Maintenance Engineer Career Paths

Usually they become maintenance managers but a few make it to become general managers in a food outlet!

Its all up the the participating intellect.

The can become senior maintenance engineers.

Are you an aspiring student, or a junior maintenance engineer now?

Lynn, the latter. THanks for the assistance. shows some light at the end of the tunnel

Mostly end up taking care of large property on-site maintenance crew....potential to become general manager of large property holding...

Thats not what I said!

It is what it is says he...

This could be you ....

Nope, too low and wrong color!

I agree with you Mr. Old Salt

Old Salt, I for one always appreciate your positive outlook on life, which shows through in your comments here.

Personally,I feel that, although it has provided me with some benefits in life, Maintenance is a dead-end for anyone with ambition, and boring to the point of baldness and flatulence!

Bear in mind, that one needs to enter a specific field eg mechanical, electrical etc..

Any company that has a career path for you is large enough not to hire general handymen. I feel that mechanical engineering may be the worst..after three years or so, surely a pump is a pump, a valve is a valve and a turbine is a turbine, while a tube bundle remains a tube bundle., with infrequent challenges arising from the original design, that could stimulate you from time-time. Sometimes, it can be high-pressure work, like breakdowns in production line equipment (there is an adrenalin rush!), but generally Ho-hum work, and you've got to keep your staff motivated.

Many years ago, I worked in a dockyard doing repair to passing shipping, and confess that was never boring. So many different nationalities of people to meet and work with. Dirtiest job I ever had, but I was young enough to enjoy every minute!

My comments were based on the career paths that a few of my professional (some of which are now personal friends) "engineering types from all disciplines" friends have had. Yes, I loved working with my hands most but I used that as a "sanity pleasure" away from the company environment. Career wise some of my most productive moves or assignments were those I developed by training my personnel in maintenance directly or through their managers/foremen to do the best job possible for the advancement of the corp. and their skills (and me!)

How can an engineer knock on the door of the president or other higher-up and say something to the sort of "Hi Joe, Everything to your satisfaction here in the corner office? We want to improve things here so let us know next time you are travelling so we can make some changes that will help you." The project engineer can't do this as easily nor can the process engineer. Maintenance opens up so many opportunities if you look for them. The best way for it is through your people. Get them doing a very good job professionally grade level and your results becomes more noticed.

Once walked into the CEO's office while he was there. Noticed a picture of a big fishing boat on his wall. The conversation started from there and two weeks later he was sailing with me on my boat as a personal and not company guest. Within a month we went deep sea fishing on his families boat. Six months later I got a promotion and a hefty raise. Within a year I left there because the family didn't want to relocate to across the country. Stayed in the area and was making almost twice what I was making 3 years before and a better more liked job. It works. Besides everyone needs a maintenance dept. With out you and your efforts nothing happens.

Good Luck, Old Salt

This is part of why the job becomes boring. You were not recognized for your professionalism, but rather your personal attributes.

It's lonely at the top, and the CEO is seldom able to make personal friends at the workplace, let alone someone with similar interests, and your bait was taken like the last cookie on the plate at a birthday party!

Alas, I was never in such a close position...only there to argue against Senior Management decisions, and that doesn't make friends (or money ), especially if you win!

I probably should have made my point clearer. I did a good job of straightening out a dysfunctional dept. with personnel that were talked about more for their hiding places, smoking in the wrong places, rude to all others besides their "buddies", having to do "call backs" numerous times till things were right and staring at the eye candy. As I was handling the improvement of the personnel I also paid close attention to the technical end. As things improved with the personnel my recognition improved and more and more people from other depts. came to get our input on projects, processes, potential maintenance problems for projects, etc. As things improved others listened to our depts. personnel and they got recognized for their turn around of our performance. We were then known as the "go to guys/ladies". Many of these personnel shared in the more openings and opportunities for advancements and transfers to other depts.

When I walked into the CEO's office there was already a mechanic, working out of his trade, there who came on his own to solve a problem that he knew how to take care of. Last I heard that "kid" with hardly any education at the time is now a plant project engineer. It takes time, the correct attitude, willingness to invest in the future, putting up with some really bad bosses, and most of all making the people who work for you the best at everything they can be. One guy I had as a maintenance engineer is now Director of Manufacturing as a nearby chemical manufacturer making dangerous, difficult to make and valuable chemicals. He runs the plant and the only one above him is the owner.

It can work but don't let the temporary setbacks get you down. One trait many have is to work only for today ("putting out fires") and forget their paths to tomorrow. Nautical saying "one hand for the ship and one hand for yourself". Don't put all your efforts for them, think and perform for yourself too. It doesn't work for everyone but it sure works for a lot of Maintenance personnel.

Good Luck, Old Salt

Don't mind my cynicism, Old Salt! Just walked a different path through the bushes, and stepped on some snakes, lurking there with malice. Some have passed on, while some remain.....

My life is based on a true story!

well this is my experience as a maintenance engineer I worked hard and learnt engineering design (taught my self) now I am a consultant my maintenance experience is the foundation for MEP &Building services consultancy work that pays rich dividend

During recent years maintenance department has become the sub sect of Facilities management domain. Under facility management domain one has more opportunities to grow in his/her professional carrier.

Facilities manager need not be maintenance engineer as long as he manages the facility,

Here is experience of my friend. He left naval job and joined big auto mfr. as maintenance engineer. He worked very hard and was summoned in middle of night for breakdown jobs. He became Maintenance Manager at peak of his career. He was about to retire, he told me that he is so tired of the job that he will take rest. He said he will get up at 10.00 am have his breakfast at 11.00am and go to sleep only to get up at 2.00pm to have his lunch. Again he would go to sleep and get up at 5.00 pm. and go for a walk.

He would take his dinner at 11.00 pm. at sleep till morning 10.00 am. He could not get sleep during his lifetime so he was wanted to compensate after his retirement. Poor soul died after 5 years.

So sad ! You sure he's not just taking another nap ?

Yes he is taking his permanent nap.

Maintenance will do that to you....

maintenance engineers job is thankless job No respect for the job done

No respect for a job well done is just a sign of ignorance as they probably did not understand what was involved, how it was done etc.. No matter what the job is, if it is done well, recognition should be given, something I make a point of all the time. Too bad more people aren't willing to do the same,

Careful Kevin.........people might start liking you... especially those that report to you. Senior managers don't understand that, and believe it is a sign of weakness or loss of control. It's true what they say: "When you look down, you see a pile of sh*t, and when you look up you see a bunch of a-holes".

I'm afraid it may be too late for me. I've always treated everyone one the same way regardless of what position they had.

Every position in any organization has an important part to play, even the floor sweeper or other so-called menial job. I don't see it as "liking" more in terms of mutual respect, which, of course, has to be earned.