Knowing what you know now, what career would you choose and why?
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I am certified by The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies as a Level IV technician in the field of "Fire Protection Engineering Technology - Water Based Layout" which is a fancy way of saying I design fire sprinkler systems for buildings. The National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies is a Division of the National Society of Professional Engineers.
Huge shortage; I'm 67 and in the past year received three unsolicited job offers. Job security is 100% and I can not imagine how badly someone would have to screw up to get let go. Getting let go isn't going to happen because everyone knows an unemployed technician can find another job within 48 hours and it is just that tight and it is going to get tighter.
Oh, the industry is dominated by men (93%) but women (7%) are paid more. Go figure. I wish more ladies would be interested because it would be a perfect career. Yes, telecommute is very possible.
I'm currently studying engineering technology (computer), but my school (which focuses on engineering technology in their science department) doesn't have anything related to fire protection. How would one go about getting into that field? I see some online distance learning programs, but I never was keen on those types of programs. Do you think my degree in CET would be sufficient to break into that field? It is accredited by IEEE's engineering technology division and it entitles me to sit for the EIT and FE exam in my state if I wish.
Also, is math a large part of the work you do in your field? We're required to take calculus I and II as well as differential equations and linear algebra, but i've heard that most people in 'engineering' jobs (including technicians of various sorts) don't use more than basic algebra most of the time.
Thanks in advance for any info you provide.
Edit: My CET bachelor's degree starts off as an associate degree in electro-mechanical engineering technology.
Why in the world would anyone want to be a police officer today? Want to help people? Be a fireman do or paramedic. You couldn't pay me enough to be a cop today.
If I could go back to being 18 I would try to get on a paid fire department in any city. Those guys have it made. Being a police officer is way tougher and more mentally stressful, and they make about the same pay. In what world that makes sense I have no idea.
I'm currently studying engineering technology (computer), but my school (which focuses on engineering technology in their science department) doesn't have anything related to fire protection. How would one go about getting into that field? I see some online distance learning programs, but I never was keen on those types of programs. Do you think my degree in CET would be sufficient to break into that field? It is accredited by IEEE's engineering technology division and it entitles me to sit for the EIT and FE exam in my state if I wish.
Also, is math a large part of the work you do in your field? We're required to take calculus I and II as well as differential equations and linear algebra, but i've heard that most people in 'engineering' jobs (including technicians of various sorts) don't use more than basic algebra most of the time.
Thanks in advance for any info you provide.
Edit: My CET bachelor's degree starts off as an associate degree in electro-mechanical engineering technology.
The big problem is there aren't any schools we're all industry trained and it's easier, and much simpler, to go poach from a competitor than it is to train. Problem is we're going to be running out of poach-able animals due to die offs and retirements.
What happened to us started in the mid to late 1980's when we moved from the old drafting tables of old to computer design with hydraulic calculations. In 1982 I remember performing a set of hydraulic calculations by hand that would take me two, three or four days that I can do today in a few short minutes. Drawings that used to take a week I can now do in a day or two with greater accuracy.
Training is a problem because it takes a minimum of five years before you can take the test to be certified and if anyone thinks that test is easy is in for a real rude awakening. According to the latest information available the passing rate for Level III is "less than 20%".
Where the tests came from was the dim past of long ago when college was important but nowhere near as important as it is today. 40 and 50 years ago all you needed was a high school diploma and pass a written test, taken over a three day period so it isn't fast. I remember the hydraulics section having to do with Hazen-Williams pressure loss formula and Hardy Cross for simple pipe networks and grids. Hazen Williams wasn't a problem but Hardy Cross made me feel like I would rather sit in a corner knocking my teeth out with a hammer. I got it enough to where I could pass the test and that is all that mattered to me.
There was one test question "A hiker travels in a direction of 345 degrees 12 minutes for a distance of 3.84 miles before turning in a direction of 68 degrees 55 minutes for a distance of 4.23 miles and which point the hiker directly returns to his starting point. How far did the hiker travel?" Not the worlds toughest problem to solve but it was not a right triangle either.
Today everything is done on the computer but when I do train I insist they first learn it the hold fashioned way and that is by hand. You do it by hand spending three hours then you understand what the computer is spitting out in 2 seconds.
Today we don't do complex math but I believe you have to be able to understand it so you know what is happening in the background.
I think we are among the last of the "professions" one can get into without a college degree but in my opinion that doesn't make it easy.
I would definitely do things differently on a "do-over"!
First, I would have kept my civil service job rather than leaving it to pursue a career with Ma Bell. I would have worked alongside a buddy that is now retired with a ridiculous pension, benefits, and he's still in his early 50's.
The other thing I would have done differently was leave Ma Bell when the US Navy took an interest in me. I was in fear of layoffs at the phone company early in my career, so I took the OCS testing with the Navy and excelled. I was one phone call away from going into OCS as a supply side candidate. I had a little self-doubt that made me choose not to do it. Looking back, I kind of wish I did go in. I could have had a great career and then retired young.
Both of these career choices would have left me young enough to pursue a secondary career to really sock away retirement funds.
Oh well. I am still very happy with the bed I made. But thinking about "what-if's" can also be fun.
Attorney at Law was what I wanted to do. Did the IT thing and made big money, can now go do what I want to do, but they money is hard to give up, even as an attorney I'm likely to take a pay cut...
The big problem is there aren't any schools we're all industry trained and it's easier, and much simpler, to go poach from a competitor than it is to train. Problem is we're going to be running out of poach-able animals due to die offs and retirements.
What happened to us started in the mid to late 1980's when we moved from the old drafting tables of old to computer design with hydraulic calculations. In 1982 I remember performing a set of hydraulic calculations by hand that would take me two, three or four days that I can do today in a few short minutes. Drawings that used to take a week I can now do in a day or two with greater accuracy.
Training is a problem because it takes a minimum of five years before you can take the test to be certified and if anyone thinks that test is easy is in for a real rude awakening. According to the latest information available the passing rate for Level III is "less than 20%".
Where the tests came from was the dim past of long ago when college was important but nowhere near as important as it is today. 40 and 50 years ago all you needed was a high school diploma and pass a written test, taken over a three day period so it isn't fast. I remember the hydraulics section having to do with Hazen-Williams pressure loss formula and Hardy Cross for simple pipe networks and grids. Hazen Williams wasn't a problem but Hardy Cross made me feel like I would rather sit in a corner knocking my teeth out with a hammer. I got it enough to where I could pass the test and that is all that mattered to me.
There was one test question "A hiker travels in a direction of 345 degrees 12 minutes for a distance of 3.84 miles before turning in a direction of 68 degrees 55 minutes for a distance of 4.23 miles and which point the hiker directly returns to his starting point. How far did the hiker travel?" Not the worlds toughest problem to solve but it was not a right triangle either.
Today everything is done on the computer but when I do train I insist they first learn it the hold fashioned way and that is by hand. You do it by hand spending three hours then you understand what the computer is spitting out in 2 seconds.
Today we don't do complex math but I believe you have to be able to understand it so you know what is happening in the background.
I think we are among the last of the "professions" one can get into without a college degree but in my opinion that doesn't make it easy.
Thanks for the reply.
It's funny that you gave that example because I had a very similar problem in my physics class this semester. It was a vector problem and yes, we had to do it the normal way by drawing the vector components on a Cartesian plane and drawing the resulting vector.
Anyway, I'll keep plugging away at my degree for now. Hopefully at the end, there will be at least a few opportunities for me.
It's funny that you gave that example because I had a very similar problem in my physics class this semester. It was a vector problem and yes, we had to do it the normal way by drawing the vector components on a Cartesian plane and drawing the resulting vector.
Anyway, I'll keep plugging away at my degree for now. Hopefully at the end, there will be at least a few opportunities for me.
Surprisingly enough, or maybe not, one of the highest paid fields in engineering is fire protection engineering or FPE.
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