Mechanical Engineering Technology

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: radioouman
I have a four year MET degree. My starting salary in 2002 was 42k. I am now making 55k. I have also completed my masters degree since, but that has not contributed to my salary increase at all (although changing employers has).

If I were you, unless you have no personality and you have book smarts, I would stay clear of engineering. If you have any resemblence of a personality, but you don't drink heavily, then you will be unhappy in engineering. If you drink heavily, you won't care what you do during the day, so you'll be fine.

Both of my jobs so far have been in the auto industry.

Yeah. ENgineering in general kind of blows... to do this job, you really have to like it, or you'll be sad everyday when you get home.

It's sad, but I agree. I'm beginning to feel the same way.

Well, i am a coop student, but it is something I noticed when dealing with other students and dealing with actual workers.

I hated my first coop, and when i got home, i just wanted to take a nap. On my current coop, when i get home, even when I stay late, I always have a smile.

 

[MasterAndCommander]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: MasterAndCommander

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: MasterAndCommander
A few of my friends with MET and EET degrees got better jobs than I did with my ME degree. It all depends. If you want to be considered for any engineering jobs with the government, make sure you pass the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) Exam before you graduate.

Employement thru the government or contract work FOR the government?

The only reason one would need to pass the FE exam if they planned on getting a professional engineering license. If you are employed by the government, they really don't push you to get a PE license, do they?

Through the government - if you want to be in the engineering pay series GS-800's. The FE exam is also called the EIT (Engineer-In-Training) exam. I think you are confusing the FE with the PE (Professional Engineer) Exam which leads to licensure. As far as I know, they don't force you have your PE, but you can't get that until you have at least 4 years under your belt.

I know all that -- I just took the PE last month. Besides, you have to pass the FE first before you can take the PE.

If you work for the government and get your PE, does it bump into the next pay series?

Cool! I hope you passed :beer:
It's certainly a factor in your favor, but I can't say it guarantees you make the next pay band or series. Different commands and agencies have their own criteria for promotion.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Legend
Telling someone to avoid engineering is a very broad statement. There's so many completely different fields in engineering, and so many different employers.

I'm a computer engineer and I like my job.

Well, saying are a computer engineer is broad in itself.....what do you do?

 

[radioouman]

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: radioouman
I have a four year MET degree. My starting salary in 2002 was 42k. I am now making 55k. I have also completed my masters degree since, but that has not contributed to my salary increase at all (although changing employers has).

If I were you, unless you have no personality and you have book smarts, I would stay clear of engineering. If you have any resemblence of a personality, but you don't drink heavily, then you will be unhappy in engineering. If you drink heavily, you won't care what you do during the day, so you'll be fine.

Both of my jobs so far have been in the auto industry.

Yeah. ENgineering in general kind of blows... to do this job, you really have to like it, or you'll be sad everyday when you get home.

It's sad, but I agree. I'm beginning to feel the same way.

I don't see how anyone could actually like engineering. You work your ass off in school and once you enter the real world all of your engineering knowledge goes out the door in favor of totally proprietary standards and specifications that are set forth by the company. Then you become very proprietary and not very valuable in the job market, and your employer doesn't take care of you very well either. The sales people that I've worked with that essentially sell my engineering skills get nice bonuses, retreats, cars, etc. and I don't get any sort of compensation other than my salary.
Maybe I'm supposed to crawl back into my corner and attempt to derive satisfaction out of arriving at unethical solutions to engineering problems, but for someone with an actual personality, that is not the description of job satisfaction.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: radioouman

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: radioouman
I have a four year MET degree. My starting salary in 2002 was 42k. I am now making 55k. I have also completed my masters degree since, but that has not contributed to my salary increase at all (although changing employers has).

If I were you, unless you have no personality and you have book smarts, I would stay clear of engineering. If you have any resemblence of a personality, but you don't drink heavily, then you will be unhappy in engineering. If you drink heavily, you won't care what you do during the day, so you'll be fine.

Both of my jobs so far have been in the auto industry.

Yeah. ENgineering in general kind of blows... to do this job, you really have to like it, or you'll be sad everyday when you get home.

It's sad, but I agree. I'm beginning to feel the same way.

I don't see how anyone could actually like engineering. You work your ass off in school and once you enter the real world all of your engineering knowledge goes out the door in favor of totally proprietary standards and specifications that are set forth by the company. Then you become very proprietary and not very valuable in the job market, and your employer doesn't take care of you very well either. The sales people that I've worked with that essentially sell my engineering skills get nice bonuses, retreats, cars, etc. and I don't get any sort of compensation other than my salary.
Maybe I'm supposed to crawl back into my corner and attempt to derive satisfaction out of arriving at unethical solutions to engineering problems, but for someone with an actual personality, that is not the description of job satisfaction.

That's very true for working for companies like Raytheon and Lockheed. The stuff you do there can never be leaked.

 

[Legend]

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: Legend
Telling someone to avoid engineering is a very broad statement. There's so many completely different fields in engineering, and so many different employers.

I'm a computer engineer and I like my job.

Well, saying are a computer engineer is broad in itself.....what do you do?

Almost entirely software in C.

My company does hardware, but it's really limited to full timers because there's little point in training us and then having us go back to school with no time to do anything.

Full time would be like 80% software and 20% hardware.

 

[Legend]

Originally posted by: radioouman

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: radioouman
I have a four year MET degree. My starting salary in 2002 was 42k. I am now making 55k. I have also completed my masters degree since, but that has not contributed to my salary increase at all (although changing employers has).

If I were you, unless you have no personality and you have book smarts, I would stay clear of engineering. If you have any resemblence of a personality, but you don't drink heavily, then you will be unhappy in engineering. If you drink heavily, you won't care what you do during the day, so you'll be fine.

Both of my jobs so far have been in the auto industry.

Yeah. ENgineering in general kind of blows... to do this job, you really have to like it, or you'll be sad everyday when you get home.

It's sad, but I agree. I'm beginning to feel the same way.

I don't see how anyone could actually like engineering. You work your ass off in school and once you enter the real world all of your engineering knowledge goes out the door in favor of totally proprietary standards and specifications that are set forth by the company. Then you become very proprietary and not very valuable in the job market, and your employer doesn't take care of you very well either. The sales people that I've worked with that essentially sell my engineering skills get nice bonuses, retreats, cars, etc. and I don't get any sort of compensation other than my salary.
Maybe I'm supposed to crawl back into my corner and attempt to derive satisfaction out of arriving at unethical solutions to engineering problems, but for someone with an actual personality, that is not the description of job satisfaction.

We do work our asses off in college, but work itself is easy in my experience. True, I've had to learn many things new at the company, but those skills don't disappear. Once you know the logic behind programming and debugging in one computer language, you can learn another one in just a few days for the basics and grow in skill over weeks.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Legend

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: Legend
Telling someone to avoid engineering is a very broad statement. There's so many completely different fields in engineering, and so many different employers.

I'm a computer engineer and I like my job.

Well, saying are a computer engineer is broad in itself.....what do you do?

Almost entirely software in C.

My company does hardware, but it's really limited to full timers because there's little point in training us and then having us go back to school with no time to do anything.

Full time would be like 80% software and 20% hardware.

Ahhh...so you are a low end programmer. I did that from my first coop at Zoran. I hated it The thought of coming into work and debugging code made me cry Conclusion: Firmware sucks At my current coop, the closest thing I do to programming is writing scripts once in a while.

 

[dornick]

You guys are depressing me, being a first year Mech E major. Does life as an engineer really suck that badly?

 

[Legend]

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: Legend

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: Legend
Telling someone to avoid engineering is a very broad statement. There's so many completely different fields in engineering, and so many different employers.

I'm a computer engineer and I like my job.

Well, saying are a computer engineer is broad in itself.....what do you do?

Almost entirely software in C.

My company does hardware, but it's really limited to full timers because there's little point in training us and then having us go back to school with no time to do anything.

Full time would be like 80% software and 20% hardware.

Ahhh...so you are a low end programmer. I did that from my first coop at Zoran. I hated it The thought of coming into work and debugging code made me cry Conclusion: Firmware sucks At my current coop, the closest thing I do to programming is writing scripts once in a while.

Not exactly low end. I'm working with one other person right now on updating a piece of hardware. It previously ran Assembly, but the new hardware needs C, so it's almost like a new progject. I've done nearly half of the programming on my own...But I do enjoy programming because I can leave work feeling like I've accomplished something. You know you get a few more features put it, and it works. You can see it working.

Oh, and debugging a breeze here. I've had to debug in Assembly at school...yes that sucks, I'd switch majors if I had to do that all the time. The debugging software is so damn fast, that I find my problems in no time.

The pay and work hours are excellent here too. We get individual windowed offices, even us co-ops.

 

[NatePo717]

In general

Difficulty: ME >> MET
$$: ME >= MET

I'm in a co-op right now with SolidWorks and loving it! They hired me part time while I'm at school and they want me back for another co-op next summer.


I'm ME by the way.

 

[Legend]

Originally posted by: dornick
You guys are depressing me, being a first year Mech E major. Does life as an engineer really suck that badly?

Totally depends on what you like, and your job. It's not like all engineers get the same job.

 

[klod]

Many places will equate a Tech degree as an engineering degree. Both aerospace firms I've worked for have done that. Got my Mech Eng & Design Tech degree in 86. I've been lucky that my managers have recognized the degree as meaning I can be trained. Currently running a patran model of laminated composites that just won't cooperate...

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Legend

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: Legend

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: Legend
Telling someone to avoid engineering is a very broad statement. There's so many completely different fields in engineering, and so many different employers.

I'm a computer engineer and I like my job.

Well, saying are a computer engineer is broad in itself.....what do you do?

Almost entirely software in C.

My company does hardware, but it's really limited to full timers because there's little point in training us and then having us go back to school with no time to do anything.

Full time would be like 80% software and 20% hardware.

Ahhh...so you are a low end programmer. I did that from my first coop at Zoran. I hated it The thought of coming into work and debugging code made me cry Conclusion: Firmware sucks At my current coop, the closest thing I do to programming is writing scripts once in a while.

Not exactly low end. I'm working with one other person right now on updating a piece of hardware. I've done nearly half of the programming on my own...But I do enjoy programming because I can leave work feeling like I've accomplished something. You know you get a few more features put it, and it works. You can see it working.

The pay and work hours are excellent here too. We get individual windowed offices, even us co-ops.

No, I meant low end as in close to Assembly low end Come to think of it, I could probably do a job coding assembly, cause I actually enjoy it. As for the pay and hours...I have to agree that the work enviornment is much better on teh software side than the hardware and the pay is better too. When I was at my firmware job, I got a cubicle, now i get an office though Offices are great

 

[Legend]

I can't stand Assembly because if it's broken, it takes forever to find the problem. And it's so hard to use similar code form other projects because you have to depend on comments, and people don't like to comment thoroughly.

 

[BlueWeasel]

Originally posted by: MasterAndCommander

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: MasterAndCommander

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: MasterAndCommander
A few of my friends with MET and EET degrees got better jobs than I did with my ME degree. It all depends. If you want to be considered for any engineering jobs with the government, make sure you pass the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) Exam before you graduate.

Employement thru the government or contract work FOR the government?

The only reason one would need to pass the FE exam if they planned on getting a professional engineering license. If you are employed by the government, they really don't push you to get a PE license, do they?

Through the government - if you want to be in the engineering pay series GS-800's. The FE exam is also called the EIT (Engineer-In-Training) exam. I think you are confusing the FE with the PE (Professional Engineer) Exam which leads to licensure. As far as I know, they don't force you have your PE, but you can't get that until you have at least 4 years under your belt.

I know all that -- I just took the PE last month. Besides, you have to pass the FE first before you can take the PE.

If you work for the government and get your PE, does it bump into the next pay series?

Cool! I hope you passed :beer:
It's certainly a factor in your favor, but I can't say it guarantees you make the next pay band or series. Different commands and agencies have their own criteria for promotion.

Thanks....I felt like I passed, but I won't find out until around January. I've heard stories of examinees getting their failure letter on Christmas Eve. :|

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: Legend
I can't stand Assembly because if it's broken, it takes forever to find the problem. And it's so hard to use similar code form other projects because you have to depend on comments, and people don't like to comment thoroughly.

Yeah, that makes assmebly a pain. If you have good debugger though, it takes all your pain away.

 

[Remy XO]

Did you guys take alot of hard math classes for these degrees? I always thought of getting into a engineering/mechanical degree but the math courses just discouraged me.

 

[radioouman]

Originally posted by: Legend

Originally posted by: radioouman

Originally posted by: BlueWeasel

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: radioouman
I have a four year MET degree. My starting salary in 2002 was 42k. I am now making 55k. I have also completed my masters degree since, but that has not contributed to my salary increase at all (although changing employers has).

If I were you, unless you have no personality and you have book smarts, I would stay clear of engineering. If you have any resemblence of a personality, but you don't drink heavily, then you will be unhappy in engineering. If you drink heavily, you won't care what you do during the day, so you'll be fine.

Both of my jobs so far have been in the auto industry.

Yeah. ENgineering in general kind of blows... to do this job, you really have to like it, or you'll be sad everyday when you get home.

It's sad, but I agree. I'm beginning to feel the same way.

I don't see how anyone could actually like engineering. You work your ass off in school and once you enter the real world all of your engineering knowledge goes out the door in favor of totally proprietary standards and specifications that are set forth by the company. Then you become very proprietary and not very valuable in the job market, and your employer doesn't take care of you very well either. The sales people that I've worked with that essentially sell my engineering skills get nice bonuses, retreats, cars, etc. and I don't get any sort of compensation other than my salary.
Maybe I'm supposed to crawl back into my corner and attempt to derive satisfaction out of arriving at unethical solutions to engineering problems, but for someone with an actual personality, that is not the description of job satisfaction.

We do work our asses off in college, but work itself is easy in my experience. True, I've had to learn many things new at the company, but those skills don't disappear. Once you know the logic behind programming and debugging in one computer language, you can learn another one in just a few days for the basics and grow in skill over weeks.

It all depends on what discipline of engineering that you enter into. For some reason, I left electrical/computer engineering and went into mechanical. I was hired by an automotive supplier and then by a second supplier. If I actually did engineering during the day, I would find this job more interesting. Instead, I get to deal with all the bullsh*t from our customers.

I would love to get out of the automotive industry and give mechanical engineering a chance at a different company. But at this point, I haven't been able to get a job because my experience is all automotive. I'm seriously considering getting a second masters degree in a completely different field in order to escape this.

 

[radioouman]

Originally posted by: Remy XO
Did you guys take alot of hard math classes for these degrees? I always thought of getting into a engineering/mechanical degree but the math courses just discouraged me.

Math is a big part of engineering ya know

As an engineering tech, I took normal math up through calc 3, then I added on linear algebra and a statistics class. Different programs are slightly different .

 

[Rudee]

When I was in MECH Eng I recall the most difficult classes were thermodynamics, linear algebra and such. Those were 2nd year I recall. But yeah, you most definitely need to do your math.

 

[Legend]

Originally posted by: Remy XO
Did you guys take alot of hard math classes for these degrees? I always thought of getting into a engineering/mechanical degree but the math courses just discouraged me.

Math comes to me naturally. I had all my math courses completed at the end of my sophomore year.

It included:

Calculus AP BC (High School)
Calculus III (3D stuff and vectors, hell I don't remember)
Differential Equations (sort of like calculus, but specific to solving DE)
Abstract Math (hated this. Nitpicky pseudo-math)
Matrix Algebra (so damn easy. It is what the name says)

I think that's it.

What's hard in Computer and Electrical Engineering is stuff like Signals and Systems.

 

[TitanDiddly]

Originally posted by: dornick

Originally posted by: Drekce

Originally posted by: Ned
I am a freshman MT student. The normal ME program here makes grown men cry. The dynamics course here is the hardest in the country, with a 33% first time pass rate.

I have so many great memories from dynamics. I loved statics, but could not wait to get out of dynamics. My class had about a 50% pass rate, and I was one of them, thank God.

Where are you guys going to school?

LeTourneau University.

 

[Parkre]

I am a coop, I am bored out of my mind, I will be going to back to University of Missouri-Rolla in the spring...

I absolutely loathe UMR. For all of those of you going into engineering, Do not go to this college. Trying to get help from anyone: Registar Office, Apartment people, COC, and 80% of the professors is like pulling teeth, I would have more fun cleaning septic tanks rather than getting anything out of these people. Everything ROLLA does is anti-intuitive for the students, everything...

I have had only 2 prof that I have liked, which are also the only ones who are helpful and seem to care about the student.

It's kinda funny, my first semester at rolla, I was excited. I met all sorts of people. Most of the juniors and seniors I met hated Rolla as much as I do now. At first I couldn't understand it, but...now...man, wow, does this school suck. I am ashamed to even be going there.

enough ranting

 

[Azndude51]

Wow, I didn't realized so many people at ATOT were in engineering or technology. So pretty much, MET isn't much worse that ME? From what I'm understanding, it's easier and the starting salary is similar if only a bit lower though I would be working below engineers.