I had similar experience with the Power PE, but im a protection engineer and so those questions were the easiest... I remember the sound my NEC book made as i opened it the first time in the middle of hall. Then i went back to work and told my boss I failed because i never studied. Then two months later i got notification that I passed….
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Aug 14, 2021 17:42
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AutoCAD is the most annoying software I use (that isnt a database front-end). It’s insane how much they cow-tow to experienced users and how this has lead to one of the most unintuitive UX designs of any “AAA” product in nearly any market. Even my 65 year old drafter agrees with this.
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Sep 1, 2021 23:54
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I cant think of any situation where having your PE would be seen negatively. Even for work that doesn’t require a stamp, many employers are well aware that a new law or policy could require them to get drawings stamped.
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Feb 15, 2023 17:30
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Some local PE societies even offer free continuing ed opportunities. PDHs are pretty easy to come by, its keeping track of them that’s tough, lol
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Feb 15, 2023 18:43
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I will echo that management beings an entire new set of challenges that, if you’re a success individual contributor, may shock and confuse you. People’s problems run the gamut. The good news is that managing engineers can be an easier transition than managing uneducated production staff and a team of 4 is a good opportunity and a small business environment will likely mean better dialogue with upper mgmt. Take whatever courses may benefit you, but an MBA is probably best if your technical chops are up to snuff. Being able to special the language of finance people and bridge the gap between engineering and finance is a powerful (and valuable) tool.
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Mar 1, 2023 18:45
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LeeMajors posted:Frankly I’m still learning how much it is that I don’t know but my interest is probably in the green energy power generation/distribution direction. A lot of the job opportunities around here are embedded systems and manufacturing, so obviously that is subject to change. For that career, you’re going to want to get into electrical power engineering and electronics (specifically power electronics) engineering. EE specific programming languages are typically very low level or very direct logic-based. These are industry specific, you’re going to use VHDL and/or verilog at some point as well as some variety of machine code and C and/or C++. If you get into your interest, the programming is going to be a vendor proprietary ladder logic or text logic. SCADA comm protocols are typically IEEE61850, GE/Harris D20, SEL protocol, or occasionally modbus. But python is awesome and super helpful. It is now the scripting language of choice for several power modeling programs databases.
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Apr 4, 2023 17:51
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Car Hater posted:Transmission line/power engineers; how often do you get recruiters hitting you up for mechanical/gearbox transmission engineering? I'm about ready to put a disclaimer up front and center on LinkedIn for people to stop sending me EE jobs because I am not that guy. Im a power eng (protection) and i dont get this. I think it’s probably related to either your location or those in your linkedin network or whatever they call “friend group”. Matlab is very good to learn for an EE student and it can carry over to industry fairly easily.
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Apr 5, 2023 16:09
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Ethiser posted:Ten years out of college and I’m moving from a manufacturing site engineering role to a corporate technical role where I’ll be focusing on supporting sites company wide remotely and traveling 20ish% of the time. I’m sure this will come with a whole new set of headaches, but I’m looking forward to not having to deal with so much of the day to day fire fighting issues that always seem to come up. Anyone else make a similar change and have things they liked/disliked about it? 7-8 years ago i moved from plant/field electrician to office sme (power EE). Overall its a good change. Much better hours and work environment, i wouldnt switch back. But! If you’re like me, you’ll miss the camaraderie. Its more fun to work in a team to solve emergent issues than it is to be the one person on the hook when something similar happens.
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Jun 21, 2023 19:35
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The office was superior to me until they reworked it to the “open office” concept. Now i cant focus for more than 5 minutes without everyone and their grandma bugging me. I was able to negotiate a single wfh day which literally doubled my productivity. WFH every day is a drag though. Even your house can be made a prison.
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Sep 26, 2023 18:14
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I work at a utility and have seen three engineers leave for private consulting/industry roles. They left not necessarily for the money, but because privately owned enterprises will surely be more “efficient” and will better reward their “superior work ethic.” 2 of the 3 came back after growing tired of working 60+ hours a week, always being on call, and seeing how poo poo the benefits and advancement opportunities actually were. The third died of a heart attack in a hotel room while traveling for work. 1 of the engineers that came back was a self-professed Randian Objectivist before he left. Ive been listening and he hasnt mentioned The Fountainhead or anything like it since he got rehired.
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Jan 11, 2024 18:39
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I have a former close friend who sounds a lot like this guy; that is to say that he is the one holding himself back but refuses to admit it and chooses instead to blame the world and wallow in his misery. There’s quite a lot of jobs out there, just maybe not in whatever highly specific niche he wants. From my experience, being a dependable self-starter can get you a job faster than having an ME, EE, or whatever. Trainability is huge. Has he tried counseling or therapy? wemgo fucked around with this message at 18:35 on Jan 24, 2024 |
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Jan 24, 2024 18:31
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Communicate your ambitions to those who could fulfill those ambitions and see what you can do for them to make that happens. If you’re good, they’ll help boost you. And honestly, it sounds like you need a mentor; preferably a senior mgr / executive at your company but not someone you report to or through.
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Jan 30, 2024 01:06
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Im in US electric utility (as an EE power) and theres so much goddamned work both in projects and regulatory sub-fields. The govt (through nerc) is pushing multiple new hard hitting regulatory changes through right now with a triple focus on cybersecurity, IBR-based generation, and extreme weather resiliency. I could be woefully wrong, but the 5-10 year outlook for job growth in this sector is good to great. There’s enough work that lead times for essential components is reaching upwards of 4 years for some equipment. We quote feeder substation costs to potential customers and they balk (and sometimes throw a huge piss-fit) at our cost and time-frames only to come crawling back 6 months later when they realize the state of things. wemgo fucked around with this message at 00:14 on Mar 7, 2024 |
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Mar 6, 2024 21:01
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That high voltage stuff is all controlled by microelectronics. Your skills may be more valuable to utilities and their vendors than you assume. Check out selinc.com for an example of a private US company making said devices. Also, I came from private industry control (mostly allen bradley plc) and utility control logic is AT LEAST an order of magnitude simpler. Utility stuff is large, expensive, but also much much simpler for various reasons. For me, the hardest change to grasp was the idea that im designing something that should last 30+ years instead of 5-10 years. A/C power theory is the “hard” part, but even then, a lot of the techniques were developed in the 1920s and 1930s. It’s a long-solved problem and probably not as bad as you assume. Communications engineers are what we struggle to find. People with actual nuts and bolts knowledge of various protocols and practical implementation of proprietary fiber, cell, and microwave networks. Also IEEE 61850, which i wont expound upon. (Here there be dragons) wemgo fucked around with this message at 15:29 on Mar 7, 2024 |
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Mar 7, 2024 15:13
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My profs took a shine to me and (unbeknownst to me) the dept chair sent my name to the local utility. I had nearly a decade of experience as an electrician and am tied to my locale due to family stuff. The utility offered me three roles to choose from. I chose the “technically challenging” role that had been open for over a year because it seemed interesting. Luckily, I was right. In hindsight, the other two roles would have been miserable. Basically, I got my role by being nice to my profs and a series of happy accidents. E:I went EE because my uni didnt offer an ABET accredited comp sci or comp hardware degree. And i was working as an electrician so EE made sense from that perspective as well To add further, i went to school to find an answer to the question “how does a computer work” and i did get that answer while earning my degree wemgo fucked around with this message at 23:08 on Mar 8, 2024 |
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Mar 8, 2024 22:40
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Car Hater posted:I told my manager that there were much better ways to do some core processes but I was only interested in going above and beyond to implement them if I got paid for my time During a large meeting with our entire division, i stood up and voiced my opinion about the just-announced healthcare benefit cuts and their necessity considering the $300M quarterly profit announced earlier that day. This was at my previous job.
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May 1, 2024 22:19
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It was a coal mine. Non-union. So I was happy to leave regardless and am so much happier at my current job. Me standing up empowered a bunch of other people to speak out and it became a thing. The GM called me into a private meeting specifically to tell me that my career was over and he’d see to it that i’d never got promoted. He also demanded i apologize, it was humiliating. He got fired about a year later for [supposedly] falsifying safety records.
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May 2, 2024 19:48
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