Need Perspective
Need Perspective
(OP)
So, I have all but decided to leave my current job and have been actively looking for a new one. Since this is my first job out of college and I have no other engineering job experiences to compare with I figured that some of the more experienced Engineers on this board could give me some advice. I have been with the current company for almost 2 years. Pros and Cons are as follows:
Pros:
Work environment is pretty laid back, boss will discus perceived issues with employees and look for a root cause rather than yelling at them. It seems to be understood that any hours worked over 50 is just wheel spinning and if we do everything we can to make sure that a schedule doesn't slip and it still slips, it is not a huge deal.
Design work is challenging, interesting and always an educational experience.
Since the company is small, I have been able to engage in many aspects of the company's operations and probably have gained opportunities that most people won't get until they have 5-10 years of experience.
Cons:
I started at 40k and have since worked my way up to 46k. Bonuses are nothing to write home about.
Company has incredibly high employee turnover and I was the only mechanical engineer for some time, I am still the most experienced as far as company operations go. This was kinda fun and interesting at first but I have made a lot of green mistakes that have brought large amounts of paperwork and customer disdain crashing down on me. I believe it has also changed my bosses image of me as a bright young man to a regrettable mistake that probably won't be getting a nice raise at the next review.
Majority of my work (90%) has become paperwork, presentations and supervising testing, all of which I hate. Most of the design work that I really liked to do has gone to the new (slightly more experienced) engineers that we have had for a few months. It does not look like I will be involved with as much as I used to.
I have made friends with none of my coworkers. It used to be that a new job meant new opportunities to make friends and was one of my favorite parts of doing the job. The atmosphere at my current company seems to be one that for whatever reason, encourages keeping to yourself. I don't think many people hang out outside of work and groups of people who have been there for a few years are less than welcoming to newcomers.
Currently, a critical test has caused me to be off site for 3 weeks and probably a few more to come. During this time I have been working 60 hour weeks. Although this is not typical at my company, it seems to be a growing trend and has been happening more frequently.
Management is in disarray and is constantly creating headaches for the engineers, draftsmen and machinists. My PM told me that she had a ME degree but forgot most of it and didn't care to learn any of it back. She is mostly oblivious to the problems she creates for us because she doesn't understand how our jobs work.
Conclusion:
Am I right to be thinking about quitting? Is this a typical professional job? Or is this job just a good stepping stone to something better?
Pros:
Work environment is pretty laid back, boss will discus perceived issues with employees and look for a root cause rather than yelling at them. It seems to be understood that any hours worked over 50 is just wheel spinning and if we do everything we can to make sure that a schedule doesn't slip and it still slips, it is not a huge deal.
Design work is challenging, interesting and always an educational experience.
Since the company is small, I have been able to engage in many aspects of the company's operations and probably have gained opportunities that most people won't get until they have 5-10 years of experience.
Cons:
I started at 40k and have since worked my way up to 46k. Bonuses are nothing to write home about.
Company has incredibly high employee turnover and I was the only mechanical engineer for some time, I am still the most experienced as far as company operations go. This was kinda fun and interesting at first but I have made a lot of green mistakes that have brought large amounts of paperwork and customer disdain crashing down on me. I believe it has also changed my bosses image of me as a bright young man to a regrettable mistake that probably won't be getting a nice raise at the next review.
Majority of my work (90%) has become paperwork, presentations and supervising testing, all of which I hate. Most of the design work that I really liked to do has gone to the new (slightly more experienced) engineers that we have had for a few months. It does not look like I will be involved with as much as I used to.
I have made friends with none of my coworkers. It used to be that a new job meant new opportunities to make friends and was one of my favorite parts of doing the job. The atmosphere at my current company seems to be one that for whatever reason, encourages keeping to yourself. I don't think many people hang out outside of work and groups of people who have been there for a few years are less than welcoming to newcomers.
Currently, a critical test has caused me to be off site for 3 weeks and probably a few more to come. During this time I have been working 60 hour weeks. Although this is not typical at my company, it seems to be a growing trend and has been happening more frequently.
Management is in disarray and is constantly creating headaches for the engineers, draftsmen and machinists. My PM told me that she had a ME degree but forgot most of it and didn't care to learn any of it back. She is mostly oblivious to the problems she creates for us because she doesn't understand how our jobs work.
Conclusion:
Am I right to be thinking about quitting? Is this a typical professional job? Or is this job just a good stepping stone to something better?





RE: Need Perspective
RE: Need Perspective
If you answer "Yes" to both questions, your course should be clear.
You cannot be either happy or successful, or both, if you don't like what you're doing.
TTFN
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RE: Need Perspective
RE: Need Perspective
I guess I should also mention that the job is in a field that I would really like to continue to work in. Would quitting hurt or help my chances of finding something else in the same field?
RE: Need Perspective
But one piece of advice, do not quit current job before you have a new one to go to. It is easier to get a job while you have a job. Also with the economy the way it is right now a person that just up and quit is not viewed favorably.
RE: Need Perspective
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Need Perspective
Either way, my opinion is you're underpaid. We pay our technical assistants more than that. Look for a job as if you don't have one and get out of there. Bosses who pay that poorly don't earn any loyalty.
RE: Need Perspective
RE: Need Perspective
Management always has issues but some places value engineering more than others.
You should look for colleagues at work and friends at home. While I have enjoyed the places where I made friends the most engineering jobs are too hard to find for that to be top priority. As you work on more projects and go on more trips you will build stronger relationships with your coworkers. That said if no one gets along it can make your whole life miserable.
Don't try to escape from your mistakes. If you think your boss is disappointed don't wait for the review. Catch him in a good mood and ask him what you should learn from those mistakes and to put them in perspective. They maybe serious but you may find out you aren't the first person to do it.
At the beginning of any career I would value experience gained and learning more than salary. Investing in yourself will pay off well.
Go ahead and look around but remember that you had a job for the past two years when many people did not.
RE: Need Perspective
I think people are right to say, if you get up in the morning and have this anxiety about going into work most of the days. Then its time to find another job, but still keep this one. Its easier to find one when you have one now.
RE: Need Perspective
I value friendships from the workplace as well. Some of my best friends are still engineers I worked with early in my career. We have all since moved from the company where we met, but I totally understand that as well.
I think for me one key question to ask is. Are you happy where you are living at? If you aren't happy with either than I'd probably say move.
If you really love where you live but don't love your job, then unless you can find something else in your town, you will learn how to cope with it, which might be a good learning experience in itself.