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  • Author Author: nickgray
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ToBe An Engineer or Not

nickgray

I have a friend who told his kids “If you go into engineering, I will break both of your knee caps!” I do not think that this is the right attitude, although I respect a person’s right to his opinion. We should encourage young people to do whatever they feel driven to do. In my experience, the majority, but not all, of those who will not encourage young people to go into engineering decided upon engineering as a career because of being overly encouraged by someone (parents, teachers, whomever) or because they thought that it was a good-paying occupation.

 

I believe that people who are driven to a profession, any profession, because they feel an affinity for it or just plain feel drawn to the excitement of it are, for the most part, the ones who are most successful in that profession. I got into engineering because I always wanted to know how things work and because I did some things with electricity as a youngster that I found absolutely fascinating. I wanted to know more about it and to exercise control over it. I became an electronics engineer and have absolutely no regrets. I love the work, even though my efforts and achievements have so very often gone unnoticed and under appreciated or completely unappreciated. Yes, I would like the recognition that I never received, but the most important thing to me is the constant learning and the coming up with new, unique solutions to problems. For me, nothing can beat this!

 

I do not at all agree with the statement that anyone can be an engineer. Some people just do not have the discipline and tenacity to stick out the difficult course of study. Some people just can not understand math, as logical as it really is. There are many reasons that some people can not become an engineer. This, however, does not make it special. What makes engineering special to me is the excitement, the discoveries, the feeling of accomplishment it gives me. Others may feel very different that I feel. That is o.k. I do not expect everyone to agree with me. I have a great sense of satisfaction when I do something that others find difficult to impossible, when I teach a young engineer something he or she might otherwise take a long time to learn, when I can convey new ideas to mature engineers and explain things in terms to which they can relate. My goodness, but what fun I am having as an engineer! I am retired, but only because I was laid off when the project on which I was working was canceled when I was 73 years old. I was just having too darned much fun to retire, but no one would hire a person of my age, regardless of how good he or she is. How great if we could all enjoy working as much as I did! If you enjoy something, you will most likely be better at it than those who do not really enjoy it, regardless of their education or intelligence.

 

It is true that engineers are not paid very well for what we do. This is because, for really good engineers, the work of engineering is a calling, an imperative, a must do and there is little choice to it. We work much more than 40 hours a week because we are driven to do this and our bosses know this, for which reason we are salaried and not hourly employees. We are not paid by the number of hours we work but simply an annual salary that does not come close to what we are really worth. Our employers do not see the need to pay much for us to do something we really enjoy. Our spouses will never believe that we are not the only one working like this. Any yes, it is true that an engineer is difficult to understand, for which reason it is probably better for an engineer to marry another engineer. The jokes about an engineer liking his wife to think he is with a mistress so that he can get in a few more hours or work is not too far off the mark! For many engineers, our work is our hobby. Many of us have our own engineering laboratory that may take up half of our garage and many of our weekends are spent there having so much fun it is unimaginable! How many people are so lucky to have a profession that is a hobby and so enjoyable?

 

To our young people I say, find out what really turns you on and go for it! If you really enjoy it, the learning is so much easier and you will be better at your work than most people are at their work. NEVER choose a profession for the pay. If you enjoy your work, you will be good. If you are really good, your pay for that field will most likely follow and you will be paid well for that profession, even if not completely compensated for your work contribution.

 

Parents

  • I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my engineering career, it was the right choice for me.

     

    That said, I have observed that engineers are born, not made.

    I have seen many people "try" to become engineers, but fail because they do not really understand what engineers do and the skills needed to do it well.

     

    Regardless of what career you choose, you must find an occupation that you enjoy.

    I had jobs where I hated to go to work everyday, so I know that there is seldom an economic reason for selecting the right job.

     

    I spent many years absolutely amazed that they were paying me to have so much fun.

     

    Looking back, I would have made the same choices.

    If you are the right person, engineering is a wonderful career.

    If you are the wrong person, you would probably hate it regardless of what you are paid.

     

    DAB

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