Trying to decide between engineering or a trade

Crockett85 · Feb 20, 2018

Hello everyone:

This thread is a followup to my previous introduction thread: http://engineerboards.com/topic/30083-newbie-in-bc-thinking-about-taking-up-engineering/

So I am trying to decide on a solid career path to work towards. For the last two years I have been stuck in an endless thought loop over-analyzing what career path to choose. I am afraid of picking the wrong field and ending up miserable for the rest of my life. I am not interested in turning my hobbies into a career. I have never really been passionate about any career path. Nevertheless, I would like to get into a field that interests me and pays well enough to see me through to retirement. Hopefully there is someone here that can help me get out of this hamster wheel.

What have I learned about my preferences after the last 10 years?

-          I am leaning toward something in science/engineering/trades/technology.

-          Easygoing work environment with lax grooming/dress standards (ie no strict and conservative uniform standards).

-          Stable work schedule (ie prefer to work days with no 24/7 on call, rotating shifts, etc). I don't mind travelling for work occassionally (I'm guessing 25% of the time). Generally speaking, I don't want to be married to my job. However, I have no illusions that I will need to work really hard and pay my dues no matter what field I get into. However, I don't want the nature of the job to interfere with my personal life after I get established.

-          When I am working on a project, there has to be room for tuning, experimenting, and making improvements. I would be uncomfortable being put in a situation where a small error could get someone killed. I would be more willing to handle this kind of task if I am really comfortable and confident with my training and skill level.

-          Work environment with minimal bureaucracy and cutthroat office politics.

-          I prefer to be moving around doing different things. However, I don't mind sitting at a desk completing admin either.

-          Sweet spot pay range: > $40000

-          I don't mind working with other people as long as it's one-on-one or small groups. But I don't enjoy working with the general public/customer service.

What formal education do I have already?

-          Electro-mechanical Engineer Technician Diploma (2 Years): Went to a civilian college as part of my military training. I took intro courses in electronics, pneumatics, hydraulics, fluid mechanics, networking, technical communications, materials science, physics, and a little bit of programming. Overall, I did pretty well in this program. I am not sure if the school was accredited or not.

-          Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing (4 Years): I barely graduated and my GPA wasn't that great. I really struggled through university. My parents were a major influence in this decision and I still kick myself for listening to them. I am still kicking myself for giving in to their demands.

What are my strengths?

-          Skeptical and not easily influenced (I like to see facts before making judgments about anything)

-          Observing

-          Know my way around computers pretty well

-          Monitoring, taking measurements, and logging results

-          Analyzing (seeing as how I overanalyze everything, might as well put that to good use haha)

-          Prioritizing tasks

-          Written communication

-          Mechanically inclined

- Strive to plan and stay a step ahead of obstacles (doesn't always work out though).

-          Organizing

-          Mentoring

-          Generally I am patient and level-headed

-          Able to work independently or with a team

-          Strong work ethic

-          Steady hands

- Neat and legible penmanship and ability to sketch well organized drawings

What are my weaknesses?

-          Overanalyzing things to the point where I sometimes have a hard time making a decision (hence why I am here haha) and taking action.

-          I have some issues with my self-confidence that I am working on. I have made great strides in this within the last year, but I still have a lot of work to do.

-          Due to my upbringing and past work environments, I am cynical and have social anxiety.

-          Hard time with social networking in general.

-          Dealing with cutthroat office politics.

Hobbies/interests:

- Cooking, creative writing, exercising, scuba diving, target shooting, classic cars, boats, video games, exploring (a lot of hands-on hobbies)

If you have been patient enough to read through all of this, thank you so much! So based on the above, would engineering be a good choice? If so, which discipline you do think I should choose?

Thanks for your help!

James

matt267 PE · Feb 22, 2018

That's one heck of a wishlist. The first thing is to realize that you'll rearly get everything on your list.

What are the job opportunities in your area? I know in my area (New England) welders and auto mechanics are in high demand. Is there a trade school local that you can talk to someone at? When you say the "trades," what are you talking about?

There were several fellow engineering students my freshman year that dropped out because they wanted to build things, not design them.

It's impossible for me (or anyone else) to make a recommendation that would ensure your happiness. Only you can do that. But, would it be possible to get an entry level job in one of the trades to see if you like it. You could always take college classes on the side working towards and engineering degree.

Crockett85 · Feb 22, 2018

matt267 PE said:
That's one heck of a wishlist. The first thing is to realize that you'll rearly get everything on your list.

What are the job opportunities in your area? I know in my area (New England) welders and auto mechanics are in high demand. Is there a trade school local that you can talk to someone at? When you say the "trades," what are you talking about?

There were several fellow engineering students my freshman year that dropped out because they wanted to build things, not design them.

It's impossible for me (or anyone else) to make a recommendation that would ensure your happiness. Only you can do that. But, would it be possible to get an entry level job in one of the trades to see if you like it. You could always take college classes on the side working towards and engineering degree.

Thanks for the reply. Yes it is a big list. I definitely don't expect to check off everything on that list lol The reason I made the list was so that someone on here could gauge whether my aptitudes aligned more with engineering or trades in a general sense. I think it is safe to say that I learn better by doing. I don't mind learning theory but I need a way to apply it to real situations.

The issue that I have run into with trades (in BC at least) is that employers are not interested in you if don't have a pre-apprenticeship course (which is one or two years I think). My experience is that to get into a pre-apprenticeship program, there is a two year wait list. There is also a lot of bureaucracy and hoops to deal with such as unions, ITA, safety authorities. They each have their own ideas about what you need to get in. When you try to get some simple questions answered, everyone passes the buck. Ultimately, you get no questions answered. I'm not sure if other provinces have a more straightforward process. I was initially trying to get into the electrician trade when I released from the military. But I gave up on the idea because I was fed up with the bureaucratic BS and not getting answers to my questions.

This is why I started examining the engineering profession. I realize engineering is a longer and more difficult journey. However, at least the route to getting where you want to be is clearly defined (undergrad, FE exam, EIT, 4+ years of experience, then PE exam).

Most of the job opportunities (I'm using that term loosely) on Vancouver Island seem to be in tourism, high-tech, IT, military, marine, and government. I have a few friends here, but I am not opposed to moving somewhere else. I have family in Ontario as well.

Again, thanks for taking the time to respond. It means a lot to me!

matt267 PE · Feb 23, 2018

Crockett85 said:
I was initially trying to get into the electrician trade when I released from the military.

Can you use any of your military experience to help you get a job? It's too bad the military doesn't help you with this.

Crockett85 said:
I gave up on the idea because I was fed up with the bureaucratic BS and not getting answers to my questions.

That would be very frustrating. Try to not let it get in the way though.

Crockett85 said:
Most of the job opportunities (I'm using that term loosely) on Vancouver Island seem to be in tourism, high-tech, IT, military, marine, and government. I have a few friends here, but I am not opposed to moving somewhere else. I have family in Ontario as well.

If you're interested in being an electrician, you may need to move. Are electricians in demand in Ontario?

Kritesh Anand · Oct 16, 2018

Engineering is a good career option only if you pursue the course from a good college. By good college, I mean good infrastructure and good placements.Yeah, engineering is a good career option, you can get thousand of jobs after engineering in different fields such as mechanical, electrical, civil, IT, etc

A professional career, is a good option for those who have a good background on finance. A stock trader gets income through portfolio management and research for investors.

kasiratnam · Oct 16, 2018

Every Field has their unique Features and facilities. But We have to select our passion career. If you are really passionate about engineer you can choose engineer or you are passionate about trade choose trade. Career selection completely you have to decide.