Going to pull up a stool and say howdy to everyone here. And a special tip of the hat to anyone who’s lost their job or in constant search for a job. Me: I started working in an office as a student. I really enjoyed my time but lost my job because of the economic downturn in 2009. Next job I traveled a lot doing inspections. I didn’t end up having a lot of office work, so when I had to stop traveling, I was cut loose. Next job was a little bit more rigid and I lasted a long time (3 years). I loved the learning but wasn’t too thrilled with the actual work (industrial). I didn’t quite see eye-to-eye with the direction of the culture so I ended up taking a walk. I took a few years off to pursue some different studies and then hopped back into the profession recently. Took a job where I was reviewing previous engineer’s work instead of designing new things. My eyes were noticing shortcomings and I would speak up. Well, anyways when the company consolidated I was on the outside since their main base is in a different city.
So here’s to anyone (mostly the young ones) that has a difficult time fitting in. Don’t ever worry about losing your job. Never bend your ethics just to keep a job. And strive to always improve your knowledge and skills.
One of the reasons I should have gone into medicine; I’d have had as much fun. My grand daughter works on cruise ships. She is saving her earnings to go to university. She still wants to be a neurosurgeon. She’s on vacation in Zanzabar right now, and will return to the Australia area in a week.
If you’re smart enough to be an engineer… you should have gone into medicine.
LOL! Dik…my sentiments exactly! We have all worked way too hard for way to little and it wasn’t because we didn’t have the smarts! Damn…I wish I didn’t like what I do!
I’ve gotten old… I used to ‘gobble up’ non-linear, non-homogeneous, differential equations when I first started… not anymore. The hell of it is, I think I would have had as much fun as a physician. I enjoy engineering, but, in hind sight…
I was mainly doing connection design on piperacks. My work was so disconnected from the structural design that I wanted to do. And there was a bit of frustration because I believed that the designs could be “better” but the design engineer was so distant.
I eventually got shifted to a role designing lift devices and weldments. I actually liked that side of the industrial work. And I did gain an appreciation for the detailing aspect of connection design.
I got laid off due to the economic downturn. It was hard. I thought I had a good network but I didn’t.
After a year, I found a position but resigned from it five months later over ethics problems. Theirs. A month later, I had another job. Several months later I resigned from it. Same reason. Both companies had basic moral failings.
So, I began my own company. It was beginning to make money but then a negligent driver ran a red light and totaled my car. My body was pretty banged up, too. On the heels of that came Lyme disease and all the horrors that entails.
I’m much better now but have a lot of questions about whether I can get back on my feet and rebuild. I’m working towards that goal but it’s tough now.
I’ve begun riding with my friends again and it’s been rough. Stuff from the wreck and Lyme disease make it rough. Such is life. At least I’m out there and trying. I am getting stronger so the future will be interesting. Can I or can’t I? That relates to many areas of life.
Job insecurity makes life hard. It makes fulfilling dreams, dreaming, etc. almost impossible. The state of the engineering profession doesn’t help either. We are underpaid, underappreciated, underrecognized, etc. If I could have a do-over, I choose medicine. I’ve learned a lot over the last several years. Good lessons were learned.
Yes, I am resilient and tough. Life forced me to be such. It wouldn’t be my preference. But, I am not rude about it unless absolutely pushed to it or feeling crappy enough to not tolerate nonsense, at all. It takes a lot, if I am feeling good, to be rude.
I hope things settle down and return to some form of normal. Looks like you’ve weathered the storm well… As my dad said, the motto of the RCAF was, “Through Adversity to the Stars”… per Ardua ad Astra (sp?)