How to build a career in chemical engineering?
How to build a career in chemical engineering?
(OP)
Advice for a fresh graduate of chemical engineering on how to build a career in plant design and management?
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How to build a career in chemical engineering?
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How to build a career in chemical engineering?How to build a career in chemical engineering?(OP)
Advice for a fresh graduate of chemical engineering on how to build a career in plant design and management?
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RE: How to build a career in chemical engineering?
MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer
RE: How to build a career in chemical engineering?
RE: How to build a career in chemical engineering?
Barring that, find another profession- one which offers a higher reward to risk ratio than engineering. That will likely require more education.
Barring that: it's too late for you to go to a good school if you didn't, so that's off the table. Your only hope is to work hard at finding the best jobs, then work hard at doing those jobs AND at building your skills through continual learning and development. If you want to go into management, get some training in the type of management you want to do, but wait a bit- get it after you've worked for a while. If you want to go to the dark side, get an MBA and kiss the respect of the rest of your engineering colleagues goodbye forever afterward...
A few other golden nuggets of advice, worth exactly what you've paid me to offer them:
- don't work for free- it devalues your services and those of your colleagues and peers, and rarely buys you the respect of your boss or employer that you think it might
- even if you are paid for overtime etc., don't work too much of it. Workaholism is a disease and results in a shattered life. People with shattered lives rarely make up for it with satisfying careers
- don't be afraid to jump to a new job or even a new industry rather than clinging to the manufacture of buggy whips or leaded gasoline after they're out of fashion
- if you don't love engineering, get out. Life's too short and you work too much of your life to be a slave to it, and there's a crowd of people who do love engineering waiting to take your place when you go
Best of luck!
RE: How to build a career in chemical engineering?
Some of the best advice i have ever read on these pages
Bets regards, Morten
RE: How to build a career in chemical engineering?
That's a great post.
Loving it
RE: How to build a career in chemical engineering?
can You inform us how You did it.
We all want to make more money.
RE: How to build a career in chemical engineering?
There are no companies that are true meritocracies. You'll see undeserving people advance faster than you - that happens everywhere. But in the long run, success largely depends on your knowledge and skills. Maximize the value of each experience. While you're completing a task, truly understanding how the process works and how the equipment works. For example, when you're doing simulations, notice the sensitivities when you make changes to streams or units blocks. You'll notice some surprising and interesting things. File that info (knowledge) away. Do the same when you're designing, say, a heat exchanger. Change the velocity of the streams, for example, and notice how the heat transfer rate changes. Understand why these changes happen. Over time, all that accrued experience will make you a valuable (knowledgeable) dude - valuable your company and valuable in the marketplace if you want (or need) to go elsewhere.
Some engineers let their experiences wash over them without benefiting from them. Others just want cook-book recipes for doing each task, without actively engaging their brain. Even those engineers can usually find jobs, but they won't have many opportunities open up for them - their destiny in mostly in other peoples hands rather than their own.
RE: How to build a career in chemical engineering?
Thanks.
That was really insightful.
@europipe
Sure I would definitely come back here to share my story.
However, it isn't all about the money, it's about finding fulfilment.
RE: How to build a career in chemical engineering?
quote: it's about finding fulfilment.
Sure, you are young and eager to start.
RE: How to build a career in chemical engineering?
Yes I'm young and very eager to start.
I really can't wait.
I'm ready like NOW.
RE: How to build a career in chemical engineering?
The worst thing you can do is not listen to anyone.
RE: How to build a career in chemical engineering?
Go forth and problem solve!