Career Advice

[teej89]

So the fiancee and I are going to be relocated here in a couple of months and with that I'll be job searching again. With that being said I want to broaden my horizon and see what other options could be out there. Sometimes there's jobs I didn't even know are jobs or applicable jobs to my background until I hear of them from someone else. That's why I'm turning to the HTers for your opinions of options of careers to pursue.

A little about me:

I graduated with a bachelors and masters in architectural engineering. Architectural engineering is essentially civil engineering with a structural focus however the architectural aspect means all of our structural focus was on building related designs and not highway, water, surverying, etc..... I currently have 6.5yrs (8yrs including internships worked during college) of experience in the field and have been a project manager for a 2 years now. Anyways the job is okay, I'm not a huge fan of it only because I spend most of the time to myself in front of my computer. My best days are days when I have contractors blowing up my phone looking for field fixes or further clarification or any other hot/quick turn around items. Days when I'm stuck to myself at my desk I kind of go a bit stir crazy. That doesn't mean I like being to myself, I just don't like being to myself and sitting all day........... I'm extremely active, I love working out and hunting and when I'm off work I don't really sit down until it's time to go to bed.

Pros and Cons of structural engineering:

Pros:
- good pay (however this isn't all that important, I don't want to nor intend to live lavishly)
-flexible hours and can work from home if required (kids are in the future and this option is nice, if I have to leave at 4 I just do it)
- I enjoy buildings and creating details and the designs but more so for smaller projects (i like a fast paced environment not the giant towers that take years to design and even more to construct)
-easy to get time off
-creating solution out of complex ideas (making a complex building section build-able, love it!)

Cons:
-sitting all day
-minimal interaction with people
-more so an individual work not working with a team like I like to do
-work follows you home, I could be trying to sleep and thinking about what I could do to make tomorrow easier
-working for profit, I don't have a huge drive to work harder to make someone else money unless I'm seeing progress in my career due to that extra work.
-as you get to a more senior level I see these guys working 60hrs a week and when kids are in the mix I'm absolutely going to be putting them first. Some guys are in at 6am and leave at 6 and go back to work again at 8 ro 9 after the kids are in bed. I work to live not the other way around.

Ideas I've considered are the following:

- Army Combat Engineer - We went back and forth with this for a while last summer and eventually it was vetoed... If I was on my own I'd do it, it is physical and also has engineering/math/phsyics/thought involved. However, with kids in the future I couldn't imagine being deployed if she's pregnant or our kid was just born. Hats off to all the active duty and veterans that did do that, that had to be extremely tough.

-Something in construction? Just not sure what.... I really enjoy residential design, I did a lot of wood design previously and really enjoyed it.

-Something with wildlife

-Something with wildlife and law enforcement (I already talked to someone on here so I don't need pros/cons of this just elaving thi sout here for an option I'd enjoy)

-I love physics so I thought about something with a bullet/rifle company but my background on that is zilch and I know nothing of it.

-I was snowboarding in Utah and I saw people avalanching the mountain, I was like dah that'd be awesome! I have no experience tho....

-I've also considered teaching (elementary or high school in a math/engineering based class) not sure I would enjoy this after talking to teachers

-Also considered sales, this I think I'd really enjoy but I don't know much about it and would be concerned that i'd miss the problem solving aspect of engineering


Alright I'm not sure if I've given enough information for some decent input but I'd love to hear what you guys do/what you think would be an interesting career for me to pursue. If you'd like more info just ask away!

Thanks!!

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Feel your pain on the current job cons, as if the forum hasn’t noticed I live in front of my screen most of the time.

From time to time I play around with the idea of starting my own company and being able to exercise more control of my time and have a more varied workload... I actually enjoy doing taxes and playing with finances, definitely not for everyone I imagine.

 

[Nutrioso]

Consider moving to the construction side. There are a lot of PEs who become excellent project managers for contractors. You will be outside more, interact with people regularly, and use your skills to lead teams to build things. Right now, the demand for skilled construction project managers is high. It can be a great career.

 

[JLDemo]

I'd say it really depends on where you're relocating too and how often you will relocate over the years. The federal government is always in need of engineers, including architectural, your career choice will largely depend on your location. Unless your location will be where the job is, then it's doors wide open.

 

[Birddy]

Consider moving to the construction side. There are a lot of PEs who become excellent project managers for contractors. You will be outside more, interact with people regularly, and use your skills to lead teams to build things. Right now, the demand for skilled construction project managers is high. It can be a great career.

This is right on the money. First thing that came to my mind and you took the words out of my mouth. Pay and schedules will vary wildly but if you can get on with a good company you could get the best of both pay and schedule. They usually treat their engineers well

 

[teej89]

I'd say it really depends on where you're relocating too and how often you will relocate over the years. The federal government is always in need of engineers, including architectural, your career choice will largely depend on your location. Unless your location will be where the job is, then it's doors wide open.

After this initial relocation it is mostly up to us to decide if we'd want to relocate again. Could you elaborate more on opportunities in the federal gov't?

 

[teej89]

Consider moving to the construction side. There are a lot of PEs who become excellent project managers for contractors. You will be outside more, interact with people regularly, and use your skills to lead teams to build things. Right now, the demand for skilled construction project managers is high. It can be a great career.

I thought about going to the construction side but my concerns are the hours are going to be crazy. My bud is a super and he's putting in 50-60hrs on average, the money is great but dang I'd rather not have the money and be 40-45hrs.

I'm not sure if I'd be able to land a manager position with a CM or GC because my experience managing is only on the structural side. Should I look at more of a gradual transition into the construction side or maybe just shoot for a manager position?

 

[SFC B]

After this initial relocation it is mostly up to us to decide if we'd want to relocate again. Could you elaborate more on opportunities in the federal gov't?

Have you ever been on USAJOBS? It is the fed job search application. Go on, build a profile, upload your docs and then it will let you set search parameters (ie job series, pay, locations etc).

https://secure.login.gov/?request_id=fa094b15-4604-41bc-9f5b-f90d4690de42

 

[JLDemo]

After this initial relocation it is mostly up to us to decide if we'd want to relocate again. Could you elaborate more on opportunities in the federal gov't?

You're just going to have to go on USAJOBS and take a look, just search architectural engineer and filter through what interest you. Agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and Army Corp of Engineers are just a few that have many openings for structural and architectural engineers as well as civil. Beware though that the federal hiring process is painfully slow and the application process will drive you to drink. But well worth it in my opinion.

 

[teej89]

interesting I'll have to take a look into the USAJOBS, unfortunately I don't have much time as we move in 3.5 months from now but I mean it's definitely something to keep an eye on in the future. Thanks JL and SFC!

 

[Treeshark]

I was going to recommend sales before I saw you mentioned it at the end of your post. If you like dealing with people, it can be a lot of fun. And you could find a sales job specific to the construction field and still be involved in the problem-solving part of things you currently enjoy.

The money is usually pretty good (unfortunately that’s often commensurate with the stress involved), but good sales skills are extremely transferable to other industries.

 

[Pucky Freak]

I'd recommend seeing a career counselor. It doesn't cost that much. You complete a few assessments and then you get a list of recommendations of careers that are the closest match to your temperament, personality, likes, and values. About 80% of the outcome of the process will be things you already know and have considered, but it's the 20% new info where the value is.

I have gone through this process myself, and my 10-year career is an exact fit for me. Work doesn't feel like work, and I'd still do it even if I only got paid half as much as I do now. I had to do the final legwork to really nail down the specialty and work environment, but this wasn't hard after being pointed in a helpful direction.

Another idea is to start asking all your contacts if they know someone who works in X career. Then reach out to those people and invite them out to coffee to interview them about all aspects of their career. People like to talk about themselves - and are usually happy that someone has shown interested in what they do. I have done probably 15-20 or so of these informational interviews, and learned a ton about where I did and did not want to end up working.

 

[mmcneil]

My brother is a structural engineer also. His company had him doing so many site visits it was starting to wear on him. Going to multiple sites in multiple states every week. Another firm may be able to get you out in the field more often.

 

[teej89]

I'd recommend seeing a career counselor. It doesn't cost that much. You complete a few assessments and then you get a list of recommendations of careers that are the closest match to your temperament, personality, likes, and values. About 80% of the outcome of the process will be things you already know and have considered, but it's the 20% new info where the value is.

I have gone through this process myself, and my 10-year career is an exact fit for me. Work doesn't feel like work, and I'd still do it even if I only got paid half as much as I do now. I had to do the final legwork to really nail down the specialty and work environment, but this wasn't hard after being pointed in a helpful direction.

Another idea is to start asking all your contacts if they know someone who works in X career. Then reach out to those people and invite them out to coffee to interview them about all aspects of their career. People like to talk about themselves - and are usually happy that someone has shown interested in what they do. I have done probably 15-20 or so of these informational interviews, and learned a ton about where I did and did not want to end up working.

I never thought of a career counselor. I don’t really live in a big city or anything and after a quick google search nothing really popped up. The only potential I saw was counseling for high school kids on their future careers. I did find there’s therapists for career counseling but that’s not what I should be looking for right?

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

Well take from this what you will.

I studied and worked in environment/conservation. But it never paid well so I looked over the fence and found a good paying job. I now sit 8 hours a day in front of a computer doing mind numbing work which I can't stand. I make good money but it's come at the cost of enjoying what I do and it's become really telling on my mental health the last couple of years. For me the release is hunting but with family commitments even that gets harder. For now I'm stuck in the job because i have a wife, child and mortgage to support.
I tried to move away before we bought out current house but my wife wasn't too keen, last night coincidentally we were talking about it and she said she wished we had.

Money is one thing, but another thing to consider is that when you're working there is a cost borne by you as well. That is pieces of your life every day and every year, so I say do what makes you happy. You'll never regret enjoying your job.

For what it's worth, one day I will change jobs but for the next decade it's going to be hard to walk away and start from scratch with a growing family.

 

[Scarey]

The only thing I can tell you is do what makes you happy and inspired. If you don't you will forever question, did I do the right thing?

 

[Pucky Freak]

I did find there’s therapists for career counseling but that’s not what I should be looking for right?

Actually, this is it. These are professionals who do traditional therapy, but also do career counseling as a sub-specialty (which isn't any kind of therapy at all). This is common in less populated areas. In larger metropolitan areas you will find career counselors who solely do career counseling.

Another similar option is life coaches who specialize in career changes. Google "career change coach" in Scranton, or whatever. These are folks who are not trained in therapy at all, are typically a bit more expensive, but provide a similar service. You will likely find that some of these coaches have a thicker resume in helping people change careers. I have a friend who transitioned from being a middle school tech teacher to an engineer through a career change coach. I was skeptical at first, but once I saw it play out I was pretty impressed.

That's a long response...but what it boils down to is whether you want to meet with someone for career advice/assessment who is an expert in psychology/counseling or an expect in coaching.

 

[gouch]

definitely keep an eye on USAJOBS. I retired from the Forest Service three years ago and at that time there was only one engineer qualified to do bridge work for the Forest Service in the state of Oregon. He worked out of the same office I worked out of. He did everything having to do with bridges from simple inspections to new bridge construction in the entire state. So it seems like there may be a demand for your particular skill set. He did work mostly alone however and had to scrounge up help from where ever he could when he needed it. I worked with him on the survey work for a bridge replacement once then he kept me involved in the project as much as possible there after. I really did enjoyed working with him.

 

[teej89]

Well take from this what you will.

I studied and worked in environment/conservation. But it never paid well so I looked over the fence and found a good paying job. I now sit 8 hours a day in front of a computer doing mind numbing work which I can't stand. I make good money but it's come at the cost of enjoying what I do and it's become really telling on my mental health the last couple of years. For me the release is hunting but with family commitments even that gets harder. For now I'm stuck in the job because i have a wife, child and mortgage to support.
I tried to move away before we bought out current house but my wife wasn't too keen, last night coincidentally we were talking about it and she said she wished we had.

Money is one thing, but another thing to consider is that when you're working there is a cost borne by you as well. That is pieces of your life every day and every year, so I say do what makes you happy. You'll never regret enjoying your job.

For what it's worth, one day I will change jobs but for the next decade it's going to be hard to walk away and start from scratch with a growing family.

That's exactly what I'm afraid of, getting too comfortable with one job and just putting up with it b/c the money is good. Unfortunately I'm a small town kid and change has never been an easy pill for me to swallow, unless it deals with moving, I don't mind moving at all haha! But changing careers intimidates the crap outta me....

Thanks for the words of wisdom!

 

[teej89]

Actually, this is it. These are professionals who do traditional therapy, but also do career counseling as a sub-specialty (which isn't any kind of therapy at all). This is common in less populated areas. In larger metropolitan areas you will find career counselors who solely do career counseling.

Another similar option is life coaches who specialize in career changes. Google "career change coach" in Scranton, or whatever. These are folks who are not trained in therapy at all, are typically a bit more expensive, but provide a similar service. You will likely find that some of these coaches have a thicker resume in helping people change careers. I have a friend who transitioned from being a middle school tech teacher to an engineer through a career change coach. I was skeptical at first, but once I saw it play out I was pretty impressed.

That's a long response...but what it boils down to is whether you want to meet with someone for career advice/assessment who is an expert in psychology/counseling or an expect in coaching.

This is great! I'm definitely going to look into this. As said before I'm not great with change or deciding to change something on my own with just my own research. But if I have someone to talk to either experienced in the field or knowledge of the field or other options I just eat that up! I'm going to look into this for sure, I'm afraid it may be too late as I have 2.5mo to get a job but it can't hurt for later after the move.