^ true. It maybe considered babysitting, but time management and theoretical thinking is what most company's are looking for. Am engineer by most standards are out of the box thinkers and generally good leaders therfore making good managers.
Mechanical or Civil engineering???
- Thread starter rockcity
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rockcity
everyday is a chance to get better
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RatLabGuy
You look like a monkey and smell like one too
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Fawk that noise. Scientists are where its at, we are the ones that give Engineers exciting things to do 
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OK now that I got that out of the way, you already have a BS and Masters. Would this be a Masters or BS program? I'm assuming that your existing degrees/classes taken can be leveraged to minimize duplicating coursework?
I get your restriction on movement up in the company/changing over to FT management work... is that a problem w/ this particular company, or going to be a common thing? I get the impression you're planning to stay w/ this same company through it and use this as a stepping stone to move, as opposed to looking for a change in careers or employers. If so, that's a pretty big commitment between both you and them - will this in fact be such a long-term relationship?
.OK now that I got that out of the way, you already have a BS and Masters. Would this be a Masters or BS program? I'm assuming that your existing degrees/classes taken can be leveraged to minimize duplicating coursework?
I get your restriction on movement up in the company/changing over to FT management work... is that a problem w/ this particular company, or going to be a common thing? I get the impression you're planning to stay w/ this same company through it and use this as a stepping stone to move, as opposed to looking for a change in careers or employers. If so, that's a pretty big commitment between both you and them - will this in fact be such a long-term relationship?
RatLabGuy
You look like a monkey and smell like one too
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How would that be funny[/QUOTE]Lol. That's the funniest thing I've read all day
... I know a lot of engineers that are great people, great engineers, and terrible, terrible managers...
being an "out of the box thinker" has NOTHING to do with being good at managing people.
... I know a lot of engineers that are great people, great engineers, and terrible, terrible managers...
being an "out of the box thinker" has NOTHING to do with being good at managing people.[/QUOTE]
True, but there again that is why I said generally. Kinda like how I know contractors that can't do what an engineer does and that is why companies hire them for less money and keep the real work for the full time engineers. What's makes the world go round I suppose. Funny
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Its funny because many engineers are "in the box" thinkers and don't like to accept new ideas that are out of the box or "different". There are guys where I work that are still vehemently opposed to those new fangled 3D models. They think using the microfiche machine to look at old drawings is embracing technology.
Well from the ones I know and interact with are definitely not "in the box". We have about 35 engineers across my corporation including 4 countries.
ChunkMaster
New Member
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You will probably make more money sticking with your construction management. The guy who said engineers are under appreciated nailed it, and more specifically, clients don't tend to respect your services, and don't want to pay normal rates. On the other hand, clients rarely complain about construction costs, which are typically 10x that of design fees, and most clients are fine with contingency. I work with large municipalities, and I a sure private work is different. I do know that much more money is spent on construction than design.
Also, the civil field has still not recovered from the housing collapse. Employers are still using that crutch to cut benefits and limit raises.
My advise would be to use what you have and get into a large company (think IBM) and do construction management. Many large growing corporations have construction teams to manage consultants and construction. Consulting is too hard for too little.
If you go to design with no design experience, you will likely be at entry level.
Good luck.
Also, the civil field has still not recovered from the housing collapse. Employers are still using that crutch to cut benefits and limit raises.
My advise would be to use what you have and get into a large company (think IBM) and do construction management. Many large growing corporations have construction teams to manage consultants and construction. Consulting is too hard for too little.
If you go to design with no design experience, you will likely be at entry level.
Good luck.
rockcity
everyday is a chance to get better
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The problem with getting with a large company and doing their construction management is that it involves travel. I already travel. My goal is to move away from travel and settle down some since my family is not getting any younger (an neither am I). I've already reduced my travel time by not doing ECORS anymore and it has helped tremendously. But, I know that in 2-4 more years, the need for me to be home during the week will exponentially become greater. Frankly, I'm not entirely sure how my wife does it with work and being home during the week with twin 4 year old girls.... 
From the large corporations that I currently work with (Kellogg, Con-Agra, Duke Energy, etc.), their in-house construction management teams travel. The companies that don't have an in-house construction team, they hire a CM firm to handle this for their maintenance and capital improvement projects (where I'm at now), which involves travel. Many of the companies I work for have Engineering Managers or a couple of them to manage their capital improvement and maintenance projects. I already do this 100% for the companies that don't have an engineering manager (for whatever reason) of for companies that need additional support on a short term (6 months to 2 years) basis. However, this involves regular travel, which I want to move away from. To be "qualified" in the eyes of HR for a permanent Engineering Manager position at a manufacturing facility (Engineering Manager = manager of construction projects and maintenance at the facility, not manager of engineers designing and developing products), I have to have an engineering degree regardless of my construction and management experience doing the exact same thing for that client.
I think people are getting confused when I say "engineering" and have the idea that actual "engineering" will be done. This is incorrect. I don't actually expect to do any engineering or calculations, etc. but would utilize that degree to meet the required qualifications placed on a job that just manages and develops the capital improvement and maintenance projects for a manufacturing facility. In actuality, a construction management or even an accounting degree would work better than an engineering degree since 75% of the work is management and coordination and 25% budgeting and cost control and 0% engineering. But, HR has placed that "requirement" on those positions without actually knowing the role of the manager, hence one of my desires to seek this degree.
Really, to meet the requirements, any engineering degree would suffice. But, my dilemma is choosing between mechanical and civil that would better serve me in the future. I don't care about entry-level engineering jobs as that is not my goal. This is mostly another notch on the belt to add to the resume to have that additional advantage to further progress, not start over at an entry level engineering job. I already have a BS in construction management and working on my master in construction management and MBA, but that doesn't add any significant value to the resume for a corporate engineering manager position regardless of ability. without an engineering "degree", I simply will not make the short list for that position.
while there are other opportunities out there that don't require the engineering degree, the opportunities I seek that will allow me to progress in the industry want some sort of engineering background to be on the top tier of technical managers for a larger company.
From the large corporations that I currently work with (Kellogg, Con-Agra, Duke Energy, etc.), their in-house construction management teams travel. The companies that don't have an in-house construction team, they hire a CM firm to handle this for their maintenance and capital improvement projects (where I'm at now), which involves travel. Many of the companies I work for have Engineering Managers or a couple of them to manage their capital improvement and maintenance projects. I already do this 100% for the companies that don't have an engineering manager (for whatever reason) of for companies that need additional support on a short term (6 months to 2 years) basis. However, this involves regular travel, which I want to move away from. To be "qualified" in the eyes of HR for a permanent Engineering Manager position at a manufacturing facility (Engineering Manager = manager of construction projects and maintenance at the facility, not manager of engineers designing and developing products), I have to have an engineering degree regardless of my construction and management experience doing the exact same thing for that client.
I think people are getting confused when I say "engineering" and have the idea that actual "engineering" will be done. This is incorrect. I don't actually expect to do any engineering or calculations, etc. but would utilize that degree to meet the required qualifications placed on a job that just manages and develops the capital improvement and maintenance projects for a manufacturing facility. In actuality, a construction management or even an accounting degree would work better than an engineering degree since 75% of the work is management and coordination and 25% budgeting and cost control and 0% engineering. But, HR has placed that "requirement" on those positions without actually knowing the role of the manager, hence one of my desires to seek this degree.
Really, to meet the requirements, any engineering degree would suffice. But, my dilemma is choosing between mechanical and civil that would better serve me in the future. I don't care about entry-level engineering jobs as that is not my goal. This is mostly another notch on the belt to add to the resume to have that additional advantage to further progress, not start over at an entry level engineering job. I already have a BS in construction management and working on my master in construction management and MBA, but that doesn't add any significant value to the resume for a corporate engineering manager position regardless of ability. without an engineering "degree", I simply will not make the short list for that position.
while there are other opportunities out there that don't require the engineering degree, the opportunities I seek that will allow me to progress in the industry want some sort of engineering background to be on the top tier of technical managers for a larger company.
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98_tj
under water
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- Feb 7, 2014
Not sure if this is what you are looking for, I am in college for mechanical engineering with a degree in nuclear operations. I am trying to be a auxiliary nuclear operator. Starting pay is over 50k, but after several years and some more training, you can be a control room operator and make over 100k before bonuses.
rockcity
everyday is a chance to get better
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- Greenville, NC
control room operators have a BORING job.
I'd much rather do what I do now for the same $, minus the travel
I'd much rather do what I do now for the same $, minus the travel
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- Apr 16, 2005
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- Sharon, SC
I havent been around much but just read this and felt the need to respond.
From the start I am just going to tell you that I am going to attempt to throw some cold water on your face and make you think with the full knowledge that you ultimately will do whatever you want redardless of who says what. We have had too many of these conversatins over the years both drunk and sober but I digress...
Take a half step back and assess where you are in life. Your in your late 30s with 2 young kids at home and a wife at the precipice of a very rewarding career. Both of you guys have sacrificed for years to get ready to flourish, you aint getting younger. At some point if you just keep planting crops and never harvest the field you are a shitty farmer regardless of how good a planter you are. It will take (Im guessing) 2 years minium and $50k to get this new degree to hopefully make $25k/more per year. IF you get the dream job the day you graduate.
That means you are 40 years old before this is a net wash and you "start" your "new career"..at that point you are too old to be a young gun, and there are guys 10 years younger with 10 years more experience.
You are half pregnant.
Never be half pregnant.
I would also tell you that HR departments in major companies develop job requirements and bend them everyday to fit the right candidate. If you have been working at a facility for 2 years, know the local hierarchy personally, there is an opening and they refuse to hire you because you dont have the requisite degree; they are being polite and using that as an excuse, in my opinion.
Now lets dig a little deeper. Does "engineering manager" simply require a BS in engineering or do they require a PE?
If the latter go ahead and add another half a decade before you can obtain a PE stamp. The ROI above is dwindling fast.
At this point in life you would be better suited to getting a PHD in CM and becoming a professor at ECU....and you are honestly closer to that than what you are aiming at now.
The only way this makes any sense in the world to me is if you are staving off student loans by still being a full time student hoping to win the lotto one day...but those chickens will come home to roost one day eventually.
You didnt ask my opinion but its never stopped us before
I'd look back in Hickory..there is a guy there I have a ton of respect for who has built a very nice solid life for himself. Take your knowledge, skills and exprtise and instead of dedicating 15 hours a week to another piece of paper for 2 years, dedicate it to starting something close to home. Start building house, crap its easy. Look at some of the folks doing it. I'd wager if you did that in 2 years you would be close to equaling the CSM income and could transition to that full time.
Like you I am on the construction side. The thing is we see the engineers as being the top of the food chain because we constantly have to wait on them to say "go ahead and do what you know is right"...then you talk to an engineer and he says "Crap I am a peon I am caught between the contractor and the Architect." Then I talk to the architects and they say "crap dont be an architect we spend all day having suppliers, engineers and contractors going back to owners who try to tell us to do something that wont work and when it doesnt work it is OUR fault"
I'll call you a friend either way. So let me know which engineering school you pick. But there is a reason I have a piece of paper with a BSEE sitting in a drawer, and never sat for the FE much less the PE and have paid my bills being "just a salesman" the last decade...
From the start I am just going to tell you that I am going to attempt to throw some cold water on your face and make you think with the full knowledge that you ultimately will do whatever you want redardless of who says what. We have had too many of these conversatins over the years both drunk and sober but I digress...
Take a half step back and assess where you are in life. Your in your late 30s with 2 young kids at home and a wife at the precipice of a very rewarding career. Both of you guys have sacrificed for years to get ready to flourish, you aint getting younger. At some point if you just keep planting crops and never harvest the field you are a shitty farmer regardless of how good a planter you are. It will take (Im guessing) 2 years minium and $50k to get this new degree to hopefully make $25k/more per year. IF you get the dream job the day you graduate.
That means you are 40 years old before this is a net wash and you "start" your "new career"..at that point you are too old to be a young gun, and there are guys 10 years younger with 10 years more experience.
You are half pregnant.
Never be half pregnant.
I would also tell you that HR departments in major companies develop job requirements and bend them everyday to fit the right candidate. If you have been working at a facility for 2 years, know the local hierarchy personally, there is an opening and they refuse to hire you because you dont have the requisite degree; they are being polite and using that as an excuse, in my opinion.
Now lets dig a little deeper. Does "engineering manager" simply require a BS in engineering or do they require a PE?
If the latter go ahead and add another half a decade before you can obtain a PE stamp. The ROI above is dwindling fast.
At this point in life you would be better suited to getting a PHD in CM and becoming a professor at ECU....and you are honestly closer to that than what you are aiming at now.
The only way this makes any sense in the world to me is if you are staving off student loans by still being a full time student hoping to win the lotto one day...but those chickens will come home to roost one day eventually.
You didnt ask my opinion but its never stopped us before
I'd look back in Hickory..there is a guy there I have a ton of respect for who has built a very nice solid life for himself. Take your knowledge, skills and exprtise and instead of dedicating 15 hours a week to another piece of paper for 2 years, dedicate it to starting something close to home. Start building house, crap its easy. Look at some of the folks doing it. I'd wager if you did that in 2 years you would be close to equaling the CSM income and could transition to that full time.
Like you I am on the construction side. The thing is we see the engineers as being the top of the food chain because we constantly have to wait on them to say "go ahead and do what you know is right"...then you talk to an engineer and he says "Crap I am a peon I am caught between the contractor and the Architect." Then I talk to the architects and they say "crap dont be an architect we spend all day having suppliers, engineers and contractors going back to owners who try to tell us to do something that wont work and when it doesnt work it is OUR fault"
I'll call you a friend either way. So let me know which engineering school you pick. But there is a reason I have a piece of paper with a BSEE sitting in a drawer, and never sat for the FE much less the PE and have paid my bills being "just a salesman" the last decade...
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2005
- Location
- Sharon, SC
Besides if you ever get a job that requires no travel Bri will kick you out within 6 months.
rockcity
everyday is a chance to get better
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2005
- Location
- Greenville, NC