Fed up with Engineering (already)
Discussion
So I am fed up of my job. Simples. I thought I'd make a little post to see if anyone could throw any suggestions at me for a possible move, or ideas to brighten my mood up again!
I work in a design office for a small tech company doing work in the automotive, energy and aerospace sectors. I am the only degree qualified engineer (mechanical, there are a few electronic) here, and the only one who can do my job. I have a 1st class Mech Eng degree which I attained in 2011.
The problem is, I have always had this little niggle about why I studied and practice Engineering. Im a people's person, I like meeting new people, getting out and about and travel. I also despise the lack of female presence anywhere in the field. I have thought about moving to larger corporations to try and widen my expectations, but I've been there before, didn't enjoy it, and the people and work were just as dull. When I go on business to the larger automotive manufactures, for example one in the midlands that makes luxury 4x4s and saloons
, I just see the same and couldn't see myself working there, and I'd probably have less responsibility. Everyone looks depressed!
Could anyone therefore suggest me a sidestep, a field of engineering, or something completely different to which they think is blissfully exciting before I bin it off?
Cheers! :/
I work in a design office for a small tech company doing work in the automotive, energy and aerospace sectors. I am the only degree qualified engineer (mechanical, there are a few electronic) here, and the only one who can do my job. I have a 1st class Mech Eng degree which I attained in 2011.
The problem is, I have always had this little niggle about why I studied and practice Engineering. Im a people's person, I like meeting new people, getting out and about and travel. I also despise the lack of female presence anywhere in the field. I have thought about moving to larger corporations to try and widen my expectations, but I've been there before, didn't enjoy it, and the people and work were just as dull. When I go on business to the larger automotive manufactures, for example one in the midlands that makes luxury 4x4s and saloons
, I just see the same and couldn't see myself working there, and I'd probably have less responsibility. Everyone looks depressed! Could anyone therefore suggest me a sidestep, a field of engineering, or something completely different to which they think is blissfully exciting before I bin it off?
Cheers! :/
If you're a design engineer that has good people skills there are a wealth of opportunities available to you to broaden your career.
Project management, engineering consultancy, sales or technical sales just as a few examples.
You make it sound like you've got broader experience before you gained your degree, is that correct?
If not then I'd suggest you get a bit more experience in the field you're in and you could then consider broadening out.
I'm a mech eng that's done a variety of roles over the years.
Feel free to PM me if you want to bounce some ideas around.
Gary
Project management, engineering consultancy, sales or technical sales just as a few examples.
You make it sound like you've got broader experience before you gained your degree, is that correct?
If not then I'd suggest you get a bit more experience in the field you're in and you could then consider broadening out.
I'm a mech eng that's done a variety of roles over the years.
Feel free to PM me if you want to bounce some ideas around.
Gary
PurpleTurtle said:
OP, you sure you're not just after an office bunk-up? Wondering what a bit of watercooler flirting might be like? If this is one of your pre-requisites then I'd give IT a major swerve! 
Haha, no not at all. I just think it's nice to have females around to keep the sausage fest banter at bay. My place is particularly dull, but to try and add just a smidge of spice to it, last summer I tried to organise a sweepstake for the Andy Murray wimbledon final, 50p each in the hat, predict number of sets and games. I don't even like tennis, just thought it would get a few people excited.
Every single colleague replied with 'why would i want to do that, its betting, im more than likely to lose my money' whilst looking utterly perplexed. I just shook my head and walked off, I couldn't even get one in the hat!
GadgeS3C said:
If you're a design engineer that has good people skills there are a wealth of opportunities available to you to broaden your career.
Project management, engineering consultancy, sales or technical sales just as a few examples.
You make it sound like you've got broader experience before you gained your degree, is that correct?
If not then I'd suggest you get a bit more experience in the field you're in and you could then consider broadening out.
I'm a mech eng that's done a variety of roles over the years.
Feel free to PM me if you want to bounce some ideas around.
Gary
Thanks GaryProject management, engineering consultancy, sales or technical sales just as a few examples.
You make it sound like you've got broader experience before you gained your degree, is that correct?
If not then I'd suggest you get a bit more experience in the field you're in and you could then consider broadening out.
I'm a mech eng that's done a variety of roles over the years.
Feel free to PM me if you want to bounce some ideas around.
Gary
I am indeed a design engineer, with very good technical skills but I feel I have more interpersonal and project skills that are currently going to waste. I had a job offer from Arup last year which i turned down on the basis of low pay and having to live in central london. I would like to perhaps work for a consultancy, but at my level the pay seems to be a cut from what im on. I know this is not the right attitude, but it is very to go backwards.
CAPP0 said:
I trained and qualified as a Mech Eng and decided at the age of 27 that I couldn't seems doing that for another 40 years, so I change direction completely (IT :roll eyes
Oh how I wish I was still a Mech Eng. In other words, think this through or you could end up like me!
What sort of IT do you do? One of my best friends was an Electrical engineer straight of university but went right into IT consultancy, Cap Gemini. Apart from dealing with more new faces, elements of his job sound very similar to engineering!Oh how I wish I was still a Mech Eng. In other words, think this through or you could end up like me!
alright
I was a mechanical design engineer at various small companies. Have stuff I designed working at various factories, which was very satisfying. But working in the office trapped at a computer or bantering with the fitters wasn't overly fulfilling.
Sacked it off at 27 and went back to uni to study medicine. Really enjoying the course, far more comms skills needed. Loads more personal interaction, which is great and a much more fulfilling job (for me) to come.
It's worth a ponder, more human interaction, helping people and loads of woman (you specified lack of woman in engineering
)
I was a mechanical design engineer at various small companies. Have stuff I designed working at various factories, which was very satisfying. But working in the office trapped at a computer or bantering with the fitters wasn't overly fulfilling.
Sacked it off at 27 and went back to uni to study medicine. Really enjoying the course, far more comms skills needed. Loads more personal interaction, which is great and a much more fulfilling job (for me) to come.
It's worth a ponder, more human interaction, helping people and loads of woman (you specified lack of woman in engineering
) matt12023 said:
alright
I was a mechanical design engineer at various small companies. Have stuff I designed working at various factories, which was very satisfying. But working in the office trapped at a computer or bantering with the fitters wasn't overly fulfilling.
Sacked it off at 27 and went back to uni to study medicine. Really enjoying the course, far more comms skills needed. Loads more personal interaction, which is great and a much more fulfilling job (for me) to come.
It's worth a ponder, more human interaction, helping people and loads of woman (you specified lack of woman in engineering )
How long will that take you out of interest? What stage are you at now? I was a mechanical design engineer at various small companies. Have stuff I designed working at various factories, which was very satisfying. But working in the office trapped at a computer or bantering with the fitters wasn't overly fulfilling.
Sacked it off at 27 and went back to uni to study medicine. Really enjoying the course, far more comms skills needed. Loads more personal interaction, which is great and a much more fulfilling job (for me) to come.
It's worth a ponder, more human interaction, helping people and loads of woman (you specified lack of woman in engineering
) 
RWD cossie wil said:
How long will that take you out of interest? What stage are you at now?
Ta I had to do an access course course to cover chemistry and biology. But I was able to work full time in engineering while doing that. The course I'm doing is five years and I'll graduate when I'm 32. I'm in the third year now, which is great because there's much more of a clinical focus. We get to examine and interact with patients much more, it's great.
I'm glad I made the change, though getting used to studying again (and studying harder then I did in the past) has been tough
Trtj said:
I have thought about moving to larger corporations to try and widen my expectations, but I've been there before, didn't enjoy it, and the people and work were just as dull. When I go on business to the larger automotive manufactures, for example one in the midlands that makes luxury 4x4s and saloons , I just see the same and couldn't see myself working there, and I'd probably have less responsibility. Everyone looks depressed!
Sounds like your current place might be too small for you and OEMs too big. Have you considered suppliers (i.e Tier 1) or Consultancies? They can have a nice balance between the two., I just see the same and couldn't see myself working there, and I'd probably have less responsibility. Everyone looks depressed!If you are not adverse to moving, think about moving to Aberdeen and getting into oil industry. Good rates of pay, work can be interesting if you pick the right sector, lots of opportunity for travel offshore and abroad. No shortage of attractive women working in the companies (especially where I work, seems to be a pre-requisite to be young and attractive).
A lot of companies are doing conversion courses right now to get guys from different branches of engineering as its such a struggle to get experienced people.
A lot of companies are doing conversion courses right now to get guys from different branches of engineering as its such a struggle to get experienced people.
Trtj said:
What sort of IT do you do? One of my best friends was an Electrical engineer straight of university but went right into IT consultancy, Cap Gemini. Apart from dealing with more new faces, elements of his job sound very similar to engineering!
For many years I did cover operational stuff which had a more engineering aspect to it but these days (old bugger alert) I'm in Service Management with zero hands-on, and it's not me. I guess I was being very slightly flippant above but I do look at various aspects of engineering and wish I was back there.What about the motor/vehicle industry? I think that's where I would have liked to end up.
The pay's not as good as the private sector but MoD/DSTL/DE&S employ a lot of engineers but more in technical PM roles over a massive amount of projects, so you can get an interesting range of work. DSTL seem to have far more female employees than any other technical organisation I've ever worked with, and the last team I worked with there included graduates in engineering, computing, astrophysics, chemistry, history and politics, so you get a much bigger range of backgrounds than usual.
I have been doing design work since I was 19 and have finally got bored of it. I decided to do a course as I have bugger all in the way of qualifications other than A levels and needed something to focus on other than going slowly mad in my work. I chose a law course that's one day a week so I can still keep my job and wage and it's proving hugely liberating to study something I knew nothing about before Worth a try and keeps my options open.
Worth a try and keeps my options open. matt12023 said:
Ta
I had to do an access course course to cover chemistry and biology. But I was able to work full time in engineering while doing that. The course I'm doing is five years and I'll graduate when I'm 32. I'm in the third year now, which is great because there's much more of a clinical focus. We get to examine and interact with patients much more, it's great.
I'm glad I made the change, though getting used to studying again (and studying harder then I did in the past) has been tough
I have been looking to do something similar to this but have so far been unable to find any part time access courses locally. Did you do yours online or at a local college? I'm 34 now and have been working as a design/project engineer since I completed my apprenticeship 12 years ago. I am completely bored with engineering and have worked in various industries and for both small and larger companies. The thought of another 30+ years in this type of job sickens me.I had to do an access course course to cover chemistry and biology. But I was able to work full time in engineering while doing that. The course I'm doing is five years and I'll graduate when I'm 32. I'm in the third year now, which is great because there's much more of a clinical focus. We get to examine and interact with patients much more, it's great.
I'm glad I made the change, though getting used to studying again (and studying harder then I did in the past) has been tough
Well done on making the change and good luck for the rest of your course, my sister in law graduated this year and loves working as a doctor.
I'm afraid I'm not that willing to go back to University full time, been there done, that and very poor because of it. What with the increase in fees since I have left, I am enjoying earning a wage too much to go back. I also think an Engineering degree is fantastic in terms of transferable skills. I would however relish the chance to study along side work, working for chartership etc, although I have struggled to get this implemented where I currently work.
In terms of consultancies, I don't really know how to approach it. The big civil and infra consultancies in London, Bechtel etc, seem extremely difficult for one off applicants to apply to. Oil and Gas has interested me too, but having a background in Automotive I didnt think they'd want me. Then again, design skills are design skills.
Surprised no-one has said... banking?
In terms of consultancies, I don't really know how to approach it. The big civil and infra consultancies in London, Bechtel etc, seem extremely difficult for one off applicants to apply to. Oil and Gas has interested me too, but having a background in Automotive I didnt think they'd want me. Then again, design skills are design skills.
Surprised no-one has said... banking?
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