tell us about your job

[milesdyson]

I am bored at my job, so I will tell you about it.

What do you do? Structural engineering (unlicensed still).

Do you like it? Not really.

What makes you in particular well-suited or poorly-suited for your work? I am well-suited because I understand geometry well and am good at math. I am unsuited because I am very easily distracted and unwilling to apply myself very much when there is no dire consequence to being lazy.

What kind of people do best in your work? People like me, just without all the other crap running through their heads.

What qualifications are necessary for people considering work in the same field as you? A degree in civil or structural engineering basically.

What is a typical day like? Coffee, 2+2, and working on structural plans. It varies between custom homes, apartments, condos, townhomes, and other miscellaneous wood-framed buildings. I am pretty much always doing the same thing when in the office, which is designing the horizontal and lateral force resisting systems in these buildings. I am out of the office when I do structural observations on projects under construction or go to consultant meetings.

What kind of problems do you encounter? Stupid people in the field and at other offices.

What are the biggest (most common) sources of frustration and elation? Frustration is usually caused by having to finish projects in short time periods. Elation is usually caused by drinking coffee in the morning, leaving for lunch, and leaving the office at night.

How much do you make? About $60k/yr when you count profit sharing.

How much can one expect to make in your position? Somewhere around $80-100k/yr with a good amount of experience and your professional engineering license.