Just wanted to thank everyone who has replied thus far. I do appreciate hearing about what you guys have done and all the encouragement/suggestions which by the way, I do take to heart. I do plan to attend collage right out of high school, while maintaning a part time job (maybe BLMA if it gets that big! ha ha). On top of the RR industry, designing things and factorys have always been interesting to me. I am currently taking a mechanical drafting class at school which I enjoy. Any way, things to ponder eh? Thanks again everyone.
Thanks, Watash, I think I really needed that. It is possible that my experiences have made hardened me to the realities of this world...and one of those realities that I greatly fear is having to live out of a garbage can...so I am spuring myself along just as hard as I can go. Now believe it or not...I have been told I write really well...and I really enjoy writing stuff that makes people think, which I am also good at, as well as technical writing that people OTHER THEN engineers and technicians can Understand!...NAHHH! I am going to finish this semester, I might have an internship over the summer, and if I discover I really don't like this whole engineering thing, I might be cable to go into the writing business...although it is a large, competitive world of many great uncertianties and politics...so i might stick to this till I am on a solid ship...No good throwing out a good favorite shirt if it still looks good on you and the people still complement it.
Benny, ponder your future as you are now, and consider the other possibilities along the engineering field. We know the computer is here to stay. It HAS TO! No one is left with the skills to manufacture the tooling, machines, or assembly plants to produce anything in America without a computer. Speed language and speed-o writing has ruined my spelling, so now I too have to rely on a spell-checker, or chuckles when someone reads what I am trying to say. Besides I think so fast I can't get it down on paper correctly. That will hurt your spelling too. When sitting in on Board Meetings, you now have to learn to take notes all over again. The CEO says: "We have to have more production at less cost" so you write out long-hand: we hav 2 hav + prodn @ - $. (SEE?) If you stay in engineering, there is: experimental design and development (I did), design for production, design for robotic assembly, design for advertizing (media), packaging design (damage & box), design for stacking (warehouse & shipping) design of product & accessories, a long list just in design now days. In my day, we were expected to perform any and all of it. Now one guy does just one of those. The days will pass faster than I could get you to believe. There will be a day come that you will remember this, and you will suddenly realize, you ARE my age! I'm 72! I have had some articles published, co-authored a paper on hovercraft bag characteristics relating to finger design, and have had some photos published. I have written short stories that were also published, and am slowly writing a novel that (I think) would make an excellent suspense movie. All of that was done while I was working full time, sometimes over-time, raising two kids, and occasionally keeping a nagging wife from causing me to start singing soprano! You don't have to give up your day job to write. You might have to decide whether to run a train or write or sleep, though. Do not get discouraged! It also helps to be long winded. My wife says, "Don't ask him the time, or he will tell you how to build a watch!" Looking at what I have written here, I'm guilty! So I'll quit! [ 19 March 2002, 10:19: Message edited by: watash ]
My Turn...... After I finished school, I tried out a few jobs in the forest Industry, but I felt that there was more to life than spending it working with all the people I went to school with, so I joined the Navy (see the world from the deck of warship with a chipping hammer/broom/scrub brush/paint brush in hand as well as being a professional seagoing garbageman). I spent 21 years in the mob as a professional seaman doing such tasks as underway replenishment, Internal security, EOD, demolitions, maintenance and operation of all weapons up to and including .50 cal HMG, handling ships boats, painting and ships husbandry as well as general seamanship and more hours of sea watches/duty watches than I care to remember. I retired from the navy in 1976 due to government cutbacks and started to work part time at a model train store in Victoria (Pacific Scale Rail) and became manager two years ago. At age 46, I still have a few years of work ahead of me, however, working in a model train store is like an alcoholic working in a brewery and I don't think that I will tire of the job for awhile yet. Cheers. Terry
As for myself, I'm an electical engineer working for an electric utility. Been in the industry almost 18 years now. We're one of the most powerful companies in town in fact we've got so much power we're selling it for practically nothin'! Just a little utility humor there... Being an electrial engineer, I often joke that I didn't have much of a choice on my hobby.... An electrical engineer is an electric train driver, right? It gives me a good hands-on break from work. It's fun for at least one of my sons too. I just have too many other interests to be able to devote long stretches of time to the hobby. Something about raising a family, which is where all the fun really is, right? Mark
This is very interesting topic and a fantastic read. For myself I started out in the sixties as a rock and roll disk jockey. Then graduated to doing TV news and commercials. Didn't want to move to the big market so I moved into sales and marketing. That lead to management and that lead to managing real estate commercial projects. Now I own (along with my partners and the mortgage company) two office complexes in the suburbs of major Canadian city. As I near retirement its nice to be my own boss (most times). Things can be good when things are going good and our tenants are successful. However if the tenants have problems and rents don't come in then the income falls behind the expenses and I don't earn anything. So like most people who sign their own pay check - its great when you have the money to pay the bills but hell when inflow slips and you still have the bills to pay.. [ 22 March 2002, 05:19: Message edited by: Blaine B ]
For the next few months? Nothing!!When the doc says can though I will be a CNC lathe operator for Williams Form Engineering where I have worked for the last 23 years.
I am a design engineer for a company that makes trenchers and horizontal directional drilling equipment. Lots of steel & iron, not quite on a loco scale, but fun none-the-less. At least i can see the tracks from the office window. Lots of intermodal traffic on BNSF every day!
I'm a retired electrical Designer. Electrical energy is something that will always be needed in a technological society. When you graduate from highschool take a course in electrical engineering at a technical college if you can't afford to go to university. From that you would graduate as an Electrical Engineering Technologist. Sure you wouldn't have the University Degree to hang on the wall but you would be able to the same job as an Electrical Engineer. Send applications to your State Utility Co. and if your marks were good at school I'd bet you'd get a response pretty quick. We all know being a computer geek can give you a big rush, but someone has to design the systems that bring the power through a distribution system to run those computers. That's something a computer geek can't do!
Retired after 41 years in engineering, marketing, and management in the computer industry ... process control, robotics, shipboard systems, space programs .... lotsa fun, lotsa politics, lotsa travel ... but hey, it paid well! Be positive, be interested, be informed, be firm in your values, and above all ... be friendly!!! P.S. If at all possible, get a college degree. It doesn't have to be from Harvard, UCLA, or any place you ever heard of ... it just shows the hiring manager that you have what it takes to complete a tough project, and that's all that counts .. believe me!!!! [ 25 March 2002, 02:28: Message edited by: Hank Coolidge ]
At 22 I am about ready to graduate with an Associates in Computer Science (computer programmer) although I am far from proficient. Currently working Technical Support for Microsoft helping you Windows users with your PC's, and the pay is...surprise, surprise...crap! ($9.90/hour). I will be married 2 years in June and my wife works full time as a Shift Manager in the fast food trade to help keep us afloat. Thanks to Osama and the rest of the decline in the economy here in Utah, everyone laid off their interns so job prospects are not promising at the moment...waiting to see what my school can do for me in finding work and then I get to start paying back the $13,000 I borrowed for school . In retrospect I think Computer Programming is not my strong suit, but I am in it now and I need the money bad. I am surprised at the number of programmers on this board...since you are already in the job market can you tell me what languages you have found you excel in, how companies have treated you in teaching you languages you don't excel in...the politics of the field, etc. I have also been told I have a nack for writing, and do wish at times I had taken the money and sought after a degree in English but I guess I was always scared and insecure about it...it is still a hobby for me, so who knows... My greatest enjoyment was always flying aircraft, but the commercial route was just too expensive to pursue without joining the AF and that wouldn't have worked for me.
As others have said get the degree and you won't be sorry. I first worked for the B&M during summer vacation in 1943 when the age requirements were relaxed during WWII. After technical school for aircraft instruments and a year in the Army I began ful time in the signal Dept of the B&M. Eventually became supervisor and resigned in 1971 to become an FRA Signal Inspector. Retired in 1989 and did consulting for almost 6 years and then retired for good. Now I walk the dog and watch the UP (former SP) cross the trestle over the Sacramento River here in Redding and scan the web to keep up with the railroad news. Gil Abar
Hey Justind, don't sweat it. I'm an Electrical Engineer who "fell" into programming. I've worked 20 some years as a programmer and never a day as an Electrical Engineer. Life is.
I have been a Deputy Sheriff for the past 23 years. Before that a State Probation & Parole officer. Now my retirement count down clock is running on high speed and I will soon be heading for my retirement home in the Ozarks! Weather forcast sunny and bright, time to go fishing. Weather forcast not so good, time to head to the train room.
I am a live sound engineer for one of the best audio companies in the business. Last night I worked the mixing console for the Governor's Ball after the Academy Awards. My boss ran the mixer for the actual awards ceremony inside the Kodak Theater. I have been in charge of sound for many celebrity events including the grand opening of the Kodak Theatre last November out on Hollywood Blvd. I have also run sound at the weddings of such people as Rob Thomas from the band Matchbox Twenty,Jennifer Lopez and Daniel Petrocelli, one of the lawyers involved in the OJ Simpson case. I have worked for this company for almost 4 years now and have a lot of fun.
I am a Crocodile wrestler, Bull rider, Lion Tamer, Tiger castrator, Virgin Fixer and Thrill Seeker. In my spare time I am an Aircraft Engineering Officer in the Australian Army. Currently working with our Black Hawk Simulator; we purchased last year from the Canadians Eh! i am in my 20th year of service, joined at 16 straight from school, they trained me to reach this point. P.S. I like Beer [ 26 March 2002, 09:14: Message edited by: MRL Mick ]
I started out as a grocery store stockboy in HS, and worked there full time while going to school part time. I have also worked as a truck driver. After college got a sales engineer job with a process valve company, worked as an Industrial Engineer at a plastic molder, An engineering buyer for an HVAC supplier, and am currently in a sales/marketing function at an industrial automation company. As far as college, I can't say that I use a whole lot of it ( I have 2 degrees, ME, and Management) and I'll have my house paid for before my student loans. But it has made me more marketable in job search. Stick out school, it will open doors, but avoid borrowing money to go to school - student loans are a scam.
I consider myself blessed to be a mechanical engineer (since 1983), because it runs through everything I do. I don't do pure engineering, since I work for a material handling company (since 1990). Among other things, we manufacture/design/install pneumatic tube systems in hospitals (think about those drive in bank systems and you get the idea). I get to travel to jobsites around the US, work with many different people, and look forward to work each day. And I always look for the railroad tracks! The job also helps fund this ol' hobby, and helps me surmount the many challenges of model railroading.
