_
_

The intent of this section was to better understand ASME respondents' current work environments, personal attitudes and how such information could help young people better understand working in an engineering profession.

Over three-quarters of those who responded to the survey were employed within three months of earning their Bachelor of Science degrees. 

An additional 7% found a job within the six months following graduation and only 14% searched between six months and over a year for employment. Less than two percent of those who responded never worked as engineers. Seventy-two (72%) of respondents presently work at a private company, 7% are either consultants or work at a government agency, and 6% are engineering educators. Other categories relating to work location that were reported by multiple respondents include public companies, utilities and universities (to include academic research centers/institutes).

Job satisfaction ranks as an important consideration when evaluating any profession. Survey participants provided significant input regarding the work environment.

As seen in the graph below, solving problems and being creative are activities that are enjoyed by most respondents.  This is in keeping with what was reported in the Pre-College and Post-Secondary sections of the survey.

Other work-related activities that were enjoyed by multiple ASME engineers include:

View Comments:

Being able to develop technologies that could significantly improve people's lives through cheaper and cleaner electricity.

I am coached not to apply Engineering design or to solve problems. However, that is my job. Hmm? And morale may be an issue in the workforce today.

The quality of people I get to work with and the multi-dimensional role my "job" has evolved to; I don't have a "job", I have a "hobby" they pay me money for!

In terms of work activities that respondents did not enjoy, company politics and government/corporate bureaucracy are ranked at the top of the list. A lack of vision/understanding by co-workers/clients, administrative functions/issues and documentation (all forms) also placed high on the list.

Other categories that were reported by multiple respondents include:

View Comments:

Dealing with financing firms and venture capital types eager to make money on the work of others.

Dealing with people who lack mental toughness. Working excessive hours of unpaid overtime due to being taken advantage of by customers of my company and people within it.

Students who are unwilling to work toward understanding a subject and feel that life should be handed to them.

Effort required to maintain motivation when not getting outside feedback on my results.

The goal is to make money...rather than solve the problem with the most elegant solution. I understand the need to make money...the more the better, but there is a part of me that loves finding the perfect solution.

Respondents identified portions of time they spend on the job related to engineering, management and other activities.

There were little to no significant differences between man and women respondents when comparing the percentage of time involved in engineering and management activities. There were however 8% more women than men respondents involved in other activities.  An interesting trend appeared when comparing age differences for all respondents engaged in engineering, management and other activities as noted below.

Although most respondents spend approximately 50% (+/-) of their time in engineering related activities, there appears to be a gradual decline of about 10% from age 21 through age 50.  Then at ages 51-58, there is over a 10% jump in the same.  Management activities increase 10% from ages 21 through 38 and then gradually decline (a little less than 10%) through ages 51-56.

Many respondents acknowledged other duties associated with their positions. Many used this section to provide an overview of their diverse responsibilities. The following categories are prioritized based on the number of similar responses.

View Comments:

Often as an engineer I am called upon to develop systems within the company, SOP type things. Documentation, grant writing, and inspection procedures take up almost as much time as design time.

I spend my time talking to customers, solving their installation problems with existing equipment. Also, I spend a lot of time working to improve our product's acceptance rate. Very process oriented, and I spend time writing and scrutinizing process.

I use engineering knowledge to check and produce work but very little engineering calculations (sporadically, as needed). I am a team leader, so I manage tasks and people somewhat. I process paperwork, load data, maintain organization in my group, research, and perform liaison functions with the trades & customer the rest of the time.

Administrative issues unfortunately dominate my time. Directing others to complete the engineering is second (although this requires an engineering background). Direct engineering work is a minority of my day.

Working in a small company, I am often a 'jack of all trades'. This includes providing field service for products and fielding questions from customers.

My role involves leading a technical team in the engineering development of a major new product. About 60% of my time is involved with technical issues; about 20% is program management, and about 20% is misc/admin.

Current position involves system engineering - analysis, design, & generation of specifications for acquisition oversight. Roughly half of my workday deals with project management issues and administrative tasks.

Engineering analysis and other tasks that utilize my degree amount to less than 5% of my job. The majority of the rest is documentation and other tasks that go along with engineering and engineered equipment. The vast majority of these tasks can be performed by someone without my technical back ground.

I manage engineering projects at a chemical plant. I perform some of the engineering myself and maintain the budget and schedule. I am also responsible for a portfolio executed by others. I have to draw on technical knowledge of the plant and the resources to get all of the work done.

I spend roughly 1/2 my time ensuring that we comply with ASME inspection codes and making related engineering decisions. Of the remaining time, an additional 10 to 25% of my time is spent leading other personnel in getting the job done. The remainder of my time is spent on working paperwork issues that do not necessarily relate to engineering.

I am a programmer/planner for the Civil Engineering Squadron on an Air Force Base. My job basically entails cost estimating for various projects on base.

I perform preventative and corrective maintenance on a wide variety of Semiconductor manufacturing equipment. It is rare for me to get to "engineer" a real change/modification for a piece of equipment.

I'm a technical writer in the aerospace industry. Most of my time is spent keeping track of projects and coordinating information between engineering groups. Little of my time is done actually engineering.

My job involves a lot of project management of technical subjects. As a result, I use my engineering training to do analysis, but then spent an equal amount of time reporting the results of the analysis and managing the project.

Overall, 33% were highly satisfied with their present employment and 55% were satisfied.

Only 13% were dissatisfied to highly dissatisfied.  Seventy-two (72%) percent of respondents felt secure in their current job while 28% did not. The following represent categories as reported by multiple respondents who did not feel secure in their jobs.

View Comments:

Although at a Fortune 5 company, I don't think any engineering position has long time job security now. I know people whose positions have been "outsourced" to China and India.

Short term no problem, but long term very concerned about overseas outsourcing of design engineering functions.

Engineering functions continue to be transferred out of the US.

I currently work for a publicly traded company which tends to perform job layoffs if the "numbers" are not being met to keep the investors happy and keep the company operating in the "black". Due to the fluctuation in the market and operating characteristics, I don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling about job security at my current place of employment.

No one should feel like they have job security in today's economy. If you are smart, you will ensure that you can demonstrate that you have abilities that will make you valuable to any company, not just your present employer. The only true "job security" is making sure you would make a desirable prospective employee for any company in your field.

Engineering is becoming a global commodity and there are many qualified engineers throughout the world who can perform to a high level of skill at lesser wages. My expectation is that I will need to improve and maintain my skills and possibly work for other employers in my career.

I have more security than many of the shop employees, but I've learned that security is largely an illusion. With the corporate culture, any position can disappear in an instant. Be prepared for a job change at any time, and don't get too comfortable in any job (even if you own the company). Always keep your resume up to date.

Participating engineers explained where they saw themselves in the next three to five years.

Sixty-two percent (62%) indicated they had definite plans, with most (as noted below), wanting to continue with the profession.

A greater percentage of men respondents indicated they intended to continue in their present field of engineering. The other (6.8%) responses that were reported by multiple respondents include:

View Comments:

Perhaps start a competing company to where I now work. Need capital and expertise. Lots of opportunity though.

Due to the management I'm under, any limits I set are mine and not necessarily imposed by my employer. I don't feel "trapped" in this job.

Develop my business and market my invention. We hope to have my invention generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales. We are already in tens of thousands after a few months of sales.

Forty-four percent (44%) of respondents indicated they were considering actions they might take during the next three to five years as depicted below.

A significantly higher percentage of men respondents indicated they are considering further education in their field, whereas a significantly higher percentage of women respondents are considering teaching at the secondary or post-secondary level.  Other categories that were reported by multiple respondents include:

View Comments:

I am currently taking a course in Human Anatomy and Physiology. I plan to go to prosthetics school and become a prosthetist then use my engineering skills to design better prosthetic components. Design is the focus of my goals, and assessing patient needs as a prosthetist is my way to get there.

I am interested in sustainable building technologies. I could use my technical background in this field, and I feel I would derive much more satisfaction from this than my current position.

I am missing creativity in my current position. I often think of pursuing graphic design, interior design, or some other creative field.

The "Why Engineering?" survey continues to address "quality of life" issues as ASME respondents provided significant details regarding what they consider as important considerations.

Eighty-four (84%) reported the number of hours worked per week as the most important consideration.  Almost three quarters of those who responded worked 40-50 hours per week as seen to the right.  A higher percentage of men respondents considered hours worked per week as the number one quality of life issue.

Forty-five (45%) of the respondents reported the amount of travel as a second important consideration.  Just under three-quarters of those who responded take three or less local trips per month.  Eighty-seven percent (87%) of the engineers who responded take three or less out-of-town trips per month. There is a significant percentage increase in the amount of travel per month for men respondents.

 

Thirty-seven percent (37%) of the respondents reported the degree of stress that rapidly changing technology causes is a third important consideration. Over two-thirds of those who responded indicate that changing technology causes low to moderate stress.  It is important to note there was a higher percentage of women who responded.      

Twenty (20%) percent of the respondents provided a multitude of additional reasons relating to quality of life considerations. The categories below are prioritized based on the number of similar responses.

View Comments:

The shear number of projects, and the ever shortening time from start to working prototypes.

Degree of stress due to heavy workload, regulatory requirements, and management priorities.

The office politics is big. People are more worried about their careers and people's perceptions, than getting a project done right.

Degree of stress related to Corporate Policy. Downsizing and Disorganization of large companies has each worker responsible for more tasks. This adds considerable stress as different portions of the organization do not see the demands placed by other portions and each pushes extremely hard to get their work done.

I know how to handle stress effectively. I do have a concern that the attempts to reduce engineering judgment to mathematical algorithms will stifle development of juniors by an over-reliance on technology.

Stress of having too many jobs to work on and not having time to get organized. I spend more time trying to determine what I need to work on instead of actually working on the stuff that needs to be worked on.

Lack of appreciation for engineering at my current place of employment. Focus is on making money in the short term.

Lack of respect that engineers have in the US - compared to other professionals such as HR or Accounting etc.

For a first time in the Why Engineering Survey, respondents provided an insight into what careers they would have selected had they not become engineers.

The categories are prioritized based on the number of similar responses.

Thirty-eight percent (38%) of respondents indicated the engineer's image changed since they entered the profession.

Their reasons are prioritized based on the number of similar responses.

View Comments:

Engineering has become less hands-on and more computer dependent.

People are more aware of what engineers do. Engineers have a much bigger impact on the world.

Geeks with jobs ...

The image is still 'Dilbert', but public awareness of technical challenges such as alternative energy sources has elevated the status of the profession somewhat.

More women involved, more social issues, more integration of technologies.

Business/financial aspects have become more dominant while respect for engineering excellence has declined. We were going to the moon in the 1960's but now we want to make millions in the stock market and retire at 50.

Engineers have lost ground versus other professions like doctor/lawyer. Because we have been unwilling to protect the cachet of "Engineer", the general public still has verly little idea what and engineer is or does. This leads to labels like Waste Management Engineer for garbage men and Food Service Engineer for restaurant employees.

It isn't a profession that rewards good work over long periods of time. Engineers are expendable, especially highly paid experienced engineers. The bean counters rule.

I think engineers have become more disposable in today's economy. The days of working for a company for 30 years is over and you must plan to change companies from time to time to advance and get decent raises. Otherwise, you may be subject to layoff when the company wants to reduce overhead.

The general population (U.S.) does not know what an engineer is or what they do. We are not highly respected for our intelligence or accomplishments. People take for granted the modern conveniences they have in life without any regard as to how they are made possible. I think third world countries have a much higher respect for engineering since they lack the most common necessities and once they have those established such as a simple water pump for clean water they are more appreciative and knowledgeable of the power of engineering and the contribution an engineer can make in improving living. One only has to look at the number of engineers that India and China are producing compared to the United States to understand my point.

I thought Engineers were able to crunch numbers or solve problems through the use of math and creative thinking but I have found that their is a significant amount of company politics that play into the ability to solve a problem.

Before I graduated, I thought being an engineer meant that you designed most of the time. I didn't realize that amount of paperwork and bureaucracy the job entailed or the amount of company politics that you have to deal with.

In the work place there are people who are not educated in engineering that have titles/positions/salaries of engineers. Therefore, I believe you can not have the title/position of an engineer unless you have an engineering degree. Furthermore, professional engineering licensing should be encouraged/required at certain levels.

The Why Engineering Survey recently began tracking data on unemployed engineers.

There is some discrepancy in the count regarding the number of unemployed ASME engineer respondents. The difference surfaced when comparing the total count for the Unemployed section (6%) with the opening demographic section that listed Employment Status - unemployed (less than 2%). This may be due in part to engineers who responded and are are currently employed outside the field and still seeking employment as engineers. Based on the small segment of persons who did respond, most left their previous workplaces because of their company downsizing. Other reasons included they decided to quit, their company reorganized, there was no avenue for advancement and one individual left an assignment because of an inappropriate environment. More than half of the respondents are still seeking work in the engineering field.

Return to Top