Tell me about being an Engineer!

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

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

grover posted:

If we have any experienced power engineers (sorry recent grads), preferably with project management and supervisory background, and are interested to moving to Hawaii, give me a PM.

What's your definition of "experienced"? Is 4 years too little?

# ¿ Apr 29, 2011 01:00

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 15:09

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

grover posted:

Depends what level that 4 years is at; this is a pretty senior level job. So, probably not. Also, the opening closed right after I posted it.

No worries, I was just curious. I'm sitting for my PE in the fall but it sounds like I wouldn't be senior enough.

# ¿ Apr 29, 2011 20:20

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

Canned Sunshine posted:

A few days late, but seconding this. There seems to be a significant structural deficit across a number of sectors/disciplines. Some friends of mine and I were discussing this last week, and we're not sure why a deficit exists, but it seems to be there.

We have a couple of open positions on the team I work on, and we've been struggling to get applicants. We did get someone who just got their PE last year, and on paper only has around 5 years of experience total, but we offered around $105K and they wanted $110K and turned us down. So there's absolutely demand, but also significant wage potential.

Hopefully your big brained HR people compromised and gave them what they asked for.

# ¿ Feb 7, 2024 18:37

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

Canned Sunshine posted:

Of course they didn�t! They wanted to give them $100K to begin with, the $105K was the counter.

So instead, the two positions remain unfilled and the workload adding up.

Ooof.

Where was 105K located on the salary band for that position?

# ¿ Feb 7, 2024 19:40

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

I had to send my first official �shape up� email to a subordinate today :/

# ¿ Mar 6, 2024 04:45

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

Jyrraeth posted:

I think I might need to find a way to gracefully exit Engineering. I'm chronically ill now and while my current employer is reasonably content with having me Work From Home Part Time and update all the documents no one wants to update I don't know how much longer this situation will work out. They've been putting off COLA raises for a while with a "yes, we promised COLA raises, no they're not here yet, yes you'll get back pay". Which doesn't fill me with confidence (but at least I might get back pay). Company had laid of a couple of expensive employees late last year and there's been a couple of retirements but it seem like cash flow is a big problem that they're trying to get technical staff on tight deadlines to give a poo poo about.

Regardless I know Engineering isn't going to be a long term thing when I've been part time for the last two years. Previously I had thought software would be the backup plan if I ended up getting laid off but welp. That's not really a good idea considering the layoffs everywhere else. Is there really anything out there for an Electrical Engineer who can't work full time? I'm Canadian which seems to remove a lot of options.

My current plan for if I get laid off is go back to school, but I haven't decided for what yet. I can't say for certain if I'll ever be able to work full time again but I don't want to have any of my plans contingent on it.

Not sure how it works in Canada, or what discipline of EE you are, but here in the States I don't think layoffs are on anyone's horizon for the foreseeable future.

I'm in Utility Power and getting qualified, motivated candidates is very hard. Your part time status is going to be a barrier if you need to make a move, but that's going to be an issue in any field you choose.

Do you like being an Engineer?

# ¿ Mar 6, 2024 20:24

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

Car Hater posted:

I got poached to work as a technical PM for my local utility company and I'm not even an EE. Very low-stress slow-moving stuff compared to engineering deadlines and there seems to be forever amounts of work on account of the dual needs of infrastructure updates and growth of renewables. Certainly couldn't hurt to look up who's providing you power and make a pitch.

E; lol was not expecting to be beaten on this

We are considering people for typical EE positions that have adjacent degrees like ME or CE. It's a very very good time to get in to utilities. And the pay is catching up to the "private" sector.

# ¿ Mar 6, 2024 20:30

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

wemgo posted:

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)

A solid foundation in digital logic is absolutely useful to utilities, and if you have a willingness to learn AC theory you can go far.

Don't be like my subordinate who has a desire to become proficient at substation protection, but doesn't have the education background and refuses to open a book without being directly told what chapter and paragraph to read.

# ¿ Mar 7, 2024 19:28

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

Oodles posted:

Ooh. Let�s talk about our biggest fails.

Deciding that moving in to management was a good thing to do.

# ¿ May 1, 2024 17:42

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

spwrozek posted:

Good job. The right move.

And if not in a Union probably led to their eventual separation from the company.

# ¿ May 2, 2024 18:19

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

General Dog posted:

I guess I can see how it comes across that way; my intent was to throw myself under the bus for not managing them well, not to gripe about their performance as an excuse for the team�s overall dysfunction.

You sound like me. I dislike being a manager. Have you thought that might be what�s going on here? This reads like self sabotage that I�ve been tempted to do.

# ¿ May 7, 2024 19:03

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

General Dog posted:

Yes I'm much happier out of the position, and the 10% pay cut is largely well worth the quality of life improvement.

Wait, so this self evaluation was written before you took a demotion?

Also a 10% premium to manage seems criminally low.

# ¿ May 7, 2024 19:13

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 15:09

Anti-Hero: Feb 26, 2004

CarForumPoster posted:

Is this the kind of place that you can have the career you want despite a demotion?

I was just going to ask the same thing. Inquiring minds and all that.

# ¿ May 7, 2024 21:47

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