# Career choice



## EdinNO (Jul 13, 2006)

Anyone ever wonder if they made the right choice?

I have and sometimes do. I have worked in several different facets of engineering and have been aggravated at one time or another by them all.

I think that perhaps starting my own gig one day (in engineering) might be the route I may have to go.

Any similar thoughts?

Ed


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## Road Guy (Jul 14, 2006)

aint a day goes by I dont wish I did something else for a living, but so close to the PE thing, I will stick around for a while longer.


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## EdinNO (Jul 14, 2006)

I hear ya.

I kinda feel like now that I got the PE I can relax a little. If I want to do something else, I can and then come back if I want. I guess that milestone isn't hanging in front of me anymore, so its a little relaxing.

Ed


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## NSEARCH (Jul 14, 2006)

As far as a totally seperate career.....I'd like to be a firefighter and work my way up the ranks there. I would think my engineering background would be a benefit for moving up the ranks to inspector/chief.

In regards to engineering.....in hindsight I probably should've gone Mechanical since I excelled and enjoyed Thermo and Dynamics (yes, call me weird). I distinctly remember most of my buddies hating those courses and struggling with them when I found them very interesting and even fun. That should've been the "red flag" but at that time was surfing, partying, and getting laid too much to even take notice. I was the guy that showed up to the 10 am class in wet baggies and my skateboard :true:


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## DVINNY (Jul 14, 2006)

> Anyone ever wonder if they made the right choice?


I don't wonder at all. I know I f$%Ked up.

:angry:

I can list dozens of things I'd rather do. I don't know what in the blue hell I was thinking.


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## DVINNY (Jul 14, 2006)

When I was 13, I raced 80cc bikes (KX-80's). I could change my own piston and rings out in 45 minutes. Fully complete job. I could fix anything on that bike; hydraulics, suspension, motor, etc. Only thing I never did at that age was split open the tranny.

I was a motor head then.

Long story, short. (Too late). My Dad said "you need to be a mechanic".

I said "Fuck that, I'll be a Mechanical Engineer!".

Rest is history.


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## Road Guy (Jul 14, 2006)

I really wouldnt mind owning an auto or boat repair shop (after getting some "training")

You can be "semi-honest" and probably still make a killing. Plus then I would have acces to the tools to build a really nice lifted jeep...

I tried to be an FBI agent, but the polygraph said I was a drug dealer.

Begged to get back in the military after 9/11, but the Army wouldnt reinstate my commission after my "resignation" letter in 2000. (Although today I am sure they might, but back then they wouldnt)

I looked into a "business consulting" job after the MBA, Accenture, but the long travel time made the big money seem like a drag...

We are serioulsy looking at moving to some land in Alabama (40 acres) and I will strongly consider getting a gob with ALDOT, (take a huge paycut) but just have a simpler life. I would then take some cash on hand and buy some rental property and be a slum lord to make $ on the side (you can really make an assload of $ off of poor people, sad but true)

But honestly I dont want to sell anything, buy anything or processes anything, I dont want to buy anything that is sold or process or process anything sold or bought...


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## Hill William (Jul 14, 2006)

I always wanted to be a porn star but that never really panned out. :dunno:


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## johndoe (Jul 14, 2006)

I really missed my calling too. I was one of the types that never knew what I wanted to do in life. I liked math and science in high school so here I am an engineer. All I heard through life from my parents was your going to college and thats it. I wish I would have paid more attention to things that I really enjoyed rathter than hitting the books without giving it much thought. If I had it to do over I would have concentrated more on playing baseball or I would have picked up guitar at an early age and became a rock star.


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## DVINNY (Jul 14, 2006)

Porn star, rock star, hell yeah!!!!!!!! I like you guys.

We thinks alike.


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## johndoe (Jul 14, 2006)

Do any of you guys feel like your helping out mankind as an engineer? It seems to me that enineering from what I see is geared too much toward covering your ass. Maybe joining up with Engineers Without Borders would be fulfilling.


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## EdinNO (Jul 14, 2006)

I tried to contact EWB via email to look into it but got no respnse. What gives? Engineers without Email Addresses?


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jul 18, 2006)

> Do any of you guys feel like your helping out mankind as an engineer?


That's why I like working locally on smaller projects. You get to see a project through from its conception to the ribbon cutting, as opposed to working on some giant DOT or Superfund project that starting 10 years ago and will last another 10 years after you are off it.

You drive by something after it's done and can see the impact you had on it, and the people that benefitted from it.

It's nice to see that your hard work has contributed to society, even in a small way.


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## redrum (Jul 18, 2006)

never really worried about the helping out mankind, I just like to get a paycheck every 2 weeks and do something interesting.


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## Lebowski (Jul 18, 2006)

Had a job offer with the CIA, but decided that designing water treatment plants was more conducive to my fledgling marriage. I'd make the same decision again in a heartbeat.

Have thought seriously about getting into real estate full time and fixing up houses. I do it on the side right now, and the money potential there is sick.

Outside of those two things, I know I'm doing the right job. Working for a great firm with great people as my direct supervisors helps a ton too.


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## EdinNO (Jul 18, 2006)

One thing that bothers me is the typical engineer's salry potential. Its not horrible, but what can we look for- 5% to 10% raise per year?

Its sickening how much sales people can make when compared to your average engineer in a tachnical role.

I wouldn't mind doing some sort of sales involving engineering services or some type of technical sales. I have done technical sales, but none with the potential income of other sales roles. For example, we have a friend who sells truck leases to companies who need 18-wheelers and other similar rigs. He has a high school education and I'm sure he's around $120K to $150K easily. The sales reps at my wife's company- one JUST out of school one without a college degree- can make $60K EASILY and could make up to $120K or even more in any given year.

Ed


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## TouchDown (Jul 18, 2006)

I have had regrets / 2nd thoughts about engineering (well, all the time particularly in my current job) and wondering if I should be doing something other than manufacturing if it would be more fulfilling, but I have a feeling working in another area of engineering would just replace one frustration with another. SSDD...

Helping mankind? I feel more like, how is what I'm doing helping those around me, my community, my friends, making a mark that other's will be able to see and benefit from. I started feeling that when I had kids and really started to do some soul searching into why am I here??? What is my purpose, instead of just thinking about getting from paycheck to paycheck...

Problem with that thought process is now I'm 33 and it's difficult to go into any other field and make the same cash as what I make now... So sacrifices would have to be made, and my family and I have built our lifestyle around this job - so I'm stuck.

Helping mankind and building personal finances to retire at a decent age doesn't mix (right?). If anyone can figure out that conundrum, please share your knowledge, I am listening to anything anyone has to offer... ld timer:


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## Road Guy (Jul 18, 2006)

> Had a job offer with the CIA, but decided that designing water treatment plants was more conducive to my fledgling marriage. I'd make the same decision again in a heartbeat.
> Have thought seriously about getting into real estate full time and fixing up houses. I do it on the side right now, and the money potential there is sick.
> 
> Outside of those two things, I know I'm doing the right job. Working for a great firm with great people as my direct supervisors helps a ton too.


man i would love to hear about the cia interview sometime (was it for an "agent" clandestine type position?).

I was going through the DEA and US Marshal application programs when they all shitcanned me after failing the FBI Poly.

I heard some crazy stories about the CIA interviews but not sure how much was true.


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## Seajay (Jul 19, 2006)

Amen brother!

View attachment 128


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## EdinNO (Jul 19, 2006)

sapper,

Sounds like a plan (working a few miles from the house). That is one of my next big career milestones!

BTW, thanks for hooking us up over there in the Gulf!

Ed


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## mizzoueng (Jul 19, 2006)

If I didn't go engineering, I'd probably would have gone into architecture. I liked drawing buildings and plan desks :true:

If that didn't work out, I guess I could have gone into porn or a marine. Either way I am serving our country


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## cement (Jul 19, 2006)

porn and construction engineering are similar in that you get gratification rather quickly. While am well suited for both industries, I get a better pension building roads for the King, plus I can drive by and admire my work.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Jul 19, 2006)

> If that didn't work out, I guess I could have gone into porn or a marine. Either way I am serving our country


Well, either way you get to squeeze off a couple of shots.



> While am well suited for both industries, I get a better pension building roads for the King, plus I can drive by and admire my work.


True, I usually have to stand there to admire my work in the sack. :???:


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## Lebowski (Jul 20, 2006)

> > Had a job offer with the CIA, but decided that designing water treatment plants was more conducive to my fledgling marriage.  I'd make the same decision again in a heartbeat.
> > Have thought seriously about getting into real estate full time and fixing up houses.  I do it on the side right now, and the money potential there is sick.
> >
> > Outside of those two things, I know I'm doing the right job.  Working for a great firm with great people as my direct supervisors helps a ton too.
> ...


Well, that's not one of those things you can discuss in detail. I'll say this - the actual interview was nothing out of the ordinary. The way they approached me in the beginning, though, was nothing short of surreal.

Also, the secondary application and background check forms were incredibly long and arduous. All in all, quite an experience.


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