Careers - Tradesmen/Engineers /diy/ edition etc

I'm titled as an industrial electrician, in house for a specific highly automated manufacturing facility

basically I take calls from people who have something 'that doesn't work'. And I have to figure out why and get it working, everything from basic IT stuff and idiots who can't plug their stuff in, to trouble shooting industrial processes. When I don't have a call I work on PM stuff, condition checks, iso verification of sensors etc.

My job is amazing, I get to work with tons of crazy high end super obscure systems regularly. And if i can't work something out all im expected to do is find someone who can or spec out a new system to replace it. I have a little slice of the action from the light duty construction side to day to day trouble shooting of the underlying process which is being controlled to the new system engineering.

I would do it again and actively encourage smart young nerds to get into, everyone hears electrician and thinks they are gonna be drilling holes in the winter on a construction site. I'm really more like a electronics guy who has to comfortable around 600 amp 3 phase panels than what most people consider an 'electrician'.

>>923421

only catch is you have to remember your not going to let the smoke out of a 1/4 resistor and/or fry your 5 dollar arduino you might kill someone or cause so much damage in dollars you could never earn a fraction of it to repay.

So you really need to be sure you understand what your working on before you work on it, and your constantly working on things you never saw before, so yeah you just have to learn how to deal with that

Safety and reliability are paramount at all times.

Structural Engineer

I design structures, bespoke sculptures and staircases/balustrades, glass, concrete, aluminium frames, steelwork etc.

I do finite element analysis, computer and hand calculations, and generally tell architects that they're fucking stupid, whilst fighting with builders who insist they've 'been dun doing this for 30 years'

I get paid fuck all for the work I do, and unfortunately, time is so constrained that all the really cool shit I do is packed too tightly for me to actually enjoy it. I'm learning though, so hopefully I'll be able to better manage myself in future.

I wish I could have entered into cutting edge engineering software design, but I suspect its equally shitty, if not worse. We currently get cucked by autodesk on the daily, can't imagine working for them.

>>923424
Not that guy but I had a similar realization recently when I became out of my depth mid project. I don't go near anything now if the liability on my part is higher than I care to accept.

Its different when you are fixing stuff up for friends and family but once you start taking on the safety of strangers things can get heated very quickly.

>What is your job description?
Computer engineer. I work for a small company where everyone else only has programming experience, so I'm in charge of everything hardware related.

>What would you say you do on daily basis?
My company specializes in getting really old industrial equipment to work with modern control networks. Random cold war era technology shows up on my desk without any documentation, then I reverse engineer it and design electronics and software needed to interface with it. I get sent on trips if the equipment can't be shipped to my lab or I need to supervise an installation.

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?
Yes.

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?

I really like my job and skills, but sometimes I wish I'd done pure electrical engineering. Almost nobody understands that computer engineering is electronics and programming. They get it confused with computer science, thinks it's only hardware with no programming (or vice versa), or think it's like being an "Audio Engineer" (not really an engineer).

>>923567
>currently get cucked by autodesk
what do they do?

Telco splicer
I am supposed to: splice copper and fiber cables together, and build and test high capacity circuits.
I am currently on loan to residential/business repair which sucks because interacting with customers more directly. They're just tiresome because they're always like 'It's okay I have these pot plants I have a card' and 'I don't know how that cut tree limb fell on the wire' and having a half million dollar home in the middle of a forest but not paying anyone to ever trim trees and throwing a shit fit if you trim one when you're just trying to keep their phone from going out again in a year or to keep a tree from killing you.

I enjoy it quite well.

I would do it again,but I wouldn't fuck around getting g auseless college degree beforehand. I'd have more seniority and be in the middle of the pack instead the bottom of the rung. If there's a layoff in the next couple years I'm probably on the list.

Job prospects are fairly good. If you're smart the most dangerous thing you do is drive everyday. Work is skilled enough and dangerous enough that the illegals aren't totally killing the job market. Job prospects are just bad enough there's not a flood of newbies killing the market either, but still enough room for mobility every couple of years.

Instead I'd do one of my dozens of pipe dream inventions in programming which is a pretty shitty industry unless your pipe dream gets bought out.

>>923567
>>923567
Kitchen Manufacturer here. I now have almost zero respect for architects. This started with arguments over kitchen design where the architect was designing stuff that wasn't even legal then trying to get us to make and fit it to extremely badly designed houses (dad was a director in a very good building company).

I've met probably 200+ architects and of those, only 3 or 4 were any good.

I am a project manager in our turnkey department. We're selling manufacturing lines for various stuff or whole plants.

As every project is completly different from the other ones, there is no copy'n paste. We have to plan every little detail starting from which machines we're planning to use to solve the customers problem. I would say i am the one talking to a shitload of people so everyone knows where are standing and what we should do next.

I fucking love this job. As i am still quite young at got this job out of pure luck (although i hate to say this) i can be grateful that i got this opportunity.

This Job gives me the experience i need for my life goal so yes, its absolutly what i want to to and i would do it again.

>>923421

Okay money? Are you happy with your life and sufficiently challenged by your job?

>>923652

I'm just finishing a useless degree myself and experiencing similiar regret at not getting into some skilled labour.

My parents are telling me I've wasted a whole 4 years (I'm well aware I have) and are simply unhappy about my new interest to look for some kind of trade.

Could you let me know how you went about getting into the field with just a degree? How long did it take you? Ultimately all I want from a job is that it's not utterly fucking boring and that I can eventually make a comfortable living from it, would you say this is true/will be for you?

>>923673
What degree?
First year here, been considering dropping out myself

>>923672

Really good money, I never finished college so I'm hourly but my rate is a hair under 30 an hour and I get double time for some reason or another a few days a month. All the 1.5x overtime I want basically.

If i finish a degree or something in a few years I can do something more but for now it is still very challenging and I learn new things almost every day. Get thrown into a whole new sub field every few months too. It is demanding and i sometimes have to buy text books to read on my own time to complete work tasks but considering they are paying me wages to goto school a few times a month I'm ok with it.

My life is so so, but it has only been getting better since i got into this gig. And my life being fucked up is my fault not the career/fields fault.

>>923646
Autodesk produce a lot of design, drawing, modelling software etc.

They have a huge market presence and we pay out of our arse to keep up with the latest software which is often not compatible with older versions.

When coordinating on large projects, architects, structural, mech, electrical engineers often collaborate on a single model. So autodesk have ensured that you absolutely require the latest software at all times for this to work.

>>923656
Amen friend. Honestly, people have such respect for retarded architects for some strange reason. "Hurr durr don't you know it takes 7 years to become an architect"....well it often takes a fucking 4-5 year masters degree and 5 years of industry experience to become a chartered/professional engineer.

Architects are literally cancer.

Retired now, was variously an avionics tech, engine mech (crosstraining is fun) and a crew chief. Aircraft maintenance is a good gig if you do it in the Air Force and you can retire young then have many options based on your real-world experience. I don't need to work, and being work-optional is magnificent. Little overhead since I can maintain/fix/upgrade nearly everything I own.

It's a comfy trade group with no layoffs, great benefits, and UNlike most trades you don't need to work until your life is over. Then you can go to school for fun if you like. I've taken welding and CNC machining, beginning CAD this spring for my own amusement and to make some custom motorcycle parts.

I've done industrial maintenance and enjoyed that, plus you are the last guy they can fire if you know their proprietary machines and hoard knowledge. Welding goes with many trades but I've no desire to weld for a living. (Welding for yourself is fun and amazingly useful.) Machining is fun but it's a cut throat business and the pay scale for noobs is relatively low. I'm interesting in machining to add to my skills and have a personal lathe and mill.

Good mechanics never lack work but retail customers are idiots and unless you have a business plan and work your way up or specialize it's hard to save for retirement. If you DO get a business set up you can do very well. My late bro had a used car lot, bought vehicles at auction to fix for resale, financed in-house (but built the interest payments into purchase price with no "interest" so no early payoff and technically not lending money), scrapped the hulks when he hit the hundred-car mark (the point where you can call a portable crusher outfit and make bux), sold off catalytic converters, and generally made out like a fat rat. He was so old school he didn't even bother buying a lift and was quite efficient without one. I helped out there for a while and learned a lot.

The auto/truck mechanic is the most independent of tradesman because he can do side jobs and if he's any good will always have more work than he can possibly complete.

He can go anywhere and do OK.

Advice:
Tools will get you toys but toys won't get you tools. Own one or two RELIABLE vehicles that you don't rice or fuck with, then buy tools. The old method of buying at least one tool per payday no matter how small works.

If you aren't a fucking diehard gearhead you won't be happy. If you are, your work and play will be alike.

Study computers, electronics, and driveability diagnosis because any redneck can be a "parts changer".

>What is your job description?

Service Electrician

>What would you say you do on daily basis?

I do a lot of troubleshooting for residential and some commercial. Circuits not working I get sent out, can be as easy as a switch that controls an outlet which the homeowner knew nothing about to a lost neutral in an old knob and tube wiring house. Service changes are my favorite thing to do. Install new circuits from scratch in old homes, light fixtures/fans, etc. Very little 3 phase and transformer experience though.

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?

Absolutely. Each day is different enough to keep me engaged and excited but not so different that I am frustrated or annoyed. I need the right balance between monotony and unpredictability.

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?

After graduating high school I took some time off of education to get money. Years build quickly, wish I booted myself in the but faster to go to the trade school I went too. However, had I changed any of my beginnings I might not have ended up at the great company I am at. I wouldn't change where I am at right now for anything.

A little history and insight for those interested in the trades:

I took a huge gamble with my life-I left a job that paid $4 more on the hour, 3 weeks paid vacation, environmental control (tradesmen come to appreciate the consistent temperature of working indoors), and more than 7 years seniority, paid holidays, the works. I hated my job though and found a Craigslist ad that didn't even mention the name of the company hiring. The pay cut I took I couldn't afford my house with. I told the owner of the company the truth and he said he'd give me that extra dollar an hour within 90 days if I had a good work ethic. Got the raise weeks before that 90 days was up.

Moral is find a company that is good and a trade you feel like you will enjoy, and take a chance.

>>923706

Do you know how to get into aircraft maintenance jobs without going through the armed forces, at least here in the UK, I don't seem to be able to find any college courses relevant to it. Or do you just go and do some college course introduction to engineering and then apply to jobs or what? Seems like a very complicated way to get into working.

>>923679
>>923673
I got a history degree and faffed around for a year and almost joined the military but I couldn't get into officer school because my GPA wasn't high enough, so I was taking some more courses at community college to traise it and get more science. Science classes were so much easier, oh my god. Fuck that fucking history degree. Calc 3 was like a fucking break from having to write 50 pages a week.

I was getting tired of being unemployed and living with my parents so I got more serious about looking for jobs that were serious. There was a job as a ditch digger for the phone company, I placed and repaired the wire to the customer's house for four years. Well that was my job title but after a couple years I got sucked up to work in a call center because I could type so fast. Which happened to work out great because I was still responsible to my boss but I was working for this other guy, so I could take vacation whenever I wanted and didn't need to worry too much about any demands the new guy made since he wasn't really my boss.

After years ditch digging I was getting tired of that and was getting desperate for a technician job. The ditch digging was drying up too. I got out just in time, they started surplussing the ditch diggers the next month after I left.

I had to take a job in a really shitty area to get the promotion. I worked there for three years, and finally got lucky moving back to a good area and keeping a good job.

I will probably stay here until I retire, area is perfect, job is great. There's a little bit more I could do to get higher pay but not much. It's time to chill... which will be tough for 20 more years. Lots of people retire out of this job class though.

So it's not utterly boring, and a comfortable living. I'm most concerned about the industry evaporating, or getting bored about the lack of mobility--I'm already at the top of what technicians can do, and management is not an option with this company.

>>923753
I guess the point is get in on the ground floor and move your way up. But you have to start with a real company. Like, that would be dumb if I did it at Target or something. Start stocking shelves and get into what? Registers? Management? Even management only makes like $20/hour before their bonus.

>>923577
>Random cold war era technology shows up on my desk without any documentation, then I reverse engineer it and design electronics and software needed to interface with it.

Holy fuck that's sounds interesting. Do you get paid well? And what's your favorite programming language, something low-level?

>>923152
HVAC Tech
Repair commercial HVAC equipment.
I like the actual work. My mind was built for troubleshooting. Unfortunately I live in a big city with brutal traffic so I spend most of my time sitting in my truck which I absolutely hate at this point. Also the somewhat seasonal aspect of my work makes for inconsistent hours especially in the mid seasons.

Not sure if I would do it again as im considering changing jobs at the moment. Unfortunately I have no idea what else to do as my qualifications are fairly specific.

>>923771

The best millwrights were previously hvac. If you train any barbarian to swing a hammer/wrench but the certified barbarians who can actually troubleshoot are rare and sought after. You might not even take that big of a paycut starting out going to an apprentice position considering you would actually be working year round.

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>>923771
7 months HVAC.

>>923768
I'm paid $50k/yr, which is the low end for someone with my skills, but I get to set my own schedule and usually have a 28-hour work week. I left a higher paying job to take this one because I couldn't handle being bored at work.

My favorite language is Assembly. The reverse-engineering phase of my job often involves pulling the machine code out of a computer system dissasembling it and figuring out what's going on. I need to use C++ when I design interfaces to the old hardware because that's what everybody else uses.

>>923152
>What is your job description?
Operator at a security company

>What would you say you do on daily basis?
Taking calls from various people, mostly work at night, which I prefer.

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?
Yeah, it is a challenging job. Often have to solve new problems.

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?
Yeah of course. However, I would rather work at an IT company since that is my interest and I gone through education within that field.

>>923567
Pretty much this except my salary is decent. Whereabouts do you work?

>What is your job description?
union Pipefitter in a defense contractor that builds ships for the united states navy.
went to community college, apprenticed on the outside, got journeyman plumbing/gas ticket, and then got laid off. Thats why i'm there.
>What would you say you do on daily basis?
try to complete piping work packets, and fix fuckups
>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?
no. the amount of waste and inefficiency in this place is absurd, both on the union side and company side. i want to transfer into facility maintenance, but no openings.
>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?
if i had to choose a different position at this place it would be safety inspector or security guard. they do fuck all for 35$/hr plus.

>>923892

security guard is NEET tier

Yeah, you get paid but it's a dead end shit job

>>923771
Are you me

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>What is your job description?

ironworker (structural steel) currently with decking company

>What would you say you do on daily basis?

throw metal deck once the structural guys are done hanging the iron and its been inspected. sometimes weld the deck, shoot nelson studs, button-punch/crimp lock, and install closures.

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?

the decking side is definitely not my favorite. worked straight up structural for maybe 2 and a half years. i miss it tbqh. where im at though im getting paid more to throw deck though in a right to work state (az)

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?

probably go to school or some shit for construction management. or go into safety for a GC

pic rltd is me.

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>What is your job description?
Pipeline Welder

>What would you say you do on daily basis?

Drive to location, grind pipe, weld pipe, repeat

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?

It's alright, work all the time 7/12-14s

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?

Maybe, the money is great, maybe Lineman for power company

>>923152
>What is your job description?
Irrigation repair technician
>What would you say you do on daily basis?
Fix broken shit. Generally more of a find and replace deal, but there are some curious cases
>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?
No. It's tedious as fuck and upper middle class "almost rich so I need to be a dick" people are the worst. They expect laser precision from water flying through the air. Surprisingly, the disgustingly rich people are remarkably chill.
>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?
Fuck no. If I'd known how things were going to turn out I'd have taken Comp Sci classes in high school while trying welding and carpentry on for size. That Math degree has done fuckall for me since I got it to teach and ended up hating teaching.

>>923700
>>923567

Ah okay, its expensive software. I never realised they exploited people with the updates, but I guess they do it because they can. Architecture students are the same as well.

I’m doing my civ degree atm and I’m eligible for free Autodesk software. Currently deciding between the Building design suite ultimate or the Infrastructure one. From what I can tell the Building one is for detailed building projects and the other one is more to do with city-planning.

I’m thinking of becoming a structural engineer too and would appreciate hearing your opinion on this; what would make your team take someone with no experience on? Would you bother? And how did you go about finding your first work?

>>924109
this is what i want to do but kinda jazz it up a little please

Printer Support specialist.
Basically Printer IT for a pretty big company.

Hate it, stressful. It's not hard. Basically just get your printer running when it breaks down. BUT it's very different when you're doing it for a job. If I wanted to get my own printer working I'd fuck with it, google it, trial and error. When it's someone else you can't really do that to the same extent and the fixes have to adhere to certain guidelines. Also having fucking tickets and doing stuff quickly and everything.

Wouldn't do it again but it's the best pay (15/hr)I can find right now. I actually want to go back to college and finish my physics degree. But I'm in my 30's and have given up on any meaningful career in the field since I doubt anyone would hire me when I finally did get that piece of paper because of my age. I'm seriously thinking about starting a business. I don't care what to be quite honest it can be something mundane. Don't care about putting in long hours since I've done 16 hour days for minimum wage many times. So if anyone has any ideas...

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>>923152
>What is your job description?
Aerial technician/ tower climber

>What would you say you do on daily basis?
Climb towers. Install antennae , radio packs, run DC, fibre and rf line.
Structural tower work, tower construction etc.
>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?
I do. The hrs can get insane. Always on the road etc.
>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?

I was a roofer for 8 years anything is a step up from that.
Kinda wish I'd gotten a degree though.
More brain work.
-----------
Pic related. Me

Residential solar installer

Climb on roofs,brake a bunch of OSHA rules, mount brackets and solar panels to houses.

Meh

Yeah I guess, just wish I did more /roof general/ before diving in because it took a while to learn basic shit. Pays phenomenal though, just really strenuous.

>>923875
Central
L O N D O N
O
N
D
O
N

Maybe it's different abroad, but I feel like engineers don't get any respect in this country.

>>924819

how did you get into that line of work?

>What is your job description?

Project Manager. Uncertified but my name is out there and I work on some of the larger projects around in various fields.

>What would you say you do on daily basis?

Too varied to state but obviously lots of management

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?

It depends on the client but primarily, I enjoy it.

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?

I would do it again. Being self employed had broken me out of a 12 year long depressed state. Even though it was in the beginning difficult to keep my company a float at least I was in charge and was able to learn so much more in the last 3 years of my life than I have done in the first 25.

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>>924128
>what would make your team take someone with no experience on?
I started at my firm with 0 experience. I started university in 2008 when the economic crisis hit. The year before me had 80 company placements for 100-120 students.
My class had 6 for 120 students. My entire university career I had zero work experience. I spent my time doing busywork and joinery/interiors with my uncle. This sort of gave me some practical knowledge about houses. I'm generally quite a hands on person. (I'll be starting a MIG/TIG welding course in a couple of weeks)

Anyway, yes we take grads on. I started as a grad 2.5 years ago.

>Would you bother?
See above.


>And how did you go about finding your first work?
Applied to a bunch of places in 2013, the industry was only JUST starting to pick up. Applied for a load of places, but most weren't taking on fresh graduates. Experience will always make you more valuable, so get it if you can.

So out of the 30 I applied for (via recruiters, CV/resume aggregate sites, and directly) I ended up with 6 interviews .... 20% ain't bad I guess.
All of these interviews were in the space of 3 days, in different cities about 200 miles from eachother. That was fun and hell at the same time.

Anyway, on the day I had the interview for my place (in London), I had two others.

I had made portfolios of work, including copies of 2 theses from university, poster presentations and a small landscape A4 booklet I could give away. All the employers (apart from 1) were impressed by this. It gave them a taste of what I've done along with my 'creative skillset'. Inside was a truncated version of my qualifications without the bullshit.

I'm also quite confident in interviews, but very anxious in reality. Anyway, it didn't show me up, and I ended up with 3 offers from different places.

That's a general overview, but do you have any specific questions?

PS. I'm from England, moved to London for the job (from 200 miles north).

>>924913
Knew a guy who did it, looked interesting so I just googled tower companies and showed up with a resume. Put me to work the next day.
I'm in Canada. It's a different ballgame in the states.
Everything is subcontracted ten times in the states. Guys dying is pretty common down there.

>>924137
I come from a similar trade, there's no jazzing it up

>do repetitive work daily
>get paid
>want job that's easier with similar pay

I'm a carpenter. I do only residential remodeling. I've never had any formal training, only about 6/7 years of on the job training. Im 27 and have never made more than 25k a year in my life, despite being an incredibly hard worker, school was just never in the cards and I'm in a place now where I have no choice but to stay at the job I'm in. But to answer the OP, I wish I would've done something wildlife related

Originally an infrastructure engineer, used to work on the server side of things within a large company.

I got made redundant when the recession first hit the UK, and ended up running an engineering & fabrication firm that takes care of quarries, asphalt plants, recycling plants, manufacturing and process plants, etc etc.

Always been practical and had an interest in engineering but never any training. I've gained a lot of knowledge on the job. I don't profess to be an engineer, but I'm pretty good within the areas that we work.

We do anything from bespoke fabrication right through to complete plant installs and the fabrication & installation of larger conveyors and baler units, plus everything in between.

The money is pretty good and the work is very interesting. I wish I'd have trained in engineering when I left school.

I know it's not exactly on topic but this seems to be the best thread to ask. I highly enjoy fixing hardware especially computers I'm currently taking a Java class I didn't sign up for and now I've realized that programming is satan. I'm not sure what field I should look towards. I'd like to make above average amount of money at least 70k a year. What all is out there for me?

>>925173
HVAC technician might be right for you. It's highly computerized but installing/fixing/upgrading anything means reading through manuals, figuring things out, and connecting the right wires together because nothing is plug-and-play like consumer electronics. The pay is high and someone who's good at debugging and fixing computer equipment should do really well.

>>924921
>Anyway, yes we take grads on. I started as a grad 2.5 years ago.
Good to hear

>Experience will always make you more valuable, so get it if you can.
Should be able to

>in different cities about 200 miles from eachother
bloody hell (shows commitment though)

>Any more specific questions?
1. What does your “typical” day involve, time spent @computer, hand calculations, discussing, etc. (and do you work for a local firm or a large company)?
2. How often, if at all, are you on site, and do you need to know how to use tools, any hands on work, are the builders frustrating to work with (you touched on that before)?
3. Is there anything you wish you knew when you began studying, that you only found out later on?

I don’t actually know any structural engineers yet so this has been really helpful, much more useful than those ‘career days’ or searching online

>>925906
1. What does your “typical” day involve, time spent @computer, hand calculations, discussing, etc. (and do you work for a local firm or a large company)?
Very Small firm, <40 people total . Country wide presence, mainly in London though. We do a handful of projects abroad.
Again, niche things like glass and aluminium design, but also high end residential & commercial. Some education, basically no infrastructure stuff though.

>computer
All fucking day. Analysis, emails, drawings, reports, letters etc. The lot. I'm not so sure this is different for anyone who has an office based job though, I mean, we all use computers for everything these days. Even when doing hand calcs, you're always looking things up on the PC, and frankly, small firms are so hectic you're usually getting a bollocking from a PM, answering an email, talking to your boss and doing calcs all at the same time.... for 4 different projects.

>hand calcs
Hand calculations and hand drawn details are done too, although I only force myself to do hand calculations for things I haven't done a million times before. Designing a steel beam directly from the code gets a little tedious after you've done it 1000 times. I usually just whack those directly into spreadsheets/TEDDS, unless it's something specific.

>discussing
It's an engineering office. Discussing things is constant and never ending. Not for things like 'how do I design a beam', but more for strategy, principles, problem solving etc.

cont.

>>926075

>2. How often, if at all, are you on site, and do you need to know how to use tools, any hands on work, are the builders frustrating to work with (you touched on that before)?
Depends on how the projects are going. If all of your projects are at an early stage you might not go to site for weeks, then construction stage you'll be running around like a mad cunt. I'd say I'm on site about 2 times a week on average over the whole year. Again, depends on the job.

No physical site work. I mean, one time I took a saw and cut through a ceiling, but that's literally it.

Builders are hit and miss, you get all types.

>3. Is there anything you wish you knew when you began studying, that you only found out later on?

I wish I had learnt to program stuff earlier on (i.e. at uni), even simple batch files or bash scripts. It would allow me to automate all of the mundane shit.

Standard Details. Read, study them. Find someone to steal a booklet or CAD file from an engineering firm and see how things are actually physically put together.

One thing I will say though. Titles are irrelevant. I know my uni friends who made a huge deal about dropping the 'graduate' from their email signiture at large firms. Honestly, they know shit all compared to me (both in terms of depth and breadth of knowledge)

The learning curve is so fucking steep at small firms,
On my first week I was sent to site, 0 experience, to log opening up works. I was told as I left "oh, anon, don't fuck it up". Naturally I did, ended up going back twice more.

I've come close to breaking point several times. On at least one occasion I actually almost broke down, I was so exhausted that all it took was my Oyster (prepaid travel card, for those of you who don't know) card balance being depleted, causing me to miss the elevator.

Imagine watching a 25 year old guy with a fully grown beard tearing up because he missed the lift. Fucking ridiculous right? That was me late last year.

Anyone here know of any jobs that pay decently and have you working with communications equipment in rural or remote areas? I'd be happy as a clam living out of a van with a dog and spending my days working for the forest service/BLM/NOAA/etc. putting up or maintaining radio towers or buoys or something similar. Seasonal and/or irregular work is also great.

>>923152
>>What is your job description?
heavy diesel equipment mechanic. fix loaders, diggers, dumpers, dozers... sometimes the company cars break down too.
>>What would you say you do on daily basis?
fix machines. dismantle broken parts and if they can't be fixed i order new ones and put them on once they get there.
>>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?
its okay. get to move around and pay isn't too bad.
>>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?
maybe i'd become an operator instead of mechanic. driving around inside a heated machine. or i'd become a carpenter.

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>What is your job description?
Carpenter. Specializing in commercial formwork (concrete)

>What would you say you do on daily basis?
Read blueprints, consult with engineers when necessary, create/build cast-in-place forms for concrete structures.

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?
Hell yeah.
I have never found anything in my life more satisfying then turning around and looking back at the end of the day at a 37-story high rise that me and a crew of guys just like me made with our own 2 hands.

Having said that, my job isn't for everyone. I know a few guys that would rather eat sawdust all day if it meant that they would still get paid the same. These are also the same guys who are loser-wasted the moment they get off work and go home every night to an empty house. The "construction pig" stereotype isn't just based on nothing.
But I'd say about 90% of the guys are very normal people who have hobbies, girlfriends/wives, and all that stuff.

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?
In an instant. But maybe someplace warmer.

That's probably the question i receive the most. "What do you do when it gets cold?"
I don't need to tell any of you that it can get cold as fuck in Canada.
My answer is always, "i put on a jacket and keep moving."

Second most common question: "how much do you make?" Being a full journeyman will make you about 80k a year just working 5 days a week, 9 hours a day. I've heard of guys making 100k a year working 6 days a week, doing 12+ hour days. Thats just in my neck of the woods though. Wages vary from as little as 35k a year to 120k a year. Depends on where you live, how far you're willing to travel, and what's your scope of work.

Pic related: The view from my "office".

>>926078
> No physical site work
Thats what i was hoping. I know a guy that said he sometimes did physical work but i think he was a project manager, which explains that

>I wish I had learnt to program stuff earlier
What do you mean by programming? We've learnt some code on MATLAB, is that the same thing?

>Titles are irrelevant, dropping 'graduate'
Is that supposed to give them an advantage? I don't follow

>first week, "don't fuck up"
typical engineers, no sympathy

>25 tearing up missing the lift
would look ridiculous yeah, but everyone has their bad days, i've seen people do stupider things

And as a follow up, what are all the computer programs/software that I should learn to use? And are the compuetr programs and standard details used the same worldwide? I'm from Australia so I guess they'd be the same

>>923833
are you me

I am a roofer

i fix n build roofs and do magic tricks with sheet metals that blows the minds of carpenters

its okay, summers are hellish winters are hellish

pay is good i guess and i get alot of exercise and fresh air and get to climb high places

If i could redo everything and my health was not so bad id probarly continue my engineering studies always wanted to get into robotics but years of fooling in hospitals made be loose my spark

>>923152
Respiratory Therapist

I setup, maintain, manage, and troubleshoot mechanical ventilators. That is in addition to the myriad other clinical duties I perform; assessments, arterial blood draws, interpretation of laboratory data, intubation, tracheotomies, delivery of respiratory medications, and some light duty as an ordering practicioner.

Yes; I love patient interaction, critical thinking, and gross stuff.

I may have just become an RN... Higher salary ceiling.

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Hello /diy/,
I'm still a student and would like some advice.
I'm a fast learner and I'm good at programming so I choose to learn ICT and such. I already did a summer job as programmer for 3 weeks and to be honest, I didn't feel that good at the end of the day because I sat all day long. Time passed by so slowly, because I had to make a Windows store app, which was really annoying and stupid. I'm unsure if I want to do this as a job later.

It's now my first year in college and I'm not sure if I made the right choice learning ICT. At the beginning of this school year, I started stripping down a kart that my uncle bought (may have seen my kart sanding thread around mid October) to renovate it, and after that, he gave me a motorcycle (pic related) to renovate. I enjoyed what I did and I'm really interested in the working of engines and clutches and everything.

That's why I've been thinking to learn Car Technology. I'm smart enough and I know I'd be able to complete this study. Both these studies take 3 years. I'm unsure if I should finish my ICT study and then maybe do Car Technology, or abandon ICT and go to Car Technology next school year.

What does /diy/ think?

>>924957
I work on the other end of the tower ; ) I recommend it

>>923152
>Personal trainer/Student in school for Physical Therapy. But currently working a shitty tech job at a big company mainly because they pay for my tuition and decent pay.

>I restart computers for dumbasses, take a few "tech" calls, and try to provide support for people experiencing difficulties with their shit in the offices.

>Do I enjoy it

I hate the tech job, but I love personal training. Glad I didn't go into any type of computer sciences field in school, and I'll be glad to be done with this physical therapy stuff.

>Do it again?

No. I wish I had've known what I WANTED to do in highschool, and not just been a leaf in the wind. I would've immediately gotten my shit together for all of that.

>>928314
A tech?

I'd like to get down there eventually. Being in a nice warm shelter when it's minus 40, beats the fresh air at 300 ft.

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>>923656
>>923700
Architect here that has escaped the architecture firm rape dungeon (now with developer). Have you considered you are not explaining the problem with their proposal clearly or that their crazy/retarded/chemically dependent bosses are forcing them to give you shit?

I was constantly telling my "architect" boss she wanted things that where either dangerous, unrealistic (no you cant/shouldn't/wtf change the size of the steel sections after the tender is awarded) or breaking laws of physics (please dont cantilever that shit we dont know the live load because the landscape team are basically pelicans impersonating people).

I know some retarded architects and some that could teach a marmot to build a solid home. The problem is HUGE fucking HUGE variation in the quality of education, talent and experience in the first 3 yrs out of school.

It does not take 7yrs....5 for schoolinz and 3-4 exp to take the ARE exams. But that is irrelevant, the license doesn't make the architect just the liability.

We are usually pressured for time, paid 3 dildos per hectoliter of architecture we can poop out and are often used as CAD/REVIT monkeys for 3-5yrs.

autodesk is nearly a monopoly.

pic related, it is how I feel somedays

>>927467
Taking a stab that you are in the UK, look into good engineering degrees and head into mechanics that way, otherwise youl end up dead ended really quick. Other option is apprenticeships in firms, ducati do one in the UK as do rolls Royce, jaguar etc.

You will programme shit you hate 90%of the time in ict career wise, you will be sitting the whole time and massively under appreciated, app startups tech startups are fucking horrible to work in unless you get stupidly fucking lucky.

Or join up and learn engineering /mech on the armies tab, but obviously only if you're willing to deal with that life.

>>928545
>Taking a stab that you are in the UK
Pretty close, I'm from Belgium.

>Or join up and learn engineering /mech on the armies tab
Nah, that's not something for me

The biggest disadvantage that I have is that I didn't have a technical education. While I don't regret it, I wish that I had learned more about it and done a lot of diy projects. Up until September I was almost completely new to using tools and stuff.

>Job description
Nav and Comm installer

>What I do
Installation, Maintenance, and repair of maritime electronics. Some planning and design as well. Radars, echosounders, VHF radios, navigational systems, shipboard networks, etc

>Enjoyment factor
Loving it. I've had many jobs, both offshore, and some not even remotely related to ships. This is by far the best job I've had. Getting paid like electronics engineer, without being one, and I enjoy a lot of freedom and the hours are good.

>Do it again
If I knew about what the job was: In a heartbeat.
If I didn't: Probably not. I took the job out of frustration at my then situation (relating to work and location) and needing a change of scenery a while back. What I thought would be a boring maritime equivalent of a shop clerk turned out to be a great job. Only chance resulted in my applying and finding out.

I'm a "Project Engineer II" for a controls company.

I have a BS ME, am an EIT, installed controls as a summer/winter job from 16-22, and am 26. Should be taking PE test next year.
I make 70k with raise talks in a week or two.

Up until last year when management got restructured, I designed systems and programmed them. The powers that be decided I was too young to doing this and now am exclusively in the field and get chastised for programming. The old men that replaced me can not use our CAD tools, our programming tools, or even come with a sequence that works.
Now every job I'm on goes way over labor because I make twice as much as someone who should be doing what I am and I have to constantly reprogram and redo the drawings for our sub. I also constantly have to buy tools that I put on the company card and get angry phone calls about.
Due to many changes, the majority of the employees don't care anymore, including myself.
I'm just riding it out until I get fired, because they paid off my student loans and if I quit, I have to repay them.

I enjoyed the work, once I do get fired, I'll probably get another job doing the same thing I used to. Or I'll see if the wife will move so I can get an auto design job.

If I had to redo it, I would have done an internship. Finding a job was rough, even with a decent GPA from a good school. My acquaintances all got instant offers.
I decided against it because I was paying for my own school through work and loans and wanted the cheapest option.

>>923725
Same here man. Wouldn't have it any other way

>>924906
That's because everybody with a spanner and a certificate thinks they're an Engineer, most people are a technician/ part installer and that's giving them credit.

I'll freely admit I'm a parts installer and i have no problem admitting that but most people i've met think that being in a trade makes them gods gift and that they can just swan around being cunts. I can only say this of my personal experience within HVAC but if other trades are like mine then I'm not surprised if you think we don't get respect.

>>928371
Yeach I work for a contractor.been in the biz 8 years. We deal exclusively with verizon. Your jobs prob getting easier with mine. YAY for the death of coax!!!

>>924921
Which company?

>What is your job description?
Mechanical tradesperson (fitter/millwright) specialising in water treatment facilities

>What would you say you do on daily basis?
A bit of pipework (PVC and poly), a bit of civil work, and a bit of full mechanical works (pump installs, scrappers, conveyors). Really it's a mixed bag.

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?
Excellent field, but my job leaves some to be desired. Maintenance in waste water plants isn't fun, and civil work is essentially labouring.

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?

I would have done my apprenticeship in the water treatment industry, rather than in a manufacturing/maintenance shop. Possibly doing my electrical trade instead of mechanical, I say this because upward mobility seems better for sparkys.

apprentice auto technician

I do lots of oil changes and tires, suspension work, brakes, basic electrical. I love it, just regret not getting into it sooner (started at 23)

if I couldn't do this id try welding, which I may try after im done my schooling anyways

>>930248
It's not even close to dead up, though they did just bring in waterproof rf connectors.
This is a step in the right direction

>>930390
*up here

>What is your job description?

Signal fitter(?) apprentice
I deal with traffic signals for trains. Maintaining this is what i do.
A train isn't leaving the station before the system makes sure that there is nothing between the train and the next station or crossing.

>What would you say you do on daily basis?

I usually get called out when there is a signal error, critical or not.
We get an error and we try to figure out what it is. Most of the time it's a cable or something with a grounding fault.

Other then that we also do maintenance checks on every piece of equipment, meaning we go through checklists to check their measurements, if they arent up to date then the equipment gets replaced.

I also drive alot, our department maintains about 400km with railway so there is often a 2-3 hour long drive.

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?

I think i do, started not too long ago but I guess the thing I dislike the most is that we have a lot of time to wait. We tend to wait for trains to pass before we can get to work on or near the railway so often we wait an hour or more just so we can get the appropriate time to work.

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?

Still not sure about that, I've thought a bit about medicine and surgery but it's always been a idea I have been playing with.

ps. be aware of typos

>What is your job description?
Fibre Technician/Installer

>What would you say you do on daily basis?
Run single mode fibre through people's houses and splice shit up then get internet, phones and TV going. Do a lot of fault work too

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?
I love my job, I really do but despise my customers. The whole install is free and people expect the earth. Trying to get us to give them free power boards, new phone jacks and general whinging that they don't like how our equipment looks.

Also dealing with faults can be pretty tedious when people don't want to pay up, even though my company collects the payment, i just report the cause of damage.

>I WAS JUST RENOVATING THAT WALL AND MY INTERNET STOPPED WORKING I DINDU NUFFIN
>HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT CABLE WAS THERE IM NOT PAYING FOR THIS
>THIS PHONE JACK WAS WORKING BEFORE THE GUY SHOWED UP FOR THE INSTALL
>THE CIVILS GUY KILLED MY GRANDMOTHERS FAVORITE BUSH
>YEAH IF YOU COULD PUT THAT CONDUIT RUN BEHIND MY PRIZE ROSEBUSH THAT WOULD BE GREAT. NO YOU CAN'T TRIM IT.

So satisfying telling these people to get fucked though.

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?

Shit yeah, I work with heaps of great guys and customers are shitty no matter where they are. In fact I regret studying and not doing this straight out of school.

>What is your job description?

CNC Machinist.

>What would you say you do on daily basis?

Get a blueprint from boss, talk about the best way to get it done, in case he has an idea that I don't, and setup the machinery to make the piece. Measure it after the fact, to prove that I didn't mess up.

Its a really small shop, so I dont have paperwork.

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?

Eh I enjoy the work, but most of my coworkers are lazy assholes which drives me crazy. Will most likely move on in a couple years.

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?

Most likely, I enjoy the work, and I like my job prospects.

>>923152
>What is your job description?
Biomedical/Clinical Engineering Technologist

>What would you say you do on daily basis?

Depends - Mostly repair/troubleshooting/preventative maintenance of medical equipment (IV pumps, defibrillators, hemodialysis machines, cardiac monitors, autoclaves, etc.), fending off angry clinical directors, unofficial clinical training on equipment and the like.

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?

Hell yes, no day is identical.

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?

Hell yes, though I might opt to work for an OEM instead of a hospital to try down that path. More specialization but waaay more road time.

>>924109
Legitimately what I want to do. What experience/ education do you need for this field?

>What is your job description?
Electrical engineer working in big power systems, including big batteries.

>What would you say you do on daily basis?
Documentation, writing procedures, coordination between different groups in the company, software integration (getting the software and hardware working together so the customer doesn't see us fuck up).

>Do you enjoy your job and/or field?
Yes and no. When I started I was doing more hands-on, hardware work. Now I do a lot of documentation, although there's potentially some hardware design coming up. I do love my field, and power conversion is definitely my thing.

>Would you do it again given the chance? If not, then what would you do instead?
I would, but I'd probably have done a few things differently. I'd probably have tried to get some different internships than the ones I had, just to get a little more hands-on experience with power conversion.

>>931881
>Fiber-"hey guys wouldn't it be awesome if our data infrastructure was literally as fragile as glass"-optic cable

>>932365
See, people say this, but the problem as with fucking everything else lies with retarded customers fucking shit up, shitty installers and cheapass companies.

If I had my way everything in the house would be in capping or conduit. But no, according to our bosses that's too expensive. So we run it unprotected through crawlspaces and through cupboards and shit.

I always staple it up out of the way but there is only so much you can do, especially when the lazy cunt workers just leave it lying around in the subfloor/draped over ceiling battens or drill down in front of the skirting board rather than down through the wall because it's easier. Then surprise surprise the bimbo housewife whacks it with the vaccuum and it's gone.

Also fun fact. Our specifications are to install the fibre-carrying tube from the boundary to the house one of two ways.

1. Slap that shit on the fence
2. 100mm below ground level

What a joke. If fibre was done properly it would actually be more secure than cable/ADSL, but you know, fuck doing it properly, shits expensive.

>>932398
>If fibre was done properly it would actually be more secure than cable/ADSL,

How so? As far as durability and ease of maintenance goes it's pathetic; a few well-informed pricks with bolt cutters and blunt objects could go most of the way towards devastating the information infrastructure of any city that relies heavily on fiber-optic cable. All you have to do is just damage all of the different sections of cable you can get your hands on using different methods and you'll have repair crews scrambling like mad plus police and maybe the alphabet soup fucking things up if terrororism is brought into the equation.

>Bomb threat called in that makes vague references to infrastructure
>Lines start going dead all over the city
>Crews scramble
>Very realistic "bomb" found at the damage site
>Police, FBI, etc. get involved as everything grinds to a halt
>Rinse and repeat with every single downed section because there's NO QUICK FIX FOR DAMAGED FIBER-OPTIC CABLE

Bonus points for doing most of the damage in minority neighborhoods, especially Muslim, and double bonus points for rigging automated mechanical aids for destroying line (especially in varied ways - if you cut the line the first few times and then start crushing it instead, they won't know what the hell to do) so you can keep the lels rolling in.

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>>932365
Fiber is more delicate. But because it is more delicate, we have much stricter installation practices bso we don't fuck up when splicing. The hardware is also much better. The inside of a fiber splice is pretty neat and tidy, no matter what age it's from. Copper splices are just shit heaps no matter the age.

There's no asshole still splicing like it's pulp tinned with lead cable. Even though it's goddamn pic (plastic insulated) now, why do you twist it banjo tight you goddamn motherfucker, there's not even any slack left to fix your fuckup goddamnit fucking cocksucker I hate you so much. (Older gentlemen twist PAIRS of copper together as if they were a single side of a pair that would be fine to twist together. The insulation on the pair fails because it was twisted tightly, AND now the pair is wrapped together so it shorts out and kills the loop)

>>932406
The pricks with bolt cutters would do a lot of damage whether it was fiber or copper. And the fiber could actually be put back in service faster because it's so much faster to splice. You could splice like 144 fibers together in a long day if you're a badass and don't need to deal with a mid sheath opening or anything shitty. That's like 345,600 phone lines.

To do that with copper would take you most of a year of work, if you could do 1200 pairs a day.

Lots of areas also have fiber loops for redundancy of important shit. You could feed north through the city, or south and back around the next town over to get back on your main loop.

The drop from the pole to the house is always a pile of shit, especially the pickier the customer is, the 'nicer' the house is, and the richer they are. The rich asshole always has the most fucked up house and wiring goddamn.

Every trade that's been there has listened to him or his wife bitch about how they want it done for hours, and they finally gave up and slapped shit into a working order and bolted. Every. God damn time.

>>932434
(Calling it 345,600 phone lines is 1 phone line -> 24 lines in a T1 -> 100 T1 in OC3 -> 1 OC3 in a fiber.)

Which isn't entirely fair to phone lines. Much fewer phone lines could carry an equivalent bandwidth to the 144 fiber, so there's never really a case where you'd actually be splicing 345,000 lines for equivalency

>>932434
>The pricks with bolt cutters would do a lot of damage whether it was fiber or copper. And the fiber could actually be put back in service faster because it's so much faster to splice. You could splice like 144 fibers together in a long day if you're a badass and don't need to deal with a mid sheath opening or anything shitty. That's like 345,600 phone lines.

Right, but the thing about fiber is that it's easy to break in non-obvious ways while copper isn't so you can waste massive amounts of time even tracking down the problem For incidental issues I'd say that fiber certainly has advantages but for targeted infrastructure attacks I'd take copper any day.

>>932439
You clearly don't know what the fuck you're talking about. You know exactly where the fiber is broke because you attach your $20,000 TDr/fault locator to it, shoot the cable, and find out the customer didn't clean his fucking fiber because the 30,000 ft between you and him is fucking perfect.

Vs copper where you attach a similar TDR but now it only goes 10,000 ft with any sort of accuracy, and you can't necessarily differentiate between a fold back splice, a terminal, a short, or a bridgetap because they are all the fucking same.

then you switch to good ol' resistance fault locate and you need to bring up an excel spread sheet to input the 100 segments of cable between you and him to accurately count footage, cable gauge, and makeup.

And the copper might have fine resistance when you check your ohm meter the first time, but will fail as soon as you put voltage on it for a day or two because of the way the cable failed.

Finding faults in fiber is a million times easier. you clearly don't even know and are making shit up based off of Wikipedia tier knowledge.

>>932442

This. Fucking copper .5, alu 6, then fucking copper again but the records aren't there for the last 2 miles and who knows what gauge it is! You can spend a day just trying to find a simple dis. And pray its not a battery fault, lost forever.

>>932434
My engineering department had hallways with a central conduit carrying every service. Panels unlocked for access along the length. I want this in my house. Just one long conduit through the centre of the house with whatever branching off along the way. No more shitty weird twisty bullshit and needing to get under the house then into the attic to replace the main water pipe or run a new data cable. Just a simple conduit system.

>>932559
Houses are small enough it's not worth saving a hundred feet of conduit by using a hub like that. Better to just have individual conduits to each room running back to your smart panel.

>>932477
Then you also have the homeowner with a house that has had 20 "Electricians" running phone jacks over the houses lifetime using who the fuck knows what cable.

Then they go and plug in over 9000 filters in every jack because they are too cheap to pay all of 50 dollars for a master filter.

>>923152

I babysit a data center. Done it for around 5 years. For 5 years before that I was a TV Station Engineer. I still tell people I am a Broadcast Engineer sometimes.

I work in one of the smallest offices in the country and everything runs smoothly. A lot of my time is spend doing more or less nothing or watching TV doing "quality control".

I really really enjoyed working at the TV station but pay was shit. This job is ok but its boring as fuck. Watching TV all day is not nearly as fun as some people would think.

I probably would do it again. In a perfect work money doesn't matter scenario I would probably be a traveling writer/photographer though.

>>933197

Oh right, as a side note, my degree is a BS in Mechanical Engineering.