Congrats JeffC!!! I was just wondering what type of work you do and was your job pressing you to get your PE or was this a personal goal?Thanks,
HiVolts
I design Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) control systems for test facilities that test materials for use in Naval Nuclear Propulsion Systems. Prior to that, I was an engineer in a group that designed control systems for nuclear powered submarines. The job did not require me to get a PE. This effort was done entirely at my expense. I did this for two reasons.
First, about spring time of 2005, I turned to my coworker and said “This job sucks, I am not getting any younger, and I need options.” There are many reasons for saying this, starting with low pay, to management that, and I am being charitable with my words, is not very good. I thought I could retire at 55, but I would have to supplement my income somehow. I lived in this area all my life I do not think that I will move from this area. I am involved in town politics, and the town land use planning board. I have one parent alive, an 86 year old mother who depends upon me. My thought was retire at 55 and there probably are a number of small companies here that use PLC systems. They may not want to have someone on staff, but they may be willing to hire someone to do a job. I just have to find them and make them aware that I exist. I do not know how to do this, but I will figure it out.
The second reason is difficult to explain. I always knew that getting a PE was difficult to do. In fact I thought it would be easier to climb to the top of Mount Everest then get a PE. Also, I was a lucky person; I had two parents who helped me through college. My mother graduated from high school and my father never did, World War II got in the way. College was not a free ride for me. I worked part time, about 25 hours a week, to pay my way through. When I did not have enough money my parents were there for me. I did not realize how hard my father worked to help me until the middle of June of this year. I was out introducing newly endorsed candidates to the voters. An older man recognized my last name and told me that he worked with my father at the General Electric Company in the foundry pouring metal for generator and turbine castings. My father retired in 1986 so it was a while since the two saw each other. He asked me how my father was doing and I told him that dad passed away in 2003. He then told me that my father had the toughest job at General Electric. He said that walking through the doors in to the foundry was like walking through the gates of Hell. There was tremendous heat from the melting metal, smoke and soot. Then he said your father always worked overtime, I can remember him working 36 hours straight. You see, all this time I never realized how much of an effort he made to help me. So when I got my letter with “P”, I said thanks Dad. Call it gratitude or may be I am just nuts.
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