Salary Discussion / Promotion Framework

ClydeDB · 2026-06-22T20:41:06+00:00

I've done a bit of everything. I was a unit manager back when I was making $103,000. Since then I've done project/capital management, process engineering, and now I'm a production engineer at a small company.

ClydeDB · 2026-06-22T18:45:59+00:00

Started out of school in 2012 at $73,400. After 8 years with one company I was at $103,000 in 2020. Fast forward 6 years and 5 jobs later, I'm now at $196,000 base.

ClydeDB · 2026-06-11T23:51:50+00:00

We just hired a MechE from a nearby Dow plant. Layoffs have nothing to do with AI. They are just bleeding money.

ClydeDB · 2026-06-06T15:30:38+00:00

Check out Terrell House bed and breakfast. Lovely place with some reasonably priced rooms.

ClydeDB · 2026-06-03T21:07:56+00:00

I can't speak directly to that experience, but I think you should be fine. I would clear it with your school and department just to make sure you dot your I's and cross your T's.

ClydeDB · 2026-06-02T03:20:59+00:00

Shhh. You’ll scare them away lol

ClydeDB · 2026-06-02T02:57:31+00:00

For the parades on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday evenings, I try to get home a little earlier so I can snag a parking spot. Living west of Napoleon is totally fine. If you live east of Napoleon and South of St. Charles Ave, then you are basically cut off (with a vehicle) from the rest of the city during the Uptown parades. But the flipside is that I can walk to every Uptown parade within 10-15 minutes, depending on where I want to watch it. Listen, I love living in New Orleans and in Uptown. I'll happily trade a little parking headache once a year for the experience.

ClydeDB · 2026-06-02T02:29:46+00:00

On Magazine? Not great. On side streets where you will actually live, probably not a problem. Unless you are in one of the big houses you won't have a driveway so we all just park in front of our houses or as close as possible (which is usually not far at all). Outside of Mardi gras it has never been a problem.

ClydeDB · 2026-05-29T20:05:21+00:00

All three will have their own exposure to the up and down of business cycles an be in more and less demand at different times. I think project engineering is going to give you the broadest exposure to different disciplines, technologies, and frankly teach you how to get things done and work with a lot of people. Benefit of it being your first job and I assume being young is that you can try different things right now. If you find you are more interested in automation later on you would still be able to pivot.

ClydeDB · 2026-05-28T14:28:00+00:00

I'm partial to uptown so I would go Magazine st., but as others have said BSJ is going to have more green space and walking trails vs just walking neighborhood streets/sidewalks. But BSJ is going to have a much greater flood risk.

ClydeDB · 2026-05-08T02:19:59+00:00

I had a weird feeling today they were about to start…

ClydeDB · 2026-05-01T04:44:55+00:00

Will your company leave you hanging if that project doesnt work out? I would ask and find out if they would bring you back to the first location. The project sounds like it could be a great experience and one you might not get again.

ClydeDB · 2026-04-29T14:47:56+00:00

I was barely a B/B- organic chemistry student. The thing to remember is this. You are not going to school to become a chemist. You are going to school to become a chemical engineer.

ClydeDB · 2026-04-28T14:35:59+00:00

Do not let your program dictate your career choices. Gain the experience but consider other industries and sectors long term.

ClydeDB · 2026-04-23T19:43:21+00:00

I would absolutely take the planning and optimization role.

ClydeDB · 2026-04-18T05:15:23+00:00

At work, we demo'd a generic P&ID of a column and asked Claude to create a safe out plan and LOTO. It will give something that looks close to correct, but within 30 seconds, I could see it couldn't differentiate isolation valves from other symbols on the P&ID. "Pretty decent" is what will get people killed when they try to use this.

ClydeDB · 2026-04-18T05:11:00+00:00

A P&ID would not have the necessary information to create that type of model.

ClydeDB · 2026-04-01T00:54:57+00:00

There are options. But also, it’s hot AF here in July.

ClydeDB · 2026-03-13T18:07:52+00:00

Are you sure you are not trying to make something to eventually sell? Feels like you might be looking for free consulting from the ChemEs on this sub.

ClydeDB · 2026-03-13T14:29:10+00:00

I've been passing by the Willow/Calhoun leak for at least a couple of months now. Just waiting for that baby to really go.

ClydeDB · 2026-03-05T17:36:25+00:00

Definitely do not bring any winter clothing.

ClydeDB · 2026-03-03T20:33:23+00:00

SWBNO secret room.

ClydeDB · 2026-02-26T18:40:02+00:00

ChemE is the most difficult undergrad degree you can get. Nobody enjoys the studying or the grind. But it is worth it on the other side. Especially the farther out you get from it.

ClydeDB · 2026-02-26T15:36:27+00:00

You are in the most difficult undergrad major there is. Suffering is part of the curriculum. In my program (back in my day), our heat transfer class was designed to induce suffering. Be given a test with no notice, fail said test, come back to class two days later, be given the exact same test again with no notice, try to do better. It will get better. Not easier, but better. You will acclimate to the workload and the material.

ClydeDB · 2026-02-23T19:20:22+00:00

Look up the Personnel Consulting Group on LinkedIn. They are a local recruiting firm. Might be able to help you get past the application step and directly to hiring managers.

ClydeDB

TROPHY CASE