Should I give up being an engineer and become a school teacher?

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
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I guess that job security thing has it's pull. No chance of getting rich though ;)

I was hoping to bounce around various startups, working for peanuts as an engineer in the hopes of hitting it. But the math and diagrams are getting annoying. I'm a senior in college.
 

monto

Platinum Member
Oct 12, 1999
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i live in silicon valley and despite the 'recession' talks, engineers and the comp-field still seem to be going strong, albeit more so for those experienced...interesting example, i have too college buddies who recently graduated, got offers from HP and Cisco earlier in the spring semester, but encountered probs when summer arrived and were ready to join the work force. the HP fellow got an offer to take $40K instead of the job, which he had already signed a contract for; the Cisco fellow was 'laid-off' before even beginning but compensated $60K

/edit: grammar bad
 

GoldenBear

Banned
Mar 2, 2000
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Well based on what I've seen from you..get a job in which the least amount of criticism is involved.
 

monto

Platinum Member
Oct 12, 1999
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<< Well based on what I've seen from you..get a job in which the least amount of criticism is involved. >>

heh or just be prepared for flames
 

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
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<< Well based on what I've seen from you..get a job in which the least amount of criticism is involved. >>



That's more the time I spend here than in real life. Posting here is one of my leisure activities, I don't terribly enjoy flame wars/being ripped on during my leisure time I'm sure you understand.

But WORK is something else, if the situation calls for a confrontation, I will be the first to shoot, figuratively speaking of course.
 

Ameesh

Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
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is this a cop out? are you a bad engineer? why the hell would you consiously cut your salary in 1/4. Making excuses about the job market not being safe is a load of crap. engineers have no problems finding jobs its all these dime a dozen program managers that are getting laid off.
 

JohnnyKnoxville

Platinum Member
Feb 24, 2001
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You should keep at it,you didn't say what type of engineer but electrical engineers make the top dollars.Finding a job shouldn't be a problem,yes the math and studying is suck but just think of all the nice things you can buy when you start raking in all the cash.
 

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
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<< is this a cop out? are you a bad engineer? why the hell would you consiously cut your salary in 1/4. Making excuses about the job market not being safe is a load of crap. engineers have no problems finding jobs its all these dime a dozen program managers that are getting laid off. >>



Well, not especially. When I try, I consistently place at the top of my class, but I'm coming to the realization that everything I do in my engineering classes is not enjoyable at all. My hope as an engineer is that after a couple years I'll be promoted to management so that I don't have to look at any more damn diagrams and grind more math.

It's more the leisurely pace/security of being a teacher that has me looking at it. Probably a passing fancy. Like I mentioned earlier, I was intending on bouncing around startups so I am willing to face low job security if the payoff is good.

Damn straight about the salary though, start at 25k/year or start at 50k/year. Cap at 50k/year or 100k/year. hehe, engineers make about as much starting as a teacher caps out. Man money talks :D I wonder how big of a whore I am so that I am willing to do something somewhat unenjoyable with the hopes of making good money ;)
 

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
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<< You should keep at it,you didn't say what type of engineer but electrical engineers make the top dollars. >>



Electrical engineering is my major, I'll probably do computer engineering as my option. Digital is much easier than analog :D
 

Abomination

Senior member
Aug 1, 2000
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if you're thinking of getting rich, a teacher job is not for you... believe me. Don't be a teacher unless you're willing to be totally revolutionary while still being good. Because we need less teachers out there who would rather do what's &quot;normal&quot; instead of what's right.
 

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
15,581
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<< if you're thinking of getting rich, a teacher job is not for you >>



Well, I don't mind giving up all hope of being rich for being happy and content.

Of course that's easy to say and compounded by the fact that I have expensive tastes :confused:
 

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
15,581
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<< It's funny you say that. My brother is leaving teaching to become an Engineer! >>



Grass is always greener on the other side. ;) Of course once you get there you wonder if your last batch of crack was bad.
 

SuperTool

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
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Don't do it. Stick with Engineering.
I don't care how bad of engineer you are, you can probably make at least 50K. Why take 25K as a teacher. It's a harder job too.
The only reason I see for becoming a teacher is those 3 month vacations.
 

brxndxn

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2001
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Without teachers, where would engineers come from?

I wonder what the BEST major (for making money) is... My dad is an electrical engineer and he tells me he wished he would have been a doctor - they get paid more.
 

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
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Hahaha, ok ok you guys got me, pretty much killed of any thought of being a teacher. Passing thought combined with a moment of weakness. My morale in school hasn't been so great as of late, hope I didn't do too bad in my classes last quarter.

The idea got in my head cause I ran into this CUTE girl I knew in HS and she's now a teacher at a local elementary I went to as a little kid. Job seemed easy enough, she seems happy and once you are in, the district takes care of you forever.

 

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
15,581
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<< I wonder what the BEST major (for making money) is... My dad is an electrical engineer and he tells me he wished he would have been a doctor - they get paid more. >>



I used to be a premed and this isn't really true all things considered, I've thought about it at some length. It's extremely difficult to get into med school, you spend 8-12 years after college (that's 8-12 years of salary lost plus med school tuition). Plus family practice doctors make around 120k a year, which isn't really great considering how many years they put into school. Given the same timeline, a good engineer will cap out at 100k/year, possibly before a med student can finish school. And the risk of not making it isn't really there for an engineer, they just have to grind it out, finish school, and they can get jobs. Docs aren't the same way, they fight with each other, the best of the best, for very limited openings in med schools. Very big gamble cause if they don't make it into med school, they wasted 4 years of college.

This happened to a very good friend of mine, he went through HS and university with the mindset of wanting to be a doctor. He did fine on his mcat and grades (2 digits on all sections of the mcat and 3.5+ gpa), but he still didn't get into any med schools. He tells me now he wishes he had majored in engineering instead of being a premed.


Cardiologists are a different thing, they make a quarter mil a year ;)
 

Abomination

Senior member
Aug 1, 2000
201
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If you're looking for a money going career, you can be an actor :eek:

Brad Pitt made 12,000 for a movie in 1991 and then 20,000,000 for Fight Club just 8 years later (1999). You know why everyone isn't an actor? Cause not everyone can do it. Only the people who love it make it to the top so do what you love to do and you'll reach the top the same way, and you'll be content.
 

RossGr

Diamond Member
Jan 11, 2000
3,383
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You would not be able to teach in the public school systems even if that is what you wanted. Your engineering degree will not get you a teaching certificate. You need some education courses for that. You are committed, if you don't complete your BSEE it is back to the drawing board, throw out 2yrs worth of classes and start over in your new major. Not fun.

Get an engineering job, I think you will find it much different from college courses, if you do not like it, now you have got some troubles. Cause if you don't like it you will not do well if you don't do well the big bucks won't flow your way. The 100k pay scales don't come easy, you have to work and produce to get there. But for you it is pretty much to late to turn back. Get a real job,make some coins, who knows you may even like it.
 

SmokeyTheBear

Member
Jun 7, 2001
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I'm a teacher and depending on where you live you can make a decent living being a teacher. The important thing to remember is to do what will make you happy! Money does NOTequal happiness!!!
If you have the time and $ to go ahead and get your teaching license, do it, what could it hurt... it would give you something to fall back on. Just because you start out teaching doesn't mean you always have to teach. Try it and if you're not happy, then look for an engineering job. If you can coach then you have greater opportunities for $.
Teaching is a very rewarding profession. It can be trying at times but knowing that you have made a difference in someone's life or possibly helped them turn their life around and given them the opportunity to succeed in your class can make all the difference in the world!
Another good point to teaching is the time off. :)