Tell me about being an Engineer!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Tell me about being an Engineer!

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Watermelon Daiquiri posted:

Wouldn't most engineers be salary and 'overtime (pay)' is a nice dream you had once when you went to bed completely wasted? The only 'overtime' that needs permission where I work is working more than 16 hours a day, and that's only something that is noticed after the fact, if ever.

I'm a chemE in an operating plant, we get overtime during specified turnaround periods. Otherwise, it's exactly like you said.

# ¿ Nov 27, 2016 03:50

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 03:28

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

I don't know anything about your industry but I'd imagine you'll have better luck getting a master's degree in the engineering discipline of your choice prior to applying for engineering jobs. I work with a bunch of chemical and mechanical engineers and while we are no smarter than the non-engineers employed here, the engineering jobs all specifically require engineering degrees for one to be considered.

# ¿ Jan 17, 2017 23:22

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

I'm a chemical engineer who works in an oil refinery and I have no idea what metal casting engineers do. All I know is most of my equipment is made of metal so if you're responsible for making one of our thousands of pieces of 60+ year old equipment that is still running thanks! If you're responsible for making one that keeps breaking, gently caress you!

# ¿ Nov 8, 2017 19:34

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Senor P. posted:

I have heard older equipment (pressure vessels and pumps) is considered "better" in that in the 60s, 70s, and 80s it was not uncommon to oversize components, also Energy itself was considerably cheaper. (Forges, mills, etc use a lot of energy to make their goods. Also transportation is a considerable sum.)

With time... extra energy = extra money the manufacturers were spending. So now they pretty much make exactly what you specify... (You ordered wrong? Too bad soo sad.)

This is definitely true. We have a 1940s vintage boiler which operates at 600 psig but when they built it, everything within the boiler-code boundary was built to 1500 psig, "just in case". Glad they did because the steam drum made out of 212 firebox is now littered with non-metallic inclusions and laminations. The only reason we can keep operating is because the walls were about 3x thicker than they need to be. So what's left of the walls are still plenty thick to pass code inspections at 600 psig.

# ¿ Nov 9, 2017 16:20

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

I've seen the same thing in that getting into econ planning and eventually trading would probably require 1.5-2 years at a refinery before being able to make the jump. Assuming you didn't have any planning/blending/LP experience. It'd probably be easier to go from process engineering straight to process controls (especially if you have some relevant experience), and then network with the planning group to get in at the next opportunity.

Are you location dependent or open to moving?

Getting into technical sales or vendor services seems like a viable option too. I would think networking is key to getting hired into a service company like Baker or even a catalyst vendor. Several of our major contracting services are staffed by former refinery employees. It helps because they already know some of the people and how things typically get done so they're able to be effective contractors straight out of the gate. All about relationships/networking for embedded contractors.

Have you looked for jobs with AspenTech? They own the LP program we use (PIMS). I'd imagine working there for a few years could get you the relevant experience to jump to an econ planning job in a refinery or a trading/optimization spot in a corporate office.

# ¿ Dec 6, 2017 14:07

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Pander posted:

Ive been at this over two years, before that I did mostly mechanical design and analysis. I don't have a PE, hell I don't even have an EE degree (nuke). I feel I've got some solid real work experience in short circuit, arc flash risk assessment, power distribution, that kind of stuff, and j generally really liked it. If my bosses really keep going down a road of favoring expedient incompetence over doing things well like the team HAD done for decades, what's a good industry/company/region for me to look into? It seems like everywhere needs power, but not 100% sure where my particular niche fits in.

Utilities? Industrial power consumers with on-site generation like chemical plants, oil refineries, paper mills? What kind of voltage are we talking?

# ¿ Dec 19, 2017 02:48

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Senor P. posted:

So I guess my question is what is the realistic cheapest rents I will see with commuting distance of SF?
Maybe I am better off trying to go and do another overseas job, those pay pretty well especially if you can stay out of the country for 330 days...

I am a wee bit hesitant to pick up and move all my stuff to California.
(My father is getting ready to retire soon and I am bit hesitant that if I leave he is just going to start throwing stuff out of the house.)

Try the SF Bay Area thread. The answer depends entirely on how far you're willing to commute and how small of an apartment you're willing to live in.

# ¿ Jan 4, 2018 06:25

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

I left an engineering job that had an hour commute for a new engineering job with a 5 mile / 20 minute bike commute and it's the best.

Didn't hate the old job, loved the old location and the pay was ok. New job is more fulfilling, the location is definitely not as good (new house is good and the surrounding outdoors areas are great, just not close to big city activities as I had in the old job), and the pay is way better.

So not exactly like your situation but the quality of life improvement was massive and I personally attribute a significant portion to the better commute. Don't waste your life sitting in traffic.

# ¿ Feb 10, 2018 00:25

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

I'm taking a poll: what percentage pay bump have you received for promotions over the course of your careers? I'm thinking like "Engineer" to "Senior Engineer". Or "Engineer I" to "Engineer II", etc.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2018 15:41

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Thanks for all the replies. I didn't specify but I was mainly interested in promos within the same company.

I'll add my data point: just got the offer for Eng -> Senior Eng for 6% more pay (chemical/process engineering). Little lower than what I was hoping for, we'll see if they're willing to play ball at the negotiating table tomorrow morning.

# ¿ Apr 12, 2018 00:41

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

spf3million posted:

I'll add my data point: just got the offer for Eng -> Senior Eng for 6% more pay (chemical/process engineering). Little lower than what I was hoping for, we'll see if they're willing to play ball at the negotiating table tomorrow morning.

Finally an update: I went back the next day and asked for 10%. Two weeks later they came back with 8.4% as "the best they could do after a long internal negotiation". I took it and am happy I asked for more.

# ¿ Apr 26, 2018 22:31

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

I am so pumped about my recent move into operations. We work shifts, 4 on 4 off, and get paid for any hours we work over 40. Like if someone takes vacation someone else has to cover their shift. And gets paid for it. It sounds dumb as hell but it's such a huge change from working as a salaried engineer where you stay till it's done. It's a complete mindset 180 when it comes to working extra. And the best part is, once you clock out, you're done. Out of sight out of mind.

# ¿ May 12, 2018 01:13

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Oodles posted:

Oil and Gas. I’ve moved out of ops and into a more projects/corporate role.

I’m struggling with the forward planning, I.e more than just a 1 week look ahead, more like 1 month/6 month what decisions need to be made now, so we don’t get in bad situations then.

I just made the opposite move because I struggle with multi-year timelines too. Definitely a different skill set.

Figuring out how things are approved/funded is the most important part. Getting ops on board that your project is actually good for them is the second most important. Hopefully your experience and relationships with ops will make that part easier.

# ¿ Jun 22, 2018 17:33

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

You could design the best system in the world but if the operators either don't understand it or refuse to use it right because they don't like it, misoperation can nerf your benefit calculation with one incident that disrupts production.

# ¿ Jun 22, 2018 18:57

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Dik Hz posted:

My friend's husband is in nuclear, and I wanted to add that they generally don't build nuclear plants anywhere close to where the majority of people want to live. They're the ultimate NIMBY.

This is something I wish I would have considered more carefully before I took my first job in oil/gas after majoring in chemical engineering.

# ¿ Nov 19, 2018 23:35

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

bawfuls posted:

focused on heat transfer and fluids. In particular I enjoyed radiation heat transfer

Radiative heat transfer pretty much screams fired equipment: process boilers, heaters, furnaces, etc. which are all going to be fossil fuel based (as you've discovered). If you did take a job being the heater/exchanger guy at a facility you could think about it in terms of being green by improving efficiency at an operating plant rather than working at a renewable energy company. There is a lot of energy to be saved by just operating more efficiently with the equipment you have.

Otherwise you'd probably have to give up on your specialty and start working on a new specialty.

If you do find something in the renewable field where your skills apply I'd be interested in hearing about it.

# ¿ Nov 22, 2018 21:38

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Target Practice posted:

Am I just coming to terms with the reality of being one of the tens of thousands of engineers doing the mundane work that needs to be done?

This line made me chuckle because a lot of what being an engineer is is doing what needs to be done because no one else seems to be able to do it competently. It may not seem glorious but it is absolutely essential to your company's profitability and that makes your job important, at least from your employers perspective.

I've been struggling with this somewhat too though going into the 11th year of my career. I'm to the point where I have a great skillset in my industry and see bigger and bigger paychecks on the horizon. But, I find myself wanting to do something that actually makes a difference somehow aside from just helping the company make a profit in a reliable, safe, compliant manner. It's a battle between the money and the feel-goods.

# ¿ Jan 10, 2019 01:00

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Maybe look for some kind of internship? In the US undergrads sometimes take 3-6 months off class and work as an intern. It's really more of a recruiting tactic by the company to get an early read on potential full time employees.

You could also see if there are any research internships available at your university.

# ¿ Apr 9, 2019 16:25

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Hotbod Handsomeface posted:

Has anyone ever been in a situation where the manager you were offered is different from the one you actually get upon joining the company? This is super weird right?

This happened to me when I moved to my current company 3.5 years ago. I was pretty put off at first but the new guy turned out to be great and I'm glad he's here now. Your manager can change at any time. But yeah I was definitely weirded out initially.

# ¿ May 21, 2019 13:09

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

The job description of a BS ChemE is vastly different than that of a PhD ChemE.

# ¿ Jan 20, 2020 14:33

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

I work in the tech service department at an oil refinery (basically the group for chemEs). poo poo is bleak right now. Combination of being an "essential industry" and almost literally no one driving or flying. We're all worried covid is going to spread through operation personnel and we'll be forced to shut down due to lack of qualified people. Also it's impossible to move product and there are only so many tanks for blended gasoline and diesel. We're swimming in it product at minimum rates.

# ¿ Mar 22, 2020 04:05

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

We just found out our oil refinery is being permanently shut down and we're all getting laid off in October. I'm going to consider changing industries but at 12 years in the industry I was just starting to taste the sweet income that comes with middle management with a technical background in a specific field.

# ¿ Aug 2, 2020 05:12

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Gin_Rummy posted:

After how many years in a more traditional engineering discipline (electrical, civil, mechanical, etc) would you all say you should be at a “senior engineer” level position? I know it’s pretty arbitrary and company-by-company, but I’m sitting here at like 8 years and my company still has me pegged as a level two and it’s got me feeling pretty down lately.

Also yes, before anyone says anything, I have been actively looking for something new for awhile now.

At my conservative energy company, the first promotion is at around 4 years if you are an upper corner performer. Not a lot of flexibility there. Staying strictly on the technical ladder, your next promotion is around 4 years after that. It's pretty rare to get to a level three before 10 years if you stick to the technical ladder even if you are a rock star.

To get ahead of that timeline, you have to go to operations management which can realistically shave up to two years off of your promo schedule, again only if you are a high performer and if the cards fall right for you. Either that or hire in as a level three with 8-10 years experience in the applicable field.

# ¿ Jun 15, 2021 02:35

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Same. Typically HR updates the range every year to more or less keep up with inflation.

# ¿ Jun 16, 2021 23:44

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Qubee posted:

My background is I have a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering, and I was hired at this petrochemical company as a Mechanical Design Engineer.

The mechanical design engineers at my ~~petrochemical~~ renewables refinery are generally responsible for figuring out how to rout this pipe that keeps breaking from point A to point B with the appropriate structural support. And also making sure operations isn't going to bitch about the routing being a tripping hazard or in the way of the forklift that needs to get in there to replace that drum of whatever every week. They also need to work with the process engineers (ChemEs) on what is in the pipe to ensure the material is appropriate for the process and the expected corrosion rate is acceptable. If there's a special widget in that pipe, they might also be responsible for working with vendors on acquiring a replacement widget either as replace-in-kind or some incremental upgrade. Need to ensure the additional expense of an upgrade is justified from a business perspective and that the area team is all aligned on the path forward to spend that extra money or not. Then they typically are the stewards of the Management Of Change (MOC) process to ensure all of the safety factors have been considered and all of the applicable documentation (P&IDs, isometrics, etc) are updated in the refineries Process Safety Information (PSI) library.

There are a million other little parts to the job, 99% of which need to be done in the plant. Only long term mega projects are typically done off-site and those still require frequent site visits.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2021 14:01

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Industry report: crude oil refining is going nuts at this moment due to too many refineries closing permanently during the pandemic. And now there is a shortage of refining capacity leading big margins for those left in business. My site is pivoting to renewables and had been the primary focus for the company for the last year plus. Lately all of the resources are back helping the fossil refineries push out as many barrels as they can manage.

Job market for chemical engineers remains robust. Same for mechanical, electrical and especially controls engineers. Turnover is high, especially among folks with roughly 4-8 years of experience.

# ¿ Jun 9, 2022 03:41

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Long shot but Delek is based in Nashville. They don't have any plants there but you might be able to get a corporate job in their HQ.

# ¿ Oct 26, 2022 21:01

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Very cool spreading the STEM love to the next generation.

Talking about money should be a softball when it comes to engineering since it is consistently one of the highest paying fields. Sure you don't want to go into engineering solely because of the money but no harm in planting that seed that it is a great way to make a living while working on solutions to society's problems.

# ¿ Dec 13, 2023 16:37

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# ¿ May 3, 2024 03:28

spf3million: Sep 27, 2007; hit 'em with the rhythm

Qubee posted:

I graduated with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and have been working in a petrochemical plant for almost three years now. Work feels meaningless. Everything boils down to just increasing profits for shareholders. Project deadlines absolutely destroy your mental health and after all is said and done, it means nothing. I do not feel like my job has any meaningful impact. Office culture and environment feels like a remnant of the early '00s. Management doesn't seem to want to change with the times.

Thinking of doing Dentistry, as a scholarship is possible so I wouldn't be saddling myself with debt. I think I would be overall happier in this line of work, as my work has a tangible impact and I'm bettering peoples' lives. Does anyone know of any Mechanical Engineers who have transitioned from engineering to dentistry? Is it crazy?

ChemE but I feel you on the weight of project deadlines. A switch flipped for me when I got into operations and could solely focus on the day to day. More calls in the middle of the night so it's not without drawbacks but I got a lot more satisfaction knowing that I can focus solely on what's in front of me rather than trying to juggle a dozen long term projects. Really increased my happiness at work. Daily maintenance might be more fitting for a MechE than ops.

I would not personally like dentistry. Seems way too repetitive to keep me stimulated. I have day dreamed about being a doctor though if I were ever going to change careers.

# ¿ Apr 13, 2024 15:18

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Business, Finance, and Careers > Tell me about being an Engineer!