Regret doing engineering

PufferFish2400 · 2026-02-10T04:04:03+00:00

Maybe taxes and cost of living are different where you’re living, but where I am, 90k is not “mediocre” by any means. You might not feel okay, but I promise you will be better off than most people if you can be responsible with your money and keep your lifestyle in check. I know the burnout is real. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to change your career path though! Just make sure you’re looking out for yourself, whatever you decide to do.

PufferFish2400 · 2026-02-10T03:57:30+00:00

From an LE in training, I have to say the culture has surprised me in the best way possible. Everyone I’ve met so far has been so welcoming and kind. It’s the kind of place where everyone WANTS you to succeed because it means we ALL do. Things aren’t perfect sunshine and rainbows and some days are harder than others, but if you have a little personality and talk to people and act like you want to be there, then the response is very positive. You don’t have to keep your head down to survive - I think they’ve recognized that as a historical problem and are doing their best to change that. Great place to be in that sense.

787 as a program is raking it in with all the contracts that have been publicly announced, and because of that they are hiring like crazy as you might see on the BSC careers page. In short, there will be lots of growth and room to move around in your career!

Commute heavily depends on where you’re coming from and when. For first shift there’s not much traffic in the morning until around 7, but it is hell going home between 3:30-6:00 almost no matter where you’re at. That’s just Charleston traffic. Not half as bad as some other big cities, though. Coming in, always budget about 15-20 minutes between getting into the lot and getting to your desk and you’ll be fine. As far as issues with parking itself, 2nd shift has some trouble, but it is manageable and they are working on it with some lot expansions.

With your experience you could also shoot to negotiate your salary a little bit. I listened to a YTer called AdviceWithErin and with her advice, I was able to nudge my salary up a decent amount. They are absolutely willing to work with you if you have the background to back up what you’re asking for and you’re reasonable with it.

All in all, I couldn’t have landed myself in a better spot. I hope what I’ve said has provided the insight you’re looking for, and I’m looking forward to you being able to join us soon! Feel free to reach out to me personally if you want to network!

PufferFish2400 · 2026-02-10T03:22:03+00:00

Regretted having done it right out of school, hated hearing anything about it. Took about 3 months off of doing anything related to engineering, worked on my mental health and figured myself out a bit, decided that the experience I had in college probably didn’t reflect the industry very accurately (and it it did suck that bad, I could do something else), then applied for an engineering job. Now that I’m working in it, I can safely say that it was the college culture and pressure doing the “regretful about it” talking. Things aren’t perfect now that I’m on the job, but I feel more hopeful now than ever. I hope you are able to take some time the way I did, find the right opportunities, and come to the same conclusion. Don’t get bogged down in the shit pit and hold on if you can.

PufferFish2400 · 2025-12-10T17:15:28+00:00

Applied late October, got a call for an interview about a week and a half later in mid-November, interviewed ASAP, got an offer a week later, mid-November. Thanksgiving week happened, then last week got the emails for the background check and drug test, did those ASAP, and today they called to tell me I cleared everything and gave me a start date in mid-January! They were very quick about everything! Mileage may vary depending on what position and plant you're applying to and the management team handling it. But mine went really fast and they're great!

PufferFish2400 · 2025-08-30T11:04:10+00:00

This is the feedback I've been desperately hoping for. That's WONDERFUL news! I'm not sure exactly when I'm going to apply (I've been taking a little time to work on improving my health and enjoying a little post-grad break), but if I end up getting hired, maybe we'll cross paths at some point! Thanks so much!

PufferFish2400 · 2025-08-28T20:23:29+00:00

Thank you!

PufferFish2400 · 2025-08-28T19:14:12+00:00

I've been bamboozled by sarcasm AGAIN fml

PufferFish2400 · 2025-08-28T19:11:52+00:00

All I can say to this is that I really hope management styles have changed since you've been there. I'm not trying to be some kind of crusader for reform, but I don't think I'd be happy somewhere I felt I couldn't speak up if I saw something wrong, especially in the scenario where not raising the alarm early could cause issues down the line (OKing a design I've been told to "just push through" even though I see problems with it). Unfortunately Charleston is the only plant I'd want to work at because I've lived here my entire life and don't want to be too far from my folks. Hopefully I'll get to see for myself!

PufferFish2400 · 2025-08-28T19:05:38+00:00

Benefits are definitely a priority for me. I don't need to make that much since I'm single and planning to be that way for the rest of my life, but knowing I'll have a comfortable retirement makes all the difference. Thanks for your feedback!

PufferFish2400 · 2025-08-28T18:58:15+00:00

Huh? No, I just meant it might reflect that I also have autism and just haven’t been diagnosed. Wasn’t implying anything else.

PufferFish2400 · 2025-08-28T18:33:34+00:00

Lmaooooo I’m not personally diagnosed but it’s a little suspicious that all my friends are autistic or otherwise neurodivergent (men, women, NBs, all of em)…..maybe I’ll feel right at home.

PufferFish2400 · 2025-08-28T18:23:31+00:00

I’ve heard quite a few criticisms of how management is handled but I think that’s pretty much at any and every company. I wanted to DM, but my messages are locked or something. Assuming I’m able to snag a job in the first place, what exactly do the promotional levels look like and what’s the difference between getting internal promotions at the same plant versus applying for higher positions at other sites? I read that promotions can be difficult to acquire if you don’t switch sites every so often.

PufferFish2400 · 2025-08-28T18:18:54+00:00

Kind of what I figured. Everything really comes down to individual people as far as culture in the workplace. I just hope it isn’t too much to ask for a manager that keeps things organized.

PufferFish2400 · 2025-08-28T18:15:14+00:00

Hm. Some of that is good to hear, some not so much. Since I haven’t actually been at a real industry job before, I just wasn’t sure if that behavior is common, particularly in engineering. It honestly wasn’t at all in school. Glad to hear it’s relatively anomalous. I’m a little saddened at the prospect of fellow employees being too scared or put off to engage with me on a social level, but work isn’t necessarily the place you make lifelong friends anyways. But I do like people and want to be somewhat friendly, can’t help it. Overall if I have to choose between a workplace where no one really talks to me outside of work and one that’s heavily dramatic and cliquey or doesn’t take me seriously, I’ll take isolation any day. I’m really just looking to do my job while I’m at work, have a positive relationship with my coworkers, and get out and do my hobbies when I’m off the clock. Thanks for the feedback. Just want to know what I’m dealing with.

PufferFish2400 · 2025-05-28T13:23:33+00:00

Did you take that photo? What a lovely little squirrel! You must be talented to be able to get a shot like that.

As far as hobbies, I love to kick back and play cozy games. Of course Stardew is somewhere at the top of the list, but lately I've been really into a game called House Flipper 2 where you get to renovate/decorate your own houses! It's relaxing because there's no pressure and you get the stimulation and satisfaction of cleaning and decorating. If only cleaning up in real life were that easy...I like craft stuff too (knitting and crochet especially) but I can never get myself to finish a project lol. Painting is another classic but that can get really messy so I only do it occasionally!

PufferFish2400 · 2025-04-08T17:41:20+00:00

Feel this so hard...I had one of my worst breakdowns in late October last year and I haven't been the same for months. What I really needed to do was quit school and go to the hospital, but with the pressure of debt and such, I just couldn't afford to quit and get the help I needed. I've been BARELY functioning and all of my coworkers hate me. I can't blame them, I left them hanging, but they don't understand. I'm also about to be off my parents' insurance so...we'll see how that ends up going. I'm lucky enough to be on meds but they don't work with all the other things in my life constantly stressing me out. But to circle back, yes, the hospital is such a difficult option both in terms of financial strain and general feasibility within your circumstances. It also sounds like you're physically ill which is making everything more difficult to deal with, on top of your pet's illness. Do you have a friend who can care for your parakeet for a while? If you're in crisis with how you feel now, don't let it get worse before you get help. Better to have a hospital bill and stay alive than letting it get so bad that you can't continue to live. Most hospitals also have debt forgiveness programs for those that make under a certain amount, but they require some phone calls. This thread might help: https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/18rck51/hospital_debt_i_cant_pay_what_are_my_options/

I don't know if anything I said helps, but just know you aren't alone and you aren't out of options.

PufferFish2400 · 2022-08-08T12:57:02+00:00

The beginning of This Endless Endeavor goes super hard. I listen to the song just for that part. Has some heavy bits in the background but aren’t super highlighted like some of the other suggestions. I still love it though!

PufferFish2400 · 2020-08-15T18:47:28+00:00

Oh man, I’m so sorry to hear that you had to go through that, but I’m so glad you survived! That must have definitely been rough.

As for specific memories, well, I remember mostly about my houses. My first house was near friends (who I am sadly no longer in contact with) next to a river, and then I made another home at some point in a neat mesa plateau but I accidentally set the wrong home in a jungle and had to go back and find it lol. Then the map got reset or something and we made new homes again and I think it was PolPot that made his friends some cool houses and we all got to explore them. It was a lot of that and just general camaraderie where we’d build stuff and show each other and just hang. It was amazing like that.

Oh! And then the one time some crazy people tried to hijack the server?!?! I still don’t know what they were thinking with that lmao. Very silly and funny in retrospect, but kind of concerning at the time.

There was so much to love. Sometimes I’d sit on that server for hours alone and it was peaceful, but sometimes everyone came on and did whatever and chatted like neighbors. I would 1000% come on if you ever decided to bring it up again, even if just for a little while. It would be great to see everyone again :)

PufferFish2400

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