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

[rmeijer]

Teaching is cool but tough. If you think math and diagrams were hard, just wait until you have a bunch of young folks in a room watching every move and listening to every word... testing you....

Besides, there are many engineering jobs out there that don't require heavy use of math and "diagrams".

 

[jeremy806]

Finish what you started, get that engineering degree.

After that, get a job, goto graduate school, or both.

If you want to change career paths at this point, that is what graduate school is for. You can go to law school, medical school, or even business school after engineering is done. Once you have that engineering degree, you will always have it to fall back on later in life.

jeremy806

 

[StormRider]

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.

Since you're a senior, I would just finish off the engineering degree. You can always switch career paths later on. To get a taste of what teaching is like, try to get a TA position. The teaching part is very rewarding but I didn't like grading homeworks and tests (very tedious) -- and I hated giving out grades (especially bad ones).

Most engineering jobs that I've had actually used very little math. My first job was very boring because all I did was sit and stare at the wall all day. They never gave me anything interesting to do. Just pushing papers around. So I went back to grad school to improve my education in the hopes of being able to get interesting work in the future.

I like the job I have now though. Mostly programming.

But anyways, I think it'll be easier to become a teacher with an engineering degree than to become a teacher and later change your mind and want to get an engineering job. I've always felt that an engineering degree can be good preparation for any type of job.

For me, the biggest grip about the engineering profession is the lack of girls around. It can get very depressing to be in an industry that is so male dominated.

 

[cavingjan]

There are a lot of jobs out there that can be had that doesn't even touch heavy math. A degree is just to get you in the door and a lot of times unrelated to your job. I have a degree in mechanical engineering and I work for the feds doing things that don't even relate. The only thing I've been using was some cad experience but that was for one little diagram in the last 5 years. We hire a lot of environmental people right now because they can do the job and they are currently having a hard time finding jobs on the east coast. Keep up the engineering gig and look for a job you think you'll like. Not neccesarily for one in your field.

 

[StormRider]

It's more the leisurely pace/security of being a teacher that has me looking at it.

An engineering job in the Federal Government satisfies those requirements. In fact, sometimes it can be so leisurely you'll be bored out of your brains...

 

[rudder]

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.

Do the world a favor, DON'T get into a teaching career. Teachers should be dedicated to thier profession, not just looking for a job with a leisurely pace.

 

[satori]

Just a couple comments:

1. Just because you've got an EE degree doesn't mean you're gonna sit around and calculate FFT's, Bode plots, etc. I think I've forgotten 80% of the hard facts I learned it college, and it's only been 4 years. It's a whole different world once you get out in the real world.

2. Teaching's not for everyone. Someone mentioned TAing for a while. I agree this'd give you a taste of teaching. I did it for a couple quarters, and didn't really enjoy it. I've got absolutely no patience, and teaching requires lots of patience.

3. The numbers people were throwing around for salaries seem a little low to me.

Anyways, my philosophy is that my job doesn't have to be what I love to do... it has to give me the freedom to do what I want to do.

 

[alaniscool]

Hi, I've asked similar questions before, but don't ever get an answer back. But I'll give it another whack:

I'm graduating from Berkeley c.s. undergrad in a year, I was wondering what I should be expecting in terms of salary. I'm asking because I'm debating between work and grad school.

Also, I can't see myself programming all my life...maybe 5 years (?) How hard is it to reach some type of management position?

Thanks.

 

[StormRider]

I'm graduating from Berkeley c.s. undergrad in a year, I was wondering what I should be expecting in terms of salary. I'm asking because I'm debating between work and grad school.

Also, I can't see myself programming all my life...maybe 5 years (?) How hard is it to reach some type of management position?

Check out this website:

EE Times

and click on the link "Salary Survey the work circuit". It will give you a salary breakdown according to job and region.

Because of my personality type, I actually would not want to ever enter a management position -- unfortunately, that's where the really big bucks are!

I think if you do really well and show that you are capable of initiative and creative thinking on your own, you will be marked as a person with potential for management.

Edit: Opps, here's a more precise link to the salary survey:

Salary Survey

 

[satori]

Don't forget to check out salary.com. When I looked at it a couple months back, the averages they gave seemed pretty reasonable.

Stormrider: Oh, and I totally agree with you about going into management. It really takes a certain mindset to do it well. One of my friends was forced into a group management position (he's still about 90% technical) and he definitely seems more stressed out. I always look at it this way... while I'm not in management, I have 95% control over whether I get my work done or not (always some politics and stuff for the other 5%). But, once you start doing management stuff, now you're depending on others to determine whether you "succeed" or "fail" at your goals. Plus, if someone's slacking off, you gotta yell at them, or find out what's happening, or... Bleech... no thank you, sir.

update:
Doh!! (Hey, that's a word now!!) I just checked your links, Stormrider, and it looks like it uses the same salary-engine as the place I linked. They're totally different web-sites, but the lay-out for the salary part looks the same. Oops.

 

[OS]

<< Get an engineering job, I think you will find it much different from college courses >>



I hope so, school/class work is so tedious, it's the same stuff rehashed like half a million different ways. I don't really learn anything new or get to think with my own creativity, it's just turning a crank and grinding.





<< If you think math and diagrams were hard, just wait until you have a bunch of young folks in a room watching every move and listening to every word... testing you.... >>



hehe, I can tell you probably aren't an engineer. Teaching alegbra/geometry/trig is much much different than trying to explain differential equations and multivariable calculus. I have no problem with baby math, that's easy stuff. But man those last couple of math classes I took weren't fun at all. My last two math finals were about 4 hours long each!






<< the biggest grip about the engineering profession is the lack of girls around. It can get very depressing to be in an industry that is so male dominated. >>



Damn no kidding, I consider it a good quarter if there is one hot girl in ALL of my classes.





<< Just because you've got an EE degree doesn't mean you're gonna sit around and calculate FFT's, Bode plots, etc. I think I've forgotten 80% of the hard facts I learned it college, and it's only been 4 years. It's a whole different world once you get out in the real world. >>



LOL, that's great to hear. Yeah those fourier transforms, bode plot, laplace, transfer functions, 3 phase power, etc are all a pain in the ass.



K thanks guys, hopefully I'll get out of school soon and actually enjoy being an engineer

 

[ManSnake]

If you want to make money, continue your path as an engineer, engineers are much needed in today's society. If you don't care about the money and want an easy job, then you should definitely being a school teacher!

 

[Electric Amish]

<< If you don't care about the money and want an easy job, then you should definitely being a school teacher! >>


What!?!? School Teacher, easy??? Are you nuts???

Don't you remember what those poor people had to put up with when you were in school???

You could NEVER pay me enough to be a teacher/baby-sitter. Maybe in college, but nothing lower.

amish

 

[OS]

<< What!?!? School Teacher, easy??? Are you nuts??? >>



It depends on the grade also, K-3,4 is pretty easy on the teachers, all my classes back then were full of good kids

I think once you hit 5,6 to high school then all hell breaks loose. In high school it also depends if you are teaching advance students and what locale. But man some of those high school seniors are hot! :Q I'd be one scandalous HS teacher if I taught classes of seniors

 

[DannyLove]

drop out of POMONA!!!!!

danny~! i'm in ece and i'm outta that crap major...wasnt my kind, never was i guess

 

[CrimsonWolf]

Have you considered being a college level professor?

Even an assistant professor's bottom salary usually equals the caps of a HS teacher. You would be able to combine the benefits of teaching with the salary of being an engineer. The only downside is that it would take a lot of work to get there. A doctorate is usually a must for professorship positions. Then again, if you decide being a professor is not for you, then your doctorate may help you get a good superviser position in engineering.

Anyway, it's just a suggestion. Just be sure you enjoy whatever you do!

 

[OS]

<< drop out of POMONA!!!!! >>



hahaha, I already dropped out of Berkeley, if I drop out of Pomona, what's there left for me?

 

[ForgottenOne]

Do what will make you happy. Maybe finish the engineer stuff so you have it and can go to it, if you need to. Be a teacher and look for the 'real' Mr.(or Mrs.) Right. He's out there making lots of money. You can be the 'stay at home' mom teaching your kids!


Ok, when reading this, replace he for she or vice versa depending on your 'preference'.

 

[Hyudra]

Jeeez, must you know that theres only 2 ways you can go

1. Get paid lots of money, and not like it.
2. Get paid peanuts and love it.

I would personally take option 1. It's ever so rare to get a job that you like and get paid good bux.

 

[OS]

Hey, just cause I was considering being a teacher doesn't make me a chick!

 

[kaiotes]

if you don't mind the low pay, go ahead by a teacher.
teachers are in great demand, esp in CA

 

[adams]

You should do something that makes you happy. It's helpful to have enough money to live comfortably, but simply having money isn't enough. Personally, I left doing computer work and am currently in graduate school to be an elementary school teacher. I find working with children to be very fulfilling. But it is not easy- especially if you care about doing a good job.