Am I cut out for engineering?
Am I cut out for engineering?
(OP)
I'm a fairly intelligent person. I made it through my BS in Mechanical Engineering without a problem. Wasn't at the very top of the class, but did well.
I'm in my early twenties and I've had 2 jobs since graduation, plus 3 internships during college. Lately I've been really wondering whether I was "meant" to be an engineer. I always get good reviews, get my work done, etc, but I just don't feel like this was my "calling". Maybe it sounds silly. I don't feel like I have the mechanical "knack" that a lot of people seem to have. Generally it takes me a while of being around something, followed by asking questions and independent study until I'm remotely comfortable even attempting to "talk the talk" with other people at work. I don't really feel that I am or ever will be respected in my field. I just don't think I have that natural instinct and/or understanding of mechanical things.
I've always liked to do 3D CAD, which is why I got into engineering in the first place. I'm very comfortable sitting at my desk and doing computer work. That said, I don't want to be a glorified CAD jockey for the rest of my life.
Anyone else ever felt the same way or known anyone who found their calling elsewhere? I feel like I could easily be a unhappy and average engineer for the rest of my life, but that doesn't sound like fun.
I'm in my early twenties and I've had 2 jobs since graduation, plus 3 internships during college. Lately I've been really wondering whether I was "meant" to be an engineer. I always get good reviews, get my work done, etc, but I just don't feel like this was my "calling". Maybe it sounds silly. I don't feel like I have the mechanical "knack" that a lot of people seem to have. Generally it takes me a while of being around something, followed by asking questions and independent study until I'm remotely comfortable even attempting to "talk the talk" with other people at work. I don't really feel that I am or ever will be respected in my field. I just don't think I have that natural instinct and/or understanding of mechanical things.
I've always liked to do 3D CAD, which is why I got into engineering in the first place. I'm very comfortable sitting at my desk and doing computer work. That said, I don't want to be a glorified CAD jockey for the rest of my life.
Anyone else ever felt the same way or known anyone who found their calling elsewhere? I feel like I could easily be a unhappy and average engineer for the rest of my life, but that doesn't sound like fun.





RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
There are several reason for this, most notibly that you haven't gotten much experience. To be frank, you really don't know much of anything yet. That comes with time. The other big factor is one of attitude. Your email conveys an, "I have lost confidence in myself" message. Perpahs you need to do something to find that extra confidence.
For my first job out of school, I found myself repairing currency validation equipment that was honestly as old as I was and I had to punch a time clock (hourly employee) for this honor. The job experience, though, taught me a lot and taught me things that I think many engineers who spend their life in paper space mode don't understand. After about 1.5 years of doing this job, I decided that it wasn't what I wanted to do and enrolled in graduate school. Within the year, I had gotten my first promotion to an actual salaried engineering position. I have come a long way since then, but not until I had learned enough to be able to take the next step.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
Finally, there may be a question of your own personality. I detect a reluctance to push your own envelope and go out on a limb. You appear to want everything lined up in a neat row before you say anything. THAT is a problem, since nothing is every nailed down that well. I used to be at a company where this one guy presented a list of 30-40 questions that needed to be answered before we made a proposal on a project. The problem was that EVERY question was not fully answerable, so we wound up passing up a good business opportunity, because of "paralysis by analysis."
You need to be sure of your facts, but after that, just realize that no one else has any more solid information, but they do have experience. So listen and learn, and don't be afraid to step on your tongue once in a while. You're new, and young, and you will usually be some leeway for mistakes.
TTFN
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RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
School vs. real world are two totally different animals.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
I can't imagine having changed jobs in my first few years, that would have been very difficult as part of what made me useful was getting to know how our company & customers etc worked as much as any real engineering knowledge.
You say you enjoy the CAD part but don't want to be stuck as a CAD jockey, which is a bit contradicary. What's your reasoning?
I have similar feelings to you sometimes. Some people (especially some posters here) are so knowledgable that it's almost intimidating. However then I have a manager and a couple of colleagues that sometimes treat me like the font of all knowledge, while I'm thinking "no engineer X is the font of all knowledge" then engineer X comes & asks me a question about something I do know about. It's confusing at times.
Obviously if you feel like this all the time there's an issue but if it's just an occasional thought then use it to provoke you into learning more and getting to be more knowledgable.
KENAT,
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RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
As Kenat points out, one day, you're thinking you don't know very much, but the next day, everyone is coming to you to get questions answered, because you're the "go-to-guy." It is quite weird.
I also find that just listening and nodding your head in the right times can often result in the guy getting the solution and giving you the credit!
TTFN
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RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
>You say you enjoy the CAD part but don't want to be stuck >as a CAD jockey, which is a bit contradicary. What's your >reasoning?
That was my thought also. There is honor in all honest work. I'm not sure I even like the term *CAD jockey* because in my mind it kind of puts down a profession.
A good draftsman is a skilled worker and there is more too it then learning how to run CAD software.
If your happy doing CAD work, and that is initially where your interests were and the reason you got into engineering in the first place, IMHO, I would suggest to do what makes you happy.
As far as mechanical aptitude & ability, I think that even 6 months to a year full time out on the shop floor (woodworking, machine shop, etc.) actually building things every day can help very much. If you have the opportunity to break away sometimes & get out on the shop floor and learn from the guys (or gals) out there, I would try to do that as much as you can.
John
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
>You say you enjoy the CAD part but don't want to be stuck >as a CAD jockey, which is a bit contradicary. What's your >reasoning?
Same way that I enjoyed the times I spent doing PCB layout for a new design, but I wouldn't want to that as my job as a steady diet of it gets really old, realy fast. At least to me it does as I know some people who love doing that every day.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
So I'd hope with an Engineering degree the OP would really be just a CAD Jockey, but I have seen it.
The OP's phrasing to me suggested he still enjoyed the CAD work, I didnt' see it as the situation you mention Noway.
Frankly if you enjoy being more of a Designer/Drafter than a hard core engineer and can make a living at it, then why not?
KENAT,
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RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
KENAT,
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RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
Noway2 is right in saying that some of the typical CAD work can be boring and tedious to some.
I guess I'm frustrated at my lack of natural mechanical talent, because what I'd really like to do (in engineering) is design and create things. Moreover, I'm at a point where I'm wondering where exactly my natural talents lie, if not in the career path that I've chosen.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
>I guess I'm frustrated at my lack of natural mechanical >talent, because what I'd really like to do (in >engineering) is design and create things.
I agree with you the 3D modeling & design is much more fun and creating detail prints gets old fast, but some people love it.
A few things come to mind that may help...
Confidence is important, so try not to be too hard on yourself with talk of "lack of natural mechanical talent" and so on. You have to appreciate yourself for the unique person that you are. Everyone has their own unique knowledge, experiences, and way of looking at things. Often, a solution will lie in someone being able to look at a problem in a new way or with a unique point of view, rather than someone having exceptional intelligence or raw talent.
>what I'd really like to do (in engineering) is design and >create things.
Try to seek out people that are good at designing and creating things and keep your eyes and ears open and try to learn as much from them as you can. Their thought process, creative process, methods, attitudes, the knowledge base they work from, etc..
One of the most intelligent and creative people I have ever met or worked with was an immigrant woodworker from Italy that never went to college and if I recall correctly, may not have graduated high school. The guy probably had a Genius IQ. Try to keep the attitude that you can always learn something from everyone.
As I mentioned before, I think that some time spent building and fixing things, i.e., woodworking, machine shop, auto mechanics, taking things apart & thinking about how they work and why they were made the way they were, etc., can help. You can then learn to take the different mechanisms, methods, and knowledge from different fields that you have acquired and apply or combine things in new or different ways to solve problems.
Even if what you say is true and you do somewhat lack natural mechanical ability, I think you can overcome it with hard work and by keeping an open mind and always taking advantage of opportunities to learn from everyone. However, you have to enjoy it.
There is a book titled "What Color Is Your Parachute" that is supposed to be helpful for people who want to assess what type of career may be best for them. I have not read it yet but I hear it's one of the better books on the subject. Maybe it could help.
I think that the bottom line is that for the most part, you have to be reasonably happy with what you're doing, and do what feels right for you. If you're happy working hard towards your goal that's one thing, if you're not happy and it just does not feel right most of the time, then that is something else.
John
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
What i want to say is that only in the last 6 months have i felt comfortable enough to say that engineering is for me. I always thought i didn't have the passion or natural engineering mind and always thought i was an imposter and had to fake it when dealing with others in the field.
At some point recently, I realised that engineering is constant learning, and i now derive pleasure from learning how to do new things, and mastering old ones. It's weird, but i'm feeling like i'm getting addicted to learning new things in engineering, like i get addicted to playing Sudoku!
Also remember that engineering is actually a very creative field. I now truly believe that any type of person can gain satisfaction from engineering work. Good luck with it. But don't stress also - 3D cad work is enjoyable too, and you can make good money.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
Then I went back to grad school a second time, not by choice but from a 9/11 inspired layoff situation. This turned out to be the best thing ever but I am doing something completely different than the last few jobs.
In fact since 2005, it's like i started over completely as well. I'm in a new field that is so far removed from the first two that there is little transferable knowledge.
And I'm in a similar situation to some of my previous jobs. Low man on the totem pole, with tons of projects (probably more than the others) but getting little respect as an expert.
It's a tough place to be in, but all you can do is go out there and compete.
This year I was more swamped with this job than probably any previous. One of my co-workers was not only an almost total lack of help but a hindrance.
I am deciding from now on, that I must focus on what i want to accomplish and ignore the little nuisances that bother me like said co-worker and other annoyances.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
What you described happened to the best of us. Fresh out of university and realise that it a different kettle of fish in the real world. As one poster indicated right now is not the best time to be job hopping as you need to time to get the relevant experience, to honed your engineering skills. You also need to go out on a limb, protray a positive attitude towards what you are doing, get involved in technical discussions with your colleagues and soon you will be surprising your-self. Be patient but not laid-back.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
-- MechEng2005
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
BIM becoming more established for architectural and structural but, according to the recent ENR spread on BIM, mechanical is lagging. I am an older person and have a hard time wrapping my mind around how BIM could possibly replace 2-D drawings for any discipline.
Smart young people like yourself are going to have to figure it all out.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
Hg
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RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
I think this is a more common thought than a lot of us like to admit. I'm sure there are tons of people out there who think they aren't meant to be doing what they are doing. I always envied the kinds of people who just knew what they wanted to do from a young age and they did it and they love it and they are good at it. I think the majority of us just have very little idea of what to do with our lives and we have to pick something for the sake of survival.
The good news is that engineering is a very broad category and there's a lot of options for us. It's good to try new things out. Of course, it's important to be sure to use some restraint so you don't end up looking like a job hopper. I would suggest making a change, but since you already changed jobs once, you might want to use some restraint at this point and stick it out until you have a few years under your belt at your current job. One way to help alleviate the job hopper label is to move within the company. It's another position on your resume but I personally think that looks better than a complete change of company. Of course, I could be wrong. It all depends on the opinion of the guy looking at your resume in the future really.
Unless I missed it, I noticed that you haven't mentioned what your different jobs entailed. Have they all been for 3D CAD? Maybe it's time to do something that is on the other side of the spectrum in engineering. Mix it up a bit. As my dad always said "You'll never know what you like until you've tried what you don't like". Maybe you just haven't found the engineering position that fits you yet. Maybe it would be something that you never really expected to fit into?
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
When needed, ask for help, reference materials, or further courses or workshops.
This from someone who cannot fix a toaster, but has been doing OK in bldg and petroluem engineering.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
Worked on a huge disaster of a project that ended up being canned. It was in the news...nothing to do with my work, this mess up was 10 years in the making...
The thing is I sensed this coming and right before the project got canned, I jumped ship to another dept. Thinking this would be the project to re-energize me.
But a few things kept that from happening....the day I got my new job, my gf dumped me by complete surprise for reasons that are still unknown to me (and I've wasted so much time/energy reflecting on that, that it's pathetic) and second my existing dept wouldn't let me go ....... that is, until they were canned and had to, lol
Anyway, moving on from that I joined another group where a combination of my timing with joining the group (right in the middle of executing a major project at a remote location, so there's very few people in the office to talk to face-to-face, everybody is running around somewhere else), my relative inexperience, my nature (i'm quiet, reserved), and the fact that i'm working on a piece of the puzzle that is so non-essential to the project has left me feeling useless, forgotten and ignored.
Couple this with the fact that I never really enjoyed engineering and just did it just because i didn't have any better ideas and stuck with it because i didn't want to appear like a quitter.
So there's major job dissatisifaction here. And also a lot of guilt!
I get paid well and do basically nada. This is my worst year performance wise and I still got a better than average performance review and raise. It kind of digusts me but not to the point where I won't take the money and run, lol. I swear to god working in this highly regulated and unionized atmosphere has made me into a complete and utter moron.
So this is where I'm at now: Deadlines come and go, dunno if any one cares or notices, I'm finding it hard to motivate myself...in school and at my first few jobs, what kept me going was "fear". fear of losing of my job, fear of looking bad, etc.
I just feel like I'm wasting my time and should be doing something else, just can't figure out what at all.
I know its crazy to make a post like this in a time when we're having an economic crisis and folks are losing their jobs, but dang...I am super depressed and feeling stuck.
Good luck Dave. I think you at least sound like you want to remain in the engineering field. Just keep your head up.
As for me, I'm aimless.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
Sorry about the confessional in your post!
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
Doing mechanical design engineering and I agree with what the others have said - it's a neverending curve but the more experience you get the easier it becomes.
My sticking point is that my relationship with my boss is non-existent. He really doesn't like me partly due to my rookie mistakes. When I go out n the shopfloor I feel confident when he's not around. I feel my ideas are listened to but the minute he shows up I retract into my shell and keep my mouth closed. If I do decide to speak my ideas aren't listend to. It's a catch 22 situation.
I'm doing my bit though to improve. I'm practicing for a CSWP exam and I've setup a SolidWorks user group so I hope this can earn me a little respect.
Sometimes I feel I'm not cutout for this job either but I guess it all boils down to expereince and that only comes with time. The best of luck to you.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
>I graduated with a EE degree in 2004<
I also know what you feel like. I'm quiet and reserved also. Feel like this works completely against me in my field. It's great to know others feel rubbsih about there jobs as well. We should set up a sympathy group and get donations and live off these.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
That experience didn't make me question why I wanted to do that sort of work, but it sure made me think twice about where I wanted to work. In some companies, you have to hit the flooring running with a certain level of credibility; at others they don't mind a few accidents so as long as you don't make the same mistakes twice. Finding the right fit can be tough.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
So I left the company and went to try another completly different career in sales, after all the grass is always greener.....isn't it? So after 5 months in sales I got sacked because I didn't make a single sale and all of a sudden that green grass at the other side of the fence was tasting pretty bad. So I'm without a job (sacked 2 days before I flew to africa to get married) and as luck would have it my old boss had me back to work at the big company I worked at before.
I came back realising that I was more than lucky to work for such a good company, and threw everything into my job, I learned CAD and PLM inside out and all of a sudden, I get offered a role as the group CAD trainer, so now I manage all the training and CAD best practice for 300 CAD users and mroe recently became the group PLM trainer as well, I get flown all over the world from India Europe and the USA training our engineers how to use CAD and PLM, and what's more I never have to get involved with all the red tape and day to day stuff I did when I was on the front line, I get to "play" with the latest and greatest versions of CAD all day, I visit the big European PLM events and basically I'm the companies first point of call for information and guidance when it comes to CAD or PLM.
So just becase you don't feel comfortable being an engineer, you don't have to be stuck being a CAD jockey. It only took me 2 years to get to where I am, and I'm still only 33. So if like me you love the CAD, why not make a career out of it as more than just a space ball pilot. I love my job.
Best regards
Simon (NX4.0.4.2 MP9 - TCEng 9.1.3.6.c)
www.jcb.com
Life shouldn't be measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of times when it's taken away...
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
-That's the true sign of intelligence. Thinking before you speak. Keep asking questions, keep doing independent studies. Build on the fundamentals you learned in your education.
-If you think you missed your calling, try to take a week to clear your head. Heck, take two weeks. If you're itching to go back to work after your hiatus, then you know you haven't missed your calling. If you are not, maybe it's time to switch jobs (but not careers).
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
Going back to p14175, it's really sucks when people take your ideas and use them for their own. I didn't realise people could be so manipulative. It's so frustrating. Happened me a few times.
Back to JCBCad, I wouldn't say I'm not an engineer. I just need more time than other's at honing my skills and I seem to visualise things differently to others. Maybe I'm partially dyslexic or something. Sometimes, someone would explain something to me at work, and I'd design a concept and it would turn out we were on a completetely different wavelenght. I think I work better when an idea is drawn on paper instead of spoken with words. I do feel happier though admittedly when I'm using the CAD and amn't being bothered by others. Maybe I'd just lost so much confidence that I felt anytime I talked to a snr ranked person they'd just think my question was silly.
Hopefully something will turn up soon. I hear people are much more helpful in Australia (that's according to my cousing who's working out there). Perhaps Ireland has become too cut throat since the so called Celtic Tiger and it's time for us to spread our wings and check out the other side of the world. Any Aussie engineers reading this, let us know what the job situation is like down under.
RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
Not sure I'd have done that, especially in this economy (unless Irelands doing better than most), but good luck.
KENAT,
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RE: Am I cut out for engineering?
It is possible that you went into the wrong field. There are fields you are good at and fields you love, which if I am reading your post correctly, engineering may be first and not the last. You are not alone.
I went back at 29 to finish my engineering degree. I knew that is what I wanted to do. I had a hard time in school. I had to work 2 years out of college to obtain the same money I was making before I went back to college. I am in debt up to my eyeballs. I couldn't be happier with where I am at, (except the debt part,LOL)
I always did great at my jobs. I am always the "go to guy", and up until I became an engineer, I felt out of place. I am an engineer out of love for what it is. I would say you should look in the mirror and decided what you want to do. You can always carry that engineering degree to a different field, and usually be looked upon with great respect.
Life is too short to do something you hate. Decide your life.
Good Luck and God Bless.
Engineering has always been my love, but it ended up being my second career...