W.O.T. Any Autocad designers here? Need degree help!

[glpg80]

5 years of autocad under two engineering degree's, waiting to get my third after i get out of the military.

engineering isnt expected to peak around the year of 2017 - which is a good ways away. those who can stick it out will definately benefit. i hope to get my BSEET by then along with military experience in the field.

i chose CET/EET and love it - its a mix of everything. IT, electrical, programming, the works. i only lack 1 class to qualifiy for the cisco CCNA exam in networking, i already qualify for an FCC stage 1 certifiation, and can also take the A+ if i wanted. but whatever you choose, you need to have a passion for it - a passion of love. because once you go studying and disecting it thats what it will come down to.

I guess it depends on you and your location. I have had my BSEET for 8 years or so now, and I am back in school to do something else.

I enjoy it, but it seems like the only jobs that call easily are Electronic Tech and Assembly jobs. And that is with several years of Engineering Experience. I have a lot of IT skills, but I have no desire to fight IT people for jobs. That is an overcrowded field as well.

I would say this would be a good choice if he wants to do technical work in a manufacturing environment, but it could be a pain if he wants to get into electrical design.

i do know what you mean about the IT field - i could go into it myself but again - i dont enjoy it as much as electronics, and i rather not fight over that field. they are a dime a dozen where i live - EE on the other hand - not so much. and PMEL is another field that isnt very well known in EE - its a field thats in high demand in NC with duke energy. its demanding though, but starting pay is easily 65k with the right credentials - upwards of 100k+ with years of experience.

 

[Shask]

i do know what you mean about the IT field - i could go into it myself but again - i dont enjoy it as much as electronics, and i rather not fight over that field. they are a dime a dozen where i live - EE on the other hand - not so much. and PMEL is another field that isnt very well known in EE - its a field thats in high demand in NC with duke energy. its demanding though, but starting pay is easily 65k with the right credentials - upwards of 100k+ with years of experience.

I have thought about doing power companies myself, but there is one major thing I have learned in the last 5 years in Electronic Manufacturing. I hate factories! I am really starting to hate industrial environments. So much I am prepared to take a 50% cut in pay to not have to look at the inside of a factory again

My favorite thing was probably DSP/Microprocessor/FPGA/etc... design and programming in C, VHDL, etc...

But, there isnt really any of that in Indiana. Most of that is out west, and I would rather stay here

I am working on a degree in Mathematics now, so I am sure that will be beneficial in one way or another

 

[locoed]

I had the same problem,I work at Chrysler as a tool maker,using autocad to design,catia etc.
And the field isn't what it used to be,I have 12 years under my belt and i've been laid off several times,going back and forth to Lockheed Martin.
And to be honest it was giving me stomachaches,headaches,losing weight.It just isn't steady anymore and I'm maxed out at $38 an hour.
So I went back to school,U of M Dearborn,and after all these years I graduate next month.
My degree is in Physics and psychology,it's not sexy or earth shattering but I'm going to be a school teacher,the pay here in Michigan is decent for a teacher in a good city.
Not as much as I make now but in time I'll be making more.
I love being a tool maker/machinist but the future is unclear.
If I were young like you I'd think about what you like to do and see how steady that field is and has been in the last 10 years,growth,decline etc.
I know you have a family to support but look at it this way,if you hate your job you could possibly bring that shit home with you,and that causes problems with the family.
Do what you love!

 

[glpg80]

i do know what you mean about the IT field - i could go into it myself but again - i dont enjoy it as much as electronics, and i rather not fight over that field. they are a dime a dozen where i live - EE on the other hand - not so much. and PMEL is another field that isnt very well known in EE - its a field thats in high demand in NC with duke energy. its demanding though, but starting pay is easily 65k with the right credentials - upwards of 100k+ with years of experience.

I have thought about doing power companies myself, but there is one major thing I have learned in the last 5 years in Electronic Manufacturing. I hate factories! I am really starting to hate industrial environments. So much I am prepared to take a 50% cut in pay to not have to look at the inside of a factory again

My favorite thing was probably DSP/Microprocessor/FPGA/etc... design and programming in C, VHDL, etc...

But, there isnt really any of that in Indiana. Most of that is out west, and I would rather stay here

I am working on a degree in Mathematics now, so I am sure that will be beneficial in one way or another

man i hate factories right now with PLC programming classes, and required driving to attend factory conventions. i could not stand that atmosphere all the time - it would drive me up the wall insane.

have not done much DSP/FPGA/VHDL -i have done C, C#, C++/Vbasic, assembly, hex, PLC, and the usual php nuke/bb/html/java programming.

when i was much, much younger, i inspired to want to work for Nvidia, and then i found out the first year in high school what their requirements were - and the experience levels they require - i havent even been alive that long yet

i thought about power companies - but that involves more of the 3 way phase motors/standing wave ratio calculations and repair which i can do, but i dont enjoy as much.

my backup plan is possibly communications - radar repair, etc.

to work for boeing in electronics - that is my end all be all goal - that would be a dream come true

 

[tekbow]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
Kanamvar: I'd like to have the option of moving. I don't want a job to tie me down to this town, so I should probably pursue something that's in demand everywhere.

Shask: Seems like a lot of engineers are out of work. Hope the teaching works out for you. I've considered teaching as well. Hmmm, summers off. Sounds nice!

My degree's mechanical engineering (1st class honours which i think is equivalent to magna cum laude or whatever you have there) and trust me engineering globally is the most undersubscribed degree and job there is. You just gotta be prepared to go where the work is, and another language really helps too

 

[smdb]

I have been designing fire sprinkler systems for 15 years. I went to tech school for design/drafting and it has worked out pretty good for not having an engineering degree. The job market is really poor right now, but it should return down the road. Fire protection is not the most exciting job but it allows me to get away from sitting at the desk all day (like a normal drafting job would require) and visit job sites, get building permits, etc... I never would have thought I would do this for a living but it has been a good job for me. I earn extra dough playing gigs on the weekends.
Good luck!

 

[Keebz]

i'd avoid drafting career paths right now. the job market for that stuff is SHIT. i've got a drafting certificate and 10+ years experience...i can't find a job.

THIS!

I became a Registered Landscape Architect beginning with an ACAD drafting degree and can't find anything right now! The market is saturated with Design/Build companies doing jobs on the CHEAP!!!
I'm back in college right now for Construction Management looking at a complete career change.