If you worked as a welder and decided to get a BS in engineering - civil, mechanical, aerospace, etc. - I would like to know your experience as an engineer:- What type of work did you do?- Did you need to get your PE license?- Were you still able to work as a welder?- Did you enjoy the work?- Is there a market for engineers in this economy?- Anything that you would like to say would be of benefitI looked into my future and decided that I don't want to be 40 and still being told to weld such and such part; I want to be the guy who designs the part AND welds it. I'm really not sure if I can do both, union regulations may not allow it, but regardless, I would like to be apart of the design team and the construction/welding team.I'm planning on getting a civil engineering degree, as I feel it would focus more on the type of industry that I would enjoy working in and the classes look more fun; I will have at least a year before I start any coursework, so I have some time before I decide. I figure mechanical and aerospace engineering would deal mostly with TIG instead of stick, but I could be wrong.My girlfriend says there is no market for engineers in this economy, but I would like to know from an engineer's point of view what the market is like. I figure a naval shipyard apprenticeship program and an engineering degree will look pretty impressive to any employer.Any other comments are greatly appreciated and thank you all in advance for the replies.
Reply:It is a civil engineer that signs the papers for certified welding inspectors.Also many times for welder certification.So you cannot sign your own papers on your own jobs. That would be a conflict of interest.You need to decide if you want to be a welder or an engineer.After 40 many places will not hire 40 year old welders.it would be better to get your engineering degree so when you get older you can work inside.I knew one engineer who only specified windows for sky scrapers. But i would not let the guy design a go kart. There are many niches to fill.Think like this:..... If you won the lottery tomorrow. What would you want to do?Go after THAT. The pieces will fall into place.You need to hop over to the engineering forums. http://www.eng-tips.com/Last edited by Donald Branscom; 04-22-2011 at 01:53 PM.AWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder
Reply:Welder friend of mine always said he didn't want to dumb him self down to be a engineer. But now he'd like a easier job and most times the pay would be nice.Millermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:I have a BS from Purdue in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, but I don't use any of it for my job. It was just a back up for me in case the whole Air Force flying thing gets old. I don't weld for a living but on the side a buddy and myself started a company that has a lot to do with engineering so I really can't complain on the education. You will find a ****load of engineers out there with no actual experience and tend to talk out their a$$. I had a few room mates like that and it was just astonishing to me how they even got a job. If you go that route, please use common sense and experience to make decisions and not just what your education tells you. as farmshop said, you don't want to have to dumb yourself down to be an engineer. a little common sense goes a long way
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o some googling, engineering majors in the USA currently have one of the highest hiring pay right out of college for a 4 year degree and also have one of the highest demands. By having some real life work experience you should do better in the job market than some one fresh out of school with zero experience. Over the years I have seen many new engineering hires that couldn't connect the regulator to an argon bottle, let alone strike an arc.I started out my mechanical engineering career many years ago doing process piping & pressure vessel design and then went into process and equipment design. Really enjoyed the hands on development type work and then got promoted into management. Unless you are in a small company doing development and prototyping you won't get much hands on with a welder. As far as PE license it is a must if you want to advance much past entry level at most companies. Take the Engineer In Training exam while you are in school and then you will need to work under a PE for 4 years before you can take the PE exam. Last time I looked there was about a 60% pass rate for PE's on the exam.BTW just remember - Mechanical Engineers build weapons, Civil Engineers build targets. Andy-------------------------Miller Bobcat 250 / Dynasty 200DXHobart HH 140Hypertherm PowerMax 380Kalamazoo 8C BandsawHowron Bender / Hossfeld #2 Bender
Reply:I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering. In high school, i wanted to be a Tool and Die maker. My dad, with the wisdom of most dad's, finally convinced me it would be better to design the tool's than to build them. He had worked rotating shifts and knew how hard it could be.A couple of points, some mentioned above. I worked construction to get through college. If you have that or similar experience with welding, there are classes that will make so much more sense to you than to the kids out of high school.A PE is not required. Some companies require it. Some companies won't hire you if you have it. I passed the EIT and assumed the PE would be the next step. My first two bosses told me they would not have considered my resume if I had been licensed. In their opinion, I would have been over qualified.I can't speak for Aerospace, but Mechanical deals with all types of welding processes. Think about it: The design and build of ships, Ag equipment, structural steel, boilers and other pressure vessels. I've been involved in the design and build of automatic welding equipment for compressed gas cylinders, multi-station dial machines for soldering hydrant parts, and orbital welding stations for throttle linkage for small engines. Your experience would put you a step ahead on such projects.What ever you decide, good luck.TurkeyLincoln Idealarc 250Millermatic 250Miller Synchrowave 250 Miller Synchrowave 350Thermal Arc PlasmaHH140Miller Diversion
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