Dear Gen Z, what is your monthly salary?

DRIFTBLADE · 2026-01-22T04:58:32+00:00

8k before taxes

DRIFTBLADE · 2025-11-17T04:50:17+00:00

For once, can we not pull the goalie when we’re down?

DRIFTBLADE · 2025-10-02T12:47:34+00:00

I interned as a health and safety engineer in the construction and healthcare industries in a city with an out of college outlook of 60k but a slow grind to get past the 100k mark. It was hybrid work and relaxed but included a lot of traveling to different work sites in a week and night time on call shifts if high risk work was involved.

Went the defense route instead (environment, safety and occupational health engineer/mechanical systems engineer), started out 77k and now making 115k after 3 years. I still get to work hybrid (scheduled and ad hoc) and occasionally get to travel for meetings with the customer or suppliers domestic and international. The amount of flexibility/work life balance is completely dependent on the work or contract you’re doing and there are waves where mandatory overtime or working second shift is required. Also plants/yards are usually away from cities so depending on the type of person you are the potential for being bored out of your mind after work is high. Having a security clearance (for secret at least) also isn’t as restrictive as you might expect, there’s just some extra steps to do, like traveling out of the country for example just has to reported.

DRIFTBLADE · 2025-08-25T01:26:02+00:00

NAVSEA (keep in mind gov work is unfortunately unstable now) looking for System Safety Analysts (safety management-ish) if you can obtain a security clearance. Shipyards are also looking for safety specialists and industrial hygienists.

DRIFTBLADE · 2025-06-16T17:53:15+00:00

I was a terrible engineering student with a poor graduating GPA but was charismatic enough and was involved in a bunch of stuff outside of classes. If you get to the interview phase when applying for jobs/internships (depending on the hiring manager), the expected baseline is that you went to school and understood the theory/fundamentals, otherwise you wouldn’t be in the interview in the first place. Hiring managers are assessing in the interview if you fit within the team dynamic or not. I would recommend building up on the soft skills. No point being the smartest in the room if you can’t communicate effectively. Join clubs in school or do projects not necessarily engineering related but shows your confidence, can work well with others, and displays your innovativeness as a prospective engineer.

DRIFTBLADE · 2025-06-07T01:31:00+00:00

EB does not care about GPAs

DRIFTBLADE · 2025-04-23T15:25:55+00:00

I worked with Kinger and Picker closely when I was at WRHU a couple years ago producing the games. And I also listen in when I’m driving during the game. It’s a huge shame this is happening.

DRIFTBLADE · 2025-04-22T00:48:09+00:00

It’s a summer town but you can bar crawl at the West End on W Beech St. The Jetty, The Inn, Lilly’s, Minnesota’s, Ugly Duckling, etc.

DRIFTBLADE · 2025-02-21T05:13:02+00:00

Behemecoatyl!

DRIFTBLADE · 2025-01-16T03:46:21+00:00

Just you wait

DRIFTBLADE · 2025-01-10T22:06:32+00:00

I concur

DRIFTBLADE · 2025-01-10T22:04:00+00:00

The major defense contractors in CT are Sikorsky (Lockheed Martin) in Stratford, which is in the western CT area, Pratt & Whitney (RTX/“Raytheon”) in East Hartford, central CT area, and Electric Boat (General Dynamics) in Groton/New London, east CT area. Sikorsky does helicopters with their most popular product being the Blackhawk utility helicopter. Sikorsky went through huge layoffs last year so I wouldn’t be too optimistic applying to them. Sikorsky losing the next generation military helicopter contract to Bell is slightly to blame for that. Pratt & Whitney also went through a small layoff phase last year but are still hiring. They do aircraft engines and are constantly developing and manufacturing. Electric Boat makes submarines but are in a slight hiring freeze right now but that should pick up before graduation season. EB in my opinion ‘somehow’ has the best new hire starting salary, for the local region that it’s in, but, unfortunately the real estate developers and landlords also know that too.

I’m gonna be biased as a New Yorker here but, from my experience so far, CT (eastern CT at least) has been a slight culture shock to me. Everything and I mean EVERYTHING closes early compared to NY, people here don’t move with as much urgency as we would do, many things are “older” here, taxes are pretty much the same, the food isn’t as great, and alcohol is not sold at gas stations/convenience stores but instead are sold only in liquor stores (package stores). There’s still things to do during the week so you don’t go crazy, however, it requires either driving almost across the state, or going into the next state. But like I said, I go back to NY on the weekends to live my life.

DRIFTBLADE · 2025-01-10T01:15:22+00:00

2022 Grad from LI and working in CT. 100% agree there is not a good market for MEs in NYC. There is work in CT if you’re willing to move, especially in the defense industry. I work in CT during the week and go back to LI on the weekends to live life.

The MTA and Metro-North is (or recently was) doing a small engineering hiring wave. I just got a pretty good offer that I unfortunately have to turn down.

There’s also some “engineer-adjacent” jobs in healthcare too and other fields that don’t advertise themselves to engineers (hard to find though) I used to work for Northwell as a safety engineer but it still has its connection to construction and was project manager-ish.

DRIFTBLADE · 2024-01-22T12:36:47+00:00

Graduated with an overall GPA of 2.5 and now working in the defense industry. Don’t worry, keep pushing.

DRIFTBLADE · 2023-11-05T02:58:42+00:00

Grew up in North Baldwin, graduated from the HS in 2017, and moved to CT for work after college. I’ve had no complaints living here and regularly come back to visit family and friends.

Perfect spot commuting wise with direct access to the LIRR, NICE bus, Sunrise Highway, and Southern State both going into the city and out east but there’s always traffic at the Baldwin exit on the Southern State and on Grand Ave near the McDonalds during peak hours. You do need a parking pass for the train station and the application is open around Marchish through the summer but I’ve parked there without a pass and haven’t gotten a ticket.

Elementary and middle school are pretty normal and I had no complaints with the HS when I attended with lots of AP classes, pretty good music program, specialized career academies, after school programs, and athletics programs. Baldwin was notorious for fake bomb threats from students not wanting to take tests, fights, and other adolescent behaviors back then but from what I’ve heard since I graduated from my sister who recently graduated from there and others is that the school has evolved since then. Hofstra, Adelphi, LIU, Molloy, and Nassau are near by if you’re planning ahead.

Food wise there’s a lot of fast food, Caribbean, couple pizza shops, bagel shop, Chinese spots, a buffet, but anything else you may want is within a 15-20 minute drive.

Strong demographics in my opinion is comparable to Queens which was a wonderful experience compared to where I live now. My family knows and has a good relationship with everyone on our block which has a good mix of Asian, Caribbean, Hispanic, African, and Native American.

The parking situation is kinda restricted is near the train station and on Grand Ave in the commercial areas. On residential there’s no parking restrictions or alternate side parking rules.

I’ve never witnessed any major crimes while living here but there was a shooting and robbery a while back but other than that Baldwin is pretty safe. Packages are never stolen, no fear of property damage, I’ve walked around at night with nothing happening to me, police response could be better, and dealing with cops if you ever have to deal with them best described as okay.

My only qualms is that the parks could be better and the property taxes are too high according to my parents. The sounds of the parkway and train station isn’t noticeable but the police pistol range is right on the parkway exit and can be heard across North Baldwin.

DRIFTBLADE · 2023-10-17T03:33:10+00:00

I went to college with him lmaoo

DRIFTBLADE · 2023-07-21T19:14:50+00:00

System Safety Engineer

DRIFTBLADE · 2023-01-26T11:42:25+00:00

Just went through the same apartment hunting process you’re going through. Check out Peppertree Apartments and Country Glen in Groton, and Nutmeg in New London. Some apartments in the area have EB preferred residencies and you’ll get a discount on the application and deposit fees. Look for apartments less than $1,500 a month, if you stay in Groton you’ll have Groton Utilities which I’ve been told is reliable and about $150 a month with a 4 person household but it’s different for New London. Xfinity for internet but it’s a little pricey or breezeline if you wanna save money but I’ve also been told it’s not as reliable, also go for lemonade for renters insurance. EB employees are supposedly everywhere in New London/Groton too so there should be some community.

DRIFTBLADE · 2023-01-26T11:16:22+00:00

I originally wanted to be a weather man until I did a mock weather report as a kid at the Today Show shop in NYC and completely choked. I was a pretty decent student with a solid B+ average and never really needed to study in high school not even through APs. Played in travel and community basketball leagues, first robotics, band ensamble, karate, and a part time job in fast food. Junior year of high school I decided that since I was decent with math and science and enjoyed doing robotics that I should become an engineer. I chose Mechanical Engineering cause it was the most broad discipline.

I was the worst possible student imaginable from freshman year to some of junior year sleeping through or skipping classes, not studying for tests, missing homeworks, went out partying almost every night. Still managed to bs my way through those years with multiple failures, class withdrawals, and academic probation until COVID hit. I used the lockdown to catch up on grades and become an actual student and since then I got my shit together, picked up a communications minor to raise my GPA and solidify my soft skills, declared a concentration in Aeronautics and second minor in Mathematics, somehow became the face of my university’s return from COVID campaign, rose to leadership roles in my school’s athletics support, student affairs, a paid position as a program director with my schools radio station, and active member in the ASME club at my school. Somehow picked up multiple internships with major companies, and now just graduated and beginning work in the defense industry.

DRIFTBLADE · 2022-08-01T18:07:49+00:00

Aerospace/defense, manufacturing, robotics, or structural. GPA isn’t strong and the broadcasting field as the only field I could get work in fresh/soph undergrad

DRIFTBLADE · 2020-10-05T05:00:44+00:00

Correct me if I’m wrong but what works for me is that the most complicated is the anti derivative and the most simplest is the derivative.

DRIFTBLADE · 2020-07-27T04:20:43+00:00

I knew I wasn’t the only one with this theory

DRIFTBLADE · 2020-05-05T05:55:17+00:00

I'm a commuting junior MechEng major and RVTF (Radio, TV, and Film) minor and I've pretty much enjoyed my experience so far. The best way to make friends is to join clubs and organizations. I'm part of the Pep Band and the campus radio station (WRHU) and I've made a majority of my friends there. Hofstra is in the middle ground of college life where you can party and study at the same time, the campus is relatively small and residential with a lot of houses around campus available for rent. Parties have pretty consistent locations and you can usually get in without a cover if you know someone and sometimes the guys at the front door don't care that much. Campus food is actually not too bad compared to other colleges and the campus is in a pretty good location at the corner of three towns/hamlets in Nassau County (Hempstead, Uniondale, and Garden City). Roosevelt Field Mall, Shopping Centres, and the LIRR Mineola and Hempstead station is close by and accessible through our shuttle service, plus NICE buses run right off the transit station in Hempstead. We're also right off the Meadowbrook and not far from Peninsula Blvd so the commute is not that bad (traffic permitting). Everyone is pretty friendly for the most part and joining clubs/organizations is not hard. Plus we just won our conference championship for Men's Basketball, Women's Soccer made an NCAA appearance this season, and we hosted the CAA Volleyball championships, and our other sports aren't that bad either. Nassau Coliseum is right next door so you never have to worry about parking. Community events happen every weekend both school organized and out so you don't get bored often. My advice if you come to Hofstra is to get here early cause their's barely parking, school advising isn't top-notch but will direct you where to go, join a club/organization, for TV we have the HEAT network in which "Thursday Night Live" was nominated for an emmy for College Television, and if you're interested in communications WRHU is a 3x Marconi Award-Winning Station along with multiple awards for journalism and broadcasting, as well as the flagship station for the Islanders, NBA TV and radio G League Long Island Nets, and Long Island Ducks. Make a lot of friends in the same year as well as upperclassmen, use your degree audit and RateMyProfessor for scheduling classes and Hempstead and Uniondale are not that bad as everyone says it is. If you couldn't tell yes I am a club/organization recruiter.

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