# Engineering the Next Generation



## Slugger926 (Aug 4, 2007)

Would you all recommend to your kids to go into engineering?

I am not sure I would unless I owned the business to pass on to them.


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## maryannette (Aug 4, 2007)

Slugger926 said:


> Would you all recommend to your kids to go into engineering?
> I am not sure I would unless I owned the business to pass on to them.


Only with eyes wide open. And then, with encouragement to start a business or get into management.


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## Guest (Aug 4, 2007)

slugger --

I think it depends on the child. My stepson is nineteen now - I actually think he would do well with surveying. My hopes would be that he could parlay that into a business of his own. I have tried to gently nudge him in that direction but ... well ... time will tell 

In general it is tough to guide younger folks into a career path because there are more choices and oppurtunities. However, with more choices also comes more indecision that usually leads to uncertainty.

My advice (to younger co-workers and students) - get a job that will get you in at the base floor of your interest area. This exposure may not provide you with the exact experience but you will certainly how things work and get first-hand accounts of the good and bad for the job.

Also, if I may steal your thread for a moment ... I was discussing career decisions with a new, younger worker in my office Friday afternoon. She was telling me that she thought becoming knowledgable about wetlands and green technology would be the way to punch her ticket for future work. I told her people only care about environmental protection (stewarship) to the extent that you allow them build/develop thier property






Yeah .. yeah .. I know. But somebody has to tell these young folks the truth !!!

My other thought is aligned with Maryannette's idea of going into the business side of things. Considering the cost of a college education and how that will only ever increase - there may be cases where a trade or less than college eduation can build a decent business and those 'saved costs' help with your initial start-up. It's a thought at least.

JR


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## EdinNO (Aug 4, 2007)

maryannette said:


> Only with eyes wide open. And then, with encouragement to start a business or get into management.



Good answer. I wouldn't want to discourage my kids' dreams, but, at best, I would go with maryannette's answer. Aside form that, I'd be more prone to say "Don't even think about it".

I think I'd be more apt to suggest an engineering degree, followed by an MBA, followed by a career in business or sales.

Ed


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## grover (Aug 4, 2007)

I'd encourage them- engineering is a great field! But it would really depend if they had the aptitude for it or not, or wanted to get into another good field.


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## Slugger926 (Aug 4, 2007)

grover said:


> I'd encourage them- engineering is a great field! But it would really depend if they had the aptitude for it or not, or wanted to get into another good field.


I am sure they are going to have the aptitude. My 4 year old daughter can beat me at Jenga.


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## Dark Knight (Aug 4, 2007)

Looks like my generation started and ended with me.


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## EdinNO (Aug 4, 2007)

grover said:


> I'd encourage them- engineering is a great field! But it would really depend if they had the aptitude for it or not, or wanted to get into another good field.



That's what happened to me. People convinced me to get into engineering because I had the aptitude. They made me feel like, because I could do math easily, it was almost my duty to become an engineer. I wish that would have never happened. Now 18 years of my life have been dedicated to this profession (military, college and professional career) and now its too late. All in all, its not what it was cracked up to be compared to what I had envisioned.

Ed


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## benbo (Aug 4, 2007)

EdinNO said:


> That's what happened to me. People convinced me to get into engineering because I had the aptitude. They made me feel like, because I could do math easily, it was almost my duty to become an engineer. I wish that would have never happened. Now 18 years of my life have been dedicated to this profession (military, college and professional career) and now its too late. All in all, its not what it was cracked up to be compared to what I had envisioned.Ed


Ed

I was under the impression that you were in your thirties. I can guarantee you that is not too late to change jobs or even careers if you are miserable. My mother became a lawyer at age 42 in the 1970s. I have a friend who went to medical school in his 40s. If you hate your job there are many ways to get out. Many, if not most of us, went to school while working full time and supporting families.

I can't speak for any other discipline, but electrical engineering offers all sorts of different kinds of opportuinties. I have worked for defense contractors, for the semiconductor industry, and now in a government position related to the power industry. All of those jobs were different and to me exciting. I guess maybe I was lucky because I was in those areas when they were booming - in the defense industry during the Reagan cold war buildup, then semiconductors during the high tech Silicon Valley boom. Now, I think power is the place to be. I managed to get myself into a brand new program that evolved because of the California energy crisis. I knew zero, zip, nada about power. And frankly, power generation is more of a mechanical field than electrical. But they took a chance on me. If I could do it, at 47 years of age, anybody can.


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## ktulu (Aug 5, 2007)

Well, if the way my son can put together today's complicated Lego sets is any indication, he's destined for a career in engineering


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## JoeBoone82 (Aug 5, 2007)

Slugger926 said:


> Would you all recommend to your kids to go into engineering?


I would only recommend it to young people if they knew it was something that they wanted to do. I knew early on in high school that I wanted to be an engineer. I liked math, science, problem solving, teamwork, and loved the thought of designing something, seeing it put together, and then seeing a finished product that I knew I had a part in. I enjoy my job, always learning something new, and always a challenge.

I guess alot of the ones that make mistakes, are the ones who go into engineering ONLY because they think they are going to make lots of money. If the passion and desire is not there, and if it's something that they do not think they would really enjoy to do, then I would never recommend it.

I try to suggest internships as early as possible. So that the younger people (students) can get an idea early on in school to see if it's something that they would want to do the rest of their life or not.

Just my opinion.


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## Slugger926 (Aug 5, 2007)

JoeBoone82 said:


> I would only recommend it to young people if they knew it was something that they wanted to do. I knew early on in high school that I wanted to be an engineer. I liked math, science, problem solving, teamwork, and loved the thought of designing something, seeing it put together, and then seeing a finished product that I knew I had a part in. I enjoy my job, always learning something new, and always a challenge.
> I guess alot of the ones that make mistakes, are the ones who go into engineering ONLY because they think they are going to make lots of money. If the passion and desire is not there, and if it's something that they do not think they would really enjoy to do, then I would never recommend it.
> 
> I try to suggest internships as early as possible. So that the younger people (students) can get an idea early on in school to see if it's something that they would want to do the rest of their life or not.
> ...


Sounds like you are lucky.

There are a lot of engineering jobs where you are doing the same thing over and over with no innovation. Like tweaking the size of a power cable 1000 times for multiple applications, or tweaking one small thing non stop in an assembly line of engineers. I guess that is the big corporation way.


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## JoeBoone82 (Aug 5, 2007)

Slugger926 said:


> Sounds like you are lucky.
> There are a lot of engineering jobs where you are doing the same thing over and over with no innovation. Like tweaking the size of a power cable 1000 times for multiple applications, or tweaking one small thing non stop in an assembly line of engineers. I guess that is the big corporation way.


Well.... I'm not sure if I'm lucky.... I've only been in the industry for a little over 3 years, so I guess it hasnt been so repetitious for me yet, as it might be for someone who has been doing the same thing for many years. I hope I continue to enjoy it for a long time though. I'm just trying to keep up with my co-workers/mentors and learn as much as possible. Been in transportation the whole time.... but for 1.5 yr I was in construction and on-site 90 percent of the time... doing inspection, pay estimates, quantities, dealing with contractors, etc. And for the last 1.5yr or so, I've been in our structural group working on bridge design/projects for the most part.


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## Dleg (Aug 5, 2007)

I don't think anyone who goes into any profession with the goal of just making good money will ever be satisfied with their career. The only way to be satisfied with your career is to do something that is reasonably rewarding to you.

Engineering can be a very rewarding career - as long as you are able to feel some sense of accomplishment for what you have done. I can look back on all of my engineering jobs and point, with satisfaction, to things that I was able to accomplish. Even if they were small things. And even in my present environmental job, where all it takes is one bribe-taker or political ass-kisser to reverse nearly everything you've accomplished (I'm right there with you, JR). But there are still things there that I can count as accomplishments. And quite often, that makes up for the other stuff. It's the old "yeah, but I can sleep at night" thing.

Plus, while you may not get "rich" in engineering, you will be able to make a decent living. I'd rather make a decent living as an engineer, helping to create actual "things", than make a killing as a lawyer or pushing paperwork as an MBA.

Just my :2cents:


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## JoeBoone82 (Aug 6, 2007)

Dleg said:


> Plus, while you may not get "rich" in engineering, you will be able to make a decent living.


That is the exact same thing that my manager/supervisor said to me one day (I think he was talking about Civils for the most part)...... I'd say it's true, but I'm sure some of the owners and executives of larger firms are pretty well off.


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## snickerd3 (Aug 6, 2007)

We don't have kids yet, but we both agree that we aren't going to push them into engineering or sciences (hubby's a chemist). We will however push for some form of higher education after high school whether college, trade school, culinary etc...


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## VA_Env_Engr (Aug 6, 2007)

I wouldn't push my kid into engineering, or any other field for that matter. Its a little early for us to start thinking like that (my kid is not even 3 yet), but I would want to know what she would like to do and then guide her accordingly. Of course, if its liberal arts etc., I may be a lot more persuasive. I have personally been through it (my dad and uncle were both engineers), and I don't want to do the same to my kid if I can help it.


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## TouchDown (Aug 6, 2007)

I would support my kids in whatever they wanted to pursue - who knows what job markets / etc. will be like in 20 years. I definately agree with Ed - it's not what i expected and although I don't regret going into engineering, I do sometimes feel like there could be other things I'd enjoy more...

My kids will know I'm an engineer and if they want to, OK, but no pressure.

For now, my 3 year old is liking pretending to be Copper (Fox and the Hound), that's alright with me.


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## Road Guy (Aug 6, 2007)

My 8 year old wants to be an engineer, but of course he has 10+ years to change his mind.

I actually recommend engineering to anyone entering college, most are to lazy to put up with the math though.

I defin. know that I wont pay for my kids to major in music, art, history, or any other pointless major.


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## snickerd3 (Aug 7, 2007)

Road Guy said:


> I defin. know that I wont pay for my kids to major in music, art, history, or any other pointless major.



At that point I would stress art institutes or music conservatories as opposed to the university setting.


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## grover (Aug 8, 2007)

Road Guy said:


> My 8 year old wants to be an engineer, but of course he has 10+ years to change his mind.


My 5 year old wants to be a mailman.
Kudos to him for an achievable goal! I mean, hell, look where I am in my dream of becoming an astronaut fighter pilot...


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