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Cicero posted:Thanks for the reassurance, I do think I have better social skills than most of the guys in my major. There are some people who I will just stare at and think, "I wonder if he realizes why he's permanently single?" I've come very close to telling some students in the class that I TA to go home and take a shower. I had the same experience when I was working as a tutor for the intro to programming classes. Some students just smelled awful. Maybe CS students are just afraid that they'll short circuit if they step into a shower. Speaking of tutoring intro to programming classes, that's a really good thing to have on your resume. I guarantee you that you'll get asked about that in interviews, so be ready to explain about how it's strengthened your grasp on the fundamentals of computer science and so on.
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Oct 8, 2009 07:20
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BeefofAges posted:Speaking of tutoring intro to programming classes, that's a really good thing to have on your resume. I guarantee you that you'll get asked about that in interviews, so be ready to explain about how it's strengthened your grasp on the fundamentals of computer science and so on.
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Oct 8, 2009 07:26
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DNova posted:We weren't impressed. Yes I know, I meant it in a "don't do this, it annoys everyone" kind of way. I just learned it the hard way. DNova posted:Especially because most of the guys who pull that poo poo are completely uninterested in any theoretical background and whine and moan when forced to learn any theory or anything involving mathematics. "We didn't use any of this poo poo when I worked at <company name>." Interestingly enough it was the opposite experience for me. I loved the section where we learned to design gear teeth for example. I'd been picking gears out of catalogs for years, but had no idea how to run the math on them. My machine design class spent several days on gear tooth calculations and I loved it. I was like "Finally, I understand!" whereas all the other guys were like "pfft why are we learning this? We're never going to do this in the REAL WORLD, we'll just pick them out of catalogs."
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Oct 8, 2009 18:33
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Im a Marine Engineer. Ive worked in several power plants and onboard ships. Im considering taking a field service position with my current company. Ive been working at $75K+ since before I graduated. I still have plenty of offers above 80 even at this time. Im never in an office and work with my hands and improve my skills every day. I love my degree.
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Oct 9, 2009 05:23
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I am currently studying Telecommunications Engineering at an Australian university. I only just started (about 1 semester in) so at the moment it's all stuff like maths, physics etc. I want to eventually get a job with the government in an intelligence/signals field. Can anybody give me any hints, advice or tips in regards to this or any other aspects of university/telecommunications engineering? And in regards to maths; I don't know about in the United States but here in Australia there are bridging courses for that sort of thing.
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Oct 10, 2009 06:42
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As a Geological Engineer who works with many other engineers (Civil, Mechanical, Mining, Environmental...) frequently i want to add: Field Jocks (Site Engineers, Drilling Engineers, Project Managers etc.) Pros: -High base salary, almost always. Somewhat double with mandatory overtimes when you are behind the clock, which is all the time (especially for Civil Engineers) -Highly sought after, almost guaranteed employment after few years of experience. -Companies pamper field engineers with benefits since they are the ones who burn out faster. Cons: -Insane work hours (hope your overtime compensates it). Think your social life was bad during college because of classes and exams? You will miss those days dearly. -Sometimes you became so good at what you do and it becomes near impossible to replace you. So you might not become a manager but be drat sure that you will be paid like one after 7-10 years. Office Nerds (Design and Control Engineers) Pros: -Decent pay. -Better social life (depends). -Benefits of a big office. Cons: -You can be replaced easily compared to field specialists (sometimes a good thing when you want a managing position). -Office politics. I have worked on both sides and choose being a laboratory engineer and hopefully a specialist in the future. As for my field, soil testing engineering can be pretty boring and fun depends on what you know about your subject. If you don't know much about problems and their solutions it feels like you are doing same thing over and over again. Until now i have met three types of engineers: People who don't give a flying gently caress about being good or bad engineers/professionals and just in it for the money (easy to spot from their jaded approach to new things and "why fix something not broken" approach), people who are not overly excited about being an engineer but love what they do and lastly people geniunely excited about metal pipes, dirt or whatever and can't think about doing anything else. I think i am in between type two and type three. I am not mad about Geological Engineering but i enjoy solving problems, being a part of great projects and generally being productive. If i was given a second chance i would definetely choose Physics (and even now considering getting it as a second undergrad degree). That being said i love engineering as a career option. If you want to make big bucks and get sucked by your hot secretary during lunch break, go for business, banking or law. If you really want prestige and bragging about how awesome you are, be a doctor. If you want to be paid handsomely and build awesome stuff, be an engineer (and for the love of god get an intership during undergrad)
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Oct 10, 2009 16:08
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I studied Civil Engineering in school, with a focus in Project/Construction Management. I had issues finding employment at first, and took a job doing Data Analysis for an aerospace company, and am now transitioning into ME work. From my experience there seems to be a large brain drain coming in the very near future. Most of the younger guys rely heavily on the older ones for just about everything, and when these guys retire in the next 5-10 years we're going to be seriously screwed. So I would say go for it, maybe by the time you have a job we will have figured this out.
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Oct 10, 2009 22:43
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 14:19 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Oct 11, 2009 01:05
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Thoguh posted:When I'm recruiting I am much more impressed by someone with a decent GPA that I can have a conversation with than someone with a 4.0 that has no personality. What about the 4.0s with awesome personalities? Seriously, this false dichotomy drives me nuts. Having a high GPA doesn't mean inversely having a low set of social skills. People prejudge perfect/high GPA engineering students way too much; thankfully, most of them just stay in academia or go to medical school where they don't have to deal with these sorts of attitudes. Edit: Not trying to harp on you exclusively or anything, it's just I see this idea floated around all the time and it's never made any sense to me. I know a lot of people with really high GPAs in engineering who are awesome to hang out with, have normal social lives, and are extremely successful. I guess maybe it's just my anecdotes against everyone else; maybe I was lucky enough to go to universities that didn't attract whiny over-achieving nerds with no personalities. Foyes36 fucked around with this message at 01:20 on Oct 11, 2009 |
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Oct 11, 2009 01:14
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 14:19 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Oct 11, 2009 03:12
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What's a bad GPA for engineers? Mine is a B- but I pick things up pretty fast, have a good personality, and have had a relevant internship (mostly just doing QA.) I'm worried when I start applying for jobs in December my GPA will just screw me, but hopefully a B- isn't all that bad. Does anyone have experience applying across nation for jobs, right out of college, instead of their surrounding areas? I've been trying to figure out the best way to do this but the only thing I can think of is flying over and driving up the coast, hitting job fairs along the way.
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Oct 11, 2009 03:51
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I was an electrical technician for two years before I went to college, and now I'm a second year EE student. As a technician I worked on industrial motor installations, repairs, maintenance, ventilation systems, and some HVAC repair stuff. Loved it but it was more of a monkey see monkey do on the job training that I used every day. Not saying that stuff was easy but the level of understanding is completely different from say doing analysis on 3 phase circuits on paper. I didn't try hard in high school but did take Calc I and got a bad grade. When I came to college I found the math intimidating but I think my mature attitude towards studying since high school is what really helps me today. If you bust your rear end and truly appreciate the material then you will be fine. Don't give up on something you have not tried yet. I was seriously considering switching majors when I was taking a course in Differential equations but none of my EEs classes are as in depth as my diffeqs class was. The math in my EE classes are more to the point and practical, less of the crazy diffeqs stuff that I thought I would have to know and use everyday.
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Oct 11, 2009 04:13
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Joiny posted:What's a bad GPA for engineers? Mine is a B- but I pick things up pretty fast, have a good personality, and have had a relevant internship (mostly just doing QA.) I'm worried when I start applying for jobs in December my GPA will just screw me, but hopefully a B- isn't all that bad. I've had a hard time finding raw numbers, but I did see that for one year the median GPA of graduating engineers at my school was 2.91. This would mean that over half of graduating engineers are immediately disqualified from employment at major companies due to a cutoff GPA of 3.0.
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Oct 11, 2009 05:25
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Thoguh posted:When I'm at a career fair, people have about 30 seconds to make an impression on me. When someone hands me a resume I scan it and try to start a quick conversation. Having a 4.0 isn't going to hurt you in any way, but having a 4.0 and having no questions about my company or being able to idly chat with me for a short time means they aren't going in the "invite to interview" pile. Have you noticed a disproportionate amount of 4.0 students who can't hack your personality test compared to other students? I'm honestly curious, just because my experience has been so different. It's usually the ones with lower GPAs who I find dull and somewhat sparse in the way of interesting chit-chat. Then again, I'm not a recruiter. Joiny posted:What's a bad GPA for engineers? Mine is a B- but I pick things up pretty fast, have a good personality, and have had a relevant internship (mostly just doing QA.) I'm worried when I start applying for jobs in December my GPA will just screw me, but hopefully a B- isn't all that bad. I've usually heard that anything below a 3.0 is bad news, but I had plenty of friends in the 2.6-2.7 range get good jobs. Then again, it was a decent economy when I graduated. Where you went to school can sometimes matter too, but not as much as a lot of people think (at least with regards to undergrad).
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Oct 11, 2009 05:29
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Sock The Great posted:I studied Civil Engineering in school, with a focus in Project/Construction Management. I had issues finding employment at first, and took a job doing Data Analysis for an aerospace company, and am now transitioning into ME work. Studying Civil Engineering at the moment, thesis is due next week  but at least I will be graduating very soon. What country are you in? In Australia it does not seem so bad getting a job but I guess that depends on who you know. I know of so many cases of people (especially near the end of a project) hooking other people up with jobs at other projects and providing references etc.I agree that some of the older guys provide a fantastic amount of information, but most of the guys on the ground are fairly young. Though you always hear alot of complaints about how younger people lack proper planning because now they can always call up someone and get a specific material/plant the same day which was not possible in the past. Also as for anyone interested in Environmental Engineering, on work sites it mainly seems to involve determining the construction effects on the nearby environment, identifying what needs to be protected and how, waste management issues (i.e. if we are testing a water retaining structure, where we can dispose of the test water) and so on. I am sure it is more detailed than that but generally my experience is limited to asking them what I can and can't do when it comes to getting rid of materials and generating dust.
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Oct 11, 2009 05:52
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I'm currently in community college where it's cheap so I can save my GI bill for VA Tech and my MA. From my experience in the military I know I want to do engineering and that I don't want to do aerospace engineering but I'm not sure what engineering I should go for. Luckily one of my math teachers is a retired mechanical engineer and me has pushed me in that direction but I figured I should ask for a second opinion. I'm not fond of electrical engineering since my background in computers is weak and I hated basic electronics in tech school (I got good grades near the top of my class but I was just repeating out of the book, it didn't click at all)and I'm interested in working for jobs in alternate power sources such as wind or solar or in jobs that support pure science work such as radio telescopes and things like that.
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Oct 11, 2009 06:20
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It doesn't matter. You can do Chemical Engineering, and if you are interested in Alternate power, then you can get a job in that field. EE, Civil, Aerospace are more specialized, but still sufficiently general that you can do anything you want with those degrees. There are just as many ChemE's and MEs as EEs working at Intel/AMD for example. If you want to do engineering good, then just pick one. All of the engineering degrees have about equal worth, especially if you get a relevant internship.
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Oct 11, 2009 06:52
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Powercrazy posted:Thanks. Also are there any New Zealand engineers here? I plan to emigrate there once I graduate but I have no idea if they want or need engineers there.
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Oct 11, 2009 15:44
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 14:20 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Oct 11, 2009 18:34
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Thoguh posted:If those I wouldn't necessarily say that they are any worse than any other group in failing the personality test, it's just that a lot of them who do fail make it pretty obvious that they feel that their GPA means they don't have to act interested or try to get an interview. They'll hand me the resume and then just stare at me and just give me a "yes" or "no" even though I purposely ask open-ended questions. I can dig this I guess, some people really do become married to their GPAs. I certainly was when I was in undergrad, but then again my goal was going to graduate school so I didn't interview for jobs. I was mostly just attacking the idea that all 4.0s/high GPA students are somehow incapable of interacting with human beings, but it seems that you don't inherently believe this. Not too surprising that you don't see as many with high GPAs, as most who work that hard to maintain them have graduate/professional school plans. Thoguh posted:Your GPA only matters for that first job though, after that nobody cares and it's all about your experience and networking on the job. On this we can both agree. Foyes36 fucked around with this message at 19:10 on Oct 11, 2009 |
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Oct 11, 2009 19:06
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I graduated with a 2.69 and have never been asked for a GPA. Once you get your first job its all about what skills and experience you can pick up in your field, as well as demonstrating those skills and making sure you have good references. Actually getting your first job can be the tricky part.
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Oct 11, 2009 23:29
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lightpole posted:I graduated with a 2.69 and have never been asked for a GPA. Once you get your first job its all about what skills and experience you can pick up in your field, as well as demonstrating those skills and making sure you have good references. Actually getting your first job can be the tricky part. Really? 
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Oct 12, 2009 02:16
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Thoguh fucked around with this message at 14:20 on Aug 10, 2023 |
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Oct 12, 2009 02:32
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Thoguh posted:To the guy asking about grades; for the aerospace/defense industry you generally need a 3.00 to get a second look. However, if you can get some work experience or become a lead on a big out of class student project, that can help a recruiter look past a 2.8-2.99 type GPA. Since a low GPA will hinder getting work experience, definitely look into student projects. Some companies will place minimum GPA limits that draws a hard line in the sand for whether or not you are invited for an interview. Depending on the company it is usually between a 2.7 and a 3.3.
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Oct 12, 2009 03:28
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Chachikoala posted:Some companies will place minimum GPA limits that draws a hard line in the sand for whether or not you are invited for an interview. Depending on the company it is usually between a 2.7 and a 3.3. And larger companies are stricter about it. My friend with 3 internships already was denied interviews at places with 3.0 cut offs when he had a 2.97 GPA ...
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Oct 12, 2009 03:36
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At my university, Chevron and Exxon have put a 3.5 minimum to interview with them in Chemical Engineering
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Oct 12, 2009 03:44
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I am a senior in Computer Engineering. Truth be told, it makes me feel a bit different from my straight EE brethren. I work in a research lab at the university programming simulations of network models that a PhD student develops. As far as math goes, I've only had to really worry about complex math in the VLSI courses (those class were awesome,) and semiconductor physics really isn't that hard; but as a rule, all of the CE's at my university, including me, are terrible when it comes to control theory (we think in ones and zeros, not poles and zeros.) The only real difference between CE and CS, as I've observed, is the level of abstraction I work at.
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Oct 12, 2009 03:48
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Thoguh posted:Well, for wind/solar I'd say definitely go for Mechanical or Electrical (though Aero wouldn't hurt you if you wanted to get a job involved with wind energy, those turbines are just huge airfoils). If you are serious about stuff like radio telescopes then you'd want to go into Physics, not engineering. I just used radio telescopes since that was the first thing that was science related but was made using engineering. I'm not really interested in doing a science career myself but I like and respect the pure science fields so I just like the idea of working in a field that helps them do their job if not directly helping. I guess I'll give aerospace engineering another look but I think I'm burned out enough from working maintenance that I'm just sick of aircraft. BTW, speaking as a maintainer to all you AEs, EEs, and MEs working on aircraft; Make things easier to get to! You all ruined my life for 4 years! 
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Oct 12, 2009 04:27
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How smart and good at math do you have to be to be a successful engineer? I'm smart and I always score >90% on standardized tests and I'm good at math but I'm no math whiz nor am I anywhere near a genius. What skill set does it take to become a successful engineer?
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Oct 12, 2009 09:49
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Huskalator posted:How smart and good at math do you have to be to be a successful engineer? Discipline.
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Oct 12, 2009 10:32
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El Kabong posted:Discipline. People who put in the hardwork will always have a shot, whereas a genius that is lazy will face unforeseen obstacles. Your professors will notice too.
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Oct 12, 2009 15:00
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any financial engineers out there?
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Oct 12, 2009 19:08
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davepsilon posted:any financial engineers out there? What schools offer this major?
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Oct 12, 2009 19:22
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Pfirti86 posted:What schools offer this major? Columbia offers a master's in it. Few other schools so as well. It is basically an easier stepping stone to being a quantitative analyst rather than going for a PHD in physics/math/engineering. It came into being with all the financial derivatives and credit swapping stuff. Not sure how popular it is now with the semi implosion of wall street.
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Oct 12, 2009 19:38
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davepsilon posted:any financial engineers out there? I don't think this belongs in this thread.
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Oct 12, 2009 21:26
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Phlegmbot posted:I don't think this belongs in this thread. There are tons of engineers in quantitative finance. Its pretty much just programming with a fancy name (and sometimes a very fancy salary).
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Oct 12, 2009 21:37
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I'm currently studying mechanical engineering and am in my third semester of study. I've allways been incredibly lazy and it can be shown in my grades. I finished first semester with a 2.7 which wasn't bad but it was high school on repeat. I pledged a fraternity second semester and ended with a 1.2. I don't know what happened but over the summer I had to repeat calculus 2 and a switch triggered and I'm absolutely not lazy at all anymore. I used to spend like no time in the library until like 2 days before an exam and just cram like crazy. Now I spend about 20 to 30 hours a week on average in the library. I'm wondering how badly these first two semesters will put me back? I've started getting my first set of mid terms back and and am expecting somewhere around a 3.0 to 3.2. I'm also wondering of the skills/random things I have, which are marketable? 1. By chance I've already taken 9 credits of sociology and only need 3 more classes to get a minor in it. Could sociology maybe be used to show I'm personable(which I am to begin with) on my resume. 2. I took 4 years of Spanish from 7th to 10th grade but got screwed over by my college because they required me to take 6 credits of Spanish before I could even begin my minor which just wasn't plausible. I've decided to immerse myself in it the best I can and am pretty sure I'll be fluent by the time I graduate. 3. I'm totally open to travel and really wouldn't mind being sent all over the world for the first several years of work. I've been to countries in which I couldn't speak the language and was completely comfortable with going out on my own. 4. The fraternity allows for me to take on a bunch of positions such as treasurer who handles almost $40k a year. huhu fucked around with this message at 22:38 on Oct 12, 2009 |
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Oct 12, 2009 22:36
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DNova posted:Really? I'd imagine. I've never had a problem. If you are lazy in the classroom and in the field engineering might be the wrong career. I wasn't the biggest fan of class but have always enjoyed working on engines and thier auxiliares. Most places won't give a kid straight out of college responsibility of any kind but I have no trouble running hundreds of millions of dollars worth of equipment. My boss just told me the company is looking for EE's and ME's to spend a few years in the field and then go back to San Diego and design turbines. He put my resume in but I didn't really focus on design. If the job goes open I'll post it.
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Oct 13, 2009 00:57
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edit: nevermind
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Oct 13, 2009 03:30
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huhu posted:1. By chance I've already taken 9 credits of sociology and only need 3 more classes to get a minor in it. Could sociology maybe be used to show I'm personable(which I am to begin with) on my resume. Generally minors don't matter, but it can't hurt. If you like the subject matter, by all means get the minor and put it on your resume. quote:2. I took 4 years of Spanish from 7th to 10th grade but got screwed over by my college because they required me to take 6 credits of Spanish before I could even begin my minor which just wasn't plausible. I've decided to immerse myself in it the best I can and am pretty sure I'll be fluent by the time I graduate. Depending on the company and job, fluency in multiple languages can be pretty useful. Again, put this on your resume. quote:3. I'm totally open to travel and really wouldn't mind being sent all over the world for the first several years of work. I've been to countries in which I couldn't speak the language and was completely comfortable with going out on my own. This isn't really the sort of thing that needs to go on a resume, but you might get asked if you like travel during an interview. Usually positions that require travel will say so in the job listing. quote:4. The fraternity allows for me to take on a bunch of positions such as treasurer who handles almost $40k a year.
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Oct 13, 2009 04:06
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