Hello all. I'm an electrical engineer with about 5 years experience working at large investor-owned electric utility companies, in design and planning roles. I don't have my PE yet.
I've received consistently excellent performance feedback in my career, but also felt a consistent degree of dissatisfaction with my work. My job has fewer tangible results and greater ambiguity than I'd prefer. The only projects I've really enjoyed were emergency replacement of failed equipment, where the problem was well-defined, the timeline was short, and the benefits were clear. I'm beginning to wonder if engineering was the right path for me, or if I'd prefer a technical/hourly position such as:
- distribution designer
- system operator
- relay technician
- if I left power: PLC programmer
(I have great respect for linemen and electricians, but don't think I'm cut out for the physical burden and motor skills needed for those trades.)
Would anyone with experience in both areas be willing to compare and contrast?
I've read some great posts on the Electrical technical forums here. Hopefully some of the knowledgeable contributors also read this forum and can weigh in
I've received consistently excellent performance feedback in my career, but also felt a consistent degree of dissatisfaction with my work. My job has fewer tangible results and greater ambiguity than I'd prefer. The only projects I've really enjoyed were emergency replacement of failed equipment, where the problem was well-defined, the timeline was short, and the benefits were clear. I'm beginning to wonder if engineering was the right path for me, or if I'd prefer a technical/hourly position such as:
- distribution designer
- system operator
- relay technician
- if I left power: PLC programmer
(I have great respect for linemen and electricians, but don't think I'm cut out for the physical burden and motor skills needed for those trades.)
Would anyone with experience in both areas be willing to compare and contrast?
I've read some great posts on the Electrical technical forums here. Hopefully some of the knowledgeable contributors also read this forum and can weigh in