I hate to bring this up because its so ridiculous when I think about it (and it happened soooo long ago) but I worked at an insurance company before going to college to be an engineer and I told a coworker that I would be putting my two week notice in so that I could obtain a degree in engineering...she actually said, "but you can make like $24K a year here!" I thanked her for her advice and I now make close to $90K. Some people should NOT give advice.
That is really funny! I remember when I quit, it was the beginning of summer vacation from college and they couldn't give me enough hours to work and so I had to go find a different job that could guarentee 40 hour weeks. The team leader person got really upset with me and said it was the worst decision I would ever make and that I would regret it and be sorry. I think its funny that I was in college studying for my engineering degree and this idiot had the impression that I would always stay at target.....where's the WTF smiley when you need it?
Anywho, now I'm doing what I love and making some change doing it.....that is the way to live!!!!! :true:
arty-smiley-048:
:multiplespotting:
And now, if we could just get some damn results from California, we would be in business!
:waitwall:
Before I was an engineer
- Thread starter Fudgey
- Start date
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RIP - VTEnviro
His Memory Eternal
Wow, I haven't read this classic Fudgey story in ages.
I see. I thought that was minimum wage in the big apple ("...don't mind the maggots" - Mick Jagger)
NCSU_05_FX4
Underwater Engineer
Here's what I do when I'm not doing in-office engineering work... (I'm on the left)
As for other jobs I've had, lets see....
Started out working at Burger King when I turned 16 and could drive myself to work. Since I was able to do math without a calculator (seriously, I was probably the only one there that could) I was stuck running the drive thru from 6am till after the lunch rush. Did that for a summer then decided I never wanted to deal with "The Public" like that again. That job alone solidified my desire to get a college degree.
I took the summer after I graduated HS off from work, and then after my first year at college, I got an internship assisting a process engineer at a plant that manufactured industrial sized battery backup systems (back up power for things like airport radars, the NYSE, hospitals, etc).
That wasn't exactly any fun, so I strayed away from the engineering type work and got a job slinging dough at a "gourmet" pizza parlor near campus. It wasn't bad... pay was decent and the work was easy. That lasted maybe a year or so, and while I was doing that I also sold concessions at the State Fairgrounds for various shows out there. We made 10% of our total sales and were paid in cash. In a decent weekend we could make $200+, not a bad gig for a college kid.
After all that I realized I needed a job I could put on a resume when I graduated, so I started looking for engineering type work again. As it happens, I came across a position for an intern at the NCDOT Rail Division, to assist the project engineers working there. I got that job, worked there for about a year and a half, graduated, and through the contacts I made there I was offered a position with my current company.
As for other jobs I've had, lets see....
Started out working at Burger King when I turned 16 and could drive myself to work. Since I was able to do math without a calculator (seriously, I was probably the only one there that could) I was stuck running the drive thru from 6am till after the lunch rush. Did that for a summer then decided I never wanted to deal with "The Public" like that again. That job alone solidified my desire to get a college degree.
I took the summer after I graduated HS off from work, and then after my first year at college, I got an internship assisting a process engineer at a plant that manufactured industrial sized battery backup systems (back up power for things like airport radars, the NYSE, hospitals, etc).
That wasn't exactly any fun, so I strayed away from the engineering type work and got a job slinging dough at a "gourmet" pizza parlor near campus. It wasn't bad... pay was decent and the work was easy. That lasted maybe a year or so, and while I was doing that I also sold concessions at the State Fairgrounds for various shows out there. We made 10% of our total sales and were paid in cash. In a decent weekend we could make $200+, not a bad gig for a college kid.
After all that I realized I needed a job I could put on a resume when I graduated, so I started looking for engineering type work again. As it happens, I came across a position for an intern at the NCDOT Rail Division, to assist the project engineers working there. I got that job, worked there for about a year and a half, graduated, and through the contacts I made there I was offered a position with my current company.
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Exengineer
Well-known member
It is ironic that many of the students who got their college or university degree to avoid fast food or pizza jobs are doing just that, working in a pizza joint or bartending or whatever because they found their great vaunted degree didn't get them a "real job". Engineering degrees are among the worst offenders in that regard because students have been propagandized into believing that these degrees are ironclad, can't-miss, impossible-to-fail degrees that will bring great success, but fail to understand that North America is being rapidly deindustrialized and engineers are becoming a dime-a-dozen, there are far too many of them chasing after too few jobs.Here's what I do when I'm not doing in-office engineering work... (I'm on the left)
As for other jobs I've had, lets see....
Started out working at Burger King when I turned 16 and could drive myself to work. Since I was able to do math without a calculator (seriously, I was probably the only one there that could) I was stuck running the drive thru from 6am till after the lunch rush. Did that for a summer then decided I never wanted to deal with "The Public" like that again. That job alone solidified my desire to get a college degree.
I took the summer after I graduated HS off from work, and then after my first year at college, I got an internship assisting a process engineer at a plant that manufactured industrial sized battery backup systems (back up power for things like airport radars, the NYSE, hospitals, etc).
That wasn't exactly any fun, so I strayed away from the engineering type work and got a job slinging dough at a "gourmet" pizza parlor near campus. It wasn't bad... pay was decent and the work was easy. That lasted maybe a year or so, and while I was doing that I also sold concessions at the State Fairgrounds for various shows out there. We made 10% of our total sales and were paid in cash. In a decent weekend we could make $200+, not a bad gig for a college kid.
After all that I realized I needed a job I could put on a resume when I graduated, so I started looking for engineering type work again. As it happens, I came across a position for an intern at the NCDOT Rail Division, to assist the project engineers working there. I got that job, worked there for about a year and a half, graduated, and through the contacts I made there I was offered a position with my current company.
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RIP - VTEnviro
His Memory Eternal
^Well, since you've left the industry, that just means more for us.
NCSU_05_FX4
Underwater Engineer
Interesting you quote my post when you say this... I've been gainfully employed as an engineer since graduating with my BSME. All those BS jobs I talk about above were jobs I had while in school.
I do agree that there are plenty of engineers out there and with certain types of work drying up, yes there often many well qualified engineers going after the same job. That's why when I had the opportunity to get some specialized training, I jumped on it. Now I'm qualified to run underwater inspection crews, as well as do inspections myself, for a variety of clients (private, port authorities, military, etc).
When I'm not out diving, I do engineering work for the railroad industry, another specialization that not many engineers have. Just cuz some engineers are having a hard time doesn't mean all of them are.
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College years, I worked seasonal construction, mechanics, and summer painting crew. Built pole buildings, garages, remodels, roofing, rebuilt engines, tuneups on fleet rigs and managed huffers spiffing up summer appartment turnovers. All minimum wage.
Post College: Worked for a mechanical contractor; estimating, controls design, cad, Proj. Engineer and designer.
Post College: Worked for a mechanical contractor; estimating, controls design, cad, Proj. Engineer and designer.
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In the construction management days, I was an intern and we needed a roller operator, so the field superintendent looked at me and showed me the basics of a small to mid-sized sheep's foot compactor…
we had +/- 2000 cy of cut to fill that we were moving for a small taxilane at the colorado springs (colorado) airport. we hired a small 1 man scrapper subcontractor from eastern colorado to do the work.
The field superintendent, who was a pretty serious guy said:
"all you have to do is follow the scraper"
and so, I simply followed the scraper, from the cut to the fill, and so forth…the field sup't came back and was watching from about 200' away and couldnt believe that I was LITERALLY following the scraper, got in his pickup drove over and ripped me a new one…
I felt pretty stupid...
we had +/- 2000 cy of cut to fill that we were moving for a small taxilane at the colorado springs (colorado) airport. we hired a small 1 man scrapper subcontractor from eastern colorado to do the work.
The field superintendent, who was a pretty serious guy said:
"all you have to do is follow the scraper"
and so, I simply followed the scraper, from the cut to the fill, and so forth…the field sup't came back and was watching from about 200' away and couldnt believe that I was LITERALLY following the scraper, got in his pickup drove over and ripped me a new one…
I felt pretty stupid...
PE-ness
Advanced Member
^Yeah, but where did you poo?
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