The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
(OP)
I'm a young Electrical Engineer who has been working on PLC/DCS/SCADA Control System Projects in the Manufacturing and Energy (Nuclear) sector for the past 4 years. I've switched from a fast paced private system integrator to a govt job. Right now I'm working on tooling systems and robotics for nuclear maintenance.
I want to know what the future outlook is for this profession in general?
I am making decent money now, but I am not sure if this a good field to "specialize" in because the entry barriers are so low (I just have a Bachelors in EE) and the effort to reward ratio doesn't seem THAT high .....
If I'm just interested in making $$$, shouldn't I just switch to something more lucrative while I have the chance? Like dentistry, medicine, law, finance, my own business, etc.?
I don't hate engineering, but it's not something I "love" either.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks,
dc
I want to know what the future outlook is for this profession in general?
I am making decent money now, but I am not sure if this a good field to "specialize" in because the entry barriers are so low (I just have a Bachelors in EE) and the effort to reward ratio doesn't seem THAT high .....
If I'm just interested in making $$$, shouldn't I just switch to something more lucrative while I have the chance? Like dentistry, medicine, law, finance, my own business, etc.?
I don't hate engineering, but it's not something I "love" either.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks,
dc





RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
My opinion, if you don't 'love' or at least moderately enjoy/like/have an interest in Engineering why the heck did you study it at College/Uni. Was it the classic "good at mathmatics & physics so must do engineering" situation.
You should be able to make a very nice living doing engineering if you're willing to put in the time effort etc.
You're unlikely to get rich.
Don't do Engineering in the US or UK just for the money.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
When I went to school for engineering, I didn't really think about it. It's just something that came easily to me, and I didn't have much guidance on picking a career path. I did really well in school, so naturally I just stuck with it.
I will say that once got into engineering, I wanted to use engineering as a way to make a comfortable salary for a few years, save up, and probably head in another direction.
I'd like to leverage my career so far, but I am unsure on how and if i should do that.
So that's basically the gist of my question. Where do you think my "field" is headed? How can I use it?
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
In the next 20 years - I would imagine that anything that can be done by a robot will be done by a robot - look at the Japanese and Honda. My favorite robot is the dishwasher.....
Can't wait for the lawnmower robot - once it comes down in price!!!
Obviously - you are not a HAPPY camper. So find out what you want and go in that direction!! You are young and probably have few responsibilities other than food and beer!!
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
Are you passionate about medicine, dentistry, any of the other things you mentioned? If you're not, and choose to go into one of these fields anyway, I'd be willing to bet you'll be back in some other forum a few years into your gig asking the same questions, only this time it will be without the money (or with the debt) it took to put yourself through med/dentistry/law school or start your own business.
My wife is a doctor who absolutely loves what she does, yet there are still days when she comes home and tries to figure out what she's going to be when she grows up. Don't go into medicine strictly for the money. If you do, pick your specialty wisely because having MD behind your name isn't a ticket to riches. Medicine does offer the high entry barrier you seem to think is important - the cost of going through school/residency/sub-specialty training is significant.
Find something you really enjoy doing, and get good at it (not implying you're not good at your current job). You may not get rich, but I know what it's like to go to work every day hating your job. It's not worth it by any stretch of the imagination.
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
If you're a surgeon, you get to mix in some surgery, but the entrance requirement jumps from 3 yrs of residency to 7 yrs, not counting the fellowships post-residency.
Me, I'm in my office most of the day, mixed in with some meetings. I can take a break whenever I need or want.
TTFN
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RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
Decide what you really want to do. Even if you can't completely quit Engineering, at least for a while, maybe you can work on it in your own time.
In this case a Government job might be good as you probably have a more structured 40hr week than most private sector jobs, quite likely more leave/vacation too though no guarantee.
Funny, my wife was watching Opera the other day and they had some life coach talking about this. In fact, if you visit her website I recall they had a quiz to help you make the decision.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
I never thought I would enjoy engineering, but as it turns out and as I age a little, I actually wouldn't want to do anything else... I only "thought" I was good at engineering until I learned to love it. Now... its the continual learning that's the real fun....
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
htt
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
I disagree that if you don't lurve engineering it is a bad choice for uni, but I think that would make it a hard degree to stick with.
OP - Anyway engineering graduates are much appreciated in many other organisations, some of them lucrative, such as Wall St. So just find the job you want and go and do it.
"the effort to reward ratio doesn't seem THAT high " uh, does that mean what I think it means?
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
I started out with love, given what I've seen other posters put on similar threads, but then decided that as you say you don't have to love Engineering. Hence I used the phrase:
I suppose I have a chip on my shoulder about it though. A lot of people on my course at Uni were only there because they were good at math and physics and either wanted a challenge or were pushed into Engineering by whatever career guidance they got. A lot of these people had no interest in Engineering or, as I studied aero, at least aircraft.
They basically just made it harder for the likes of me, not quite straight A's but a passion for Aircraft and interest in Engineering, to get and stay on the course.
At the end of the degree they went off to be management consultants, programmers, IT consultants etc.
Then again, back to opera, maybe they were emulating Gilbert & Sullivans "Modern Major General".
Effort/reward = effort reward ratio?
Doesn't seem that high suggests either low effort required, large reward or both.
Sounds good to me.
If on the other hand Reward/effort = the effort reward ratio in question then that suggests lots of work for little reward. Not so good, right?
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
Robert Mote
www.motagg.com
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
Absolute catastrophe - huge fall out rate, suicides, etc etc.
What is even more disgraceful is that a couple of my friends did Physics, and at least in the first couple of years there was nothing especially difficult, and the work load was pretty light in comparison.
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
My career has been more than wonderful and rewarding and I am forever grateful that it choose me rather me choosing it... I don't even like most engineers. But I enjoy the struggle of trying to be one...
For the guys/gals that do engineering for the $$$$... If you're not smart enough to know there's better ways to make money... then... well... you need to learn how to do something else because you will not survive in this industry without taking a HUGE fall at some point in your career... Good luck to you though... I'll see ya across the table...
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
OP "because the entry barriers are so low (I just have a Bachelors in EE)" while there is lots of talk about increasing it one way or another, at the moment having a bachelors is the minimum qualification for most Engineering fields as far as I can tell.
I only have a bachelors, however a new grad couldn't do what I do. If I recall correctly Greg only has a bachelors, and I sure as heck couldn't do what I understand he does.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
I just wanted to make some things clear about my particular situation: I didn't do engineering for the $. I just did it because I was obligated to go to school and do something (since getting drafted into the NBA wasn't going to happen), and at the time, all I wanted was a "comfortable" life so engineering seemed like a safe bet for that. My elder brother is also an engineer, and it worked for him sooo(but he's a true engineer, wasn't the greatest student, but loves engineering whereas i'm the probably the exact opposite, lol) .. Also, at the time, I didn't dream too big (I believe a lot of this has to do with my background. My dad came from a very poor rural family in his home country. In his culture, people don't have dreams, just obligations. You do what you have to - what you like doing doesn't enter into the equation).
In terms of delivering a "comfortable" life, engineering has paid off for me. And this may piss some people, but both schooling and finding a job in engineering came pretty easily to me. I mean, I had to put in the hard work and effort, but it wasn't especially grueling (I guess this is a matter of perspective though, I have cousins that work as laborers in the UAE under oppressive conditions for chump change. What they do is grueling!) Anyway, I do earn enough to sustain a comfortable living standard. I am NOT complaining, it's just that since school and since having some success in my career, I'm starting to dream a lot bigger. When I was in school, my attention was so narrowly focused. It was like being a horse with blinders on. Now with the blinders off, I'm seeing a world of possibility but I am hesistant to just throw away 8 years or so of engineering, w/o trying to leverage it in some way into my new career - whatever that is. Right now, I'm at a point where I'm becoming restless with just doing technical work and want to move on to bigger and better things. And of course, I love $$ so I want to chase it.
p.s. Yeah, I screwed up that "effort-to-reward ratio isn't THAT high" line. What I meant is that for a given amount of effort, the rewards in engineering don't seem as high as they are for other professions.
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
OK, so in the past eight years you have learned to work with people, identify and solve problems, analyse situations where the data is imperfect, invent new approaches, sell ideas to management etc etc.
Go out there and apply your reluctantly-engineering brain to another field and I am sure you'll be appreciated, and, annoyingly for the rest of us, get paid more for a given effort. If it really isn't fun for you why do it for 10 hours a day?
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
- Project Management
- Sales
There are lots of careers that would leverage your controls background, you need to figure out what you WANT to do.
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
A guy from here, I think more of a scientist than an Engineer but none the less, left a year or two ago to become some kind of stock analyst or something. I believe he was already getting paid a lot and was moving for a pay raise.
This types of fields will probably offer more money, but possibly not 9-5 type schedule. Also I wouldn't find them remotely satisfying but you may.
Sorry if I came off a bit harsh on my first post, pet peeve of mine as I explained.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
Unless of course he swapped it for an M.A.(Cantab)? He has hinted before...
- Steve
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
I've decided I've been posting far too much lately and spouting off about stuff I know little about and/or before I've really thought it through.
This is yet more evidence, consider me suitably chastened and apologies for any offence etc.
To the OP, good luck. I hope you find something that fulfills you. As skeptical as I am about it that did seem to the theme of that stuff on Oprah.
I still have images that if everyone just went off doing what they enjoy, rather than worrying about obligations, responsibilities etc. then the world would end up falling apart. However, if you can pull it off, good luck to you.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
It was kind of a joke. Greg has stated before that he got a B.A. I just guessed it would be the old place in the Fens other than its rival.
- Steve
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
So, I'm a BA Cantab in some unspecified form of engineering that is not even mentioned on my degree certificate. Funny old world innit?
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
30 quid, cheapest diploma mill I could find this side of the pond was a few hundred $!
OP, does this sound like your cup of tea? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantitative_analyst
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
I would love a diploma for $60...
Try a few hundred per credit hour! Most engineering classes are 3 or 4 credits.
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
It's not all it seems. I won't try to explain it because I'll get it wrong. Do a little bit of research. Wikipedia is a bit long-winded, so start here.
http://people.csail.mit.edu/adonovan/MA.html
- Steve
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
No wonder some places in the US don't seem keen on accepting my UK degree!
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
You seem to be implying that somehow engineers whose primary motivation is money are inferior to those whose motivation is some "love" for the discipline. I personally am working for the money, although I do like my job. Love of engineering won't get you far at the grocery store, or put your kids through college or make you confortable in your retirement. It's this "vocation" attitude to engineering that keeps most of us in this less than 100k salary range.
Having a job that you love is one thing, being paid peanuts for doing it is quite another.
I also take umbrage at the statement that those of us who know our worth will never make it and will necessarily suffer a "HUGE fall". What kind of fall? Should I take a paycut to avoid it? Please elaborate
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
Anyone in the UK/US whose primary motivation is the money is likely to end up dissapointed, and probably bitter.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
I almost understand now... so basically it means you spent time in school from 14-21. And could have attended two different programs. Right?????
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
I guess the way I look at it is if your primary motivation is money you will only be bitter if you don't actually make a lot of money. If your primary motivation is money and you don't make any money, then yes... I can see that.
I am an engineer, all my education is in engineering, all my experience is in engineering, and I guess I am not smart enough (as SS says) to see another way to make the money I now make. I'm not going to suddenly notice that investment bankers make more money and wake up tomorrow and decide to pursue investment banking. My only point is to not sell engineering short as a way of making good money. I'm not talking 50-60K good money I'm talking 150-200k real good money. Senselessticker's opinion that we are in for a "fall" because we want to get paid what we deserve sounds like bitterness to me.
Let me ask this. Who is potentially more bitter? He who believes he is getting paid what he deserves. Or he who, even though he loves his job, believes he is not getting paid what he deserves.
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
There are high paying Engineering jobs but from what I know they often require things that don't suit everyone. For instance a lot of travel and/or being on an oil rig in the middle of no where or whatever and/or long hours etc. Or maybe they require being at the top of your field etc. Or to make that money you end up in a high cost of living area, where it doesn't translate into standard of living. And of course, some of those jobs may be more management or sales than engineering.
Plus Engineering is a broad field, and covers a broad geographic range, both of which can affect income levels.
I get tired of people I work with (or some on this site) moaning about not making enough money doing engineering, or how if they'd known what it would be like when they were younger they would have done something different. If that's the case go do something else, somewhere else, and quit bringing me down.
Finally almost all of the above are generalizations, there are bound to be exceptions.
KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
Nope. People who spend 3 years at Oxford or Cambridge graduate with a BA, regardless of what they studied. Then a few years later they can choose to pay 30 quid and it magically becomes an MA - no further studying required. This is a historical remnant from the old(e) days (which is described in micropscopic detail by wikipedia). It's Peculiar to Oxford and Cambridge, hence MA (Cantab) and MA(Oxon).
It does allow snobs to pretend to have a masters. And it'll probably fool most non-Brit employers. Greg gets my respect for refusing to do it.
- Steve
RE: The future of Controls Engineering? [Need career advice]
I just gotta pitch in. I had a boss once who, if you complained about the work, would say, "If it were easy, we'd hire little kids to do it. If you loved it, we wouldn't have to pay you. Now get back to work."
As for me, here's why I went into engineering. As a child (eight years old), I fluffed up a wad of steel wool I ahd found, was tossing it around like a basketball, and I accidentally dropped it on the posts of a 6-volt lantern battery in my Dad's garage. What I saw irrevocably burned an electrical engineering career into my future.
I've been in power systems and controls for almost 30 years now, and although I'm not rich, I'm quite comfortable. The only wealthy engineers I know invented important things that had great market success. Drudges like me do the work, enjoy the pride in the end product, and go home each evening to play with our steel wool and batteries.
In sum, one doesn't have to love the work (in my opinion), or even enjoy all aspects of it. Neither work nor money make happiness and peace.
However, digitalcaptive, if you've got the itch to see what else is out there -- I vote that you scratch it. Unlike me, you can start afresh in any path you choose. What a wonderful position in which to sit!!
That's all I have to say.
Goober Dave