Passing the PE and the Economy

As staff/project engineers, most of us look to the day we receive our passing results as a day that we finally will be paid what we deserve and more than likely a promotion to go with it. In today's economic times, how will the current situation affect you when you receive the passing letter? For me, I have built the day up like a 6 year old does for Christmas morning. After always being told "we can't justify that salary" or "that promotion" until you are a PE, there has been a lot of anticipation. Now, with the economy, I may just be thankful I have a job and not put my foot down once and for all when it comes to my salary.

What are your thoughts on this?

A raise / promotion isn't a guarantee without the economic situation. Some people have posted in the past getting anything from a pat on the back all the way up to 20% pay raises and job title promotions. It was often discussed in the time leading up to my P.E. that the company would "make it worth my while" to get it but actual dollars were never discussed. When I finally got the letter saying I passed, my company had put itself into payraise and hiring freezes, so I in effect got nothing. In fact two co-workers in an out of state office who had just received their PE's were laid off about a month afterwards. With time the company eventually gave me a raise (about what I expected from discussing it with others), but the freeze is still in effect. In fact, 2 coworkers were just let go the Friday before Thanksgiving. Right now companies are tightening down making it harder to find a job, but they are still doing as much as they can to make sure the current employees aren't completely screwed.

bennett279 said:

As staff/project engineers, most of us look to the day we receive our passing results as a day that we finally will be paid what we deserve and more than likely a promotion to go with it. In today's economic times, how will the current situation affect you when you receive the passing letter? For me, I have built the day up like a 6 year old does for Christmas morning. After always being told "we can't justify that salary" or "that promotion" until you are a PE, there has been a lot of anticipation. Now, with the economy, I may just be thankful I have a job and not put my foot down once and for all when it comes to my salary.
What are your thoughts on this?

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Not a good time to put your foot down with your employer. This is simple supply and demand economics. Those who have jobs should be thankful, your employer knows that there are five or ten people that will apply for your job if they get rid of you. Anecdotal evidence, I heard on the news this morning that a gas station advertised for a job opening ($8 per hour) in the newspaper and they got 45 applications. My state (SC) currently has the highest unemployment we have had in 26 years (8%).

bennet279,

I agree with the points from the other two posters but would add this - while the economy IS sagging, there are still opportunities out there if you are flexible enough and wiling to take some risk to obtain the reward.

I have three perspective employers (and the list is growing) under consideration. I had an interview with one perspective employer last Wednesday, an interview this coming Thursday, with some follow-up for mid-December. The word that I am getting is that while the workload is not INCREASING, there is still work that needs to be accomplished because contrary to what the media will tell you the world is NOT going to hell in a handbasket.

Having said that, the best thing you can do is start doing a little research (and maybe talk to some recruiters) about potential job changes if you aren't happy with your current job duties/pay. If you really want to increase your pay/responsibility it will typically take a move to a different employer - if you were able to take the anecdotal evidence provided at that forum, I would say it is the rule rather than the exception.

I will update with how my interviews go and how I perceive things going based on interviews/offers. Best of luck to you!

JR

There probably will be some opportunities, although in this market I would be a little hesitant to throw my new PE letter on my bosses desk and ask for an extra 10 grand. Actually I wouldnt do that in any economic environment.

But dont let the current economic outlook spoil passing the PE, things will pick up.

Trust me, I am not planning on issuing any ultimatums or anything like that. However, it will be a huge disappointment to have the boss look me in the eye and tell me good job on passing the P.E., now be thankful you have a job. It will be like the 6-year old wanting a cool toy and getting a block of wood. LOL.

bennett279 said:

Trust me, I am not planning on issuing any ultimatums or anything like that. However, it will be a huge disappointment to have the boss look me in the eye and tell me good job on passing the P.E., now be thankful you have a job. It will be like the 6-year old wanting a cool toy and getting a block of wood. LOL.

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Or log. It's big, it's heavy, it's wood.

FLBuff said:

Or log. It's big, it's heavy, it's wood.

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Excellent Ren and Stimpy reference.

Thank you. Back to the topic on hand, since I have a penchant for bringing threads down, as of late, I also will not be expecting much if/when I get the passing letter this month. However, I have already broached the subject with my boss. Started it with 'So, how is the company doing, financially?' It was a time appropriate reference, since he and the other big wigs had just had their business meeting. He told me that we were ok, not great. I then asked what will happen when I get the passing letter? He said he would do what he could. That was enough for me, so I told him that if the company couldn't give me raise right away, I understood. But, I had just negotiated a HUGE raise about 1 year ago, w/o PE-ness licesure. So I am looking for more of a promotion in title. But, believe me, more $$ would be nice.

I got a 10% raise even when my company was on a hiring and salary freeze this year. I was the only person in the company to get a raise. Too bad for them that it wasn't enough to keep me in that hell hole.

jregieng said:

If you really want to increase your pay/responsibility it will typically take a move to a different employer - if you were able to take the anecdotal evidence provided at that forum, I would say it is the rule rather than the exception.

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Well, here's my anecdote to throw in the mix. For about three years I felt I was underpaid, but didn't get anywhere with my supervisors. Apparently the way the pay system is set up by HR they couldn't do anything. It got to the point where I seriously considered jumping ship and moving to another company nearby--a company I knew would pay a lot more. I'm happy with the job I'm in, with the people I work with and the location. To move to the new job would be risking a group dynamic I like and moving to an area I don't like. Thankfully I took a trip to the city the job was located in and remered why I don't like the area and decided I wouldn't take the job. Fast forward a couple years and my pay has gone up 24%--and I'm really happy I didn't jump ship. In fact a guy I worked with ended up taking the job I looked at and is now back working with my company.

So chalk one up for you don't always have to jump ship to get ahead. It isn't necessarily easy and it definitely takes patience, but it can and does happen. My words of advice would be to persistent, make sure your boss knows how good of a job you do, be persistent, make an argument for why you deserve more, be persistent, but always be respectful and polite about it.

bennett279 said:

As staff/project engineers, most of us look to the day we receive our passing results as a day that we finally will be paid what we deserve and more than likely a promotion to go with it. In today's economic times, how will the current situation affect you when you receive the passing letter? For me, I have built the day up like a 6 year old does for Christmas morning. After always being told "we can't justify that salary" or "that promotion" until you are a PE, there has been a lot of anticipation. Now, with the economy, I may just be thankful I have a job and not put my foot down once and for all when it comes to my salary.
What are your thoughts on this?

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I figured I'd jump from my 56k job to another job at about 75k, as soon as I passed last year. I am still at the same job (now making 60k) and I'm lucky to have it.

ALBin517 said:

I figured I'd jump from my 56k job to another job at about 75k, as soon as I passed last year. I am still at the same job (now making 60k) and I'm lucky to have it.

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just be glad you can see those ##, i will never see those kind of figures

C'mon...you might.

NCyankee said:

just be glad you can see those ##, i will never see those kind of figures

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One of the guys I worked and passed the exam with - he jumped to a "big money" job as soon as he got his license. That company hit hard times and he'll be driving a plow truck this winter.

Just the other day, I got an email from one of my old supervisors. He's been a PE for about 12 years and was probably making 80k-90k, I would guess. Anyway, he let me know that his work email address is no longer valid. So it looks like he got the axe.

Anyway, my point is any money is good money right now

any port in a storm

I agree with the statement "any money is good money" ....the company I work at has been very slow since last summer and several people were laid off a few months ago....it has been bad enough that I have wondered if passing my PE would be a bad thing....obviously I know it isn't but when work is slow I would hate to cost myself a job by passing a test where my company would be required to pay me more money and then say you make too much we are going to have to let you go sorry.

jrs6767 said:

I agree with the statement "any money is good money" ....the company I work at has been very slow since last summer and several people were laid off a few months ago....it has been bad enough that I have wondered if passing my PE would be a bad thing....obviously I know it isn't but when work is slow I would hate to cost myself a job by passing a test where my company would be required to pay me more money and then say you make too much we are going to have to let you go sorry.

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The second guy I refered to in Post #15 did indeed get laid off.

The twist is that another guy I'd worked with had made the same move and the new firm kept him. The guy they kept had been a PE and been with the firm half as long as the guy they fired. He must have been the better value.

So you might want to wait to get your license if you think it might cost you your job. I could have passed the test and not immediately applied for my license. Maybe you could do something like that.

The nice thing about consulting engineers - the company makes a multiple of your salary. So if my salary goes up, company makes more money off me.

As long as the work is there, and it is (for now).

No raise for me. I'm not complaining though; having my family be proud of me for passing was the best gift I could receive.

My company, specifically my department, has been extremely slow since this past summer. They haven't fired anyone based on lack of work though... I wouldn't be opposed to them trimming some of the fat!

No raise for me either and am just happy that I passed and that I could put that accomplishment on my resume so I could find another job.

My current job has been affected by the economy, and some departments have been cut already. Only time will tell regarding how my department will be affected. We shall see, but I've started looking.