Career By Design

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  • 1.  When should an engineer move on from the first job?

    Posted 28 days ago

    I've heard that recently graduated engineers should take a hard look at their situations after about the first two years after graduation. Are they still considered "a kid"? Do established staff disregard their ideas? If so, maybe it's time to move on and get past that stage.

    Your thoughts?



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    William McAnally Ph.D., P.E., BC.CE, BC.NE, F.ASCE
    ENGINEER
    Columbus MS
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  • 2.  RE: When should an engineer move on from the first job?

    Posted 26 days ago

    Yup,

    there are some stagnant positions that don't foster growth

    you should always find a way to interact that isn't just through , but thorough

    the world is a sphere, if you don't get a sphere you might go to a doctor

    put a check on your charitability, your logical bases, and probability

    refresh your calculus skills to present a new solution 

    find some part-time to work at hiring someone you can work with

    check the water balance scales and find ways to interact with less or more

    moneys are not your happiness or sanctity, but finding real and true solutions is real and true

    go find a historian to o build with you a passage about definitives

    less is more when you can produce a benchmark problem



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    Refugio Rochin P.E., M.ASCE
    Civil Engineer Structures
    Modesto
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: When should an engineer move on from the first job?

    Posted 10 days ago

    Thanks for the thought-provoking response, Refugio.

    I agree with your note about stagnant positions. I once held essentially the same position for 12 years. It was demanding but the demands hadn't changed in the latter 6 years. I became desperate to move on. 

    How does getting a doctor help? That went over my head.

    Bill Mc



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    William McAnally Ph.D., P.E., BC.CE, BC.NE, F.ASCE
    ENGINEER
    Columbus MS
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: When should an engineer move on from the first job?

    Posted 10 days ago

    Greetings Sir McNally,

    Sometimes my mind works on the sphere, like Einstein apple theory of relativity. 

    I might say, if time doesn't give you a chance in a day, then the Apple might be at the doctor's office.

    Though otherwise, chasing your tail might find a more rational result if you visit the Doctor.

    But if it's just illness without actually any sickness, it might be best to chase one's own tail.

    Does any of this make sense?

    What I was trying to say was the cycle of time is as important as the tree of life, and the ladder of ascent and descent.



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    Refugio Rochin P.E., M.ASCE
    Civil Engineer V
    Oakdale CA
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: When should an engineer move on from the first job?

    Posted 10 days ago

    Agreed, although two years in can be a bit early to jump ship unless the job or company is really a dead end.  At 2 years out of school, an engineer is still just getting his/her feet wet.  But companies and the HR business seem to have accepted the fact that people change careers much more frequently than in the past.

    Being considered 'the kid' even 10 years after graduating if you're still with your first company is very real.  Companies and co-workers can remember you as the green newbie even though you now have your PE ., are married, and have a kid or two.  Companies would be wise to check those assumptions.  It happened even 30-40 years ago and can affect opportunities, level of responsibility, and pay.

    Things to assess (and not just 2 years out of school, but also continuously over an entire career):

    1. Do I enjoy what I'm doing or designing?
    2. Do I have good mentors or am I just another billable resource?
    3. Am I given opportunities to learn new things and grow?
    4. How is my department or company culture?  Culture is not a static thing.  It can change imperceptibly in small increments that add up over time.
    5. Do I have good work-life balance?
    6. Am I becoming over-specialized or, conversely, is the experience I'm gaining a mile wide and 1" deep?

    Throughout your career - but especially in the early formative years - it's so important to have good mentors and a good company culture.  And if the mentors and culture are that good, you'll have the opportunity to grow and will enjoy coming to work. A higher salary but a loss of mentors, increase in (bad) stress, or a less desirable culture may not be worth the tradeoff.

    If you assess your position and company and it isn't meeting your needs - see if a discussion or change within the company would change things.  Management may not be aware of your concerns or issues (the new kid issue, for instance) and it may be a wakeup call for them. An internal reassessment of your roles and responsibilities may be a win-win for you both. 

    If the problems you see are endemic to the position or company culture and are unlikely to change....it's probably time to make a change.  Making a change can be difficult, especially depending on your personality type.  A change can be a risk, you may have momentum and comfort in your current position (even if you're not entirely satisfied), and you likely have bonds with and may feel a loyalty to your co-workers.  But a change may also be very rewarding if you do your due dilligence.



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    Greg Thein, PE
    Cleveland, OH
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    Original Message


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