Readers: What would YOU do if you had to bail on your career in the next year? Many of my friends changed major early on too. All the tools and specifications change very quickly. Companies have little if any interest in finding the right situation for you. While there is scope to change within the field during your education, I can’t think of any thing more painful than forcing yourself to rote learn incredibly abstract stuff you don’t care about. I do find the hands-on more interesting. This is a male-dominated field. Over the years, I received several emails asking whether going into engineering is a good idea. I don’t know if there’s an easy answer for kids choosing a career nowadays. I think in most degrees there will be a disconnect between the job you will be doing and the coursework. They will need to evolve and most can’t continue in the technical role for their entire career. So, it took some time to figure out the right place for me within the engineering world. As long as you live modestly and save a big percentage of your income, it doesn’t really matter what field you’re in. I rely on programming even in my degree! But I’ve been lucky enough for my situation to be a good fit and develop into something I still enjoy (most days). That’s a great way to go. That was fine when I was young and single. These camps provide more insight into an Electrical Engineering career while helping students learn more about the required skills. There are entry level Engineers at a few companies making over $200,000 a year. This is just my experience – Working for big corporations can be a big letdown. I hated programming when I was learning about it, but my view changed, and now it saves me a lot of time. Electrical Engineers require at least a Bachelor’s degree. I think we paid about $1,500 for a 386 desktop. Leave a Reply Cancel reply. The ones with the highest GMAT scores and GPAs were engineers in my b-school class, but ALL of them wanted to get out of engineering and get into management. I enjoyed it at first, but got burned out and retired only after 16 years in engineering. Anyway, it would have been nice to know more about what people really do in different engineering jobs before going into the field. Civil and electrical engineers are problem-solving professionals who create designs depending on the technical specifications of a given project. conduct research on nuclear engineering projects or apply principles and theory of nuclear science to problems concerned with release, control, and use of nuclear energy and nuclear waste disposal. It’s almost impossible to avoid leadership responsibilities once you made higher pay grades though. Here is what a typical dayâs work for a Civil Engineer looks like: Find out more about what Civil Engineers do at work. Thanks for your input. What do Computer Engineers do? Thank you for your input. Now, Iâm a SAHD blogger and I love it. He still may decide to go back to school. It’s all depend on what do you want to do. It’s really hard for women in engineering programs. I wish young people would spend more time figuring out what they like and what they are good at rather than what might be lucrative. I'm not strong, so I wonder whether I'll need to work a lot outside or to take care of any heavy things. An engineer may be obliged to stay at remote places year after year without his family. Being in a high paying profession is how I got on my path to financial success. Okay = 1 point. If the product was late, the competitor could get ahead and the company wouldnât make as much profit. I am stating the scenario of west bengal, india. You are interested in the practical application of engineering science and technology. I told them I’m taking my vacation and essentially going part time. Typically, there are plenty of those. This is depending on the determination of one and whether the interests still maintain at the prevailing point of time. I'm in a dilemma right now. For prospective engineers, I think the best thing you can do is to talk to someone who is already working in the career that youâre considering. Good luck! What Are The Requirements For Electrical & Electronics Engineering Degree? My solution was to go directly to grad school and earn a MBA-Finance concentration. I’m not good at it and I didn’t want to do it. The main character replies “mobile infantry sir”. I just wanted to say that coding is critical for any engineering major. Does this sound interesting to you? But I was stubborn (stupid?) There’s also the Professional Engineer (PE) route, vs non-PE route. ABET is a professional association that accredits associate, bachelor's, and master's degree programs in engineering, engineering technology, computing, and applied science. Joe Udo retired from his engineering career to become a stay at home dad/blogger at 38. Civil Engineer. Engineering is a huge field. Architectural and engineering firms provide more than half of all jobs to civil engineers and paid an average of $90,670 in 2016. You could study chemical, biotech, mechanical, civil, or electrical engineering. It was interesting to learn how to build a computer from scratch. My son is a 4th generation Engineer in the family, and is not in a job that he enjoys. Yes, a reputable engineering curriculum will be challenging. These are all vastly different and you can go into all kinds of careers. A master's degree in civil engineering builds upon a bachelor's degree and explores advanced aspects of engineering. Now count how many points you have. Another issue I’ve seen that nicoleandmaggie pointed out as well is that once you get to a certain pay bracket, you’re expected to go into management – and unfortunately, most engineers are not good managers, and they just don’t *want* to be managers, so they suck at it, and repeat until they’re miserable and everyone working for them is miserable. Civil engineering is different from what you are describing. Oh well! You like working with data and details more than with ideas. Having said that, I would encourage the 18 year to ask as many questions as they can and sign-up for an internship while in college. I think most kids growing up today are going to know some basics of programming (not sure about hardware). 4. I was good at math and science, so engineering was a good fit. Another con for engineering (more specifically, programming): You end up spending most of your working life sitting alone in an 8×10 cubicle staring at a screen. I found out though that I really didn’t like math, so that pretty much killed that career path. Just tell your primary care physician you are really stressed out and can’t take it anymore. otherwise choose other profession. It is my opinion may be not right for all. However, there are some downsides too. At that point, I had to go into management to get more promotions and raises. Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel. Graduates with a degree in electrical engineering go on to pursue careers in energy, construction, manufacturing, transport, telecommunications, engineering and computing. I never felt burned out, Rarely felt stressed. Also, consider requsting a layoff and a package during layoffs, I did that during my career when I wanted to change companies anyway. Electrical engineering is a growing and profitable career path, with a median salary of $95,060 per year, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). However, I would point out that just about every job has burn out. However, most engineers work long hours, with no extra pay. Best wishes. I’ve been with the same company since college and have seen so many people come and go (mostly through reductions). My advice, go with a general engineering degree like Mechnical. In any discipline, know your marketability and control your career. But at least it made me realize what I wanted to do, which is art. Next post: SAHD Recipe – Salmon Garlic Butter Pasta, Previous post: What Dads Really Want On Fatherâs Day. The field of electronics was born with the invention of the thermionic valve diode vacuum tube in 1904 by John Ambrose Fleming, and was the foundation of all electronics, including radios, television and radar, until the mid-20th century. Also, lots of flexibility of what field eventually to work in afterward. Electrical engineering programs may be distinct majors, or they may be part of computer and electrical engineering or electrical and electronics engineering programs. At this point, some companies will start to lay off people soon. If you enjoy learning, then engineering is a good field to be in. These are all vastly different and you can go into all kinds of careers. Pre-law is not a major most places (they prefer people with “real” majors) and many people graduating from law school are graduating with debt and no jobs because the recession made a glut in new lawyers. majors and get great jobs in business. Engineering is a hot profession right now and should continue to be for the foreseeable future. Required fields are marked * Comment. Long-term SW engineer here. Mobile infantry made me the man I am today.” Then the main character notices the veteran is missing both his legs. An 18 year old has a much different perspective and my biggest fear would be to discourage them from pursuing a potential career because I said I spend most of my time in meetings or something similar! I guess engineering is a good platform to transition later. I’d rather work in a cushy white-collar job. I believe that this can be done provided that one continues to make the effort to do so. You may love your “work,” but trust me, absolutely nobody loves their “job” — unless you are a masochist. You just need to save and make sure you can evolve into something else. Your email address will not be published. Engineering/business training is a highly versatile combination and you can do just about anything with it. My experience with the engineering career isnât that great. The moral to the story, at least in my case, is that the education process is only the first step. The numbers fluctuate, but civil engineers earn approximately an average salary of $77,560. A lot of programming jobs have embraced what they call agile development and pair programming where interactions in the team are prominent. The engineering coursework can be very difficult. I wish someone told me that earlier in my career. A career as an electrical engineer. Civil Engineering. I’m not sure if MLOA would cover taking care of your daughter, but it’s not too hard to get. They owe you. Master’s degree programs are also available for engineers. Dislike = 0 point. Benefits include getting to work outdoors more than software people, working on real world (as in “physical”) problems. I made the mistake of going into engineering right away when I didn’t have the aptitude for it. I guess this could be a pro if you are a woman⦔ More likely a con. I would recommend going into a job that pays well enough for you to retire in 10 to 15 years. The best we can ask of college is that it teaches us how to learn and how to be flexible in an ever changing market. I would not be a good fit for programming, although I did design for 25 years. We’re talking auto shop electrical things – starters and gauges, and such. Some of my friends went on to get their EE degrees and those cool rings. There are 3 answers to each question: Dislike, Okay and Like. There are also several types of engineers, and which type you select will dictate your options and your coursework. Frankly, all the specifications are more or less the same as per my perspective. I got my Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and worked as a design engineering for six years while I got my MBA and moved into management where I was better suited. Now that my son is getting a bit older, this is more relevant than ever. Computer engineers can easily works as software engineers (or something like that) while electrical engineers should have … Being an Engineer is a great start to FIRE. They end up hating their lives in way too many cases. Tags: career, career-quiz, quiz. I think he will be a good fit for a career in STEM. It’s very fulfilling knowing you took part in building something tangible that helps society as a whole. Within two years I was wanting to go to a trade school to be a welder, and was two semesters on probation. Engineering is great if you have the right aptitude for it. Career choice is a very personal decision and my recommendation to young people considering a career is to first, “know thyself.”. Because being a mathematician teaches you to think logically and is a signal that you’re really smart. In college, the engineering students are the ones that stay home to study and work engineering problems while others are out having a good time – but the rewards can be great and lifelong. One “bad” thing about the education process is that you always looked to the instructor to tell you what to do. I just followed my interests from EE to CS and later to HCI, didn’t ever lose interest in the subject matter, just lost interest in permanent work ð. Your email address will not be published. Some people donât or just donât like it and quit the field. So, plan for it. Electricity engineers are involved with designing and constructing electrical products, and those considering a future as a mechanical engineer may want to … One of these days, I’m going to again try to re-take that physics lab. This approach works for your career as well as life in general. As you learn new tips, try and share them with members of the staff that you work with … remember, what goes around, comes around. Civil engineers build the infrastructure on which the world depends. Computer programming is currently a good major, but not so long ago there were too many programmers (because of the dot com boom) for the number of jobs (because of the bust)– that’s evened out again. A few of my family members are/were engineers though, and I think for the most part they like it…except for some of the same things you hated…there are certainly a lot of meetings and BS in all companies, especially larger ones. Since many engineering fields involve similar duties, those interested in being an electrical or a mechanical engineer may also want to consider becoming an electronics or industrial engineer. Even nursing– some parts of the country RNs are having difficulty finding jobs, other parts of the country there’s huge demand. They worked all the time and rarely had any time off. Depending on your school: a computer engineer could also do digital/ASIC design and testing (more like an electrical engineer). I picked the career path I liked – computer science with a minor in EE (I had more flexibility than straight computer engineering). There are various branches of civil engineering which make it difficult to saturate the market and it is therefore a great field to be in. Employment grew at an average rate. We work so much on the computer these days. I was a computer engineer too, evolved into manager and last year changed to work in a company that can provide me the opportunity to work from home – essentially transforming from someone who was managing a 300+ organization into an individual contributor, with lesser pay. Just go with general mechanical and take some classes geared towards petroleum industry. Like many careers but also with Engineering, I tend to think the most ideal career scenario is to have developed a specialty niche (within the first decade) and be able to offer such services independently as a consultant; ideally with schedule flexibility. After my youngest daughter (1yr) had some medical issues I asked if I could work part-time for 6-9 months till we got through her issues and they essentially said no. I started as a design engineer and didn’t like it, moved into mechanical system simulation which was a lot more interesting, and a few years after that I migrated into finite element analysis which has been a huge amount of fun for the last 28 years. THe downsides of big companies are a con for anyone that works at a big company. being a junior engineer was the most fun part of the career, high paying profession is how I got on my path to financial success, SAHD Cooking – Hoi Tod (Thai mussels pancake). Whether mechanical, electrical, or another area, undergraduate engineering programs are very structured from the moment you start college. I believe that many who join the Engineering field are quite Analytical, which is great, but you need to also develop that Driver mentality, and to not be afraid to be Expressive. They compete for jobs through the government hiring process. If you like electronics and/or programming, pick up a Raspberry Pi or Axon MCU to simply fool around and see what you can create. Looking back I think I would have been good at engineering but I didn’t enjoy math so became a writer. it does not mean that an engineer with good marks may get good job after passing or in course of his career with moderate salary.Moreover pressure of workload,tension, anxiety, disorder of balance of family life, probability of transfer at remote place, no time limit of working hour ( may be 16-17 hrs/day depending on emergency, may be happened 2-3 days/week for over production or for repairing of m/c leads an engineer tired,fatigue,irritated and makes his family unhappy at the age of over 40. Accounting is generally pretty safe, as is engineering, though it depends a lot on the kind of engineering and what the market demands are– for a while you couldn’t get a job as a petroleum engineer, and now demand far outstrips supply. It’s hard. ITS MY PERSONAL EXPERINCE MAY /WILL NOT FIT TO OTHERS BUT CAN THINK ABOUT IT. Civil Drafters. The mindset is transferrable even if the actual tasks learned in school aren’t so much. Also you should understand there is a difference between your “work” and your “job.”. Engineers can prepare to excel in their current and future roles with specialized education and hands-on experience.For example, students taking GW’s Master of Science in Electrical Engineering online gain key knowledge in one of our high-demand focus areas: electrical power systems or communications and networks. You could also file for unpaid leave or medical leave of absence. Electrical engineers work with electrical power to create or improve products and electrical equipment. The ridiculous schedules, workloads, meetings have just continually gotten worse. Not everyone is college material. But I’m not doing anything related to either of those for work – I got into computer security. Step 2: Obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. Your professors want you to learn. But maybe I am romanticizing this â would be great to hear any comments from other readers that may have lived this type of engineering career/businessâ¦. Long work hours. The schooling has helped provide background information and theory, but I rarely use it in my day-to-day job. But by the time I was a senior, I pretty much knew I didn’t want to work as a chemical engineer. Don’t go for Accounting! Salary plateau. High-Demand Electrical Engineering Focus Areas. Now I automate financial functions. By making more money I have financial control of my life and that’s a key factor as well. Electrical Engineering Technicians quiz, should i become an Electrical Engineering Technician, is Electrical Engineering Technicians suitable for me, do i want to be an Electrical Engineering Technician, Electrical Engineering Technicians personality test. It’s 100% technical work which I enjoy very much, I make about 50-100% more than regular employees. I think you’ll know if you are right for an engineering degree, you’ll already have an interest in fiddling, fixing and creating ‘things’. Pre-med is a lousy major unless you go to med school, and even then you’re in for a load of debt. Yeah, I think that’s true for many engineering branches now. Engineers, please add your comment below and Iâll update the article with your input. So those are some of the things I did when I was a computer engineer. My sister is hitting #4 right now. Engineer here. I quit engineering once it wasnât the right fit anymore. The job was also frequently stressful. I frequently spent more than 60 hours per week at work when I was young. I feel like the abstract coursework has enabled me to do any math-centric career, though. Having some savings can help smooth out the transition. For me, being a junior engineer was the most fun part of the career. When I started working, I quickly found out the work and studies I had done in university did not match the work I was getting paid for. It includes mundane, pedestrian, and soul-leaching things such as meetings, teleconferences, deadlines, bosses, managers, presentations, reports, proposals, administrative B.S., office politics, etc. The 101 elecronics class and lab – one female in the class, no females in the lab. If you want to move into another realm (no matter what it is), an undergraduate Engineering degree is not a bad one to have, as compared to other degrees. After one year I had to drop out of the program because my grades weren’t good enough. test or modify developmental or operational electrical machinery or electrical control equipment and circuitry in industrial or commercial plants or laboratories. I have rarely seen electrical or computer engineers go the PE route, I’ve seen that mostly in the mechanical and civil engineering areas. Most engineers I knew got tired of the job and transitioned to a different career. While I’m intriqued by circuit board design, and would love to understand it, and would love to find somebody that can design me some wireless sprinkler valves in the US like those at the Remconix site, I realize it’s more than I can handle. I heard it is better in a small company. Bad work situations can make your life unpleasant. Not all engineers work in cubicals: there’s always need for people in the field where you get a better understanding of how the plants and machinery work as well as spending time outdoors. Electrical engineers earned a mean annual wage of $96,640 in 2018, according to the BLS, with the top 90% of engineers making $153,240 or above. I love problem-solving. Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs. Work is what you were trained to do, what you went to school for, and hopefully is something that is related to a subject area of your interest. You need to keep learning new stuff to stay current in your field. Answer âOkayâ if you tell yourself âUmm⦠I think I will be okay with thatâ Also you’ll build your network if you move around the industry versus staying at the same company. I call around and make my own deals with various temporary employment companies, choosing where I work and how much I earn. That number can increase to the high 6 figures after 15 years of work. Itâs a tough question. (My degree was a long hard slog in electrical engineering but I soon found out circuits, ASICs and power grids weren’t for me and switched to software after 2 years. I think if I hadnât been a doctor, I would have been trust and estates attorney. Hmmm. Everyone is replaceable. What do people go on to do? When I’m out of time, I’m walking away. For example, these were some of the things I did as a computer hardware engineer. Civil Engineers quiz, should i become a Civil Engineer, is Civil Engineers suitable for me, do i want to be a Civil Engineer, Civil Engineers personality test. Women are very good in engineering because they seem to have more patience to work through problems and modeling, and in Colombia there are more girls than guys in civil engineering university programs. Nursing, pre-med, pre-law, computer programming, accounting, and engineering are those that come to mind. Civil engineering is a rigorous and important profession, where designs impact people, the environment, and property. 2. I think EE is much easier to pick up than ChemE. Dependent on the stage of your career, or project phase, electrical engineers can work in various locations, whether that be in laboratories, offices, and building sites. It seems a little ridiculous to expect an 18 year old student to choose what they would like to do for the rest of their life. To become a civil engineer you need a bachelor’s degree. However, you have to evolve after about 10 years. Ask questions, both in class and out. In this career quiz, there are 10 questions that will give you a pretty good perspective on whether the career of a Civil Engineer is right for you. It was definitely more rewarding earlier on, but over the years has become much less enjoyable. I do not recommend pertroleum engineering. Engineering is a good field to get started in. Try to do summer internships. In college, engineering majors usually start with the physics and math classes before getting to any engineering. A change in lifestyle is imminent after years of burn out in the same working environment. The CEO has a lot of incentive to lay off workers. I went for business and it turned out to be a good decision. But if the only thing you … I am a chemical engineer in early part of career. As a teacher, I always tell my students to pick a career that they are interested in and have the skills. He is good with math and learns quickly. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. It can be easily automated and it’s happening right now. Itâs hard to maintain a good work/life balance with that kind of demand. You like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Open up your creative mind as much as you can. It is difficult to know when you’re only 18 or 20 what career you’d like. They were ridiculously expensive for what they could do, too. Maybe they do better now, but I didn’t at the time. Electrical engineering offers a broad range of research in areas as diverse as communications, systems control, biomedical engineering, electromagnetics, photonics, electronics and energy systems. I am narrating the bad side, may be there are some engineers working at MNC, OR Govt.Organizations with high pay package and leave and enjoying holiday. Ask to be laid off instead of quitting. I feel this article of yours was kind of like that scene from Starship Troopers where the veteran asks the main character which branch of federal service he joined. It’s a great degree combination and got me out of a career doing hardcore chemical engineering work. The sheer volume of comments indicates just how many financially successful engineers there are in this community. I guess that’s true for most office jobs these days, but I spent 10+ hours on the computer every day for 16 years. And plenty of majors can do that. Looking forward to spending some quality time with my 4yr old and 1yr old in the near future! The following two tabs change content below. An B.S. Click below to view your results. I quit my engineering career 8 years ago and there is no way I could go back. This branch of engineering deals with the research, design, … That’s great. ANY ONE GIVE COMMENTS ABOUT MY WRITING. Answer âLikeâ if you tell yourself âYes, Iâm interestedâ. I went through a very rigorous technology-oriented path from 3rd grade to 12th grade — for context, Sergey Brin graduated from the same high school program I did. I'm considering civil engineering and mechanical engineering. You donât have to get stuck in the field if you no longer enjoy it. You could study chemical, biotech, mechanical, civil, or electrical engineering. The upper class and upper middle class who see college as a coming of age experience also take their humanities etc. I got a couple degrees, a BS in Engineering Technology (practical, applications oriented) and an MS in Mechanical Engineering (more theoretical).
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