Life changed after PE?

[iwire]

Do you guys felt less stressful after you passed your PE exam? I am talking about not the stressed from taking the test but stress about job security?

For me, I am not longer stressed out if I loss my job and not able to find one ..

 

[Ken PE 3.1]

Less stress all around. It's a great feeling.

 

[JB66money]

I wish that I could say the same, my situation has not changed much since passing the PE. Maybe it is the company that I work at, I have not been promoted or anything. What is worst is that I am still an entry level engineer with six years of experience and a PE license, while my boss who is a "supervising engineer" does not even have a PE license. In fact I am the only engineer in my division that has a PE license. Legally I am the only one who can sign off on something, yet I am the lowest engineer in my division. I cannot say that racism is not a factor, because the good old boy system is alive and well in my company.

 

[Ramnares P.E.]

JB66 it sounds like you need to do several things immediately. Firstly you should be getting resumes out as fast as you can. From what you've said above, it sounds as though you're in a rather toxic work environment which will stagnate your growth and harm you significantly in the long run in terms of salary growth potential. Secondly you should have an immediate sit down with your supervisors. If you have been signing off on drawings/calculations/reports then your responsibilities have changed and you should be compensated as such.

I would be very careful throwing the word racism around. Nepotism/cronyism is rampant in quite a few workplaces and unfortunately, other than getting some brown on your nose, there isn't much you can do.

 

[iwire]

Very true. Don't waste in a company that you ended up wasting time. I think I wasted a couple years of doing BS stuffs..Don't get me wrong. I still learned the stuff during that time but it was during that time, I was so tempted to change career. It makes me hate engineering.

 

[knight1fox3]

In addition to the resumes, I would also advise on getting a polished LinkedIn profile. Head-hunters scour LI on a daily basis but usually only get automated responses I imagine. You never know what conversation you'll spark up by responding to a personal ad. Not to mention you will start to get some good online networking from a professional aspect. Good luck, but like the others have said, it's time to make a change. This seems to be negatively impacting your prof. development.

 

[kevo_55]

I'm surprised that no one mentioned "fatty money" in this thread......

 

[Ramnares P.E.]

Since we all automatically get fatty money on becoming PEs there's no need to even mention that separately.

 

[JB66money]

Yeah, I definitely need to leave my current job and maybe the entire Mid West, because it is not the most progressive part of America.

 

[knight1fox3]

and maybe the entire Mid West, because it is not the most progressive part of America.

I would disagree with that last part. It really depends on the industry you are looking to work in. I've been working as an elec engineer for just over 10 years. And since first starting out, I've more than doubled my starting salary due to making the right moves and also negotiating what I was really looking for with employers. I speak from a private sector aspect. Each time I made a move, I was able to secure at least a 15-20% pay raise, in addition to more vacation among other benefits. I feel it really matters how you market yourself and experience to a company.

 

[DanHalen]

JB66money, I was in a similar situation. Some employers just don't value their people and the credentials their employees have. I went on an interview last fall that in some ways was a complete waste of my time and in others a huge learning experience. The job that I was interviewing for was basically already filled by an internal candidate. The hiring manager looked over my resume and asked about my work experience and said it's time for me to move on. He said it almost looks bad that I have been doing the same job since graduation and it hurts my personal wealth as well. He told me that companies and municipalities have zero loyalty to their employees now days and that if you want a decent raise you have to change jobs. He strongly suggested finding a management position where I will be managing 20 people or less and change jobs every few years with each step managing more and more people. He said that is where the money is and not necessarily in design/crunching numbers. I have lost count the number of times I've been passed over for promotions or even lateral moves to do something different. 90% of the time I was usually passed over by a more qualified candidate than myself. I don't have an issue with that at all. The last few years I was being passed over by new graduates that didn't even have their EIT and they were making more money than me. The guy I interviewed with said that is more common than you think and said the only way to overcome that is by switching jobs and don't be afraid to relocate. I have found his advice to be solid and makes sense. I would suggest following his advice. Dust off your resume, give it a good polishing, and start looking for a new job. There is plenty of work out there and the field totally changes when you have that PE license. If you need interview coaching or professional resume writing services I'd strongly recommend "solomonb" (that's his handle here on EB.com). He's a super sharp guy and has the know how to make your resume stand out. Good luck!

 

[Porter_]

Less stress all around. It's a great feeling.

ditto, less stress all around. i feel like job security is higher and should something happen i would have a better chance of landing on my feet.

 

[ATL Derek]

Life after the PE? I've forgotten how to solve word problems and use steam tables.

 

[solomonb]

JB66-- Get up and MOVE! There are a lot of opportunities out here-- I know of several here in the rural South that are ideal, great money, great living, however, away from an urban environment. That may or not work for you.

Moving and changing companies/locations is the only way in which to increase your salary. If you are the only one in your division with a PE and you are signing off on work that you are not in responsible charge of, there is a problem, let alone a salary issue.

Get your resume polished, real shiny-- get a good linkedin profile and get out and GO!

I would not buy a house-- you can rent and move with little hassle-- if you plan on staying someplace for 20 years, buy a house, If not, rent-- in the end, you will come out better financially.

The longest journey begins with the first step. Get started--TODAY! To hell with what the others think, get going. If you need help, let us know.

 

[iwire]

Look into the Minnesota light rail project. Plenty of opportunity for electrical and civil works.

As for me, I was asked by my boss who is a PE to get started on the NCESS record which turns out to be a PITA as well but they are paying for it.

 

[itinerant]

Yeah, I definitely need to leave my current job and maybe the entire Mid West, because it is not the most progressive part of America.

JB66 I dont really know where you are located but I can read the fields in which you are working. I can certainly tell you that if you are T & D planner midwest is the place where you want to be. Especially Kansas City. That city is a hub for the T & D business, with 3 or 4 companies having their head quarters in the KC area you are sure to find something great there.

I so wish I could leave, but even after getting a PE nothing has changed other than writing a PE in front of my name but it feels hollow and useless to me. And well anyways I cant leave at least for another year since I have problems of my own. But yeah trust me with all the fields that you are working in I am sure KC or some other mid-western city definitely has the job you want with the pay you want. Just keep hanging in there and be patient. Patience is something our tribe is good at.

 

[iwire]

JB66, I think you need to talk to a recruiters or maybe to some of your clients or former co-workers..networking I think is the biggest job finder