RE: Young Engineers at Motorshow
Friday 9th August 2002
Young Engineers at Motorshow
You don't need bad dress sense to become an engineer
Discussion
being a young engineer ish! 24 have a mech engineering degree I can tell you that to get young people into the profession:
1. Give engineers the professional recognition they deserve, like in germany where engineers are seen as level with doctors accuntants etc. Most people in the country thinks and engineer is somebody that fixes your toilet withs his greassy hands
2. Do something about the manufacturing industry so that engieers as a whole get paid better. Bean counters and other paper pushers always seem to do better pay wise which is wrong
These two will help to start with
1. Give engineers the professional recognition they deserve, like in germany where engineers are seen as level with doctors accuntants etc. Most people in the country thinks and engineer is somebody that fixes your toilet withs his greassy hands
2. Do something about the manufacturing industry so that engieers as a whole get paid better. Bean counters and other paper pushers always seem to do better pay wise which is wrong
These two will help to start with
Pete
the best way is to send your cv and a covering letter out there .... also look at the websites for the companies.
Lotus for example are recruiting at the moment ...
Mail me offline I have some info that may help you
I have a been a recruitment consultant for seven years and although i don't work at graduate level I can point you at a few companies ...
the best way is to send your cv and a covering letter out there .... also look at the websites for the companies.
Lotus for example are recruiting at the moment ...
Mail me offline I have some info that may help you
I have a been a recruitment consultant for seven years and although i don't work at graduate level I can point you at a few companies ...
quote:
1. Give engineers the professional recognition they deserve, like in germany where engineers are seen as level with doctors accuntants etc. Most people in the country thinks and engineer is somebody that fixes your toilet withs his greassy hands
InGermany, the expression Ingenieur (engineer) is always used in conjunction with graduates. You may not call yourself Ingenieur, when you have no diploma.
Due to conditions on the employment market, Ingenieure will start their employment life with an average income of about €40k the first year. That is much more compared to economics graduates.
40K euros. F**kin hell
I'm moving to Germany. I am due to graduate next year and I have a contract with the MOD and lets just say that my starting salary is no where near that. And the salary I'm getting is what I consider to be average in this country for a graduate.
I wholeheartedly agree you may not call yourself an Engineer unless you actually have a degree in it. Same as doctors, accountants, lawers etc etc.
There are too many technicians masquarading (sp?) as engineers in this country and it doesn't do our reputation any good.
Andy
I'm moving to Germany. I am due to graduate next year and I have a contract with the MOD and lets just say that my starting salary is no where near that. And the salary I'm getting is what I consider to be average in this country for a graduate.
I wholeheartedly agree you may not call yourself an Engineer unless you actually have a degree in it. Same as doctors, accountants, lawers etc etc.
There are too many technicians masquarading (sp?) as engineers in this country and it doesn't do our reputation any good.
Andy
quote:
You don't need bad dress sense to become an engineer
But I think it helps! Was all bright and keen to become an Engineer until I finally got into my Mechanical Engineering degree course... and then I realised it was dull beyond belief.
As such I got my degree and now have a job in IT, the pay is better and I don't get my hands dirty
(Joke!) quote:
40K euros. F**kin hell
I'm moving to Germany. I am due to graduate next year and I have a contract with the MOD and lets just say that my starting salary is no where near that. And the salary I'm getting is what I consider to be average in this country for a graduate.
I wholeheartedly agree you may not call yourself an Engineer unless you actually have a degree in it. Same as doctors, accountants, lawers etc etc.
There are too many technicians masquarading (sp?) as engineers in this country and it doesn't do our reputation any good.
Andy
Cost of living is higher though, so it's all in proportion really...
quote:
quote:
40K euros. F**kin hell
I'm moving to Germany.
Cost of living is higher though,
It's not that far out, the rent I was paying in Cöln last year was about the same as rent in Bristol, transport costs (if you used the tram) was negligable, the food was heaps cheaper. The beer cost a gnats more and was crap ('cause I like bitter), but you could buy it from a news kiosk at eight in the morning and drink it on the way to work!! (..OK you could but I was saving money see ***)
Taxes, rates and so on were high but I reckon I made a little more than I would've made in Blighty (***well, OK it bought me the Griff...)
I used to take the attitude “woe is engineers, the lawyers get all the money” but you have to be careful making these comparisons. Comparing average engineers' salaries with city lawyer salaries is comparing the average with the unusual. High street lawyers get paid about the same as junior engineers and I would guess the same may be true of accountants etc. Any high street lawyer comparing their salary with Adrian Newey, Ross Brawn or Patrick Head could say that engineers were grossly overpaid. Ditto sports stars, are we talking premier league or third division?
Anyway, I gave up complaining and instead worked hard, kept changing jobs and took on more and more responsibility. Now 14 years since graduation I am still an engineer, having a great time and earning decent money. I also leave none of my friends and family with any illusions about engineers being mechanics (although actually running a small business you are both and a million other things as well!).
Anyway, I gave up complaining and instead worked hard, kept changing jobs and took on more and more responsibility. Now 14 years since graduation I am still an engineer, having a great time and earning decent money. I also leave none of my friends and family with any illusions about engineers being mechanics (although actually running a small business you are both and a million other things as well!).
Engineers are not always distinguishable by poor taste in clothing these days...
However.. there is a fool-proof test!
You've heard the phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"..?
Well seems engineers fall into the catagory, "if it ain't broke, we'll modify it a bit, double the power output, reduce the weight...."
(I work with engineers BTW!)
However.. there is a fool-proof test!
You've heard the phrase "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"..? Well seems engineers fall into the catagory, "if it ain't broke, we'll modify it a bit, double the power output, reduce the weight...."
(I work with engineers BTW!)
A Technician will work as long as it takes to fix the problem for as long as it takes to get paid.
An Engineer will work as long as he can on the problem regardless of how much he is getting paid in order to come up with the perfect solution.
Which is why I spent the whole of Saturday at my (engineer) father-in-law's fitting one race seat in one Locost, a job which would have taken me (on my own) 5 minutes, 2 bolts and a drill
An Engineer will work as long as he can on the problem regardless of how much he is getting paid in order to come up with the perfect solution.
Which is why I spent the whole of Saturday at my (engineer) father-in-law's fitting one race seat in one Locost, a job which would have taken me (on my own) 5 minutes, 2 bolts and a drill
Pete,
If you are looking for companies to target then the Autosport show is a good place, because you get to see some of the products at the same time.
You might not be able to hand out your CV but at least you can ask people who you need send it to. Plus you tend to get many recruitment agencies turning up with stands.
If you are looking for companies to target then the Autosport show is a good place, because you get to see some of the products at the same time.
You might not be able to hand out your CV but at least you can ask people who you need send it to. Plus you tend to get many recruitment agencies turning up with stands.
Yea, have done (and will do again) the autosport show before - and very good it was to, although I was not looking for imediate work at the time.
I'm thinking about the motorshow in addition to autosport this year, hoping that, as it is supposed to be a "careers day", there might be some useful people around to talk to, but I suspect that it will just be the usual company PR/sales types who often haven't really got much of a clue about where their products actually come from.
Pete.
I'm thinking about the motorshow in addition to autosport this year, hoping that, as it is supposed to be a "careers day", there might be some useful people around to talk to, but I suspect that it will just be the usual company PR/sales types who often haven't really got much of a clue about where their products actually come from.
Pete.
Speed Matters | Motoring News | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff