Career Thread.

Smart Shark · 12-30-2011, 11:47 PM

Basically, What do you do for a living? How do you like it, what are the pros and cons? How does one go about getting involved in said career?

Also, as an optional second question, is there anything you do on the side? If so, the same questions apply.

BaoPee · 12-30-2011, 11:56 PM

^^^^^^what he said...and if there is any opening please post it too..thank you..

C.Hern5972 · 12-30-2011, 11:58 PM

Im an Operation Lead Man for a Cemical Plant. Been in opeations for 17 yrs Now im moving up.
Its a good job, good people, work 6 months out of the year
Pros- Schedule(6 months out of the year), Pay is descent, Turnarounds are good because of the money. Get to do allot during the week when everyone is at work.
Cons- Sometimes you have to work Holidays, Weekends suck when your friends are out, Shift work in general sucks.
Now days you have to have a degree in most plants. If not the degree then experience and Certificate. Im on the hiring committee so we see allot of non experienced applicants.

I own a Landscaping Company
It Sucks
Pay some bills
Hours suck
Mowing sucks
Money is OK
Im not doing it after this year.

sunday_rider · 12-31-2011, 12:43 AM

I run 2 commodities trading company. The first one deals with 12 kinds of plastic commodities to which 6 out of the 12 i am also the producer which gives me a great advantage over market fluctuations. The second company deals with metals and mineral commodities such as iron, manganese and copper ores. Just like in the first case, 50% of the mineral ores comes from my own mines and the other 50% i buy from mines around the world in order to supply the increasing demand that China need in order to fuel its domestic growth.

I love my job not simply because i am the boss, i love the freedom of being able to manage my work practically anywhere in the world that have internet access and nextel signals. The pros is obviously the money but the cons is that it requires a lot of travel, specially if you are just starting or when you have no suppliers, so most of the time you will spend in traveling to meet with suppliers to sign a contract with them so you can make money with their materials.

How to get involved? my major was economics so to understand the global market wasnt too hard for me, i started with 5k (which was about the price for 1 container of PET plastic) very long time ago but now almost all of the commodities have triple in price making it a lot harder for small players to get into the market, but with a lot of hard work and dedication nothing is impossible!

My advice is to follow your passion and never follow the money! Putting passion in whatever you do will eventually pay off!

AiJay · 12-31-2011, 01:16 AM

I currently don't consider my job as a career, but since they hire internally it could progress into one.

I'm an estimator for a major corporation drawing floor plans for new construction installs. Basically involves doing a lot of driving to residential/commercial locations and mapping out a digital floor plan. Career plan in the company is to be an area director and tell people where to go, making more money, instead of doing the jobs yourself.

Side job is eBay, believe it or not. My dad was a power seller on eBay for several years and learned how to market items for maximum profit and I recently started that back up for extra income.

da1hobo · 12-31-2011, 05:04 AM

Student. I make it day to day by acquiring more debt in the hopes that there may be one day that I can pay it off but with no real plan to do so. I'm like the Federal Government.

ST675 · 12-31-2011, 06:07 AM

I am a Cisco Network and Voice Engineer. I have been involved in IT going on 14 years. I started as a desktop guy. I had built a few computers and knew my way around them, had a good understanding of how they worked and BS'd my way into my first job. Once I got that I started getting my certs. All desktop related, web design, IT project management, Microsoft, security, and Cisco. I am now pursuing some of the high level Cisco certs.

Pro's - It pays the bills and allows my wife to stay home with the kids, pretty flexable on hours but you are really on call 24/7. Laid back and low stress. Funny watching people try to explain why they NEED new stuff.

Con's - People LOL, it can get boring and repetitious at times. Your on call 24/7. LOL I actually do not like technology that much

How to get involved? study for and get some of the basic cert tests ( comptia, Microsoft desktop ) and build a resume that fits what companies are looking for in desktop support. If you get an interview be positive, stand out, don't be afraid to say I don't know. Once in study and try to learn more and more to move up. If you don't you will STAY at desktop forever. I think entry level is a bit swamped these days but not to hard to land a job if you make yourself stand out. But the higher cert people are in demand right now. I get calls / emails weekly for companies wanting Cisco people. DON'T go to an IT school get tons of certs and expect to make 6 figures once you get out. No one wants a cert only person with no real world application....

On the side.. what have I not done. I have owned small IT companies, Cabling companies, land scape, web design, IT recruiter and a few other types throughout the years. Did them all for extra $.

If I could do it all again I would do what sunday_rider does....

TonyKmK87 · 12-31-2011, 06:23 AM

I am a lead MWD/LWD Engineer for Scientific Drilling in the Oil & Gas industries. Going on 5 years now, started when i was 19. Its not what you know its WHO you know in the oil & gas field.

Pro - Pays great money, make more then any typical 24 year old would, I have no college other then trade skill (welding, which isnt needed for this job ). I have accomplished alot in my life from this job.

Cons - Im gone weeks/months at a time. Home for a week or two and back out for weeks/months. If your familiar with the oil & gas industries this is pretty typical. Hard on relationships but i actually have a great partner. We are on 2 years now. Work holidays, birthdays, etc... if im home during the time, i got lucky. Lol

How i got involved? Like i stated, its who you know not what you know.

Ill flip or trade motorcycles/cars around and make some money on it, just kind of a hobby not really a business.

witchdoctor575 · 12-31-2011, 08:37 AM

i've had several "careers" over the years

1. fire suppression industry - sales/service, inspection of fire equipment - shady industry, good pay if you are a charismatic person. dirty work at times, have to deal cheap people who want to chew you down on price on a daily basis. downfall is that it takes LOTS of time to get to a point where you can get a license and build your customer base.

2. professional driver - truck driving, no one likes you, not even the people you pick up from or deliver to.
entertainer coach driver - one of those jobs that REQUIRE a person on the inside to drag you in and vouch for you. great money, lots of things to expierence. bad - never at home, long hours, must be a jack of all trades, plumber, electrician, mechanic, maid, welder, and babysitter

3. just finished school for nursing, so trying to find a job to start that career

Vital Velocity · 12-31-2011, 08:51 AM

Outside sales. Flexible schedule, great pay and if with the right company, great benefits. Takes time to work on the trade, everyone thinks they are a great sales person, when the fact is its not just as easy as talking to people. Typically you either have to start at the bottom or have someone on the inside to get in. Takes skill and discipline as most the time you have no one following up behind you to make sure you are doing what you should.

On the side, partner in a photography company. Photography is tough to make money in 99% of the time for people because it's usually a one man show.... Most photographers ( while they will believe they are ) are not business savvy and are more interested in the "art" side of things and just want people to like their work. If you can make it, it's a blast, the money can be good and you get to continuously refine your skill

Squoddybody · 12-31-2011, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da1hobo

Student. I make it day to day by acquiring more debt in the hopes that there may be one day that I can pay it off but with no real plan to do so. I'm like the Federal Government.

I'm also a full-time student, but I get by with scholarships and financial aid. Next year I'll be a grad student with a full fellowship making about $30k per year - it pays to choose your education well!

Previously I managed a grooming salon. I was fortunate enough to be hired on at Petsmart as a bather (p/t, $9/hr) and they sent me to grooming academy. I was promoted to manager.

Pros:
Good pay for no formal education save grooming academy ($60k +/year) - typical pay is 50-60% commission plus bonus/stipend (mgr).
Flexible hours
I

animals
If you're good, then you will never have to worry about slow-down - people request you and you'll always be busy

Cons:
Winter season gets slow, and if you're not very good, then you'll be slow and your pay will stall - maybe as low as $400/week.

Dogs bite
Cats ATTACK - I still have scars.
Hair in your eyes. Always. And in your hands (like splinters).
.
Long hours (we didn't close until 9 pm some nights, and started at 7 am)
Weekends hours
People suck - it's a retail/trade industry and you have to deal with people all day long.

v4lu3s · 12-31-2011, 10:10 AM

Houston Firefighter
I love it, the pros are having a job that can actually have a lot of meaning and social value. Lots of time off as well, plus its a lot of fun, and possibly a secure retirement (as long as we don't lose our pension). The cons are low pay, long hours, the time off is needed to recover between shifts (especially when in a busy station), much higher risk of injury or death (and cancer as well). Another con is often needing a second part or full time job to be able to support your family. It can be very physically, psychologically and emotionally demanding, but man it sure beats any desk job. In the past i was an Edward Jones Financial Advisor and a UNIX administrator, I love this job compared to those.

To get in you need to be a basic structural firefighter and an EMT-B both of which can be earned within a year or so at a community college, or if you are lucky you can get hired into an HFD class where they pay you to earn those certifications and it takes about 8 months to get to the station. Recently due to costs its all about having your certs and being hired into a pre-certified class.

On the side I am also a firefighter for Klein VFD on their day crew. Got to be working for a career department to do that. I also dabble in other things, sometimes computer work, car work and so on since i have held jobs as a car mechanic, motorcycle/atv/utv/jetski mechanic.

chasee69 · 12-31-2011, 10:15 AM

I'm a data analyst at a pipeline integrity company.

Basically oil and gas pipelines have to be inspected every X amount of years so my company builds a tool, runs the tool through the clients pipeline, then i get the data from the tool look at it and write a report stating what is wrong with the pipeline. Then the client has to repair it.

The pro's are there is always demand since its government regulated, money can be decent, and i like having to use problem solving skills.

Conns can be i get bored and it's really detailed oriented.

NewRider · 12-31-2011, 10:19 AM

I have been in banking for the last 6 years.

My goal has been management, and I'm now about to get my feet wet by becoming an assistant branch manager..

Next step, my own branch...

I'll try going to college to get some sort of degree...

ChrisGo · 12-31-2011, 01:00 PM

B.S in Mechanical Engineering A&M

After graduation started in the Oil & Gas industry as a field engineer for a deep water installation contractor. Eventually moved in to a project engineer position after a year.

Pros= very interesting projects, never boring, big boy toys....400mT offshore lifts you setup, etc
Cons= offshore is a 24/7/365 job. It never stops and therefore when your project is offshore you are too. Can be very stressful when projects go wrong as downtime cost around 600$/minute and you are the one to find the solution.

Changed into a different sector of Oil & Gas when I was 25. Started as a project manager in onshore natural gas production equipment. I am now 26 and still very excited about it.
Pros=very fast paced, never boring, big responsibilities, lots to learn
Cons= Can be very stressful having 8 figures in your hands.

Truthfully, becoming a Mechanical Engineer was the best thing I have ever done. It was incredibly hard to accomplish......no parties, studying weekends, sleeping 4-5 hours every night, etc. It definitely paid off.

Currently trying to become savvy in investing, personal business, etc still lots to learn.

dinosaur · 12-31-2011, 01:07 PM

My job covers the splicing, maintaining, and repairing fiber optic cables used in the communications field. I can cover a 90 radius around Houston or go where ever they want to send me. Lots of overtime but I am well paid for the time I spend at work. This field is not easy to break into and you would have to know someone to get the training needed. A lot of expense to get the tools required to work, 20k and up.

Bluestreak06 · 12-31-2011, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyKmK87

I am a lead MWD/LWD Engineer for Scientific Drilling in the Oil & Gas industries. Going on 5 years now, started when i was 19. Its not what you know its WHO you know in the oil & gas field.

Pro - Pays great money, make more then any typical 24 year old would, I have no college other then trade skill (welding, which isnt needed for this job ). I have accomplished alot in my life from this job.

Cons - Im gone weeks/months at a time. Home for a week or two and back out for weeks/months. If your familiar with the oil & gas industries this is pretty typical. Hard on relationships but i actually have a great partner. We are on 2 years now. Work holidays, birthdays, etc... if im home during the time, i got lucky. Lol

How i got involved? Like i stated, its who you know not what you know.

Ill flip or trade motorcycles/cars around and make some money on it, just kind of a hobby not really a business.

Same job here, I just work for Weatherford. Same pros and cons, but I strictly run LWD and rotary steerable assemblies. I got into it because I have an MET degree, and the global product line manager graduated from the same college as me so that was my in.

TonyKmK87 · 01-01-2012, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluestreak06

Same job here, I just work for Weatherford. Same pros and cons, but I strictly run LWD and rotary steerable assemblies. I got into it because I have an MET degree, and the global product line manager graduated from the same college as me so that was my in.

Vegas Kid · 01-01-2012, 10:11 AM

Mechanical Engineer for an offshore oil and gas EPC company (engineering-procurement-construction). We design topsides (equipment on top of the oil platform), TLP's, FPSO's, Spars, etc; onshore compressor stations, and some pipeline work. Our company has designed some of the largest and deepest offshore production facilities in the world.

I specialize in rotating equipment; primarily large gas turbines (20,000 hp+) and centrifugal compressors, but I've done pretty much everything found on a platform.

Pros: Pay is great. Job is always different and you are constantly learning something new. Job security is another major plus. Average age at our company is around 53, so we always are looking for new folks to help out. While people are getting laid off, I get job offers every week....I feel bad, but it's the nature of our field. You can also choose a career overseas where the money can be great and opportunity plenty.

Cons: International clients can be a pain in the . You deal with some morons, but that's expected anywhere.

Getting in: If you have an engineering degree (chem, mech, elec,civil) it's pretty easy to start. You can also come in on the design side with an associates degree. Either way, it's a booming business.

JBIRD5363 · 01-01-2012, 08:23 PM

Machine shop Forman.
We make the crabs and rams for bop's.
Pros I run the shop and pick my hours for the most part.
Cons people can't think and use common sense so I have to micro manage a lot. Pays not great ( the owner of my company is cheap ) when goes sideways I have to be up some ones . When things go wrong I need to be at the shop and we operate 24-7 so it can be hours.
I started sweeping floors at 17 years old.

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12-30-2011, 11:56 PM	#2
BaoPee 12 yr old Asian boy Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Galleria Feedback Rating: (8) Posts: 4,617 Experience: 1-3 months Trackdays: 1	^^^^^^what he said...and if there is any opening please post it too..thank you..
	__________________ info@halffastgroup.com

12-30-2011, 11:58 PM	#3
C.Hern5972 Street Ninja Four Father Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Pearland Tx Feedback Rating: (5) Posts: 14,765 Experience: 10+ years Trackdays: 10+ Bike(s): 96 ZX7R 37k miles and still strong 2007 HD Softail 2002 Springer Classic 2007 GSXR600	Im an Operation Lead Man for a Cemical Plant. Been in opeations for 17 yrs Now im moving up. Its a good job, good people, work 6 months out of the year Pros- Schedule(6 months out of the year), Pay is descent, Turnarounds are good because of the money. Get to do allot during the week when everyone is at work. Cons- Sometimes you have to work Holidays, Weekends suck when your friends are out, Shift work in general sucks. Now days you have to have a degree in most plants. If not the degree then experience and Certificate. Im on the hiring committee so we see allot of non experienced applicants. I own a Landscaping Company It Sucks Pay some bills Hours suck Mowing sucks Money is OK Im not doing it after this year.
	__________________ Chris H "I dont follow rules to well"

12-31-2011, 12:43 AM	#4
sunday_rider Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: SW 77082 Feedback Rating: (1) Posts: 8,390 Experience: 1 year Bike(s): 1098	I run 2 commodities trading company. The first one deals with 12 kinds of plastic commodities to which 6 out of the 12 i am also the producer which gives me a great advantage over market fluctuations. The second company deals with metals and mineral commodities such as iron, manganese and copper ores. Just like in the first case, 50% of the mineral ores comes from my own mines and the other 50% i buy from mines around the world in order to supply the increasing demand that China need in order to fuel its domestic growth. I love my job not simply because i am the boss, i love the freedom of being able to manage my work practically anywhere in the world that have internet access and nextel signals. The pros is obviously the money but the cons is that it requires a lot of travel, specially if you are just starting or when you have no suppliers, so most of the time you will spend in traveling to meet with suppliers to sign a contract with them so you can make money with their materials. How to get involved? my major was economics so to understand the global market wasnt too hard for me, i started with 5k (which was about the price for 1 container of PET plastic) very long time ago but now almost all of the commodities have triple in price making it a lot harder for small players to get into the market, but with a lot of hard work and dedication nothing is impossible! My advice is to follow your passion and never follow the money! Putting passion in whatever you do will eventually pay off!
	__________________

12-31-2011, 06:07 AM	#7
ST675 01101000 01101001 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Cypress Feedback Rating: (3) Posts: 1,378 Experience: 10+ years Bike(s): lots of bikes from 80cc to 1200cc Current : ZX11 KX80	I am a Cisco Network and Voice Engineer. I have been involved in IT going on 14 years. I started as a desktop guy. I had built a few computers and knew my way around them, had a good understanding of how they worked and BS'd my way into my first job. Once I got that I started getting my certs. All desktop related, web design, IT project management, Microsoft, security, and Cisco. I am now pursuing some of the high level Cisco certs. Pro's - It pays the bills and allows my wife to stay home with the kids, pretty flexable on hours but you are really on call 24/7. Laid back and low stress. Funny watching people try to explain why they NEED new stuff. Con's - People LOL, it can get boring and repetitious at times. Your on call 24/7. LOL I actually do not like technology that much How to get involved? study for and get some of the basic cert tests ( comptia, Microsoft desktop ) and build a resume that fits what companies are looking for in desktop support. If you get an interview be positive, stand out, don't be afraid to say I don't know. Once in study and try to learn more and more to move up. If you don't you will STAY at desktop forever. I think entry level is a bit swamped these days but not to hard to land a job if you make yourself stand out. But the higher cert people are in demand right now. I get calls / emails weekly for companies wanting Cisco people. DON'T go to an IT school get tons of certs and expect to make 6 figures once you get out. No one wants a cert only person with no real world application.... On the side.. what have I not done. I have owned small IT companies, Cabling companies, land scape, web design, IT recruiter and a few other types throughout the years. Did them all for extra $. If I could do it all again I would do what sunday_rider does....
	__________________ That may be your first bike....but its not your last....

12-31-2011, 05:04 AM	#6
da1hobo Local Hobo Join Date: May 2011 Location: University of Houston Feedback Rating: (0) Posts: 387 Experience: 1 year Bike(s): 77 Honda CT125 - sold 1995 Vulcan 800A - sold 2011 KLR650E	Student. I make it day to day by acquiring more debt in the hopes that there may be one day that I can pay it off but with no real plan to do so. I'm like the Federal Government.

12-31-2011, 06:23 AM	#8
TonyKmK87 Tmichelli Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kingwood, Texas Feedback Rating: (1) Posts: 543 Experience: 4 years Trackdays: 3 Bike(s): 2009 CBR 600RR (RIP) 2007 GSXR 600 (Done!)	I am a lead MWD/LWD Engineer for Scientific Drilling in the Oil & Gas industries. Going on 5 years now, started when i was 19. Its not what you know its WHO you know in the oil & gas field. Pro - Pays great money, make more then any typical 24 year old would, I have no college other then trade skill (welding, which isnt needed for this job ). I have accomplished alot in my life from this job. Cons - Im gone weeks/months at a time. Home for a week or two and back out for weeks/months. If your familiar with the oil & gas industries this is pretty typical. Hard on relationships but i actually have a great partner. We are on 2 years now. Work holidays, birthdays, etc... if im home during the time, i got lucky. Lol How i got involved? Like i stated, its who you know not what you know. Ill flip or trade motorcycles/cars around and make some money on it, just kind of a hobby not really a business.
	__________________

12-31-2011, 08:37 AM	#9
witchdoctor575 STFU Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Dickinson Feedback Rating: (11) Posts: 23,555 Experience: 10+ years Trackdays: 2 Bike(s): 07 triumph D675(sold) 05 busa LE (sold) 03 rc51 (sold) 99 superhawk (wrecked) 2009 Ultra Classic	i've had several "careers" over the years 1. fire suppression industry - sales/service, inspection of fire equipment - shady industry, good pay if you are a charismatic person. dirty work at times, have to deal cheap people who want to chew you down on price on a daily basis. downfall is that it takes LOTS of time to get to a point where you can get a license and build your customer base. 2. professional driver - truck driving, no one likes you, not even the people you pick up from or deliver to. entertainer coach driver - one of those jobs that REQUIRE a person on the inside to drag you in and vouch for you. great money, lots of things to expierence. bad - never at home, long hours, must be a jack of all trades, plumber, electrician, mechanic, maid, welder, and babysitter 3. just finished school for nursing, so trying to find a job to start that career

12-31-2011, 08:51 AM	#10
Vital Velocity Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: League City Feedback Rating: (1) Posts: 339 Bike(s): 04 R1	Outside sales. Flexible schedule, great pay and if with the right company, great benefits. Takes time to work on the trade, everyone thinks they are a great sales person, when the fact is its not just as easy as talking to people. Typically you either have to start at the bottom or have someone on the inside to get in. Takes skill and discipline as most the time you have no one following up behind you to make sure you are doing what you should. On the side, partner in a photography company. Photography is tough to make money in 99% of the time for people because it's usually a one man show.... Most photographers ( while they will believe they are ) are not business savvy and are more interested in the "art" side of things and just want people to like their work. If you can make it, it's a blast, the money can be good and you get to continuously refine your skill
	__________________

12-31-2011, 10:10 AM	#12
v4lu3s Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Conroe Feedback Rating: (1) Posts: 4,410 Experience: 10+ years Bike(s): 2014 Triumph Daytona 675 2003 CBR 600 F4i -- Sold	Houston Firefighter I love it, the pros are having a job that can actually have a lot of meaning and social value. Lots of time off as well, plus its a lot of fun, and possibly a secure retirement (as long as we don't lose our pension). The cons are low pay, long hours, the time off is needed to recover between shifts (especially when in a busy station), much higher risk of injury or death (and cancer as well). Another con is often needing a second part or full time job to be able to support your family. It can be very physically, psychologically and emotionally demanding, but man it sure beats any desk job. In the past i was an Edward Jones Financial Advisor and a UNIX administrator, I love this job compared to those. To get in you need to be a basic structural firefighter and an EMT-B both of which can be earned within a year or so at a community college, or if you are lucky you can get hired into an HFD class where they pay you to earn those certifications and it takes about 8 months to get to the station. Recently due to costs its all about having your certs and being hired into a pre-certified class. On the side I am also a firefighter for Klein VFD on their day crew. Got to be working for a career department to do that. I also dabble in other things, sometimes computer work, car work and so on since i have held jobs as a car mechanic, motorcycle/atv/utv/jetski mechanic.

12-31-2011, 10:15 AM	#13
chasee69 ballin' outta control! Join Date: May 2005 Location: Central Houston Feedback Rating: (8) Posts: 6,911 Experience: 3 years Bike(s): CRF 50	I'm a data analyst at a pipeline integrity company. Basically oil and gas pipelines have to be inspected every X amount of years so my company builds a tool, runs the tool through the clients pipeline, then i get the data from the tool look at it and write a report stating what is wrong with the pipeline. Then the client has to repair it. The pro's are there is always demand since its government regulated, money can be decent, and i like having to use problem solving skills. Conns can be i get bored and it's really detailed oriented.
	__________________

12-31-2011, 10:19 AM	#14
NewRider Riding, Eating & Partying Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Houston/Heights Feedback Rating: (1) Posts: 18,220 Experience: 3 years Trackdays: 10+ Bike(s): '09 Ducati Monster 696 Retrospec Drome (Fixed Gear Bicycle) '01 Ducati Monster 600 (Sold) '07 Suzuki GSXR Track Bike (Sold) '02 Honda F4i (Sold)	I have been in banking for the last 6 years. My goal has been management, and I'm now about to get my feet wet by becoming an assistant branch manager.. Next step, my own branch... I'll try going to college to get some sort of degree...
	__________________ HALFFAST GROUP

12-31-2011, 01:00 PM	#15
ChrisGo Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Pearland Feedback Rating: (0) Posts: 811 Experience: 3 years Trackdays: 4 Bike(s): gsxr600-sold looking for a trackbike!!	B.S in Mechanical Engineering A&M After graduation started in the Oil & Gas industry as a field engineer for a deep water installation contractor. Eventually moved in to a project engineer position after a year. Pros= very interesting projects, never boring, big boy toys....400mT offshore lifts you setup, etc Cons= offshore is a 24/7/365 job. It never stops and therefore when your project is offshore you are too. Can be very stressful when projects go wrong as downtime cost around 600$/minute and you are the one to find the solution. Changed into a different sector of Oil & Gas when I was 25. Started as a project manager in onshore natural gas production equipment. I am now 26 and still very excited about it. Pros=very fast paced, never boring, big responsibilities, lots to learn Cons= Can be very stressful having 8 figures in your hands. Truthfully, becoming a Mechanical Engineer was the best thing I have ever done. It was incredibly hard to accomplish......no parties, studying weekends, sleeping 4-5 hours every night, etc. It definitely paid off. Currently trying to become savvy in investing, personal business, etc still lots to learn.

12-31-2011, 01:07 PM	#16
dinosaur Retired in place Join Date: Oct 2008 Feedback Rating: (3) Posts: 2,358 Experience: 10+ years Trackdays: 10+ Bike(s): '05 Zx6-R (636)Sold	My job covers the splicing, maintaining, and repairing fiber optic cables used in the communications field. I can cover a 90 radius around Houston or go where ever they want to send me. Lots of overtime but I am well paid for the time I spend at work. This field is not easy to break into and you would have to know someone to get the training needed. A lot of expense to get the tools required to work, 20k and up.
	__________________ CMRA #414

01-01-2012, 10:11 AM	#19
Vegas Kid Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Cypress Feedback Rating: (0) Posts: 4,909 Experience: 3 years Trackdays: 3 Bike(s): 07 R6-sold 12 TTR 50	Mechanical Engineer for an offshore oil and gas EPC company (engineering-procurement-construction). We design topsides (equipment on top of the oil platform), TLP's, FPSO's, Spars, etc; onshore compressor stations, and some pipeline work. Our company has designed some of the largest and deepest offshore production facilities in the world. I specialize in rotating equipment; primarily large gas turbines (20,000 hp+) and centrifugal compressors, but I've done pretty much everything found on a platform. Pros: Pay is great. Job is always different and you are constantly learning something new. Job security is another major plus. Average age at our company is around 53, so we always are looking for new folks to help out. While people are getting laid off, I get job offers every week....I feel bad, but it's the nature of our field. You can also choose a career overseas where the money can be great and opportunity plenty. Cons: International clients can be a pain in the . You deal with some morons, but that's expected anywhere. Getting in: If you have an engineering degree (chem, mech, elec,civil) it's pretty easy to start. You can also come in on the design side with an associates degree. Either way, it's a booming business.