Any engineers around here?

[wgoodhoofd]

I'm a 4th year mechanical engineering student in Southern Ontario and am interested to see if there are many engineers that frequent these boards.

What kind of job do you work at now? I'm trying to consider my options for when I graduate. Any suggestions for someone finishing up university/college and entering the work force?

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Any engineers around here?

I have a MSEE. Also have a BSCS. I design police radios right now.
My only advice would be to get a job actually doing hands-on design work for several years. This is the only way to really learn your craft.
Switch companies a couple of times to get broader experience, get more skills and expand your network.
What I would suggest to a starting engineer is to find a niche skill that 90 percent of other engineers can't or won't do, and get very, very good at it. Generalists are the first to get laid off or outsourced.
Don't go into management too early, or you'll never develop into totally proficient engineer.
Read Dilbert cartoons; they're all true.
Admit mistakes, learn from them, then get over it.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Any engineers around here?

I started out my professional career as an Iron worker. Got tired of living in hotels and took a job as a welder with a small local industrial equipment manufacturer.

I worked my way up the ranks, Shop Manager, Production Manager while going to school at night. Got my BSME and took the Engineering and Design Manager position for 5 years. Left engineering to take over the Project Management group.

Four years later I was offered an inside Sales position which I held until the local facility was closed 6 years ago. Since then I?ve been a Regional Sales Manager for the company.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Any engineers around here?

Dirt Merchant ........Civil Engineer

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Any engineers around here?

Fishin stories engineer. I am so good at my craps...I mean craft that you need protective boots to enter my fishin room.

 

[MrBigStuff]

Re: Any engineers around here?

Principal engineer and the R&D engineering manager for a large corporation. I do electrical and software engineering. My forte is real-time, multitasking, embedded software for mission and safety critical applications.

One thing I have never forgotten is the feeling I got fresh out of school when I realized how little I actually knew.

 

[jonesg]

Re: Any engineers around here?

As a pastry "engine ear " I can say learn how to connive and backstab, sucking up will work if done right, blame the new guy for your mistakes, he'll get over it. Join the masons, you'll be in like Flynn.

yeh thats the ticket!

PS, I was French trained, can't ya tell?

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Any engineers around here?

I'm a 4th year mechanical engineering student in Southern Ontario and am interested to see if there are many engineers that frequent these boards.

What kind of job do you work at now? I'm trying to consider my options for when I graduate. Any suggestions for someone finishing up university/college and entering the work force?

Are you practical or theoretical in nature?
Are you outgoing or solitary in your personality?
Are you mechanically inclined right now?
Are you completing a co-op program or direct university?
Where would you like to be at in 5 years? (office? on-site? travelling? shop?)
Hopefully if you are from Gravenhurst you are not intent on hanging around there to further your career. How far will you immediately go to find your first position?
The options are immense but you have to weigh in on where you're at right now.
BP

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Any engineers around here?

BSEE MSEE I do digital circuit design, FPGAs and ASICs. My specialty has been in DSP but am currently working on IP Network design.

It would be nice if you could have worked summer jobs at companies. I take it that you didn't try that?

 

[wgoodhoofd]

Re: Any engineers around here?

Thank you for your responses.

Bigprairie1: I'm a practical person, but kind of solitary, and I like to think I'm mechanically inclined now. I'm a member of my university's Formula SAE race team and help out where I can. Don't worry, only our cottage is in Gravenhurst -- I actually live in the GTA and attend school in Toronto. Those last questions are pretty good and I get them a lot. I think in 5 years I wouldn't mind working in an office or on-site, but also have time to travel.

MrBigStuff: I've heard that from relatives in the engineering field. Once you're out of university, the real learning can begin

My 4th year of study is focusing on mechatronics, so hopefully there are many opportunities in that field.

 

[fdmsiv]

Re: Any engineers around here?

I graduated in May '08 with a degree in Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering.

My advice would be to go out and get an internship yesterday if possible. Not only will you learn more in a week than you will in a semester but you will also find out if you like the field you are in. You learn how to do things in school, formulas, calcs, etc. but once you are in the workplace you will learn HOW to do things, how to communicate, how to write, how to talk, how to manage work. In my classes the teacher would scold us if work was late or sloppy, now I have a psychopathic maniac screaming at me if work is late or sloppy (great motivation to do it right).

In school most of the kids wanted to work for yacht designers and power boat companies so I tried to avoid those fields and fell into the Oil Industry. I am so glad I did as the yacht designers/builders know they have 20-30 kids coming out of school every year and so don't have to pay much.

On the other hand, most of the Oil guys are getting a little older and there is definitely a generation gap in this field. These are the kind of opportunity you should look for.

Right now I am working on site at a shipyard. I am only a year and a half out of school but making close to twice what my classmates are making and will have my name tied to a ground breaking rig that will be making headlines soon.

 

[muskyone]

Re: Any engineers around here?

i work with engineers every day and i can tell you this there allways wrong and thay don't listen.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Any engineers around here?

i work with engineers every day and i can tell you this there allways wrong and thay don't listen.

You must work with some bad engineers. There are many of them out there. Or it's really you that has the problem.....just keep in mind that many engineers do not have a lot of practical experience at a hands on level. They should listen to those that do. But also keep in mind that an engineer is not a "super technician" or "master machinist". I design circuit boards. That does not mean that I am the best technician to troubleshoot and repair boards. I should, however, listen to the guys that have done this all day everyday for the past 10 years.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Any engineers around here?

i work with engineers every day and i can tell you this there allways wrong and thay don't listen.

Yeah, I work with people(usually techs) that think I don't know anything either. I just tell them "At least I know how to spell"

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Any engineers around here?

i work with engineers every day and i can tell you this there allways wrong and thay don't listen.

Do you mean they're always? they? LOL

 

[muskyone]

Re: Any engineers around here?

my dad was a really good engineer one of the best in his field he listened. the ones that i work with have no clue. so we fix there designs in the field and they take credit for it and give themselves a bonus
I'll recant that though if it wasn't for the good ones wed all be walking and living in caves. and i have a learning disability i don't rip on your *** cause you cant change the water pump in your motor that's why after being a member here i only a few posts so blow me douchebag

 

[j_martin]

Re: Any engineers around here?

Wow, look at the education, refinement, and maturity that post displays.

Engineering is more than knowledge. All the knowledge in the world is worthless without good communication skills, and that's a two way street.

my 02
John

 

[elkhunter338]

Re: Any engineers around here?

I got my EE degree from Oregon State and now work for a utility company as a field engineer. The job I wanted from the start of going into electrical engineering. I had two internships along the way one at Tektronics and one at Oremet Wah-chang. Both where good but confirmed I wanted to work for a utility company. I did not like the being in the office all day behind a computer at Tek. I still have lots of computer work to do but get out in the field from time to time. I mainly do planning studies on 12-20 kV distribution system, fuse coordinations, technical support, power quality investigations. I like the job. The linemen are another story, they think they are always right even when they are wrong. I have learned alot from them just wish they had the same attitude that they could learn something from me because they are not always right.

 

[steddy]

Re: Any engineers around here?

BS in Manufacturing (Industrial) Engineering, graduated from Western Michigan University Spring 2008. Did my "internship" in 2004 - 2006 at Alcoa/Howmet.
Manufacturing is at a lull in Michigan, so my degree currently gets me nowhere. That's OK, though, I found a better job (promotion) where I've worked for the last 13 years. I hope I'm there forever. 30 more years, I figure I can retire. Not counting on Social Security, though.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Any engineers around here?

so we fix there designs in the field and they take credit for it and give themselves a bonus

I wish I had a nickel for every time a technician tells me a story like this.

And as my signature states "common sense is not very common"...a good engineer has good common sense.