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frankdv88

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I have a class assignment that requires me to interview an engineer who has at least 5 years of experience in the field. If possible could somebody provide me answers with the following:

  •    Describe a typical day at work.
  •    What kinds of engineering problems do you solve?
  •    What is your work environment like?
  •    What is satisfying about the work that you do?
  •    How is your job different from what you expected?
  •    What is one piece of advice that you would give to an engineering student?
  •    What courses that you took in college have been most useful to you?
  •    Have you ever worked as a freelance engineer and if so do you prefer it?
  •    What are some future trends that you see in your field?
  •    What are some of the traits of a good engineer?
  •    At what age did you decide to become an engineer?



 
Oh man, the possibilities with this.

As someone not much older than you (graduated <5 yrs), I am looking at this and thinking about how great this could be for you. I'm jealous! I recommend you research a local company with engineers that work on things you'd be interested in doing, learn about what they do, and then go in and just introduce yourself. Be polite and tell them you'd like to just talk to one of their engineers for a brief moment to learn more about their work.

Worst case scenario they just let you know they can't because they're busy. But I'd bet more likely they'd be impressed and glad to talk to you. You'd be making a professional connection that may one day be valuable.

Give it a shot!

 
Thanks for the advice. I was looking into that as well just figured Id plant this seed here just in case I have any issues finding someone. Its been a little difficult with the whole covid situation with meeting face to face.

 
1) When is your assignment due?

2) Does it matter what field the engineer is working in or are you looking for an engineer in your field?

3) Have you reached out to any of the local area firms for a job shadow opportunity (tough with COVID 19, I know)?

4) Have any of the local firms been willing to meet via an online meeting platform to discuss your questions?

At least once a year, I've seen requests like this get posted. A few get answered and some get ignored based on the requester's activity level. I might be able to assist later this week when my work load lightens up a hair depending on the responses to the above.

 
I have a class assignment that requires me to interview an engineer who has at least 5 years of experience in the field. If possible could somebody provide me answers with the following:

  •    Describe a typical day at work. Coffee, emails, answer questions from my 2 teammates, answer questions from drafting, mark up drawings for drafting, have a resource conversation with my PM
  •    What kinds of engineering problems do you solve? Technically none? I'm in consulting and do substation design for utilities. My biggest problems usually are "where is this going to fit in the control house?" "what does this wire go?"
  •    What is your work environment like? Open concept cubicles - I miss walls. And quiet. 
  •    What is satisfying about the work that you do? Because I work on older substations, it's often a puzzle to unravel the old wiring, and I find that satisfying. 
  •    How is your job different from what you expected? I travel less than I wanted (2-3 times a year)
  •    What is one piece of advice that you would give to an engineering student? Do the work,;if you get stuck, spin your wheels for 15min and then ask for help. Because in the real world, we can't stay stuck on a problem for long (at least in consulting) and your coworkers will hate you if you don't put in any effort before you ask them. 
  •    What courses that you took in college have been most useful to you? Basically none, power classes aren't typically taught in undergrads - not for what I do anyway. There are some system analysis classes.
  •    Have you ever worked as a freelance engineer and if so do you prefer it? Not applicable
  •    What are some future trends that you see in your field? More big replacement programs since the Northeast has aging infrastructure. Hopefully more big transmission as we do off-shore wind
  •    What are some of the traits of a good engineer? Be observant, be thorough, care about what you produce. 
  •    At what age did you decide to become an engineer? 16
Responses at in the quote box

 
1) When is your assignment due? 24  MAY 2020

2) Does it matter what field the engineer is working in or are you looking for an engineer in your field? No the field of engineering isn't important.

3) Have you reached out to any of the local area firms for a job shadow opportunity (tough with COVID 19, I know)? Not yet. I am teleworking as well and haven't had much time to reach out. I was going to reach out next week to some people here nearby.

4) Have any of the local firms been willing to meet via an online meeting platform to discuss your questions? 

At least once a year, I've seen requests like this get posted. A few get answered and some get ignored based on the requester's activity level. I might be able to assist later this week when my work load lightens up a hair depending on the responses to the above.

 
Thanks for your earlier response. Good luck on your assignment and with getting in touch with a local firm.

I have a class assignment that requires me to interview an engineer who has at least 5 years of experience in the field. If possible could somebody provide me answers with the following:

  •    Describe a typical day at work.


    Varies based on the assignment and location.
  • When in the office, start the day by reviewing communications that came in since the previous day and respond as appropriate; then continue working on whatever project is due throughout the day while coordinating with the team assigned to the project. Some days, juggle between several different projects or project related emergencies. Plus the drawings, can't forget about dealing with those. Depending on the project and resource availability, may create sketches for drafting to develop onto submittal drawings to doing the CAD work myself. Plus marking up drawings for correction by others. And many more meetings than you may think could be necessary.
  • In the field, once up and on site, start with a safety meeting, then begin whatever activities are required.

    This may range from a full inspection of a facility to taking measurements for a new design or meeting with clients & owners to determine their needs.
  • Field days can range from 8-16 hours plus travel time.
  • Working in all different weather conditions, from winter in the arctic to tropical conditions near the equator


[*]   What kinds of engineering problems do you solve?

  • Those related to structural engineering. This ranges from designing small equipment anchorage to a full building design.
  • Sometimes I'm tasked with assisting mechanical engineers with pipe support analysis or coordinating excavation limits and shoring requirements with the civil engineers.

[*]   What is your work environment like?

  • Anything from a general office environment (including cubes and individual offices) to being in the field.
  • Field assignments can range worldwide.
  • Some assignments are in locations where people speak little to no English (parts of Japan & Spain), so preparing before arrival is important. This includes getting proper translation apps on your phone to taking language classes.

[*]   What is satisfying about the work that you do?

  • Knowing that the design was adequate for the final use. It is really nice to walk through a building throughout the construction and seeing the final product and being able to know that you had a part in that process.

[*]   How is your job different from what you expected?

  • The travel is sometimes more than I expected, but I enjoy seeing new locations and meeting some quirky characters. I like not being stuck in an office all the time.

[*]   What is one piece of advice that you would give to an engineering student?

  • Take a business communication elective and have a backup career plan.

    The first so you can communicate with the team / client / owner properly.
  • The second so you have something to fall back on should engineering jobs be unavailable OR to have additional skills in another field that will aid your engineering career. Personally, I've worked in residential construction and utilize that experience all the time during facility design or field inspections. You get a better idea where problems might lie with a finished product.


[*]   What courses that you took in college have been most useful to you?

  • All of the structural engineering courses and math. Sure, I don't have to use anything from differential equations or matrix analysis on a regular basis, but there have been times where it comes in handy.

[*]   Have you ever worked as a freelance engineer and if so do you prefer it?

  • Yes, while between regular employment by an engineering firm. It can be enjoyable as you really set your own schedule / pace / charge rates, but you have to really watch the licensing and insurance requirements for your practice state.
  • Most engineering firms have a moonlighting clause in the employee manual, basically to prevent claims against the firm from any issues caused by freelancing.

[*]   What are some future trends that you see in your field?

  • Remote inspections via drones for some structures.
  • More remote analysis programs
  • Better measurement devices for metal thickness and corrosion loss determination

[*]   What are some of the traits of a good engineer?

  • Critical thinking, common sense, ability to communicate well, work well in a team environment and have confidence
  • Be willing to ask for help when you really need it. But don't just pass it on to someone else, be willing to show what you've tried already.

[*]   At what age did you decide to become an engineer?

  • I wanted to get into structural dismantlement after getting brought onto a job site when I was 8.


 
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