How many actually like engineering?

At times I wonder if I choose the right career. I am a mechanical engineer engineer at a national lab and have been at it about 8.5 years. I mainly do design and analysis, as well as the modeling, procurement, and assembly that go along with it.

I find that most times it is extremely hard to get motivated while at work. I don't know if I have lost the interest, never had it to begin with, or maybe just chose the wrong career. I definitely can't see myself doing this another 30+ years until retirement!

Maybe I am just stuck in a temporary rut or just need a vacation. I work with pretty cool people, have lots of freedom, and have laid back bosses that don't bother me. I should be happy as a clam.

Does anybody else feel this way, or have felt this way in the past? How did you overcome it? What did you do for motivation. I know engineering isn't the most exciting thing in the world to begin with, but I need to come up with something to help me press on. I have always received great praise from my customers for the work I do. Makes me wonder how well I could be doing if I really enjoyed it more.

Thanks for any comments or suggestions.

I'm pretty much in the same situation. I think I just have career ADD. If I'm on the same project for too long, I just get burned out and unmodivated. The thing that has helped most is that I force myself to adjust my routine every few weeks. I'll change my workout routine in the mornings, adjust the hours I'm at work, etc. When that doesn't work, it means I'm due for a vacation or at least a mini-break, where I'll go to Vegas with a couple friends for a long weekend and unwind.

I've even found a random non-holiday, 3-day weekend spent at home is good to help recover too.

Funny you say that. I was about to post that maybe I just have ADD, and it's nothing to do with the job!

LANL or Sandia, perhaps?

To answer your question, my situation is kind of similar. There are times I have thought I should get my commercial pilots license and go fly for a living, or move to the caribbean and open a bar (or both!). But I mainly work to live. I make a pretty good wage, and have a pretty flexible schedule. My wife and I like to travel a lot, and this job lets us do that fairly easily, while still keeping up with the mortgage and other bills. I don't know your personal situation, but if you work where I think you do, you could probably job-shop a little out of town for a few months if you wanted. I know there have been times when doing that has given me a little perspective. Good luck.

chaosiscash said:

There are times I have thought I should get my commercial pilots license and go fly for a living, or move to the caribbean and open a bar (or both!).

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I like the way you think lusone: Need an inversionist?

chaosiscash said:

LANL or Sandia, perhaps?
To answer your question, my situation is kind of similar. There are times I have thought I should get my commercial pilots license and go fly for a living, or move to the caribbean and open a bar (or both!). But I mainly work to live. I make a pretty good wage, and have a pretty flexible schedule. My wife and I like to travel a lot, and this job lets us do that fairly easily, while still keeping up with the mortgage and other bills. I don't know your personal situation, but if you work where I think you do, you could probably job-shop a little out of town for a few months if you wanted. I know there have been times when doing that has given me a little perspective. Good luck.

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Man people are hitting it on the money today. Without giving out too much information, in case anybody I know reads these, I work at one of the two labs. Funny you mention bar and flying. I have considered many times trying to open a restaurant Probably not a bar or my mom would disown me. And I am also a pilot. Have considered trying that for a living also. Like you said, maybe I just need some perspective from something a little different. The grass isn't always greener on the other side, so I would hate to give up something that was actually really good, just because I didn't realize it.

I am glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. I was expecting a barrage of people who said that engineering is the greatest thing in the world and they absolutely loved their jobs and couldn't ever imagine doing enything else.

It is a job. If you enjoyed it, it would be a hobby.

The reason I don't fly for a living is that I would have to find a new hobby since flying would become work. There are things about my job that I don't like. On balance though, the things I like doing far outweigh the things that I don't. As an added bonus I get to fly myself on company business pretty often so my hobby is subsidized.

far long ago, i used to call my job the "place i went to between weekends" Don't read overly much into burnout...its very typ at what i would guess your age to be (early 30's), where alot of positions are mundane & repetitive based on your 'middling' experience. Youre not really learning a whole lot new, probably not alot of variety, and not in a responsible enough of a position for there to be more passion or ownership in what youre doing. Plus probably not fatty $$ yet too (it had to be said)! I guess no real advice other than not to sweat it too much, i don't think you need to start making a business plan on your other interests quite yet

Capt Worley PE said:

It is a job. If you enjoyed it, it would be a hobby.

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Capt, I'm sorry I have to disagree here. If you don't enjoy your job, I think you're in the wrong job. If you just go to work and don't enjoy what you do, that's a lot of time during your life where you're not happy. Also, I don't think you can be very productive if you don't like what you're doing.

Just my take on work. It should be something you like to do and have a passion for. If it's not -- look for something else that is. You'll have a much more fufilling and happy life in the end.

^^^ I've been told from an early age that you should find what you love to do, then figure out a way to get paid for it. I agree 100% mechguy.

I love engineering but that doesn't necessarily mean I love my job. We all know that the typical engineering job is much more than just engineering and design and that is what gets to me. Well, that and the fact that we've had layoffs recently and could have some more in a few months.

I think your work environment is just as important as the work you're doing as well. I am fortunate to have great coworkers here and it makes it a pleasure to come to work. The place I worked before here was full of bosses that stormed through the halls yelling and cussing and coworkers talking about each other behind their backs. That wasn't fun at all.

I don't think I'd be good at anything else.

Medicine makes me sick, I get tired working on cars, I tried cooking but couldn't cut the mustard, When teaching I never made the grade and accounting made no cents to me.

engineering, what's that?

^the stuff we should be doing instead of talking about it on the internet!!

Ble_PE said:

^the stuff we should be doing instead of talking about it on the internet!!

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That's right! Internet! The biggest distraction known to man. I wonder how work would have been 20 years ago? A few years back I had the privilege of spreading out 16 tons of gravel with a rake, three different times in the summer heat. I remember distinctly a thought popping into my head telling me that no matter how bad/boring my engineering job ever got, it was pale in comparison to having to do this kind of work every day. I guess it's all relative.

Thanks for all the comments.

I love engineering, and though I hate the long travel, I do like my job. Working with power plants and piping is fun. I was a pipefitter apprentice when I was a kid (dad was a fitter) and i liked working with piping and systems, so engineering let me still do that while not having to travel al over the country working (so I thought at the time).

I like my job for the most part. Sometimes I travel a lot and sometimes I'm stuck in the office to much. Either one seems to wear on me a bit. If I'm stuck in the office too long I start to feel like a caged lion and get pretty demotivated... If I'm in the field too much I start to get a little worn out. Consulting is nice because the jobs are always a little bit different, so that keeps things interesting, but some projects can get drawn out and stagnant at times and you just want to move onto something new.

The work environment is definitely a big factor for me. I work with and for some pretty good people at my current job, so that makes a big difference. My second job out of school, I hated. Everyone was older and had families and the only other kid my age didn't talk at all, complete one sided conversations (I was 22 at the time). I was pretty thankful when they laid me off after only a few months, I was ready to get out of there!

I find that every time I switch jobs, I go through an apprehensive period where I don't know exactly what I'm doing, which is not entirely enjoyable. Then I go though a period where I've figured out my job, I'm getting good at it, and everything is still exciting. That period can last anywhere from about 6 months to 2 years. Then, I get really bored with the job, and lose all motivation, then start looking again. I don't know if that means that I don't like engineering, or if that I really have a short attention span for work.

The President of my current firm noticed this about me, and gave me a pep talk the other day. He said that he really wants me to be part of the management team of the firm, but he's having trouble selling it to the other principals/associates because of my perceived attitude among them. I'm going to try to be conscious of my attitude, and see if I like management better.

I get paid for my hobby. I enjoy it most days. And, when I don't enjoy it, I thrive on the challenge. That sounds SO nerdy and whack!