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Career advice from senior or retired engineers

Peter Brooks
The purpose of this forum is highlight information from senior or retired engineers that will provide advice to new people entering the profession. 


The recent published articles by the IET:-

"Too old to be an engineer" in the E&T July 2019 magazine

"100,000 older workers kicked out of IBM, as company craved Googles Cool image" published August 1, 2019

started me thinking about the need to communicate advice on avoiding speed bumps during one's carrier.


During my 45+ years in engineer I have been laid off twice -once when I was 28 and again at 63.

I have worked for 9 companies in three countries where 8 of those companies are no longer in existence. 

Total time out of work has not exceeded 6 weeks.

I have made three complete changes in related technology/products.


Here is an example of the advice I received early on in my career:- "The young engineer knows the rules, the old engineer knows the exceptions" -- meaning even if one thinks one knows the answer ask the senior engineer if there is better solution.


Peter Brooks MIET

Palm Bay Florida USA


 

   


  • 0
    Hello Lisa:


    Indirectly you have just raised a concern I have concerning the IET E&T daily publications.


    The IET doesn't appear to use "due diligence" before publishing many of these type of articles.


    Ask yourself why companies like BAE would spend money to take and publish formal surveys?  It is rather like auto manufacturers publishing surveys on how good their cars are going from 0- 180 mph.


    Whenever the necessary links are defined in the IET articles I go back to the original press release and then request a full copy of the actual survey from the authors.


    If and when I get a copy I frequently go to the authors and question them about missing or questionable data.


    I sometimes get them to admit that the company has jazzed up the press report to make it more quotable.


    University press releases are the worst offenders.


    Peter Brooks MIET

    Palm Bay Florida USA 


  • 0
    Hello Peter,


    I share some of your scepticism, there are numerous people passing off some dodgy psychobabble as “proper science”.  Your testimony illustrates how poor design and/or workmanship can cause harm.  Poor engineering can also cause harm.  If someone carrying out a development activity produces sub optimal results, then it’s a value for money argument, engineering likewise.  When I first met Charles Margerison, I told in in plain terms that I didn’t like being stuck in a stereotypical “box” and pursued quite a sceptical line of questioning.  However, when I first experienced his tool being used, it was very useful and a few years later I trained to use it.


    I remember well my first encounter with Peter Saville , because he emphasised very strongly the mathematical basis of his work (Statistics) and (perhaps in sales mode) compared the poor validity and research base of some other tools.  I don’t know if any other reader has met him, but I would characterise him as a “type of engineer”. He recognised a need, understood the strengths and limitations of existing solutions, developed some ideas, gathered data and analysed it, continuously refined his model with fresh data and made a fortune. When he got bored of spending his money, he developed a “new and improved” model.


    Incidentally, I owe my career as do many others to Psychometric Tests.  When I applied for a technical staff apprenticeship, my school “career” wasn’t going well and I eventually only scraped my O levels (with the minimum of revision), luckily whoever wrote the school references didn’t condemn and the police didn’t prosecute    ?. Apparently I did very well in the tests (numeracy, verbal reasoning, mechanical aptitude etc) and the interviewers saw “cockiness and rebelliousness” as “confidence and independent thinking”. When much later I became responsible for these sorts of things, I have seen my own story repeated by smarter people than me.


    However, in the context of this thread I must advise any young person to pursue the low risk path of being and obedient and diligent student who gets top examination results, if you can blend some social skills and charisma into that then the world is your oyster.    ?  What I do find somewhat ironic, is that we have characterised our Chartered Engineers by “creativity and innovation”, while giving them in a “cookie cutter” (I hope that I interpreted it right?) “exam factory” education, that is more likely than not to weed out creative people.  


    Some people have found this useful and explain why I called Peter Saville “a type of engineer”  https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/engineering-design-process/engineering-design-compare-scientific-method


    This is his story (at some length) https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Peter_Saville_(psychologist).html


  • 0
    It seems like my “card got marked” , perhaps I should get the book down the back of my trousers? ?
  • 0

    Peter Brooks:

    Hello Andy:

    One more additional comment concerning your August 19, 2019 response:




    I assume that was meant to say "Hello Roy"!  


  • 0

    Peter Brooks:


    Whenever the necessary links are defined in the IET articles I go back to the original press release and then request a full copy of the actual survey from the authors.


    If and when I get a copy I frequently go to the authors and question them about missing or questionable data.





    Me too Peter, me too! ?


    A couple of years ago I was told repeatedly that Engineers use Google + as their social network of choice, which I found very hard to believe! ?


    After tracking down a copy of the survey their research was based upon I discovered that the original survey was only sent to 3000 Engineers, all living and working in the USA, of which only 800 responded, of which a large percentage (can't recall the exact figures) identified themselves as Software Engineers and (you guessed it) worked for Google... ?
  • 0
    Hello Foffer:


    Regarding your comments about changing job functions and having a happier life.


    Based on my work experience getting laid off (in my late 20's and then in my 60's) were the best things that ever happened to me.


    The early one got me into a dynamic industry while the second one enabled me to check out a potential new retirement location.


    Regarding the video I think that the situation happens to every engineer at one time or other -- it rather like the "Emperor new clothes".


    Peter Brooks MIET

    Palm Bay Florida USA
  • 0
    Hello Roy:


    Now you have me going as regards "Statistics".


    I remember the guy who introduced me to the subject saying "Don't be surprised if the projected 1 in 10 million event happens to you!)


    Most people think of the Normal distribution (6 sigma) as being the the guide to everything. However a long tail distribution happens and often causes what is known as a "BLACK SWAN" events.


    Going back to the link "The Scientific Method vs the Engineering Method", Engineers in "leading edge" technologies have to use the Scientific method to fill in the knowledge gaps.


    Peter Brooks MIET

    Palm Bay Florida USA
  • 0
    Hello Roy:


    Another sentence in your message "Poor engineering can also cause harm" has triggered another area for discussion:


    At some point in his/her career the engineer should receive legal training from the companies lawyer.


    Topics must include 1) General Rules of conduct 2) Patent generation procedure and bookkeeping requirements 3) key contract law (use of the verbs "should", "must", " will" and "may") 4) Product recall procedures. 


    Peter Brooks MIET

    Palm Bay Florida USA
  • 0
    I am at your service for any matter. 

    I believe through questions you can learn a lot. I definitely agree with the members of the forum that each raises a different question
  • 0
    Hello Benyamin:


    Yes I have topic to discuss which has multiple layers and one can get pretty deep down the rabbit hole.


    The item deals with the potential of being regarded as being "anti-social".


     I have read in many articles that the latest generation dislike eye to eye conversation - when I go to a restaurant I see a groups of younger people looking exclusively at their I-phones and not talking to anyone else.


    I hear that the same characteristic is now turning up in the work environment.


    What are the limits on being social in the workplace?


    Let it all hang out or hold everything in!


    Where is the red (danger) line?  


    I have some examples from my working life that will really hit home. 


    Peter Brooks MIET

    Palm Bay Florida USA  



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