What is it like to be an Engineer?
(Series Intro)
April 18, 2020
By: Lisandro Vazquez, PE
If you’ve read some of my other articles or have scoured the internet for info on salary, benefits and job descriptions ad infinitum, but now you’re asking this question… then you know it’s not all about the money. There’s more to life than a pay check.
So, what’s it like? What are the hours? How will I work? Where will I work? What will I do? Will I like being an engineer?
For this series of articles, I’m excited to tell you about my experiences and sincerely hope they will be beneficial in aiding you to determine your life’s course, whatever that may be, but I’d like to direct your attention to a few items for consideration before we begin:
1. Field of engineering matters:
I’m writing to you based on my experiences as a design engineer for buildings. Experiences will be different based on what engineering field(s) or discipline(s) you practice. If your field of practice is slightly different, then perhaps my experiences may not be an exact reflection of what you will find, but they will still aide you in establishing another data point to better understand the engineering industry as a whole.
2. Path to PE (Professional Engineer licensure):
My specific circumstances will again differ from yours, but more so because I chose to serve in the US Navy for seven years prior to entering the civilian engineering field. Because of my career “detour” I did not join an engineering firm straight out of school and therefore my design experience started a little later than many of my peers.
While it may have taken me a couple of years longer to attain licensure, my specific career path has allowed me to serve in roles such as operating nuclear power plants, teaching classes, management, quality assurance, and now design work as a Professional Engineer. This circuitous path has presented me with numerous challenges as well as opportunities which typically take many more years to attain on a standard engineer’s career path.
For this I am thankful, and it is from this varied foundation which I wish to share my experiences.
Quick note on the path to licensure: not all engineering roles or careers require a Professional Engineer’s license. We’ll discuss this in another article, but I just wanted to flag that to your attention for now.
3. Frame of mind is key:
Yes, you already know this; but, it’s important to mention it because I have found countless articles or videos in which people focus on the “cons” of whatever profession they are describing to you. A career, a job, even just a day is what YOU make of it.
To be honest, I am just as guilty as the next person when it comes to complaining about this thing or that thing; however I’m realizing that many (but certainly not all) of the “crappy” things about a job are crappy because I either choose to view them as crappy or because I am the one making them crappy. This realization can provide the power to transform your work into one of fulfillment; or, it may lead you to embark on a different course, a different job, or perhaps a different career.
Regardless of the final destination, the frame of reference—of mind—is the key.
You probably haven’t read a job description for an engineer that starts like this one, have you?
The Series: What is it like to be an Engineer
Explore the following articles for insight and answers to those big questions: What are the hours? How will I work? Where will I work? What will I do? Will I like being an engineer? Engineer Q&A provides a mix of statistics, data, and personal real world experiences to paint you an honest picture of what it’s really like to be an engineer. Hope you enjoy!
Engineering is a professional field with a large diversity of working environments and working hours; however, ~40-45 hours a week seems to be about the standard workweek for salaried engineers (US) with temporary jumps to 50+ hours. If you’re considering a role as an engineer in a design firm there are some “norms” regarding hours & schedule which you should be aware of.
AVERAGE:
40-45 HR/WEEK
MY EXPERIENCE:
45-50 HR/WEEK
Engineering is a professional field with a large diversity of working environments and working hours; however, ~40-45 hours a week seems to be about the standard workweek for salaried engineers (US) with temporary jumps to 50+ hours. If you’re considering a role as an engineer in a design firm there are some “norms” regarding hours & schedule which you should be aware of.
AVERAGE:
40-45 HR/WEEK
MY EXPERIENCE:
45-50 HR/WEEK
Where do engineers work? Do all engineers work in offices? Do they work in cubicles? Do cubicles suck? Answers in short: Lots of places; no; most; it depends. To dig deeper and learn more on these topics check out this engineer’s take on working in the building design industry.
Where do engineers work? Do all engineers work in offices? Do they work in cubicles? Do cubicles suck? Answers in short: Lots of places; no; most; it depends. To dig deeper and learn more on these topics check out this engineer’s take on working in the building design industry.
Not sure what Mechanical Engineers actually do day-to-day? Engineer Q&A shares experiences from a real world Professional Engineer. Do engineers really use calculus every day? How are “blueprints” made? What software do engineers use? Find these answers plus more here.
Not sure what Mechanical Engineers actually do day-to-day? Engineer Q&A shares experiences from a real world Professional Engineer. Do engineers really use calculus every day? How are “blueprints” made? What software do engineers use? Find these answers plus more here.