[NeighborsComplaint]

I was sold on engineering as a career after taking a drafting and design course in High School. The course was taught by a Mechanical Engineer who told us "Engineers are responsible for the quality of life we all enjoy. Lawyers are responsible for everything costing more than it should."

I was working full time during the day and pursuing BSME studies back in the late 70's. I dropped out of the ME program after encountering the Dean of the Mechanical Engineering Dept. who lived to torture his students with a number of sadistic teaching methods. I decided ME wasn't me and shortly after that course, I switched majors and finished with a degree in Industrial Engineering.

I initially worked as a staff IE for a logistics company (warehouse layout and design, time and motion studies, standards for labor productivity, etc.) and worked my way up to Department head with responsibility for engineering, material handling improvements, productivity analysis. new facility development (we built our own state of the art refrigerated storage facilities for distribution of our customers' products) and facilities' maintenance. We constructed approx. 200,000SF of high cube buidings each year and did refrigerated build-out on existing facilities in response to our clients' requirements. Mars Candy, Kellogg's, Cargill, Dupont, Dow, Kraft, Clorox, S.C. Johnson and Unilever were among our customers.

I got tired of playing the supporting role to sales, data and number crunching. and working long hours for straight salary and parlayed my experience into Business Development (Sales) positions with companies like Sanyo Logistics (back in their consumer electronics heyday), Ryder ( Consumer packaged goods) and Americold (Frozen Food). All positions were salary plus commission/bonus. I was able to retire at 62 when I'd had enough of the travel and the changing business development landscape.

Engineering is a discipline that makes you strive to be logical, creative and always strive for balance and optimization. These traits can be applied to any chosen career.

[Jack Blum]

I'm an electrical engineer. Put in control systems in food and pharmaceutical plants. Have had own engineering company for 21 years.

[NeighborsComplaint]

I hate to say this, but the odds of any 60+ getting a job besides the local hardware store, auto parts counter, or Walmart greeter are slim and none.

I retired at 62 and have a couple buddies who are trying to hang on to their jobs but companies nowadays have no heart and no loyalties to their long term employees. Every fay, people our age get sat down, handed a separation agreement, 3 months severance and are told if they don't accept the terms and sign the hold harmless agreement within 48 hours, the severance offer is rescinded.

It's the mew world order.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by John V.

We have a saying at our house. Engineering chooses you, you don't choose it. Raise your hand if you have ever been talking to somebody you've just met, and after listening to you for a while they say, "You're an engineer, aren't you?". My wife has said stuff about me to people she meets and they will often say, "He must be an engineer". People (non-engineers) can just tell I guess. I admit to it being a sorta strength of personality and that is why we believe it chooses you.

Excellent point.

I did make one slight correction, though....



K

[Keith Seymore]

Dilbert - the "knack":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8vHhgh6oM0

Two stories related to this:

1) I had this happen once during a routine office visit with my wife. They wanted to run particular test but the machine was broken. I took a look at it and was able to get it going while my wife and the doctor were discussing something else.

2) When my oldest was about 10 or so we visited Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. We were in the Wright Brother's bicycle shop and the docent was telling us about how mechanically inclined the brothers were.

I noticed while she was talking people were trying to go out the back door but something was wrong with it and they couldn't get out. After a while my son headed over that way; the docent started to tell him "...you can't get out that way - the door is broken" but before she could finish the sentence he had already figured it out and was out the door and onto whatever was next.

K

[ho428]

When choosing an Engineering field one should remember, Mechanical Engineers build weapons, civil engineers build targets.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Originally Posted by ho428

When choosing an Engineering field one should remember, Mechanical Engineers build weapons, civil engineers build targets.

Huh, pretty good. And all this time i thought it was mechanical engineers build targets while electrical engineers build weapons.

[Captainofiron]

Originally Posted by Half-Inch Stud

Huh, pretty good. And all this time i thought it was mechanical engineers build targets while electrical engineers build weapons.

I always used to poke at my EE coworkers saying stuff like, "oh I bet you had to do alot of calculations to make sure you connected the red wire to the black one right huh"

or go ask them if I had put batteries in the right way

they used to get so mad

[Elarson]

Originally Posted by ho428

When choosing an Engineering field one should remember, Mechanical Engineers build weapons, civil engineers build targets.

x2

Eric

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Captainofiron

I always used to poke at my EE coworkers saying stuff like, "oh I bet you had to do alot of calculations to make sure you connected the red wire to the black one right huh"

or go ask them if I had put batteries in the right way

they used to get so mad

Based on my years of experience, it usually ends up that the mechanical guys design something and then we electrical guys are the ones who actually have to make it work in the field.

[ho428]

Originally Posted by Stuart

Based on my years of experience, it usually ends up that the mechanical guys design something and then we electrical guys are the ones who actually have to make it work in the field.

I generally have to work close with EE's, while they don't have a clue how to design a moving widget, I don't know how to design the controls for it.
I know what their stuff does and how to apply it, but not how to build and program it.
Without an ME's machinery they'd have nothing to do, without EE's my stuff is just a big paperweight.
But without each other we'd also have no one to pass blame to later either.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by ho428

But without each other we'd also have no one to pass blame to later either.

We can just blame the civil guys, it's all their fault anyway.

[Half-Inch Stud]

Here's the "classics" for spacecraft;

No such thing as an electrical failure. When you get right down to it, it always turns out to be a mechanical failure.

Don't worry, they all fail the same way.

[ho428]

Originally Posted by Stuart

We can just blame the civil guys, it's all their fault anyway.

Or the Sales department.

[69goatboy]

Originally Posted by Half-Inch Stud

Here's the "classics" for spacecraft;

No such thing as an electrical failure. When you get right down to it, it always turns out to be a mechanical failure.

Don't worry, they all fail the same way.

ME's rarely let the smoke out.

Originally Posted by ho428

Or the Sales department.

It's ALWAYS sales fault.

[beertracker]

Originally Posted by NeighborsComplaint

I hate to say this, but the odds of any 60+ getting a job besides the local hardware store, auto parts counter, or Walmart greeter are slim and none.

I retired at 62 and have a couple buddies who are trying to hang on to their jobs but companies nowadays have no heart and no loyalties to their long term employees. Every fay, people our age get sat down, handed a separation agreement, 3 months severance and are told if they don't accept the terms and sign the hold harmless agreement within 48 hours, the severance offer is rescinded.

It's the mew world order.

X10 on that. bt

[70455HOVert]

Received my BS in Marine Engineering from the Naval Academy in 2000. Even passed my EIT exam much to my surprise. Luckily I was attending a huge Vo Tech school, and they had a job for me. 16 years later I'm still at it, and while the only time I used by 3 semesters of thermo was to defrost a 26 pound turkey in record time (giant heat sink) my degree has helped me understand many underlying issues or ideas in this job.

Now...the scary part. Possibly retiring in 4 years and having to get a grown up job. Yikes! Flying combat and getting shot at was less stressful!

[Shiny]

Originally Posted by Half-Inch Stud

Here's the "classics" for spacecraft;

No such thing as an electrical failure. When you get right down to it, it always turns out to be a mechanical failure.

Yes, it's hard to find a broken electron.

[pancho400cid]

A mechanical engineer, electrical engineer and a computer engineer were driving to a conference when the car suddenly shuddered, bucked and died. The driver coasted to a stop at the side of the road. They got out and began to analyze the problem.

The mechanical engineer suggested that they verify oil and fuel levels, fuel pressure, compression, and check for nasty knocks and noises that might signify bottom end problems. Then check valve train function if necessary, and move on from there.

The electrical suggested they make checks to verify that the ignition charging system was functioning, that there were no shorts in the various wiring harnesses, etc. They should also verify the fuel injection control and check the CMM etc. etc.

The computer engineer said “why don’t we just turn it off and the turn it back on again and see if it works”

________________________________________________

Question: How do you know if someone is an engineer?

Answer: Oh, they’ll tell ya!


__________________________________________________ ______________

Ha ha! All in fun you understand.

[Hot68gto]

I'm a Civil Engineer (1985), NYSPE, and a PM for Heavy Construction Contractor in the NYC area. Work has been very difficult to get, and we recently laid off several engineers, some in their fifties and sixties. Most of the individuals have already found work with our competition, so in this area and industry, there are jobs out there for qualified individuals.