Hello fellow RFD-ers,
I would like to ask for career advice from seasoned professionals in the market. I myself have a degree in ChemEng. Some of you might remember my post in May asking for advice about having job offers from 2 companies, one being a summer job with a oilsands producer, and the other being a full time job with a small company with training in the UK included. Well I took the latter's offer.
So I'm currently into my fourth month with the company as a Process Eng trainee, working on oil and gas projects for a client based overseas and over the long weekend I pondered a bit on where I want to be in the next 5 to 10 years and compared it to what I'm doing right now. And then I remembered about possible career paths into consulting (whose existence and possibility I sadly only learned about while actively seeking a job in my final year, which admittedly was a huge blunder on my part). I've also been advised by some profs and career counselors on how some engineers somehow made it into banks, though they never told me exactly how they did it.
Right now for the tasks and things I'm doing, it undoubtedly feels dry although I already braced myself to stick through it and see how I end up next year. I'm good with math and mouth, and I'm quick on my feet, and all that P&IDs and Operation Philosophies just don't seem as exciting enough as solving problems for clients from different fields and backgrounds in a consulting role will offer, and kicking ***** at that (plus I like to suit up). I am also curious as to what role an engineer will play at banks.
Some of my friends have suggested that I start applying to the major oil producer companies since I was getting paid way less than the average pay of another fellow engineer of similar standing and my offer does not state that I'm bound for a year. But I'm a man of loyalty and I'm willing to stick it out for having a job when others are struggling to find one, and I do think I'm getting my current pay because I've got no previous experience and companies pay for experience. Being a mercenary doesn't help. Then again I don't want my experience to pigeon-hole me into a process engineering role when I have higher aspirations than playing with HYSYS and sizing control valves all day long. I look at the senior process engineer in my company and that is all he does and though he tells me the pay is good, but he couldn't even conduct a proper interview or manage personnel (he's been in EPC his whole career apparently). I look at my boss and see him slog it out, even coming to work on weekends and eating poorly because he cannot afford the time, which while encouraging for morale isn't how I want to live my life down the road. He's not even married. My current office is also on the other side of the city and not very well-staffed (only me and a part-time admin chick currently).
Of course I'm merely speaking from conjecture at this point; I know that I know nothing (like Jon Snow).
Thus my questions for those in the know (current consultants, process engineers, engineers in banks, other similarly experienced) is
I expect some of you might think I'm still too young in my career to say much or carry these thoughts, but I'm pushing 25 already and I am and have always been a man with a plan. Right now I'm formulating my backup plan and you guys will be providing some of the greatest help that I've ever enlisted. And for that I thank you very much in advance for your valuable insights.:D
And sorry for the long post too!
I would like to ask for career advice from seasoned professionals in the market. I myself have a degree in ChemEng. Some of you might remember my post in May asking for advice about having job offers from 2 companies, one being a summer job with a oilsands producer, and the other being a full time job with a small company with training in the UK included. Well I took the latter's offer.
So I'm currently into my fourth month with the company as a Process Eng trainee, working on oil and gas projects for a client based overseas and over the long weekend I pondered a bit on where I want to be in the next 5 to 10 years and compared it to what I'm doing right now. And then I remembered about possible career paths into consulting (whose existence and possibility I sadly only learned about while actively seeking a job in my final year, which admittedly was a huge blunder on my part). I've also been advised by some profs and career counselors on how some engineers somehow made it into banks, though they never told me exactly how they did it.
Right now for the tasks and things I'm doing, it undoubtedly feels dry although I already braced myself to stick through it and see how I end up next year. I'm good with math and mouth, and I'm quick on my feet, and all that P&IDs and Operation Philosophies just don't seem as exciting enough as solving problems for clients from different fields and backgrounds in a consulting role will offer, and kicking ***** at that (plus I like to suit up). I am also curious as to what role an engineer will play at banks.
Some of my friends have suggested that I start applying to the major oil producer companies since I was getting paid way less than the average pay of another fellow engineer of similar standing and my offer does not state that I'm bound for a year. But I'm a man of loyalty and I'm willing to stick it out for having a job when others are struggling to find one, and I do think I'm getting my current pay because I've got no previous experience and companies pay for experience. Being a mercenary doesn't help. Then again I don't want my experience to pigeon-hole me into a process engineering role when I have higher aspirations than playing with HYSYS and sizing control valves all day long. I look at the senior process engineer in my company and that is all he does and though he tells me the pay is good, but he couldn't even conduct a proper interview or manage personnel (he's been in EPC his whole career apparently). I look at my boss and see him slog it out, even coming to work on weekends and eating poorly because he cannot afford the time, which while encouraging for morale isn't how I want to live my life down the road. He's not even married. My current office is also on the other side of the city and not very well-staffed (only me and a part-time admin chick currently).
Of course I'm merely speaking from conjecture at this point; I know that I know nothing (like Jon Snow).
Thus my questions for those in the know (current consultants, process engineers, engineers in banks, other similarly experienced) is
- If I'm still unhappy in my current role next year, how should I go about in trying to get into a consulting firm or bank? How did you get into your current role at a firm/bank?
- For current process engineers: am I wrong in my expectations of the role, that things will change given that I'm just a relative baby in the field?
- What other options can I pursue with a ChemEng degree aside from moving to an oil producing company in the future? I've also considered an MBA on advice by my fellow friends.
- Am I missing anything else that I should be considering as well? Please let me know!
I expect some of you might think I'm still too young in my career to say much or carry these thoughts, but I'm pushing 25 already and I am and have always been a man with a plan. Right now I'm formulating my backup plan and you guys will be providing some of the greatest help that I've ever enlisted. And for that I thank you very much in advance for your valuable insights.:D
And sorry for the long post too!
