Any Of You Engineers?

Hey. I majored in civil engineering, specializing in transportation. When I graduated, I starting working for a firm that did transporation impact studies for new development or redevelopment. Turns out I didn't like it at all. There was too much writing and not enough calculations. Perhaps I would have liked it better if I had gone for a postiion that designed transporation infrastructure. In any event, that lead me to a new position with a different engineering firm doing project controls and reporting. I loved the change. I'm totally a data nerd.

I studied civil engineering, and it was toooooo much for me, i still dont know how did i manage to graduate, too much science in there :bigsmile: I started working in construction and i loved it, seeing your buildings rise high in the sky is a great joy, then i moved to telecom sector and i am loving it too, but too much to do in always too short time, so a lot of stress and pressure.
Studies were tough, but work is far better.

My advice for you, you may not need all the information you study now in your future job, but it will be very bad if you need it and you dont remember it or you dont know it, so take your studies seriously and keep your books and important notes. I didnt focus on all subjects and now I really wish i did.

Good Luck

electrical engineer. i used to work in the semiconductor industry in silicon valley. now i run my own small business.

electrical engineering is a problem-solving profession. if you're good, you can make good money. but it's a life lived laboring over a computer in a cubicle. if you like problem-solving, it can be challenging and fun. but there is stress involved.

some engineers also get MBAs or engineering management degrees and they use those credentials to move up the corporate ladder to become directors, VPs, or CEOs one day. however, an engineer's life is not a 9-to-5 existence. you work overtime, sometimes alot if you have a looming project deadline. however, as a salaried employee, the OT is "free" for the employer. that's the tradeoff... good money but your work long hours. also, alot of companies are turning to overseas employees to fill the gap between the number of engineers they need and the number graduating from college. this inevitably leads to a downward pressure on salaries, since foreign engineers are often willing to work for less in exchange for a visa/green card. i saw this happening all over the valley in the the 90's. i walked away from that career a number of years ago for personal reasons.

You want to drive trains? Or more like what these other people have explained?

Wow, lots of civils here, me too. I've been in the municipal field in road design for about 8 years, did traffic signal timings for a few years, worked at a private firm for one year, and had a couple internships in road construction.

I'm not gonna lie, it's generally pretty boring. My traffic signals job was cool for a while because we have an adaptive signal system that's pretty high tech, and that was interesting to learn about but it got very monotonous after a while. Road design is okay though, most of what I do is software based, hardly any math at all. I sit in front of the computer a lot, make a few phone calls, go to a few meetings, and take the occasional site visit. And it's government so the benefits are good too.

I majored in Mechanical Engineering and in my job I do mechanical and civil work. I work for a local municipality. I used to be in design but hated it because I was doing all day was reviewing designs submitted by consulting engineers to determine if their underground utility plans were in accordance with our standards.

Now, I'm in management in the Operations Division and have 9 people who work out in the field for me. My job is to make find and solve inflow/infiltration issues within my County's wastewater system. I love being around people. If you like working by yourself, find a design job. If not, you may have to still start in design and work your way up to management.

The Kolbe Index Career MO+ is the best career assesment you could ever take! Kolbe.com It old me that I wouldn't like design and that I'd do better in management. Very true!

My school canned its Civil engineering program so now I'm a few classes from getting a degree in architecture.

I'm an Electrical Engineer with ~25 yrs of exerience.

I'd be very wary of going into Electrical or Software - many of these jobs are being out-sourced. I've worked for companies that have failed, where plants have been closed, where a product was released and the R&D engineers have all been laid off, and had my entire division shut down and moved to India/China/Taiwan. 6 different companies - all the same story. You have a house, a family and various debts - you go to work and without warning, without notice, without any foreknowledge - you find yourself in a "Meeting", while your desk is packed into a cardboard box, you are given a few weeks pay - and you are home before 10am with no job, no prospects and none of the "essentials" of life (medical insurance).

If I had it to do over again; I'd suggest Chemical Engineering, Civil, or possibly Software. I would not recommend going into the Hardware part of things.

Bear in mind, there are no Visa programs to bring in additional lawyers, doctors, or other professionals into the country, to dillute the labor pool and keep wages low. But, our beloved Gov't has instituted the H1-B Visa program to bring in non-citizens to compete for jobs in Engineering. There is a law of Supply/Demand; and the Gov't has taken it upon itself to artificially inflate the Supply side, to keep the salary from going up. The study required for an engineer is VERY intensive; yet the pay as an engineer is pretty much in line with a degree requiring far less math and science - like a degree in Economics or Business. Those degrees end up being the MANAGERS of Engineers- I can't tell you how many managers I have worked for, who do not have a clue as to what an engineer is, or what he does. Yet, he makes more than I do; and does my appraisals. This would be like you or I writing an appraisal on a brain surgeon.

Studied Electrical Engineering and I have worked in the Wind energy and medical field. I am currently getting into Project Management at a utility company. I work alot with Mechanical Engineers in building technologies. I might switch over to the Power systems Engineering side. I like different challenges.

Engineering is fun and definitely rewarding but you gotto love doing it