“I remain skeptical of your assertion about qualifications. Engineers need a good understanding of math and science. Building engines does not provide a good background in math and science. Obtaining a ham license does not provide sufficient training in math and science for electrical engireering work.”
I spent half of my 33 working years hiring engineers. I hire first for attitude. Second, I look for a consuming interest that tells me the person will be interested in the job; interested enough to acquire the background they need. On several occasions, I interviewed EE’s with straight A’s from FAMU. One, I finally asked, “can you tell me what V=IR means?” (A central equation in her field that she should have used 100’s of times.) She couldn’t. I asked if she could tell me what any of the letters stood for, she said no. I was very careful writing up the interview as I’d been told the company wanted her. The HR lady was furious with me and the company, Honeywell, made her an offer anyway. We were out bid by TI. Another straight A engineer was having problems with his car battery, so I told him how to troubleshoot it. Turns out, he had no idea how an alternator worked.
Sounds like BS to me. Couldn't hack engineering in school? Had to switch majors? Now you go online and trash them? I know your type, you are dangerous.
I have a degree in EE. If you had asked me such a silly basic question like what does v=ir means during an interview I would have walked out thinking what an idiotic thing to ask an EE. Insulting. I couldn't work in a place like that.
“Another straight A engineer was having problems with his car battery, so I told him how to troubleshoot it. Turns out, he had no idea how an alternator worked.”
I’ve known plenty of dysfunctional engineers, I’ve known plenty of incompetent technicians, I’ve even met fraudulent air conditioning mechanics. I knew an auto repair guy who couldn’t find the business end of a spark plug if you made him a map.
So what.
If you have a degree in engineering from an accredited school, chances are you can function in an engineering environment. Not a guarantee, but it’s pretty likely.
Like anything, you have to know what you are doing when you are hiring people - and focus on how much money they can make YOU, as well as how much you pay them.
But for you to assert as you are that an engineering degree is an impediment to skilled, professional, well-compensated employment - because you knew an idiot engineer or two - then I’ll take that argument. It is simply not defensible.
There are plenty of non-degreed successful people, but that is not the path to success; planning to not get a degree. It’s like telling your kid that they should count on a million dollar payday from the NBA. It’s idiocy.
It also smacks of base jealousy. If it’s so easy - then go to night school and get your engineering degree - anyone should be able to do it, right? I mean you can do it and keep a high-paying, secure, non-degreed day job, right?
Maybe the wannabe engineer techs will rethink their jealousy when they get a load of the hours a committed professional engineer puts in to make projects go. You may not see the work - you’re gone at 5 - chances are you don’t even understand it because the hard part is done for you by the time you get it. You mistake it for being “easy” because you can do it after someone did the hard work for you.
Nope, not buying it.