Has your career followed your subject of study?

[EliseNick]

I did Physics as an undergraduate.

Then I did a PhD in Physics.

Now I'm a Physicist...

[ewenm]

EliseNick said:

I did Physics as an undergraduate.

Then I did a PhD in Physics.

Now I'm a Physicist...

How did you get into that from those studies?

[EliseNick]

ewenm said:

EliseNick said:

I did Physics as an undergraduate.

Then I did a PhD in Physics.

Now I'm a Physicist...

How did you get into that from those studies?

I know - it's just crazy how these things turn out.

[BeefMaster9000]

NoelWatson said:

I don't think all Engineering jobs are that exciting

Clearly there will be some who get lumbered with less interesting stuff, like developing white goods. (although I honestly think R&D at say, dyson could be quite interesting!)

But in my experience the good jobs aren't even that rare.. 3 of us from my class at Uni. started work for the same company and all 3 of us go on overseas tests.

Then when you go on these test sessions you find hundreds of engineers from other car companies at the same test locations, often staying in the same hotels. (usually makes for quite a special exodus from the hotel car park after breakfast, as a continuous stream of camo'd prototypes head off to the test site!)

Quite a few lads from my class went down the motorsport route, including a number in F1. (I regularly see a couple of them on sunday afternoon GP coverage mincing about behind Jake & DC!)

Then you've got the guys who went off to do crazy stuff like weapons & munitions development at BAE systems or anti terrorism work at GCHQ etc. So even if you aren't responsible for limit handling at Ferrari, I'd say there are still plenty of interesting jobs out there.

[spikeyhead]

BeefMaster9000 said:

NoelWatson said:

I don't think all Engineering jobs are that exciting

Clearly there will be some who get lumbered with less interesting stuff, like developing white goods. (although I honestly think R&D at say, dyson could be quite interesting!)

But in my experience the good jobs aren't even that rare.. 3 of us from my class at Uni. started work for the same company and all 3 of us go on overseas tests.

Then when you go on these test sessions you find hundreds of engineers from other car companies at the same test locations, often staying in the same hotels. (usually makes for quite a special exodus from the hotel car park after breakfast, as a continuous stream of camo'd prototypes head off to the test site!)

Quite a few lads from my class went down the motorsport route, including a number in F1. (I regularly see a couple of them on sunday afternoon GP coverage mincing about behind Jake & DC!)

Then you've got the guys who went off to do crazy stuff like weapons & munitions development at BAE systems or anti terrorism work at GCHQ etc. So even if you aren't responsible for limit handling at Ferrari, I'd say there are still plenty of interesting jobs out there.

I was offered some work on a missile a few years ago. The rate was so poor I turned it down flat. I also find it similar to space work, sounds interesting but instead just involves far too much paperwork are far too little design.

[Fatman2]

^^ interesting. That's not the experience I've had at all.

The rate at MBDA is currently £36/h which isn't that bad and my work has fortunately never involved masses of paperwork. Maybe it's a case of looking around.

[spikeyhead]

Fatman2 said:

^^ interesting. That's not the experience I've had at all.

The rate at MBDA is currently £36/h which isn't that bad and my work has fortunately never involved masses of paperwork. Maybe it's a case of looking around.

They offered me £25 at the worst point of the downturn, I'm more used to twice that.

[RDMcG]

Initially ,yes....did Business Administration, joined Arthur Andersen and became a Chartered Accountant, (mainly for the glamour, of course). Then joined a big Canadian railroad where I became chief accounting officer. Was always interested in technology and added the IT portfolio there, and also real estate., so had the CIO role as well. Left there after 17 years and became President of shared operations for a telecommunications company with accountability for IT,customer care, real estate, and purchasing, so my accounting career was over.. I doubt if I could balance a balance sheet at this stage. Currently doing strategy consulting for one of the major technology globals.

[Fatman2]

spikeyhead said:

Fatman2 said:

^^ interesting. That's not the experience I've had at all.

The rate at MBDA is currently £36/h which isn't that bad and my work has fortunately never involved masses of paperwork. Maybe it's a case of looking around.

They offered me £25 at the worst point of the downturn, I'm more used to twice that.

LOL listen to you, Mr. £50/h

Only kidding, great if you can get it so fair play. Agree though that £25 is taking the pi$$

[Cupramax]

Studied motor vehicle technology HND, now work in IT...

[bucksmanuk]

I have spent the last 23 years in mechanical engineering, after HND, BSC and MSC, all mechanical engineering. I'm an engineer through and through, and I just cannot see myself doing anything else.
I have found the key to doing interesting work is to stay away from big companies. Anything more than 400 people and the politics gets worse. Inter-departmental infighting and paperwork just builds and builds. Staying away from the legislation-ridden crap that is defence work also helps.
I have been contract and it did not work for me, so I am staying away from it.
Would I recommend others do engineering? If you love it, REALLY love it, then you must do it, if you don’t, do something else.
Apart from that, the pay is crap (although being a scientist is even worse), and the manufacturing base is getting smaller and smaller. The job security isn’t great, but then whose is? Chronic lack of women doesn’t help either.
Like others, watching people's eyes glaze over an point upwards when you mention "engineering" does tend to wind me up a bit.

[alfaman]

NoelWatson said:

All my friends that studied Engineering now do something unrelated

.. did Engineering at Cambridge , specialised in Civ Eng , became chartered then baled out 5 years after graduation to do an MBA.

..good decision as engineering salaries were woeful in the mid - late 1980s .

I now work as an FD in the air travel / IT sector ....and may be taking up a CFO role overseas [ hi tech eng sector ]