April 2019 15k SPAM Thread

[tj_PE]

AND EVERY STATE FOR SE

 

[JayKay PE]

Boop boop.  I hate waiting on state response for simple stuff, like importing material.  Like.  It's a yes answer.  Please reply to your email/my multiple calls.  My contractor is dumb and does not let me know they are importing material until the day before.

Also.  Pros/Cons.  I received a couple of job appointments for a state job (something I am really interested in just because of the longevity/vacation days), but I have some serious debt.  I'm thinking stay at my current job for another year, totally bang out repaying stuff, and then if another one pops up, go for it?  Or should I try to get into government earlier rather than later?

 

[txjennah PE]

AND EVERY STATE FOR SE

Hoping you all are out of your misery soon and they get released!!

 

[txjennah PE]

Boop boop.  I hate waiting on state response for simple stuff, like importing material.  Like.  It's a yes answer.  Please reply to your email/my multiple calls.  My contractor is dumb and does not let me know they are importing material until the day before.

Also.  Pros/Cons.  I received a couple of job appointments for a state job (something I am really interested in just because of the longevity/vacation days), but I have some serious debt.  I'm thinking stay at my current job for another year, totally bang out repaying stuff, and then if another one pops up, go for it?  Or should I try to get into government earlier rather than later?

I would LOVE to get into a state job, that's my end goal! But what's stopping me is the pay...How often do jobs open up there?

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

I would LOVE to get into a state job, that's my end goal! But what's stopping me is the pay...How often do jobs open up there?

Why is working for the state your end goal? Genuinely curious. My ex worked for DOT and just listening to the nonsense he put up with, I couldn't ever imagine working for the state. Granted it was CT so that likely played a lot into the nonsense... 

 

[JayKay PE]

I would LOVE to get into a state job, that's my end goal! But what's stopping me is the pay...How often do jobs open up there?

NYSDEC (the enviro conservation) has a sort of rolling application specifically for engineers.  You submit your work history/certifications and they 'grade you'.  Then, when a position opens up, they send out a mailing that lists the position/location/starting pay.  I think right now they're only hiring entry level employees, so I'd be worried of switching and then being stuck in a grunt position for a couple years.  And the pay...is significantly less.  If I get a listing for something on LI (so I wouldn't need to move) or near Ithaca, I would probably be jumping on it right now.  But moving up to Albany?  Maybe?  Idk.  I want to pay off some stuff this upcoming year, so if I do take a like 20% pay cut, I don't have to worry too much about loan payments.  I think my name will be on the list for like 2-years?

 

[JayKay PE]

Why is working for the state your end goal? Genuinely curious. My ex worked for DOT and just listening to the nonsense he put up with, I couldn't ever imagine working for the state. Granted it was CT so that likely played a lot into the nonsense... 

Mah, at least for me, it would be the work-life balance and vacation time.  I've been in consulting my whole engineering career, which means 60+ hour weeks sometimes with no OT, but I used to work in banking as a low-level teller.  And not going to lie, just punching in/out at the same time each day, getting my work done, not getting yelled at by contractors, is kinda nice?  Plus, I don't have a SO/children, so I feel like it would be easier for me to make the switch.

 

[txjennah PE]

Why is working for the state your end goal? Genuinely curious. My ex worked for DOT and just listening to the nonsense he put up with, I couldn't ever imagine working for the state. Granted it was CT so that likely played a lot into the nonsense... 

I work quite a bit with the state environmental agency here, and I really enjoy the regulatory side of remediation and working with them.  Definitely understand the bureaucracy is probably frustrating at times, but I'd love to work on remediation/state Superfund projects on the other side.  

 

[txjennah PE]

Mah, at least for me, it would be the work-life balance and vacation time.  I've been in consulting my whole engineering career, which means 60+ hour weeks sometimes with no OT, but I used to work in banking as a low-level teller.  And not going to lie, just punching in/out at the same time each day, getting my work done, not getting yelled at by contractors, is kinda nice?  Plus, I don't have a SO/children, so I feel like it would be easier for me to make the switch.

Yeah consulting is madness.  My work load used to be decent but the past several months, it's been insane with no end in sight.

 

[txjennah PE]

NYSDEC (the enviro conservation) has a sort of rolling application specifically for engineers.  You submit your work history/certifications and they 'grade you'.  Then, when a position opens up, they send out a mailing that lists the position/location/starting pay.  I think right now they're only hiring entry level employees, so I'd be worried of switching and then being stuck in a grunt position for a couple years.  And the pay...is significantly less.  If I get a listing for something on LI (so I wouldn't need to move) or near Ithaca, I would probably be jumping on it right now.  But moving up to Albany?  Maybe?  Idk.  I want to pay off some stuff this upcoming year, so if I do take a like 20% pay cut, I don't have to worry too much about loan payments.  I think my name will be on the list for like 2-years?

Oh yeahhhh that definitely sucks, I'd be wary of going into any entry level positions, esp since you have your PE!

 

[ChebyshevII PE PMP]

Personally i’ll take bigger workload (and I do) if it means I don’t need to deal with bureaucratic nonsense.

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

Personally i’ll take bigger workload (and I do) if it means I don’t need to deal with bureaucratic nonsense.

Yeah, same. I'm in consulting and while sometimes I get very stabby feeling, I'd rather do this. But I'm also in T&D so government isn't really an option up here  anyway

 

[JayKay PE]

Oh yeahhhh that definitely sucks, I'd be wary of going into any entry level positions, esp since you have your PE!

I think they're only allowed to offer intro positions, due to funding, etc.  I was talking to my friend who does work at the DEC/is a PE, and she was like, "Yeah, the professional engineer position usually doesn't go out for open competition and is usually given as a promotion", but she also said this is a good time to get in the door though. Usually, NY governors will let the State agencies hire more staff when they are in their last term, so it might be slim picking in a year or two.  I think I need to move back with my parents, get some shit paid down, and then figure out what I need to do.

Also, yessssssss, totally agree with you about the remediation site of things!.  NYS, at least, has a very robust remediation/superfund site backlog that I wouldn't mind dipping my toes in.  I've done a ton of remediation work on the consultant/contractor side, and just seeing it from the other side seems interesting.

 

[txjennah PE]

Personally i’ll take bigger workload (and I do) if it means I don’t need to deal with bureaucratic nonsense.

Hmm idk, it could be a lot of ignorance on my end, but my company already brings the bureaucracy to 11.

 

[txjennah PE]

I think they're only allowed to offer intro positions, due to funding, etc.  I was talking to my friend who does work at the DEC/is a PE, and she was like, "Yeah, the professional engineer position usually doesn't go out for open competition and is usually given as a promotion", but she also said this is a good time to get in the door though. Usually, NY governors will let the State agencies hire more staff when they are in their last term, so it might be slim picking in a year or two.  I think I need to move back with my parents, get some shit paid down, and then figure out what I need to do.

Also, yessssssss, totally agree with you about the remediation site of things!.  NYS, at least, has a very robust remediation/superfund site backlog that I wouldn't mind dipping my toes in.  I've done a ton of remediation work on the consultant/contractor side, and just seeing it from the other side seems interesting.

You all probably have soooo many interesting sites to work on!  When my husband was looking for a job and was wondering if I'd find work on the east coast, I was like...yeah, unfortunately there's lots of contaminated sites there so I should be fine.

 

[ChebyshevII PE PMP]

Hmm idk, it could be a lot of ignorance on my end, but my company already brings the bureaucracy to 11.

Some people can deal with it, and I respect that. But not me...I gotta have independence and freedom of expression in my work.

It could also be the specific line of work i’m in.

 

[SNAPE/SMOTT PE]

Good noon-ish.....that doesn’t sound right.

well, it is 5 o’clock somewhere 

 

[JayKay PE]

Some people can deal with it, and I respect that. But not me...I gotta have independence and freedom of expression in my work.

It could also be the specific line of work i’m in.

Yeah, I think bureaucracy is a given in the NYC-area.  I don't mind it, but I'd like to have a better work-life balance?  Like, money is awesome, but when I don't really have the time to go on vacation due to everything being in a single pool, it kinda makes me not want to play.

 

[txjennah PE]

Yeah, I think bureaucracy is a given in the NYC-area.  I don't mind it, but I'd like to have a better work-life balance?  Like, money is awesome, but when I don't really have the time to go on vacation due to everything being in a single pool, it kinda makes me not want to play.

Best of luck with whatever you decide!  

 

[txjennah PE]

Some people can deal with it, and I respect that. But not me...I gotta have independence and freedom of expression in my work.

It could also be the specific line of work i’m in.

Yeah unfortunately there's no way of avoiding it in my firm. It's everywhere, especially managing projects.