Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
(OP)
I just graduated and get my first job now.
I look around the company and have no idea which department does fit(and feed)me well. In term of money wise, I wonder which department would have brighter future ($$$). Some people said R&D. Some people said analyst. Others said being a sales engineer would bring us to CEO one day. How about the engineers outthere, what's you all opinion? I am dying hard to retire as early as possible and travel all the around the world with my private plane ...
I look around the company and have no idea which department does fit(and feed)me well. In term of money wise, I wonder which department would have brighter future ($$$). Some people said R&D. Some people said analyst. Others said being a sales engineer would bring us to CEO one day. How about the engineers outthere, what's you all opinion? I am dying hard to retire as early as possible and travel all the around the world with my private plane ...





RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
Concentrate on what will keep you getting up to go to work EVERY morning, anything short of that will seem like hell.
TTFN
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
I have done a little of many different aspects of engineering.
Here are my thoughts:
1) Sales makes the big $$$ salary-wise. I have often been blown away at how much sales people can make compared to standard engineers.
2) Start off with design, etc... so you can earn your PE license. That can be beneficial. IF you want to go into sales later, the PE is just a feather in your cap and can add credibility (not always, but can).
3) It will be trial-and-error. I still haven't found the exact mix that makes me tick. I think in the end it will have to be working for myself or having ownership in a small company.
4) Eventual management might be a good mix of everything- some sales, some engineering, some interaction with peers and employees, some innovative thought required, some degree of "ownership" in the work you perform, better pay that that of just an engineer, etc....
Ed
www.engineerboards.com
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
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Bottom line is that if you start saving $10,000 per year TODAY, you'll have a sizable pot of money to play with later.
TTFN
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
No offense, if you want it then go for it, but I'm sure there's "easier" money to be made elsewhere. Otherwise HVAC and IR seem to be dead on.
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
a> you don't hear about the multitudes that tried even that, and didn't succeed.
TTFN
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
My advice ....
Don't wish your life away. Even retiring early will take a long time. So do something you ENJOY and concentrate on making the best of today everyday. Lucky for you, any job in engineering will pay well so with a little bit of financial sacrifice you should still be able to do what you like AND retire early no matter what path you choose. Just make sure you're contributing as much as you can to your 401(k) as early as you can.
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
You can make money doing anything.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
By the way, I am not a materialistic person. I know myself that I am able to survive in any department. And yes, I enjoy working at any department as well. I just don't want to stuck at particular department which unable me to get much promotion. So, any engineers outthere know which department offer better promotion and salary than other department in a company?
HVACctrl - Thanks for your advice. I am working at R&D department these days and am planning to take the PE test in the future.
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
Some info on 401Ks:
https://401k.fidelity.com/401k/about.htm
Your last comments are confusing. Do you want to be a manager? What do you think you're going to get out of these promotions? Money? Prestige? Responsiblity?
TTFN
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
Sometimes staying in a purely technical role can create a glass celing over your head. Being more involved with sales and/or management can allow a person to break through and get a larger salary.
I think fglass wants the most opportunity- salary, clout, ability to make an impact, respect- that can be afforded someone with an engineering background. I think he's asking what route will best offer these things.
Ed
www.engineerboards.com
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
Quote from IRstuff "Concentrate on what will keep you getting up to go to work EVERY morning, anything short of that will seem like hell."
Very well put...
Regards,
thixoguy
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
Not knowing anything about your company or you, for that matter, there's no way to gauge what the best path is for you.
For that matter, there's nearly zero probability that you would even stay at the same company for more than 3 years, so any prognostication about the present company may be cmopletely irrelevant to the next company.
TTFN
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
I've known a lot of people who retire military in early 40's and started (or continued) new careers while living on the pension. Sure wish I'd done that!
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
Often people with the largest (middle class) salaries, have the smallest net worth.
This is the way to riches and financial freedom. Driving a Lexus SUV, and owning a home with too large a payment, and not saving at least 15% of your pre-tax income, is the way to a retirement filled with dogfood and heartache.
Live below your means, and save. Don't worry about retirement, it isnt what it's cracked up to be. Worry about your freedom. By the time it becomes important, you'll be able to tell your boss/employer to go to hell, and live the rest of your life withouth changing your standard of living.
Wes C.
------------------------------
Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
The start of the book mentions how the author was giving a financial planning seminar and was approached by a teacher and his wife wanting to know whether he could retire early. The family net income was only about $40K, so the planner figured that this would be a short conversation. Nonetheless, the teacher had managed to accumulate over $500K in savings alone. So, it turned out that even someone with moderate salary can save a sizable nest egg.
TTFN
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
Of course many things are company dependent. But generally speaking, we can give general advice about his problem and present it in general terms.
In general sales, marketing and management are where its at. In general, a PE license and ability to work with others and customers will take you a long well. In general,looking to better the company and coming up with ideas and presenting them to you superior can be very beneficial.
Of course, given the right circumstances, these things can either not help or even hurt you.
Ed
www.engineerboards.com
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
TTFN
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
Wes C.
------------------------------
Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
No, no, yes, for engineers where I work. S&M is not an engineering field. grin.
" In general, a PE license and ability to work with others and customers will take you a long well."
PE will get you nowhere where I work, and I suppose it depends what you mean by customers. My customers are other engineers, not external people. Yes I have to get on with them, but I don't find that being overly nice or sociable is especially beneficial. I respect their abilities. I attempt to educate the educatable. If they are stupid or lazy then I let them know. I try not to make the useless ones cry.
"In general,looking to better the company and coming up with ideas and presenting them to you superior can be very beneficial. "
Phraseology whinge: I don't have a superior. I have managers etc who give me aims and resources.
The attitude in that quote baffles me. If you have a good idea are you perhaps proposing to keep it to yourself?
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
TTFN
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
What attitude baffles you? I don't get it. I was just giving the person who asked the question what I thought to be what he/she wanted- all based on my experience thus far.
Of course, these are truths as I found in my particular niche, in my particular career and industry, etc....
We can all argue as to what works and that this repsonse or that one is correct, this one is BS, etc...
I understand, some of the things I mention that are true in my arena are not true in yours. That's fine. I'm just presenting what I have observed over the years. The things I mentioned are indeed true as I see them in my experience.
Ed
www.engineerboards.com
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
The attitude in that quote baffles me. If you have a good idea are you perhaps proposing to keep it to yourself?
Cheers
Greg Locock
Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
I think the "presenting them to your superior" portion of the statement was meant to indicate the importance of follow through. I didn't even scrutinize my own statement until you forced me to do so. Thanks. That was helpful. I see now that subconsciously I meant that follow-through was an integral part of the idea implementation process. Contrary to your suggestion, keeping ideas you one's self is no good. But perhaps thousands, if not millions do it all the time. Lots of people are afraid to come forward with what would be great ideas that could revolutionize things and greatly improve the company for which they work.
Maybe that's what I meant. I didn't realize it when I wrote it. But it makes sense to me. Aside from keeping great ideas to one's self, which is obviously no good, some have been known to try to pass ideas around their superior to sort of one-up them. That would also be no good for obvious reasons.
Its my belief that coming up with ideas and presenting them you one's superior can be beneficial. It will let them (the superior) know that you are clever and creative, that you care for the company (not just their to collect a paycheck) and that you are likely a valuable asset to the company.
For those who don't have superiors or those who don't recognize anyone as a superior, supervisor or boss; those special few (perhaps chairmen of the board, presidents, etc..) could contribute in a similar manner by presenting their good ideas to fellow board members, members of their cabinet, etc.... It doesn't too much matter. As long as everyone is working to benefit the company and make things better for everyone and the proper chain of command or rules of engagement are observed, I believe it can result in very positive outcomes.
Ed
www.engineerboards.com
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
If you really want to achieve your stated goals, use your engineering degree to get you into the doors of a law firm and get them to sponsor you through a law qualification (it used to be two years here). Then job-hop from firm to firm until you get to the top. I have a friend who did this and retired at ~35.
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
What is that all about? What would you do at the law firm? What is a law qualification? What type of work would one do?
Just curious. Sounds interesting.
Ed
www.engineerboards.com
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
City (of London) firms attend the recruitment fairs of reknowned engineering schools, hoping to scoop up hard-working, intelligent graduates who see engineering as a non-future for them. I know, I've witnessed it first hand.
I can't say what the qualification was exactly - some kind of conversion course?? Anyway, the law firms attending our careers fairs saw engineering+conversion as better than a pure law degree in terms of getting the best employees.
Bear in mind that I don't advocate all engineers becoming lawyers, I was just asking the OP's question as truthfully as I could. It's not my cup of tea.
RE: Bright Future -- R&D? Analyst? Sales?
Its no doubt very different in other countries.