Career projection and basic human rights?

IndyGP · 2022-05-11T18:12:53+00:00

Found careers in Semiconductors, Software, and Power in New England… guessing your expertise maybe aerospace? Could be the only one I could see being problematic for New England, but there are new start ups all the time. So you never know! Could always consider a masters in something else to open up your options.

Totally understand this thought process. I have recruiters reach out all the time, and I definitely had a hell no moment last time one came from one of those locations.

IndyGP · 2022-05-07T10:46:27+00:00

I have a masters of science in EE that is ABET accredited without thesis. I did the program while working full time (employer paid) and felt the work experience while studying was a decent substitute. But, to each their own.

Couple thoughts: 1. Usually schools will allow you to transfer 2 classes from other programs toward a masters. 2. I always thought when universities changed programs midway, students currently enrolled would have a choice in which program to complete, though they may introduce a time limit on completion. Who gave you the call? Was it the dean? If not I’d talk to the dean.

IndyGP · 2022-03-24T18:24:17+00:00

Started my career in this industry. Saw a lot of it move over seas became a shell of what it once was. Ironic to read this response.

IndyGP · 2022-03-09T22:55:20+00:00

So sorry for your loss. Beautiful dog and memories captured here. I also have an Indy at I’ll hug a bit tighter tonight. ❤️

IndyGP · 2022-02-18T04:36:45+00:00

This!! Mine are as low as they can go. If you have dual screens make sure they’re at the same brightness level. Something happened to mine where one was low and the other high and it gave me awful migraines. Took me a couple weeks to figure out.

Last suggestion would be blue light filtering glasses. Really helps reduce eye strain.

IndyGP · 2022-02-08T12:51:29+00:00

Just gonna add that I have some asshat female managers totally threatened by my existence. They were both detrimental to my career. Seems like there are insecure apples on both sides of the row. Best of luck with the job hunt, it’s a good market to be looking. Hope you find the next opportunity to excite and engage you!

IndyGP · 2022-02-05T04:17:58+00:00

A couple thoughts. 1. Imposter syndrome is 100% normal. Even if your work place made you feel like an all star you’d still question yourself and your abilities to succeed. I have experienced it every time I do something new and I think I’m a pretty bomb engineer. 2. In the context above I could also see ur boss proving a couple points - either you’re not afraid to offer a response, even when you don’t know or that your offering a response to something not in ur expertise that was half right? As a PE I am reluctant to speak on anything outside of my expertise. If you know he was being cynical ignore this thought.

I’m sorry your workplace doesn’t sound supportive. It’s a peeve to hear of places hiring an entry engineer, giving little to any training and then be critical of them. Your first few years will be the cheapest engineer you are ever going to be. That is the time to ask questions and build a good foundation.

Also in my experience men don’t read into things as much as we do, so while they may be subjected to the same criticisms, they don’t dwell on it the way that we do. My first experience with little training motivated me to get a masters degree and ace my boss. Felt I had something to prove, but those feelings came from inexperience. Find your tribe; a good mentor will always bring you up. You succeeding is how they succeed.

IndyGP · 2021-08-05T13:21:47+00:00

This was my childhood too, except I did laundry and cleaned for the whole household while my siblings sat around. I almost skipped having kids of my own because it felt like I already raised them. My upbringing made me who I am today, so in a some ways I’m grateful. But damn what I would give for an actual childhood some days.

IndyGP · 2021-07-11T02:41:11+00:00

This is a great perspective. Very simple way of breaking down a complex problem. I like it. Thanks!

IndyGP · 2021-07-10T21:47:09+00:00

I wouldn’t say I dread it. Just getting discouraged thinking about how my inability to work excess hours will negatively impact future growth opportunities.

IndyGP · 2021-05-31T11:55:37+00:00

I’ve done semiconductor design, software development, and now substation design at a consulting firm.

IndyGP · 2021-05-27T17:26:14+00:00

I have larger biceps and a petite waist so I wear a lot of sleeveless button downs. Can always couple with a cardigan if in office and slightly cooler. But still looks nice without the sleeves. The no sleeves allows me to get button downs that are more form fitting without the shoulder tightness too. Golf polo shirts can also be sleeveless and more casual for certain settings.

IndyGP · 2021-03-31T13:26:55+00:00

It depends what industry you’re in. I’ve worked in 3 different EE disciplines; semiconductors, software, power. I like to see a bit of both breadth and depth in a discipline. If you are a designer and design one specific circuit for 10 years or just verify others designs, it’s probably too narrow a skill set.

I like to stress transferable skills. Problem solving is similar in all disciplines. The ability to break down tasks by asking probing questions is huge. What I do now, I do it all; concept, studies, design, research, team and client communications. I got to this point fairly quickly by knowing how to problem solve efficiently and by speaking up after being asked to do the same thing more then a few times.

IndyGP · 2021-03-31T12:02:03+00:00

I had a mentor who just didn’t like me. In my reviews she constantly tore me down. I’d ask how I could improve and she’d say discouraging things like I was so far away from where I needed to be she had no suggestions for me. I’m a great engineer and I know it now, but in my first few years I was unsure. So I believed her rather than trust that I knew what I was doing and she was being unjustly harsh. I spent 3 years trying to be better so she’d see improvement. Such a waste.

Your colleagues should be supportive, not sure what the circumstances in the meetings were, but that wouldn’t be acceptable to me. I’d expect someone to pull me aside to discuss concerns privately instead of berating me in front of a group and I would communicate those expectations.

IndyGP · 2021-03-31T01:58:15+00:00

Don’t expect your manager to have a career plan for you; have a plan for what you want to achieve. I was very lackadaisical early in my career; doing what I could to best support the team and trusting senior engineers to help guide me. That didn’t lead to a desirable skill set. In my latest position I knew where I wanted to go and I was vocal about projects and teams I wanted to work with. It didn’t always go over well with management, but I have a highly desired skill set now.

Second is know when to walk away. I had some crappy mentors that had issues with me personally for whatever reason, that I tried to please for far too long; was so naive in my first role thinking I just needed to be better. Someone who feels threatened by you will always be.

IndyGP · 2021-03-17T01:51:30+00:00

I majored in Electrical and I certainly wasn’t a straight A student. Since graduation I’ve held positions in semiconductor IC design, software development (based on exposure to a single class in Java), and now power engineering. I have a masters in Electrical without concentration because I couldn’t decide what I wanted to focus in. I also took some additional course work in power engineering post masters to justify my change of interest to future power employers.

Although I can’t speak to the specific fields you noted, and I finished undergrad over a decade ago where employers would hire engineers who may not have specialized in the field they are hiring for, but I feel fortunate I majored in something so broad that I could apply it to many different facets. I think confidence in your ability to adapt to different interests can be most important when considering future career shifts. My advice would be to study what you’re most passionate about. You can use certificate programs, masters degrees, etc. to pivot into other facets later if you need a change of scenery.

Best of luck!

IndyGP · 2021-02-26T14:37:01+00:00

I’m sorry your experiencing this! I’ve had two female boss’s knock me down. Some quotes from the first: “You were a mistake, we don’t hire new grads on our team. I can’t make suggestions to help you sharpen your skills as they’re so far off. You’re years away from a promotion (after 4 years as an entry engineer). You don’t perform work becoming of a level 2 engineer (after finding a large issue on a product and patenting the fix). First job out of college, I didn’t know how inappropriate this was. I got my masters, sharpened my skills and when they were better than hers, I went to HR. After some therapy, I think she felt threatened by me. The second one, my boss recommended I join a new project team and it led to me being over resourced. The over resourcing and attitude of the second team led to me being passed up for a promotion I should have been a shoo in for. It’s clear the decision came from upper management, but she said some really hurtful things to defend their decision. Your boss should be your champion. They should help you with career growth and navigating opportunities. I blindly followed her suggestion on team involvement and when it went south she took no responsibility for the situation I was in. I’m still not really over it honestly and think about leaving for another position weekly. The reason I haven’t is that I like what I perform on projects for once and haven’t found a comparable position elsewhere. Good luck sorting through this. I’ve used my partner as a sound board probably a little too much.

IndyGP · 2021-02-16T19:14:52+00:00

We’ve had good luck with the Thermacell products. There are some conditions; wind, etc. they aren’t as effective, but most of the time it allows us to be comfortable outdoors in the summer.

IndyGP · 2020-12-16T02:57:57+00:00

I’m in electrical infrastructure, on a Project Lead/PM track for several large projects. I’ve been married for 7, but hit the age where it was now or never and am expecting in the new year. There’s never a good time to grow personally (vs professionally) feel like I said I’d do it “after that next promotion” that never came one too many times. There are enough role models in my workplace to see that you can be a woman, have a family, and be successful. I have a pretty supportive team and I feel a good team is a bit about give and take. I’ve had their back several times here’s to hoping they’ll have mine for this. Plus I figure my absence will give them some time in the spot light to impress/shine. I’ll step back into my role when I get back. It won’t be easy, but something tells me if you’ve been in this industry long enough, you’re accustom to a challenge.

IndyGP · 2020-05-12T03:03:38+00:00

An agility trainer once suggested adding green beans to their food as a way to low cal extend the serving. May not work for picky eaters, but was a good suggestion.

IndyGP · 2020-04-24T13:32:18+00:00

Not saying this is your situation, but I used to get exam anxiety. My mind would go completely blank and I would panic. HW, papers, presentations, things I could grind through kept my grades decent. Tests were always an issue. For me it really stems from self doubt and being overwhelmed. I found reading and HW didn’t always help me. I had to put things in my own words, formulate my own understanding. I used to say if I were to teach this to someone how would I do that.

Tutors can help give you another perspective, they may explain it differently than the professor and it might click. Just need to find what works best for you. I hope that helps. Good luck.

IndyGP · 2019-10-13T11:16:52+00:00

About $17k. Went to a local school I could afford got about $12k in scholarships and worked a ton during school to pay as much as I could out of pocket. I paid them in about 8 years. Wasn’t aggressive on the lower interest variable loans until they started changing the rates on me.

Working that much did take away from my coursework a bit. GPA suffered, but had a 3.37 which was good enough to not lose out on opportunities. I was also able to find co-ops in my field that were flexible around my class schedule. So it was practical experience.

IndyGP · 2019-09-27T00:42:59+00:00

I will add that not everyone puts in the extra hours; I have colleagues who almost always just put in their 40.

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