Question about your career paths.

[davidinindy]

I've noticed in other threads that many engineers seem to have had many jobs. I just wanted to get an idea of how many jobs, and how long you were at each.
So here are my questions:
What year did you graduate college with your engineering degree, or equivalant?
What year did you get your first "engineering" job?
How many "engineering / design" jobs have you had since?
At how many companies?
How long have you been at your current employer?
Why did you look for and/or take each new job? (lay-off, fired, better position, better pay, etc.)
Do you plan on retiring from your current employer?
(if self-employed, see below)
Did you start your own practice?
What year did you start it?
Is it successfull, and when do you see yourself retiring?

I know these are a lot of questions, but I think it will give people a better idea of what to expect in this field. I come from a family where everyone had worked for the same companies for 20-30 years. I was at my first job out of college for 10 years before getting layed off, and eventually having the company close. I am not accustomed to moving from job-to-job, whether it be by choice, or not. If a company treats my right, pays what I believe I'm worth, I'll stay loyal to them. Maybe I need to change my attitude. Anyway, I'll stop rambling...

 

[JAE]

What year did you graduate college with your engineering degree, or equivalant? 1979 and 1982
What year did you get your first "engineering" job? 1979
How many "engineering / design" jobs have you had since? 3
At how many companies? 3
How long have you been at your current employer? 12 yrs
Why did you look for and/or take each new job? (lay-off, fired, better position, better pay, etc.) none of these reasons - self determination (lucky me)
Do you plan on retiring from your current employer? Unsure
(if self-employed, see below)
Did you start your own practice? No
What year did you start it? NA
Is it successfull, and when do you see yourself retiring? 2050 (Optimist)

 

[sms]

Graduated in 1984, started my first job in 1984, moved to my second job in 1989. I was looking for a raise, and a way to broaden my experience. I accomplished both. In 1998 I started my third job, and have been there ever since. I made the move in 1998 so I would not have to travel so much. I also wanted some experience as an end user, I had always been a consultant. I have succeeded in those objectives as well. I may well retire with my current employer, I have a great gig here. But I always keep my options open and I try to do at least one or two interviews a year just to see what is out there.

By the way, I am a rotating machinery engineer in the petrochemical industry.

 

[GregLocock]

What year did you graduate college with your engineering degree, or equivalant?1983 I think

What year did you get your first "engineering" job? 1979 - I had a year before uni and then some work during the years at uni

How many "engineering / design" jobs have you had since? 7

At how many companies? 6

How long have you been at your current employer? about 13 years altogether, on and off

Why did you look for and/or take each new job? (lay-off, fired, better position, better pay, etc.) It seemed like a good idea at the time (I've been lucky, only one of those jobs was a bad move)

Do you plan on retiring from your current employer? Yes, but I'd consider moving if the right job came along.


Cheers

Greg Locock

 

[MikeHalloran]

What year did you graduate college with your engineering degree, or equivalant? 1966

What year did you get your first "engineering" job? 1962

How many "engineering / design" jobs have you had since? 30+ I lost track. Relatively few temp/ contract positions.

At how many companies? 30- Some more than once.

How long have you been at your current employer? 2+2. Let go in a real business downturn, re-hired when things picked up a little.

Shortest duration: Four days.
Longest duration: Nineteen years.
Median duration: Three-ish years.

Why did you look for and/or take each new job? (lay-off, fired, better position, better pay, etc.)

left for better pay: 3
left for a less awful job: 1
contract complete; declined offer for better climate: 1
operation closed: 3
task complete: 3 (three times, same company)
fired for my own screwup: 1
not retained to spite a pimp: 1
fired for someone else's stupidity: 1
fired for principle/ my own stupidity: 3
let go in real business downturn: 1

Do you plan on retiring from your current employer? No, my retirement funds are but a memory.

HR weenies look at my resume and don't quite say, "You're not very good at this, are you?". When I leave, they say, "By all accounts, you're the best engineer we've ever met or heard of, ...BUT...". I don't stay for the rest of the sentence anymore.

My sons went to law school, where they learned to disagree without being disagreeable. I've mellowed a lot, but so far, I can't do it like a lawyer does. I'm loyal, but I'm also stubborn, and honest.

Oh. You're already an engineer. Sorry.

Have you thought about law school? ;-)




Mike Halloran
NOT speaking for
DeAngelo Marine Exhaust Inc.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA

 

[HVAC68]

What year did you graduate college with your engineering degree, or equivalant? 1990
What year did you get your first "engineering" job? 1990
How many "engineering / design" jobs have you had since? 5
At how many companies? 5
How long have you been at your current employer? 3 months
Why did you look for and/or take each new job? (lay-off, fired, better position, better pay, etc.) none of these reasons - A whole lot of reasons - need at least 2 sheets to fill that out !!!
Do you plan on retiring from your current employer? That's what I told them at the time of interview, when they asked me why I was changing jobs so often.
Did you start your own practice? No
What year did you start it? Not applicable
Is it successfull, and when do you see yourself retiring? Will retire when I die or when my employer sends me home saying I am too old, whichever happens earlier.

HVAC68

 

[IRstuff]

What year did you graduate college with your engineering degree, or equivalant? 1979, I guess that makes me one of the old geezers
What year did you get your first "engineering" job? 1977, a summer job that eventually turned into my first full-time job after college
How many "engineering / design" jobs have you had since? 4
At how many companies? 6, try and figure that out. This last job actually spans 3 companies
How long have you been at your current employer? 3 yrs, but I get credit for a full 10 yrs.
Why did you look for and/or take each new job? (lay-off, fired, better position, better pay, etc.) I guess better position is the closest.
Do you plan on retiring from your current employer? That would be nice, but there are no guarantees in the world.


TTFN

 

[Beggar]

What year did you graduate college with your engineering degree, or equivalant? 1989
What year did you get your first "engineering" job? 1989
How many "engineering / design" jobs have you had since? 6
At how many companies? 6
How long have you been at your current employer? 5 months
Why did you look for and/or take each new job? (lay-off, fired, better position, better pay, etc.) (1) Laid off (2) Better pay/Better bennies (3) Compay was falling apart so I got while the getting was good (4) Laid off (5) Left a crappy little company with a lousy boss for a struggling start-up with great potential and a good boss
Do you plan on retiring from your current employer? Retire? I wish... I'm afeared my retirement's gonna be "Would you like a cart?" at the front door of Wal-Mart.
(if self-employed, see below)
Did you start your own practice?
What year did you start it?
Is it successfull, and when do you see yourself retiring?


--------------------
Bring back the HP-15

http://www.hp15c.org

--------------------

 

[PSE]

Graduated in 1986
First Engineering Job: 1988 (started really looking in 1988)
Engineering Jobs Since: 3
How many companies: 3
Length at current employer: 4 years
Why did I take new job: 1 better pay/technical challenge with startup 2) Startup was purchased and my work was going offshore
Plan on Retiring from current employer: Unsure, perhaps

Regards

 

[haggis]

What year did you graduate college with your engineering degree, or equivalant?
1967

What year did you get your first "engineering" job?
1962

How many "engineering / design" jobs have you had since?
3 + Numerous short term contract at first.

At how many companies?
3, have lost count of the earlier contracts.

How long have you been at your current employer?
29 years (14 then lay off then 15)

Why did you look for and/or take each new job? (lay-off, fired, better position, better pay, etc.)
Better pay with the earlier contract jobs, I used to jump for 50 cents an hour. One employer I left actually called me a mercenary, another a prostitute! I came to my present job because they give me an assignment, let me run with the ball with no interference. Start to finish, it's mine.

Do you plan on retiring from your current employer?
Yes. Some of the young guys call me Custer as I hope to make this my last stand.

(if self-employed, see below)
Did you start your own practice? No
What year did you start it? N/A

Is it successfull, and when do you see yourself retiring?
I will retire when I can't make it to the door in the morning. Neccessity. Brutally wiped out along with lots of others in the recession of the early ninties. However, I might add that I'm not the retiring type anyway. I don't quite understand why some strive to get into a profession and the count the years till they can get out. One co-worker did retire and came back because within a year because he had a basement full of birdfeeders and model airplanes. Not to mention that his wife was about to kill him after almost 40 years of wedded bliss.

Haggis

 

[BobPE]

graduated 1986 and again in 1999. Environemental science then Environmental Engineering. Licensed engineer.

Started work in 1986 and have had 6 jobs at different employeers since then.

At current employeer less than 1 year.

I left each job at my own will for better pay and/or better opportunity.

I plan on retiring from engineering one day, but from my present employeer, doubtful giving my mobility in the work force.

Never worked for myself, and doubt strongly that I will in the field of engineering. (I am thinking about ownership in a bar on an island somewhere warm).

BobPE

 

[davidinindy]

"One co-worker did retire and came back because within a year because he had a basement full of birdfeeders and model airplanes. Not to mention that his wife was about to kill him after almost 40 years of wedded bliss."
That's funny! I can think of many things to do once I retire. Build a couple old cars, travel, scuba dive, mountain-bike... well, maybe not.

 

[davidinindy]

BTW, This is great info. Exactly what I was looking for. I think beginning engineers, and those thinking about a job switch will get a lot out of it.

 

[Rich2001]

Graduated in 1982

First Engineering Job: 1979

Engineering Jobs Since: 6

How many companies: 6

Length at current employer: 4 1/2 years

Why did I take new job: Most of the time I look for better pay/benefits & a job that is technical challenging, when I get bored I leave. I was layed off once, started new job 3 days later at competitor.

Plan on Retiring from current employer: No, I probally will never retire, though I will cut back my hours. I enjoy the quest for learning new ideas, topics and skill, it is even better when I can get someone else to pay for it.

Self-Employed - I worked for myself for 2 years full-time and taught general enginereing course, Statics, Strength of Materials, Dynamics and Thermo part-time. I wa then offered a full-time postition at as Department Head at a Community College when the dept. head came died suddenly. I stayed for a few years and left to get back into industry, for better pay, though I still teach part-time.

 

[That1Guy]

What year did you graduate college with your engineering degree, or equivalant? 1994
What year did you get your first "engineering" job? 1995
How many "engineering / design" jobs have you had since? 4
At how many companies? 4
How long have you been at your current employer? 5.5 yrs
Why did you look for and/or take each new job? (lay-off, fired, better position, better pay, etc.) first job, lay-off due to lack of work. second job, wife graduated from college and we moved cities. third job, lay-off due to lack of work (oil companies got scared at the low price of oil). Fourth job, am looking to move now due to attitudes and general corporate structure as well as office reasons.
Do you plan on retiring from your current employer? See above
(if self-employed, see below)
Did you start your own practice? n/a
What year did you start it? n/a
Is it successfull, and when do you see yourself retiring? n/a

 

[DRWeig]

What year did you graduate college with your engineering degree, or equivalant? 1979
What year did you get your first "engineering" job? 1979
How many "engineering / design" jobs have you had since? 7
At how many companies? 7
How long have you been at your current employer? 9 years
Why did you look for and/or take each new job? (lay-off, fired, better position, better pay, etc.)
Better position: 6
To go into alcohol/drug rehab: 1
Do you plan on retiring from your current employer?
YESSSS!!! Perhaps even at the ripe old age of 50. Boom chukka lukka! (To those with a less-keen grasp of the obvious, my current position is really nice).

This has been an educational thread....

Thanks all,

Old Dave

 

[controlnovice]

What year did you graduate college with your engineering degree, or equivalant? 1990
What year did you get your first "engineering" job? 1987 (co-op)
How many "engineering / design" jobs have you had since? 4
At how many companies? 3
How long have you been at your current employer? 6 years
Why did you look for and/or take each new job? (lay-off, fired, better position, better pay, etc.) 1st) stagnation at first job. 2nd) Couldn't live in a polluted city anymore.
Do you plan on retiring from your current employer? It'd be nice, but.....

 

[denoid]

What year did you graduate college with your engineering degree, or equivalant? 1974
What year did you get your first "engineering" job? 1970 - worked part time while in college doing engineering support for surveying firms, environmental consultants, construction observations..
How many "engineering / design" jobs have you had since?
At how many companies? 7 positions at 7 companies. (6 structural and 1 environmental)
How long have you been at your current employer? Just over 2 years
Why did you look for and/or take each new job? 1 layoff; the rest were advancements
Do you plan on retiring from your current employer? Currently, yes.
(if self-employed, see below)
Did you start your own practice? not quite...started structural dept. for this company.
What year did you start it? 2002
Is it successfull, and when do you see yourself retiring? Still going great. If lucky, maybe retire at 62 (10 more years). More likely, partial retirement at 65, then driving the lawnmowers part time at the neighborhood country club in exchange for free golf on Mondays.

 

[EngJW]

Graduated in 1975, didn't start till I was 23, and paid my own way through. Took the only job I could get due to a recession, and the boss turned out to be a psychopath. I changed several times, usually for more money and opportunity, but there have been layoffs, plant closings, and purges along the way. I have had 7 jobs and finally got into something I like- engine design and lots of cad work.

Lived in several different places and got great experience at each job. Current company has been through tough times and I don't want to change or move anymore, so I have settled for less money but a pleasant work environment and a happier life.

Retirement? Forget it. All I want is a job until then. A 4 day week would be nice eventually. I'll probably get carried out in a box.

 

[samv]

what an interesting thread!

graduated 2000

first job 1999 (summer turned permanent)

engineering/design jobs: 2 "permanent" and 2 term contractual

how many companies: same as above

how long at current employer: almost 2 years

why: 1 - layoff, 2- end of contract, 3- had offer for 2nd "permanent" job

retiring with current employer: well, let's say I'd be surprised, which is why I call my permanent jobs "permanent" - it seems to mean nothing

retirement age: too early to tell. depends on what is left of the canadian pension plan when I get there, depends on how much I can save on my own.