Help on Career choices

[sparkie]

Quitting a job where the environment sucks is very liberating even if you have nothing lined up. I have done it more than once. I have regretted it...never. If you are skilled with controls, there will always be work.

I am blessed now to be doing about the same thing I was doing in a factory only now I get to pick and choose hardware, I get to work for a very flexible and intelligent boss and I get paid better than I did before including sales incentives. I still get to be responsible for a lot, work long hours, but I don't have to fight with power-mad non-technical managers and supervisors.

I say go for it. Your description of what you have to put up with reminds me of what my life was like in several different places not so long ago. It reminds me to be thankful for taking the chance and for my current situation.

Good luck.

Thank you. I would call myself "inexperienced" to acknowledge my weakness, but I'm very skilled with the area of the field that crosses between the IT and hardware/electrical/communications side. For me it is just about finding that niche. Here the company will dominate my life and I won't be able to drive my abilities even further.

Also kudos on fighting with non-technical managers and supervisors. We have a lot of new upper-management that don't realize they know little of the actual engineering and what it takes to accomplish a job.

 

[DwSoFt]

What you describe reminds me of my first Electrical employer. I worked for him close to 7 years. At the 6 year mark I had my ticket and was frustrated with things like you and being pushed hard. I had learned a lot but my job was no longer fun. I gave my notice with 2 other job offers. He begged me to stay. I gave him a essay on all the ****that had happened prior and such. He said it was a bunch of misunderstandings.

I stayed. Got treated better in a few ways but eventually I still wanted to try something else. I left on good terms. My point of the story is that sometimes you are beyond the point of them being able to "fix it" sometimes it is better to move on. I don't think anyone should be unhappy at work.

I know guys in similar situation so ask for a raise because of their hard work. Get denied. Then they find a better paying job and the bosses are mad at them for leaving. Sometimes there is no winning.

In the end you have to weigh out the good and bad and remember that you miss 100% of the shots you never take.

Also I try to not to burn your bridges anywhere

That old boss offered me a job this spring when I got let go elsewhere due to budget cuts in the oil and gas sector.... unfortunately he was 2 weeks too late a as I had already found a new one. I've had 2 job offers since then as well but I've stayed where I'm at because I have good bosses with decent pay and I am still learning even more.

SIDE NOTE I don't think I want to go back to running wires in the attic. Haha

 

[bitmonkey]

You are one of the 10% of the people in the world who do 90% of the work. That's never going to change, no matter where you go. Neither will the politics, but it sounds like you are finally learning that you have a great deal of political clout yourself. You just have to learn how to use your power more skillfully. There are many more options than just stay or go.
Most management types only have one skill, and that is manipulating other people. They will push you as hard as you let them. Learn how to stand up for yourself without being confrontational, and it will serve you well your whole life.
It's not easy for people like you who work hard and don't put any energy into manipulating other people, and it won't come easy, but it's your cross to bear.

 

[just the cowboy]

I DO have work lined up with a local Master electrician though. He said I can do residential and commercial jobs with him and he would be open to bidding smaller controls jobs as well. He mentioned a few companies have asked him about support contracts for controls work. I won't have a problem paying bills in the interim.

This sounds like a nice place to start, even if it does not go as he wants with adding service work. It may be worth a try.

Money isn't everything. My teacher said back in trade school,
" If you have to get up and say rats or other words I got to go to work you are in the wrong job" To be safe and productive you have to like your job.

One of the things you got going for you is you listened to the words on this thread, and didn't just use it to justify your leaving and plain disagree with posters.
Good luck

 

[DwSoFt]

Most management types only have one skill, and that is manipulating other people. They will push you as hard as you let them. Learn how to stand up for yourself without being confrontational, and it will serve you well your whole life.

I 100% Agree with this statement.

 

[sparkie]

Of course I'm listening to what is being said here. The bottom line for me is that I have spent a year swimming against the current and my leg is cramping. I no longer have the energy to try and move this company's control and instrumentation systems into this decide (slowly and cost-effectively) or institute something besides run-to-failure practices.

I don't mind demanding work, but this company believes that it should consume my life. I don't want that either. So I'm going to take a chance and move on and see what I can accomplish. I can't help it, I just know what I can do, know what I have done and have faith in myself.

 

[just the cowboy]

That was a complement

Of course I'm listening to what is being said here.

That was a complement, this question is asked allot on some other sites and you would be suprised how many won't listen to something they don't want to here. Most post this question tring to justify it to themself and anyone who gives information they don't want to hear, they just rant about their answer.

 

[accidentalengineer]

The fortunate side of your story is that since you were given so much work and responsibility, you now have developed skills that are in high demand. If your current employer does not value your skills and the time that you put in, then find an employer that does value people such as yourself.

A worse thing could have happened to you; I know this because it happened to me. You receive a degree and are excited to learn and then you are put in an union environment where only engineers programmed plcs and most of time was relegated to troublshooting.

 

[sparkie]

That was a complement, this question is asked allot on some other sites and you would be suprised how many won't listen to something they don't want to here. Most post this question tring to justify it to themself and anyone who gives information they don't want to hear, they just rant about their answer.

I absolutely took it as one. I could imagine someone just wanting to hear what they want to hear though. My reasons for leaving aren't really out of bitterness or just being fed up. They are, simply put, that I'm not growing at that company and that company feels like it is their right to dominate a person's life. That person should bend to their will or just look for other employment. That philosophy is outdated and we wonder why so many people just don't care to excel and do their best. It is a real corporate culture problem that expresses itself in our bottom line. In fact, just yesterday two key maintenance people walked out. At least I gave notice and tried to train a replacement.

The fortunate side of your story is that since you were given so much work and responsibility, you now have developed skills that are in high demand. If your current employer does not value your skills and the time that you put in, then find an employer that does value people such as yourself.

A worse thing could have happened to you; I know this because it happened to me. You receive a degree and are excited to learn and then you are put in an union environment where only engineers programmed plcs and most of time was relegated to troublshooting.

I completely see that. When I first got my AAS in Manufacturing Technology I knew what my career goal was. From my first day in class I knew what I wanted to do. So I spent that time specializing my knowledge and pushing myself, including building and using a test bench in my free time to learn specific skills and styles of coding. This got noticed and got me the position.

Once again, thank you guys! Just found out today I have a second interview for a local controls engineering company. The only downside is I may have a hard time doing school while working for them.

You think it would be a waste of time to interview for a company knowing I may not be able to take the job just to get myself noticed?