any electrical engineers out there?

[jrouter76 10+ year member]

I've been working as an "engineer" at a professional engineering firm, doing the work of one even though I'm not one, working directly under a PE, for 24 years.
My take on engineering is, even though I work for a very well established firm with many contacts/ clients ... As in everything else, some times will be very good ('05-'09 for us) and some times will be very hard (I actually offered to forego paychecks a couple times between about '02-'05). In fact, also like most everything else, there's almost always either too much work or not enough. Rarely just right.

And I'm sure you can take all this to the -enth degree when you're just starting out. It's gonna be hard. Very hard. But in the long run will most likely be worth it.

In this business, my long-term view of the past is that what you're really doing is treading water the best you can until a break of some kind comes along so you can get some breathing room (savings!). You can't possibly know ahead of time where it will come from or what will be involved. When it comes along you'll probably have to work your @ss off for some period of time, but will be paid very well for it.

This will sound like a cliche, but I really think it's the engineers that have a good attitude, never say no, and are willing to work after hours and long hours as needed, that have the best chance. It's the complainers and those that dont want to actually work that struggle.

Another thing, the PE I work under is completely 100% engrossed in our work. He constantly stays current on every issue in the industry. I know for a fact he reads anything and everything he can engineering-related after hours, at home in the evening. It's really a lifestyle; Do you want to have a real good chance to actually be a succesful engineer, or kinda just hope giving it a half-@ssed try will work out somehow.

this tid-bit of info is worth its weight in gold, very good info here thanks for sharing this, it will help somebody out there who have ears to hear.

 

[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

but does that mean that i will absolutely not get a decent job anywhere

It means you might have to send out 4 to 500 resumes instead of the 2 to 300 the rest of us are doing.

 

[ejschultz 10+ year member]

It means you might have to send out 4 to 500 resumes instead of the 2 to 300 the rest of us are doing.

Damn. Sure makes me glad Purdue Cal is ABET certified. I couldn't imagine that many apps/résumés. I think 200-300 is about all I can handle. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[DSMW 10+ year member]

Isnt Purdue expensive, how are your student loans only 30k?

 

[SlowLoudNBangin 10+ year member]

It means you might have to send out 4 to 500 resumes instead of the 2 to 300 the rest of us are doing.

but theres an assload of jobs here in TX

thats why everybody is moving here:greedy://content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/greedy.gif.5a53e6246569d7ab79867170f3b06629.gif

 

[ejschultz 10+ year member]

Isnt Purdue expensive, how are your student loans only 30k?

I'm going to Purdue Calumet. It's a satellite school of Purdue West Lafayette (main campus). It's cheaper. Plus I'm in-state. Although, that $30000 also includes 2 years of out of state schooling (UW-Madison). I guess for 4.5 years total of loans collected so far, $30000 ain't so bad. I do get staff dependent remission at Purdue because my mom works there and I still live at home. That may change in a month here when I turn 23 though. I hear a lot of stuff changes then, ie. health insurance mainly. Guess it's really not a lot, but it's enough to fuck me should I get sick.