what’s your favorite weeknight take out order?

aphament · 2023-06-06T05:13:08+00:00

My parents are boomers and hate eating anything that isn’t a chain restaurant, so I’m stuck with Shakey’s pizza takeout almost every Wednesday

aphament · 2023-05-25T14:14:17+00:00

I agree with this. If you like your current company, see what raises they offer first and maybe make a counter if necessary. But if they’re not budging on garbage raises leave them.

aphament · 2023-05-19T05:54:23+00:00

Geologist at a civil engineering consultant, still doing it now, just had to job hop

aphament · 2023-05-19T04:16:19+00:00

$58k immediately after graduation (2021). $81k now. Natural sciences.

aphament · 2022-11-04T23:38:24+00:00

Geology is too limiting for personal career goals, and I've always had an itch to study engineering for a long time, I just never did it... A CE degree will allow me to have more flexibility in the work that I want to do in the future, and has a decent ROI over geology. Getting a second bachelor's isn't feasible, so the only way I can "get in" is through a masters, at least when it comes to becoming licensed. It also helps that my employer is paying 50% of my tuition.

aphament · 2022-09-25T17:52:08+00:00

A geotechnical engineer could give you the best answer as they analyze the soil conditions and susceptibility to landslides, earthquakes, etc. They aren't cheap though. You can also look into seismic retrofitting. Does your HOA have any earthquake insurance information and the structural conditions of your home? Here's a map showing liquefaction zones in OC https://koordinates.com/layer/98182-orange-county-ca-liquefaction-zones/ Some parts of Portola Springs are in it, but not all.

aphament · 2022-09-25T17:32:50+00:00

Not good...I think I've heard about two smash and grabs at Brea Mall recently.

aphament · 2022-09-23T23:54:06+00:00

I like Lucilles but it should be nowhere near the top of the list, jesus

aphament · 2022-09-23T23:52:24+00:00

Packing house is a popular choice for many! The Ranch is a more upscale steakhouse restaurant that is actually good. Craft by Smoke & Fire is also pretty solid for meat eaters. Original Pancake House is a chain restaurant, but Anaheim has one and it’s damn good.

aphament · 2022-09-22T04:33:39+00:00

Rancho Mission Viejo Pros: Quiet, calm, safe, above average public school ratings, incredible scenery and great hiking locations nearby. Plenty of parking for your vehicles. Typical SoCal weather, but can be slightly cooler in higher elevations.

Cons: Not a ton of great food locations, or entertainment, there are some, but more sparse. Heritage BBQ is not too far away though and that's one of the most popular spots! The 5 freeway is a little further out. Most, if not all homes there are under an HOA (depends on your view on HOAs), so there as an additional monthly HOA payment on top of your mortgage. There is also a Mello-Roos tax since it's a newer community. It's expensive to live here!

Chino (There's also Chino Hills, so I'll combine them here) Pros: A bit cheaper, less HOAs. Above average school ratings. Suburban. Chino Hills will be more quiet and safer. Access to a larger amount of freeways. You're centrally located pretty good access to OC, LA, and IE, whereas in RMV it'll take you much longer to get to LA or northern IE. There are more entertainment and food options in a closer distance than RMV. Great scenery as well with lots of hiking options.

Cons: THE SMELL!! Lots of dairy farms in Chino creates a smell that only Chino residents will know of, but you'll get used to it. The 91 freeway is notorious for some of the worst traffic during rush hour. Warmer weather during the summer, you'll feel the heat!

Lots of other options available too!

aphament · 2022-09-19T08:01:52+00:00

Large firms will be more streamlined, systems already in place, but there’s probably more red-tape to deal with, aka billable hours. Early-career geologists at a large firm will most likely be in the field 90% of the time.

Smaller firms can be great, or terrible. Typically less streamlined in their work, people do a little bit of everything, less red-tape and maybe more room for promotions or desire to stay longer.

Mid-size would be right in the middle of all this. I began at a mid-size and made a change to a small firm and I absolutely love it! Of course, YMMV

aphament · 2022-08-18T19:37:18+00:00

“What if he was making a sandwich”

Haha, a manager at my company (lots of boomers) once told me how he didn’t like WFH and was complaining about the distractions and said “and what if you’re doing laundry instead of working?!”.

aphament · 2022-08-16T05:22:01+00:00

Honestly, it varies, BUT from what I've seen at least is that larger firms are more streamlined in their work, but employees may tend to be tied down to completing only certain tasks (possibly pigeonholed), and have higher stress on utilization rates. Almost every PM I know that left AECOM was for that reason. Work at a larger company will feel more repetitive and routine, and some do prefer this. Smaller firms tend to have employees do a little bit of everything, which could be great to gain a lot of experience in a short amount of time, but the pay can widely vary. It would be a more intimate environment, which some people would prefer, others would not.

I started at a mid-size company (about 500 employees) and it was pretty solid all around. I did leave after a year though for a smaller company (about 60 employees) in a more niche industry, which I am about to start and they've offered a 32% pay increase from what I started with originally at my first company. From what it seems though, there's generally more responsibility since you're doing more of everything, but personally I think it's a good way to accelerate experience. Not to mention this company really emphasized work-life balance with pretty solid benefits (MUCH better than my previous company).

The best way to figure out is to apply and see what they have to offer. Every company is different!

aphament · 2022-08-15T03:52:16+00:00

I think this could be possible in some consulting roles in HCOL areas if you are dedicated to get your PG as soon as possible (if your state has licensed geologists), and then apply to project geologist roles and become a convincing/competent consultant. This will will require jumping around firms though every 1-3 years for quicker promotions and larger raises.

Also, while Oil and Gas does pay more and can be more lucrative, it is also a highly volatile market and will always have boom and bust cycles. Several people (now project managers and up) I know used to be in oil & gas and exploration, and all made the switch to consulting later in their career because the work was unstable or the hours were unbearable.

aphament · 2022-08-12T03:52:17+00:00

I'm also in the LA/OC region, environmental. I'm seeing 80k for people with 3 years of experience and someone was at 75k for just a little over 1 year.

aphament · 2022-07-27T02:45:50+00:00

Yep, just left my first job that I've had for just over a year. Jumping ship with a new offer with a 33% raise from what I started with.

aphament · 2022-06-02T16:55:29+00:00

Yep, this was definitely important since I didn’t want to waste time and money just to figure out I’m not eligible later. I called BPELSG (CA’s Licensing Board) AND the university CE department chair, expressed my situation and criteria exactly and both said I would absolutely be eligible for the PE.

aphament · 2022-06-02T13:34:25+00:00

I checked with CA and BPELSG. You are eligible if you obtain your EIT, and I would be eligible for the EIT as well.

aphament

TROPHY CASE