What does it mean to be an engineer?
December 22nd, 2005 @ 10.41 pm
Sometimes I wonder. I don’t question my choice of being an engineer at all, but I do question where my life is going. Do I want to do architectural engineering my whole life? If not, how do I get a job doing something else without experience? Where would another position lead me to? Would I want to take that path? Sometimes I get glimpses that tell me God has a plan for me, but I have no clue what it is.
I’ve always loved designing stuff, both at the detail level and looking a the big picture. I think the former every engineer seems capable of, but the latter seems to be a valuable trait. I’m finding that not only do I need to be able to do calculations, but I also need to draft, coordinate with the client(s), collect information from the site, and manage my coworker(s) progress as well as mine. Also, all this is going on for three to five projects at once, so sometimes, all due ASAP. I’ve learned a lot, and learned that I have a lot more to learn before I’ll be comfortable running an engineering deptartment, or even being a registered PE. Engineering isn’t just designing, but designing, managing, and coordinating every part of any kind of project.