Hot Spacefem Ass ([info]spacefem) wrote in [info]engineers,
@ 2008-05-12 18:58:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:introductions, polls

intro post for engineers
Instead of having everyone create a post introducing themselves, we decided to have one big "catch all" thread for profiles... and this is it! Most of the questions apply to who you are now, so we'll probably re-post this each year to get a fresh idea of what the community's up to. And I'm sure I'll leave out some poll options or mess something else up, so we'll correct that on the next go-around as well.

Poll #1186825 Engineers Community Profile 2008
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Your educational status:

View Answers

Have not started college
0 (0.0%)

Working towards undergrad
26 (28.3%)

Have the undergrad
32 (34.8%)

Working towards masters
12 (13.0%)

Have a masters
10 (10.9%)

Working towards PhD
10 (10.9%)

Have a PhD
2 (2.2%)

Location:

View Answers

United States
79 (85.9%)

Canada
4 (4.3%)

Europe/UK
6 (6.5%)

Africa
0 (0.0%)

India
0 (0.0%)

China
0 (0.0%)

Other
3 (3.3%)

If your location wasn't listed, specify:

Discipline:

View Answers

Electrical/computer
21 (23.3%)

Mechanical
19 (21.1%)

Aerospace
7 (7.8%)

Bio/ag
6 (6.7%)

Chemical
7 (7.8%)

Civil
11 (12.2%)

Industrial/Manufacturing
6 (6.7%)

Another discipline
9 (10.0%)

Another field entirely
4 (4.4%)

If your discipline wasn't listed, specify:

Experience level as a working engineer:

View Answers

Haven't started yet
30 (32.6%)

Less than two years
30 (32.6%)

3-5 years
17 (18.5%)

5-10 years
9 (9.8%)

More than 10 years
6 (6.5%)



In addition to taking the poll, please reply to this thread and tell us more about yourself. Even if you're not quite an engineer yet, we're interested in hearing about what your life is like. Some possible starter questions:

  • Why did you choose engineering?
  • How did you decide on your specific discipline?
  • What's a normal day like for you?
  • If you're a student, where are you in school?
  • Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?

Again, please answer these questions as a reply to this post, not a separate post (we discourage intro posts because they get cluttery in big communities like this one). If you're new, don't worry about posting late here, this is everyone's thread! Welcome to [info]engineers.

(Post a new comment)


[info]artyskox
2008-05-13 12:12 am UTC (link)
I really had no clue what to go into at the start of college, but I already had some calc in high school so I knew I was capable of something interesting. I started as an electrical engineer and early on in labs I struggled hard and got some inside info on some of the stuff electrical engineers do on a daily basis and.... it didn't seem very appealing to me >.<

I was told industrial engineering required a bit of working with people more than *just* autocad ... and given I wasn't a car guy and there was only three options at my school, it seemed like a possible fit.

On a normal day I'm doing database work, meeting with companies regarding what they what they want to sell us to make our process better, working with supervisors and general managers to find solutions to their everyday delays, TIMESTUDIES, and get hooked on a lot of little odd and end project. A lot of flying and living in hotels as well..

My project since I started work at my first job (under 2 years now) has been engineered standards in a distribution environment - for pay for performance purposes. It's a strange combination of being mindnumbingly boring and a little fun to be THE person that knows the system 100% inside and out.

(Reply to this)

[info]esizzle
2008-05-13 12:56 am UTC (link)
note to OP: you forgot about ppl with 2-3 years experience ;)

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]spacefem
2008-05-13 01:18 am UTC (link)
I've got 3-5 in there! Okay, so "less than two" should have said "two or less"... not bad for a first try :)

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]plasmabstract
2008-05-13 04:17 am UTC (link)
esizzle is right... won't be a complete engineering poll without a proper range.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]mrs_dragon
2008-05-13 01:05 am UTC (link)
* Why did you choose engineering?

I originally was interested in Architecture (circa 9th grade). Then I job shadowed an architect as part of my involvement with Girl Scouts. She was the one who broke the news to me that architects didn't actually make buildings stay up and pointed me to architectural engineering.

Next stop was my school's college fair--where I met a very nice recruiter who showed me the whole spectrum of disciplines available in engineering.

I was sold.

* How did you decide on your specific discipline?

By the time I was 16, I had decided I wanted to "design toasters and coke bottles". Based on that I picked Mechanical Engineering and round about junior year come to find out that we don't do *that* kind of design.

So I got my masters in Product Development Engineering. USC's program was more process and management focused than some of the other programs (like Stanford's) that blend art and engineering, but I really enjoyed my studies.

I now work as a mechanical/design engineer at a small consulting firm doing projects that run the gamut. I love it.

* What's a normal day like for you?

Get to work, check my email to see what's on fire (if anything).
If something needs to be dealt with ASAP I do that. Otherwise I might pick up on what I was working on the day before or stop my my boss's office ot brief him on something.
Actually, that's pretty much what I do all day. Then I go home. : )

As for what I actually *do*:
*Sketch up possible designs
*Select the best one (often getting input from my supervisor or coworkers, since I only have one year of experience under my belt.)
*CAD up the design
*Spec hardware (by which I mean not only deciding what type to use but also finding the vendor and price)
*Review the design with the client
*Document the design (create draft drawings in my CAD software, we use Solid Edge)
*Get the drawings reviewed, make any necessary changes
*Hand off the drawings to the shop for protyping
*Stay in communication with the client
*Stay in communication with the shop
*Hand off the final project

I usually have several projects going at once, and in addition to design projects (outlined above) I also do analysis projects (both by hand and using software packages), help define processes for our department, and any side projects that my supervisor would like me to do.

* Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?

My current projects include an 8 foot flatbed printer, a helicopter simulator, a museum display, and analysis of a playground structure. Things ebb and flow between small and large projects; currently most of my projects are large projects shared among the department. At other times, I may be handing several projects that I own, but that are smaller in scope.

(Reply to this)

(Anonymous)
2008-05-13 01:24 am UTC (link)
You should have made the discipline option multiple-selectable. Some folks double-major. ;)

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]chaosinaskirt
2008-05-13 06:49 am UTC (link)
Or have a field that span multiple areas :)

(Reply to this)(Parent)
power engineer
[info]katiecam
2008-05-13 01:29 am UTC (link)
Why did you choose engineering?

The salary level. I seriously wanted to get out of poverty, which I did. I also like math and science but couldn't be in the health care field because I can't see blood!

How did you decide on your specific discipline?

I dated a guy in college who built cool circuits our freshman year. I wanted to do something cool like that. Also there was a lot of career opportunities in the field. Back in the late nineties, the field was BOOMING. The world looked great for electrical engineers.

What's a normal day like for you?

I work on the computer all day with an energy management system. I get to solve "circuit" problems but for transmission lines, voltage and power sources being generators, and making sure the equations balance and make sense. I get to do a lot of tweaking of the operational computer model for the intstantanous balance of power, generation must equal load plus losses. So I have the fun job of helping to monitor the "GRID" and power flows to make sure everything is safe, reliable, and economical. My job is so cool! You know those large towers going across the highway? I'm watching the flows :)

If you're a student, where are you in school?

Got my master's degree last May 2007. Went to school part-time and worked full-time. Let the company pay all the tuition expenses :)

Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?

Can't say but they're cool :)

(Reply to this)

[info]asternoon
2008-05-13 01:32 am UTC (link)
I knew I wanted to do something in the science and engineering field coming out of high school, because I liked math. I started out as a computer science major because I wanted to create video games, but I found out after my first year that it wasn't really the field I want to be in. I became interested in nanotechnology and energy, and I wasn't too bad at chemistry, so I decided to switch to chemical engineering. I think that was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

A normal day consists of going to class and doing research, then going home to do homework. I'm currently a third year engineering student at UCSB.

One of the big projects I am currently involved in is Chem-E-Car, a group project that aims to build a shoebox sized car that is built for racing at the AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) conferences. We just got through the regional conference and are looking to modify our car in preparation for the national conference in November.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]bastion05
2008-05-13 03:36 pm UTC (link)
Huh. Well it looks like I'll be looking forward to terrorizing you guys as a judge come November in Philly. Hehehehe...

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]tiamat_the_red
2008-05-13 01:38 am UTC (link)
# Why did you choose engineering?
I chose engineering because I loved physics and math, but wanted to actually DO something with it instead of all that theoretical stuff. I did look at hydrology and geology, too, but physics was my first love.

# How did you decide on your specific discipline?
My Dad suggested engineering and told me that it looked like the MechEs were always having a grand old time. Sounded good to me, and I figured I could always switch between engineering diciplines if I wanted. Turns out, I landed in exactly the right place. ^_^

# What's a normal day like for you?
Get to work, check my e-mail to see if anything important has happened since I left. Since I work at a natural gas company, it's entirely possible that something has happened that I should be aware of even if I don't actually have to do anything. Attend the morning meeting to see how the system looks for the day and then go bury myself in whatever I'm working on at the time.

# Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?
I'm currently working on programming a tool that is basically the interface for the "virtual world" of marketing and the real world of what's actually flowing in our pipes. I'm not a programmer so this is a real learning experience!

(Reply to this)

[info]drshock
2008-05-13 01:56 am UTC (link)
Why did you choose engineering?

I was always good at math and science. My brother-in-law is an engineer and while I was in high school he encouraged me to explore the field of engineering. It seemed interesting to me so when I got to college that it what I enrolled in.

Why did you choose engineering?

It was kind of a random choice. When I was going through college orientation I made a quick decision. I looked over the different fields available and I realized that I knew least about electricity so I picked electrical engineering.

What's a normal day like for you?

About 60% of my time I'm in an office setting. The other 40% of my time I am working in various industrial settings. The company I work for does calibrations and predictive maintenance. Last week I spent a couple days at a textile plant that makes air bags for automobiles. Two weeks ago I spent a few days at a chemical plant that makes defoamer. Later this week I will be in a dairy plant. I get to see lots of different types of processes.

Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?

Right now I'm working on developing a paperless documenting calibration system. Before this job I was working in the defense sector and I worked on communication systems for unmanned vehicles. I have also worked on obsolescences projects for Naval aircraft.

(Reply to this)

[info]big_jim_dwyer
2008-05-13 02:15 am UTC (link)
Why did you choose engineering?
Why not? A good mix of the usuall reasons (problem solving, technical, pay, jobs, etc)

How did you decide on your specific discipline?
I like hardware and things that move, not just stuff on paper.

What's a normal day like for you?
I do a mix of hardware design, systems, and field engineering. Anything from presenting in a suit and tie to getting dirty with steel workers on a job site.

If you're a student, where are you in school?
Glad to be done.

Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?
Yes. I work on large electronic systems projects, nothing super cool, but it beats designing widgets.

(Reply to this)

[info]laurapatrick
2008-05-13 02:19 am UTC (link)
Why did you choose engineering?

Well because it is my nature and you can only fight nature so long. I held a bunch of different jobs after I left high school. At the last one, I kept walking around the plant complaining in my head about how badly everything was designed. The processes were atrocious! They sponsored some classes in industrial biotechnology that gave me a taste of school again and I decided to take up that baton and run with it.

How did you decide on your specific discipline?

Mostly by process of elimination. I didn't want to be an electrical engineer, an automobile engineer and so on. I am very interested in materials and so when it came time I went ahead and made that my choice.

If you're a student, where are you in school?

I just graduated with my associate's degree in engineering and am moving on to Virginia Tech come monday. I have a few prerequisites to make up before the fall semester. It has been an interesting journey, now that I am older and am sure of my path. I have the opportunity to study in germany next year and am very excited about the prospect.

(Reply to this)

[info]smelanie
2008-05-13 03:25 am UTC (link)
I chose engineering because I loved (well, still love) math and science and thought it was a good balance between the two, heavier on the math. It was. :) The discipline I chose was civil and environmental engineering. I'm not certain why I initially chose it, but I love it, and wouldn't change it if I had a chance to go back and re-do it. A normal day may consist of going to speak with the public about a project we're working on, letting them know what we hope to do for them (transportation wise). It may also consist of sitting behind a desk doing conceptual design work, or commenting on others' work, or even just general office work stuff. Other times I may get to travel the potential project, even if that means driving off road through the woods.

I went to Georgia Tech. (I know I didn't have to answer that, but I wanted to).

I am currently working the 14th St. bridge project in Midtown Atlanta (in Georgia). Its a huge project involving many civil aspects. Moving pipes, building walls, removing walls, building streets, replacing a very busy bridge (thereby needed a traffic management plan and very good construction phasing). It's pretty awesome.

(Reply to this)

[info]bridgeman
2008-05-13 04:13 am UTC (link)
> Why did you choose engineering?

A keen interest in math and sciences and a love of computers.

> How did you decide on your specific discipline?

I started college as a comp sci major. Two years in, I discovered I enjoyed comp architecture much more than coding, so I switched to and graduated in comp eng. Then during my first semester in grad school, I didn't get an immediate placement with a faculty member. My advisor noticed my talent for analog circuits in his course and offered me the chance to do research in analog circuits. So now I do something completely different from what I intended 8 years ago.

> What's a normal day like for you?

Hit the office ~11 to noon, grab some lunch, and do one of the following:

1) Explore new analog circuit architectures and topologies
2) Run computer simulations of my ideas from #1 to find the best design
3) Take finished schematics from #2 and turn them into IC layouts for fabrication
4) Get fabricated ICs from #3 back from semiconductor manufacturers and test them in the lab
5) Write research paper on positive results or...
6) ...figure out what went wrong and return to #1

> If you're a student, where are you in school?

Had my thesis proposal this semester, hopefully defending in March-April 09.

> Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?

Wait for the publications...

(Reply to this)

[info]dressagecowgirl
2008-05-13 04:50 am UTC (link)
I really liked AP Physics my junior year of high school, but wanted to do something more practical than physics - so engineering was the obvious choice.

When applying to college, my top choice (and where I ended up going) required declaring a major on the application, and I almost arbitrarily chose Mechanical. I ended up being really lucky, I don't think I would have liked other disciplines nearly as much.

As I'm a student, my day usually goes: class, in the lab working on one project or another, then more class, more computer lab (and so on and so on)

I'm a 4th year, with just one more quarter left after this one. But I will only have 1 tech elective to take after this quarter. w00t!

I built a remote control robot that picks up and drops soda cans during fall quarter. That was pretty fun. I'm doing senior project right now - building a portable wheelchair ramp (needs to fit in a backpack) made out of carbon fiber.


(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]dressagecowgirl
2008-05-15 01:53 am UTC (link)
Should probably mention that I go to Cal Poly SLO

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]bob_the_normal
2008-05-19 07:08 am UTC (link)
!

That's where I'd like very much to transfer to (for M.E. that is... for Theor. Physics I'd rather go for Caltech... unlikely).

Took a few tours recently, it's very nice up there. Are you planning on calling it good with the BS or doing the 4+1? Why/Why not?

Later.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]dressagecowgirl
2008-05-19 06:38 pm UTC (link)
I came in with the intention of doing the 4+1, but realized it wasn't worth the effort for what I wanted to do. Most engineers I talked to in industry said that a masters will get you more pay for the first couple years after school, but after that it didn't make much difference.

Not to mention, that program 'round these parts is known affectionately (and more realistically) as the 5+2 program

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]mr_z
2008-05-13 05:29 am UTC (link)
# Why did you choose engineering?

I think I've basically been an engineer all my life, before I knew what an engineer was. I've always been drawn to complex systems, and have always tried to figure out patterns in how things work. My actual job title is "architect," and I spend my days co-architecting our next generation CPU and systems-on-a-chip.

I'd love to say that "my love of math and physics pulled me to engineering," but it really isn't true. I am pretty good at math and I've always enjoyed physics, but I'm no prodigy at either. I'm pretty good, and definitely enthusiastic about them, but that wasn't what drew me in.

I had a great uncle (my maternal grandmother's brother) who worked for AC Delco and through that with the Apollo program. He actually got to work on the moon buggy. The stories I got to hear about him and all the wonderful things he got to bring into existence were probably my biggest motivation. The fact I had the aptitude to match the attitude was just the icing on the cake.


# How did you decide on your specific discipline?

I've always been into electronics and computers. My mom got me a Radio Shack 25-in-1 project kit when I was 5. I couldn't really read and comprehend the directions, but I was able to put together the projects with her help at first. Eventually I figured it out. Before long I started making my own things.

I also started learning programming around the same time. Our sitter's husband was a tech for GTE (now Verizon) and was into computers. He had a Commodore VIC-20 (and later Commodore C64), and let me puzzle through the BASIC manual and type in programs. That's where I started.

Sure, my earliest programs weren't much more than
10 INPUT "What is your name", A$
20 PRINT "Hello, "; A$; "!"

But it all starts somewhere.


# What's a normal day like for you?

I have a fairly laid back position in many respects, and I'm fortunate that I can largely come and go as I please. That said, I spend a fair bit of time at a computer, answering email, running analyses, and browsing the web. I also spend a fair bit of time interacting with a wide range of people in my company understanding what they're doing and trying to coordinate with them.

I think I'm fairly unique compared to many of my colleagues in that my job role isn't terribly well defined. I have a fairly horizontal skill set that spans multiple disciplines. The downside of a horizontal skill set is that your depth of knowledge in most of those disciplines is likely to be too shallow to claim expertise. That said, I seem to have latched onto a couple sub-disciplines (VLIW scheduling and OS issues) that I can make my own.

I also seem to have a penchant for translating between different discipline's jargon, helping different groups to communicate. For instance, I interact with our compiler experts, our software experts, our design experts and our end applications experts. Each speaks a different flavor of jargon and I spend a fair bit of effort translating between them.


# If you're a student, where are you in school?

Long since graduated. I got my BSEE from Bradley University in Peoria, IL.

# Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?

I'm currently working as part of a team that's architecting a next generation DSP CPU and related systems that go around it. I wish I could say more, but I can't. That's the nature of the biz.

I can tell you all about my personal projects, such as my Intellivision emulator or the video game I wrote, or all the nifty projects I did back as part of my BSEE degree. :-)




Edited at 2008-05-13 05:31 am UTC

(Reply to this)

[info]bob_the_normal
2008-05-13 07:00 am UTC (link)
* Why did you choose engineering?

For several reasons really:

a) I have always been intuitive, some might say "gifted" but I would not, at figuring out how things work.
b) Originally I went into computer science because I was already a decent programmer and very (also intuitively) good at computers. This didn't turn out well, because when I got to college I faced an overwhelming reality that the courses in the college were total garbage. (They're just a little better now.) I also foresaw the -obvious- "dot com bust" as its called... anyone in the CS major should have seen it. Anyway, while taking a break trying to decide what to do I developed a huge hobby in the rotary engine (Wankel engine) and ended up basically a mechanic working on my own and friends' rotary engine cars. Didn't want to be an auto mechanic and also felt that the Mazda design was very crude and could obviously be improved in a lot of ways, if not for consumer then definitely for race-spec. That brought up M.E. and it has generally been an awesome field since (not really into it though).
c) Money and lifestyle crossed my mind. In fact, it is the only thing right now keeping me in M.E. vs Theoretical Physics. I love Physics and I have some theories I would love to work on, but the theoretical fields are all going to be hurting very soon, funding will be in short supply. So I feel that maybe I would even get more of my ideas developed if I just worked on them in my spare time. Engineering is an unpopular field, but it is obviously going to be a very viable job for a long time to come - new technologies are created every week, someone has to make the "new something" out of that stuff. So it's a safe field (well, if you're not an electrical engineer ;)), pays decently, and most importantly is one of the few majors I feel I could actually enjoy working in.

So, there is a long drawn-out explanation of the decision process. And that's just for uncertainty! (If I could find support for the physics future, I would take it instantly.)

* How did you decide on your specific discipline?

Chose M.E. partly because it's what I was already doing (working on engines) but mostly because it is the only field I didn't feel limited by. I wouldn't have minded being limited to Electrical, and I suppose I still could, but I haven't been living in a box... I'm sure all the EEs here appreciate that I'm not going to be vying for their job. ;)

* What's a normal day like for you?

Physics, physics, math, math, Solidworks, chemistry, physics, etc.

* If you're a student, where are you in school?

Pasadena Community College.

Still in junior college/community college, taking everything I can here while it's cheap. Only downside is that you have to do some work to find the teachers that know what they're talking about... and sometimes there aren't any.

* Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?

I don't think you could call anything here big... and cool is obviously relative. We're working on simple robots that collect ping pong balls and put them in a cup, or go through an obstacle course and THEN collect the ping pong balls. We haven't decided on the goal yet. Tomorrow.

Later.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]bob_the_normal
2008-05-13 07:04 am UTC (link)
I re-read this real quickly and noticed that when I said "(not really into it though)," I really meant to put YET after that. I am certainly "into" all things M.E. related, I just can't claim to be that far "into" the field.

Later.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]funkerjess
2008-05-13 02:07 pm UTC (link)
Why did you choose engineering?

Hmm maybe it actually chose me. I originally started college to be an English Literature major, because I love the arts so thought that math and science sucked. For some reason, I took the harder biology class (rather than the basic one for non-majors) and absolutely loved it, and thought about becoming a nurse or a doctor. While scanning the college catalog for a new major, I noticed an extry for bioengineering, which had a pre-med track. Since I recalled being good at math, I went to the advising office, and since I had good grades they just signed me up. I really had no idea what an engineer was, I thought it was more like a construction worker or tradesman. Thankfully when I did find out, I really loved it!

How did you decide on your specific discipline?

I was interested in medicine, so bioengineering was a good fit. Though if I could go back, I would have done EE with a biology minor. I think undergrad bioengineering is not focused enough.

What's a normal day like for you?

I'm a grad student now, in my third year. I go to campus, where I have an office at my lab, work on my projects. I also have a few classes left and I TA microbiology, and while that is precious time away from research I love it. Amazingly, I still have time to have a social life, something that is more difficult in undergrad or further along in grad school.

If you're a student, where are you in school?

Currently University of Texas at Austin, undergrad at Arizona State University.

Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?

It is a little outside of the medical field, but I am working on algae-based biofuels.

(Reply to this)

[info]wyrrlen
2008-05-13 03:01 pm UTC (link)
Why did you choose engineering?

Because I wanted to drive trains. Admittedly, the choice was made at five years of age.

How did you decide on your specific discipline?

I love Chemistry, I've got a crazy competitive streak, and I wanted to study/work with the best and brightest. The top engineering program at my University was chemical.

What's a normal day like for you?

A lot of meetings, some more productive than others. I'm currently doing a lot of design work, so a good bit of real engineering mixed in with Excel spreadsheets and Access databases. I usually pick my kids up from school in the afternoon and then go back to work at night after they go to sleep. Around midnight I'll call it quits until the next day. This process is not atypical for most people I know in my industry.

Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?

I'm not sure any of the projects I've worked on recently could be considered big. I do want to talk about the work I consider to be cool, though. Or maybe I should call it the cool thing about work.

From above, I'm a chemical engineer by studies. However, in eight years of work I've done civil grading and environmental projects, industrial engineering and optimization, mechanical design calculations, electrical wiring and industrial MCC projects, accounting and finance, public speaking, statistical quality control, and a bunch of other fun projects I can't even remember now. I just want to mention to those of you that are still in school that you aren't (and possibly can't be) married to the discipline that you'll graduate with. More than anything your degree and license will be evidence of your ability to think and solve problems - not so much specifically about how to solve for a voltage or calculate heat loss.


(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]bob_the_normal
2008-05-14 06:21 am UTC (link)
Around midnight I'll call it quits until the next day.

When does that "next day" begin for you?

More than anything your degree and license will be evidence of your ability to think and solve problems

I wouldn't count on that much longer. I've noticed an extremely large number of people who really can't think at all but have become -excellent- at taking tests and memorizing formulas in every part of school... it's annoying at best.

Later.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]wyrrlen
2008-05-14 01:49 pm UTC (link)
My next day usually starts at 9am.


As far as solving problems, I think that is going to become, or maybe already is, the critical engineering skill. I saw a lot of peers that were excellent at performing in school that have gone on to have lackluster professional careers - based on our age I don't think I graduated that much earlier than you.

Though you do point out a good point that my current field has had an increasingly difficult time of pulling good candidates out of the graduating classes of engineering school. They seem less mature and less prepared to handle the work environment. What I don't know is whether this is an indication of their schooling or just the changing population tide with the next generation boom. Either way it's not good.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]bastion05
2008-05-13 03:28 pm UTC (link)
Why did you choose engineering?
I excelled at math and chemistry in high school and my father suggested I would be perfect for chemical engineering. Figured I'd give it a try.

How did you decide on your specific discipline?
See above. That and the salary scale for those with a BS in ChemE helped too.

What's a normal day like for you?
Working on simulations and sizing equipment and preparing technical proposals for prospective clients. Pretty mundane except during deadlines.

If you're a student, where are you in school?
Graduated 2002 from the University of Houston.

Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?
Heh. I'm currently the technical 'expert' on a new type of liquid sulfuric acid alkylation that makes clever use of static mixing and refrigeration. No one has built one yet but we've got a client very interested in our technology. That's all I'm permitted to say. ^_^

(Reply to this)

[info]jmroberts70
2008-05-13 03:49 pm UTC (link)
Why did you choose engineering? Like some have already said, I think engineering chose me. As a kid, I was always taking things apart to see how they worked, building stuff with Legos or whatever I could find in my Dad's garage, and drawing up stuff I thought would be good designs or improvements over what was already out there.

How did you decide on your specific discipline? Civil Engineering was never a thought of mine until I was interviewed for it! I started out as a licensed aircraft mechanic and wound-up a self-taught CAD expert in the company. That got me transfered to the engineering department where I usually drafted circles around most of the other engineers (I also knew way more about the aircraft since I had actually been working on them). Over time, I wound-up working on many CAD design projects outside of the aerospace industry and actually did some architectural/civil projects that landed me a job at a civil engineering firm. I never looked back -I love civil engineering!

What's a normal day like for you? Like a few have also mentioned, I'm lucky in that I can normally come and go as I please unless there's a meeting or something. I usually roll into the office around 9-10am and work until I'm done. I spend almost 95% of my time glued to the screen working Autodesk software like AutoCAD and Civil3D.

Any cool big projects you've worked on recently? Nope. Not really. Most of my projects are pretty small and uninteresting. That's also something I really like. I've seen that the bigger the project, the larger the jerks are that work on them!!

(Reply to this)

[info]sarafinapekkala
2008-05-13 08:15 pm UTC (link)
Why did you choose engineering?
It seemed to suit me. I liked math, always liked building things, etc.

How did you decide on your specific discipline?
Still don't remember my exact thought process; I think it might have been as simple as reading a few cool articles. As I went through undergrad, iI stayed in biomedical engineering mainly because I liked my engineering classes and my biology classes about equally, and couldn't bear to give up either side.
What's a normal day like for you?
I don't know that I have a "normal" day. I'm working on a computational model right now, so mostly I come in, fire up Fortran, and spend the whole day trying to figure out why it's giving weird results and what I can do to fix it.

If you're a student, where are you in school?
Case Western Reserve

Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?
I think they're only cool to me XD

(Reply to this)

[info]selenite
2008-05-13 11:01 pm UTC (link)
Why did you choose engineering?
How did you decide on your specific discipline?

I wanted to build spaceships. I got to do it, too, for a number of years.

What's a normal day like for you?

I've drifted into a non-technical niche at the moment, doing metrics on project performance. I'll come in, find an urgent email from a manager who needs a new graph for a status report, and crank that out. Then I generate some reports from the program data base and update the routine graphs. Boring, but keeps the mortgage paid.

If you're a student, where are you in school?

After finishing my MS I don't want any more degrees.

Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?

My current project is very big but extremely uncool. The NPOESS weather satellite architecture studies were cool. The reusable launch vehicle start-up company was extremely cool but had the usual start-up problems (kinda the exact opposite of my current job).

(Reply to this)

[info]chareverie
2008-05-14 02:19 am UTC (link)
I chose to go Aerospace Engineering more because, well, at the time I was in high school I didn't know what to do with my life, but I did not what I liked which was competing in the International Space Settlement Design Competition. I wouldn't say I was incredibly good at math and science, but I did well.

At the moment, I'm currently in-between being *just* graduated and awaiting for my start date with my employer, Cessna. But, my typical day as an undergraduate AE student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was never ending study ... =_=

The biggest project that I've worked on would be during my time as an intern at NASA-Kennedy Space Center. I worked as a Process Support Engineer, where I was able to do hands on work on things like the Orbiters. It was certainly a very memorable experience.

(Reply to this)

[info]padumavati
2008-05-17 12:50 am UTC (link)
Why did you choose engineering?
'Cause the boys I knew in high school were all mechanically inclined and I didn't understand how they knew all that stuff when we didn't learn it in school. So I decided to learn it in college, because it seemed fun.

How did you decide on your specific discipline?
Because electricity is cool.

What's a normal day like for you?
It depends. It can involve a lot of spreadsheets, or running circuit models, or going and checking stuff in the field. Usually all three, though.

Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?
I got to do an area study and determine the substation and getaway locations for an entire town! And I just developed a critical circuit ranking criteria for our utility that we're going to use to perform systematic maintenance. It makes me feel like I'm actually making a difference to our customers' quality of life. :)

(Reply to this)

[info]originaljaybird
2008-05-19 02:39 pm UTC (link)
Why did you choose engineering?How did you decide on your specific discipline?
Industrial Engineering is a nice blend of business and engineering. You learn a little bit about everything so that you can manage and improve every aspect of the business. A lot of the concepts are simple and common sense, but people can get narrowly focused on just their part and not see the whole picture. As an Industrial Engineer I'll be working with outside suppliers, coworkers inside my company, and our customers to improve our product to meet their needs.

What's a normal day like for you?
Right now, I'm playing golf and reading - relaxing after four years of undergrad studies. In July (when I start work) I could update you but until then I have no clue about normal day to day activities. Probably team meetings and supplier meetings, followed by time spent on the manufacturing floor and in my cubicle.

Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?
For my senior design project, we reduced the amount of time to change over a 900 ton mechanical press by 49% (from 88 minutes to 45 minutes). My team won first place and received a $100 cash prize (huge lump sum for a poor college student like me).

(Reply to this)

[info]sajrob
2008-05-23 01:07 am UTC (link)
# Why did you choose engineering?
I figured there was no money in art. So I decided to go with my other strong points: Math and Science (preferrably Chemistry).

# How did you decide on your specific discipline?
I'm a ChemE with a minor in BioChemE. ChemE, see above. BioChemE because I ran out of Chemistry courses after middler year (3rd year). And most of all, because I'm a masochist--I figured spending hours in the library with minimal sleep would be exhilarating.

# What's a normal day like for you?
Currently I'm on my co-op semester working at a drug company. I am currently functioning more like a Biochemist (scientist) than an engineer. I run a chromatography skid, sample, test sample and analyze for quantity and quality using different assays. Basically I'm in the lab all day except for lunch.

# If you're a student, where are you in school?
I will be on my senior year (5th year) in Sep08. My program is 5 years due to 3 co-op semesters (6 mos each). I've been on 3 co-ops. The first 2 were spent doing process engineering work at a Petrochemical company and a Pharmaceutical one. Currently I'm on my 3rd co-op working at a lab which provides manufacturing support for a drug company.

# Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?
Currently I am evaluating Protein A resin using a new alcohol solution for yield and purity before it gets implemented at manufacturing scale.

(Reply to this)
just joined:)
[info]n3zv3zda
2008-06-05 01:20 am UTC (link)

# Why did you choose engineering?

I was always good at problem solving/math/sciences. and I didn't speak English well enough at the time to be really successful in anything business/social studies/humanities-related.

# How did you decide on your specific discipline?

electrical engineering seemed like a very broad discipline with many possible applications.

# What's a normal day like for you?

keeping customers happy, fixing broken things, and trying to fit some design somewhere in between all that.

# If you're a student, where are you in school?

went to school in FL. graduated in '06.

# Any cool big projects you've worked on recently?

redesigning autopilot for 74(/5/6)7. still working on it...slowly but surely.

(Reply to this)

Create an Account
Forgot your login?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…