The engineering appreciation thread

Ricochet J said:
In September i'm going to train to become a Mechanical Engineer! Can't wait!
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So am I! :cool:

This whole real engineer debate doesn't really bother me that much, it's just a word and if someone wants to use it to make their job sound better, then let them. Where it really counts, most people know who the 'real' engineers are.
 
Engineers save more lives per day than doctors, think what the country would be like without a decent sewage/water system - that was designed by engineers.

Girlfriend is a civil Engineer, I studied Elec Eng at Uni and the majority of my friends are Engineers.
The level of respect/apprication Engineers receive on the continent/Americas is huge compared to here - not to mention many receiving saleries comparable to Doctors.
 
Just a question for the OP or any other engineer in this thread:

Im on a placement working for a big engineering/manufacturing company (Pall). In the factory we have a quite a few manufacturing engineers and production engineers. (I work with one of the manufacturing engineers) Would you class these people as proper engineers, or is it another bad use of the word? They do not technically do a lot of designing, but it is their jobs to solve manufacturing and production problems.
 
paddy said:
Engineers save more lives per day than doctors, think what the country would be like without a decent sewage/water system - that was designed by engineers.

Girlfriend is a civil Engineer, I studied Elec Eng at Uni and the majority of my friends are Engineers.
The level of respect/apprication Engineers receive on the continent/Americas is huge compared to here - not to mention many receiving saleries comparable to Doctors.
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Oh yes - we had some Americans over a few weeks ago to visit us (we're doing some work for them) and they said that a graduate over there would walk into a $60k a year job (some even more)

That's a far cry from what we get here, not to mention that the cost of living and goods are far cheaper in the States
 
Civil engineers aren't real engineers anyway. All the lecturers at Bristol take the Michael out of them.

NathanE said:
Signed. This petition actually has a purpose unlike a lot of the recent ones.

I hate it that "software engineer" is now a term used for just average code monkeys. An engineer is someone that *designs* something.
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Yep. True software engineering is purely about design, not even writing a single line of code.
 
so if your job title was IT Technician and you obtained an MCSE (microsoft certified systems engineer) what would you be then?

imo an IT Technician (although id like to think otherwise :p )
 
Am i the only one that doesnt care? That things this really isnt a big deal?

Surely you should take pride in your work and that should be enough. Why do you need people to think of you as equal to doctors and lawyers?

Its just a title, no different than a garbage man calling himself a refuse disposal expert. If someone came to me and said that they are a heating engineer and someone else a structural engineer, its the first part of the job title that matters not the last.
 
Kreeeee said:
Civil engineers aren't real engineers anyway. All the lecturers at Bristol take the Michael out of them.
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Shall we remove all the buildings/roads/bridges/tunnels/gas/water/railways and see how you get on learning 'real' engineering in your mud huts? :p
 
Studying Aerospace Engineering at Bristol and I agree that "Engineer" is an over used term.

A couple of people from school who left school at 16 to drive tractors promptly referred to themselves as Agricultural Engineers when I told them what I was studying the other week.

"Are you chartered?"

"Naaa I don't use geeky charts! I drive tratars!"

"Oh....."
 
Fergie said:
Just a question for the OP or any other engineer in this thread:

Im on a placement working for a big engineering/manufacturing company (Pall). In the factory we have a quite a few manufacturing engineers and production engineers. (I work with one of the manufacturing engineers) Would you class these people as proper engineers, or is it another bad use of the word? They do not technically do a lot of designing, but it is their jobs to solve manufacturing and production problems.
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hmm not sure on this one. What did they require for their jobs? a college course in manufacturing or a degree in some sort of engineering?? i would say they are technicians at a guess but not to sure in this case
 
I signed.

A couple of times after mentioning that I'm studying engineering next year people have been surpirsed that I need A grades in maths and physics "to learn how to repair things". :rolleyes:
 
divine_madness said:
Shall we remove all the buildings/roads/bridges/tunnels/gas/water/railways and see how you get on learning 'real' engineering in your mud huts? :p
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Meh, just stick a bit o' tarmac on the floor and call it a road ;)
 
Engineers. Less charisma than a boyscout leader but more vindictive than a career divorcee.

It's funny to watch them scuttle around the building looking at their feet :D


/workplace politics
 
Scuzi said:
Engineers. Less charisma than a boyscout leader but more vindictive than a career divorcee.

It's funny to watch them scuttle around the building looking at their feet :D


/workplace politics
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Trust me it's better than being one of the sodding QHSE people, they smile lots then try and screw your project over.

KaHn
 
MNuTz said:
Am i the only one that doesnt care? That things this really isnt a big deal?

Surely you should take pride in your work and that should be enough. Why do you need people to think of you as equal to doctors and lawyers?

Its just a title, no different than a garbage man calling himself a refuse disposal expert. If someone came to me and said that they are a heating engineer and someone else a structural engineer, its the first part of the job title that matters not the last.
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I think its about responsibility and respect. Everything I design and build, I am legally responsible for and in most cases has the potential to kill someone (or lots) if I get it wrong. Intense study for years, then graft to gain accreditation as a mark of professionalism. Deserves the same level as respect as any lawyer. Personally I don't see it's any different than the respect earned by a Master crasftmen of day gone by. The fact is if someone wants to put the same letters after their name as an CEng Engineer it will take at least 8 years of hard work, maybe more.

Of all the technical people I've worked with over the years. The man I respect the most was a Master Toolmaker. I'd say it must have taken ar least 20 years or experience to gain his abilities. Didn't stop people treating him like dirt. Its a lost cause, this type of skill is no longer valued.
 
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Hmm...i've just finished my third year of a 4 year Chemical and Bioprocess Engineerign M.eng course.

I think the term is overused but i don't see why engineers on here are bothered. If you've got a decent Cv and have a good job, you'l get the respect you deserve regardless of your tittle. Besides, once you get chartered you're earning about £50K and over. Who needs the tittle?

Couldn't doctors argue a similar point with academics being called Dr's ?

Chemical Engineering pay is pretty decent too. Typical graduate salaries are £24k to £32K if you've got a good degree and can prove your worth.

All in all you shouldn't care too much about the tittle.
 
mglover070588 said:
hmm not sure on this one. What did they require for their jobs? a college course in manufacturing or a degree in some sort of engineering?? i would say they are technicians at a guess but not to sure in this case
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Most of them have degrees in engineering, the guy I work with has I know that.

The manufacturing industry seem to put 'engineer' at the end of everyones job. We have:

  • Quality engineers
  • Technical engineers
  • Continuous Improvement engineers
  • Internal sales engineers
  • Project engineers
  • Area sales engineers
  • Sales liason engineers
  • Support engineers

How many of them are actual engineers?!
 
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