IE, What's Next?

Do you already know what work you would enjoy the most? Are you a people person, or a "things" person? Which science do you like best, biology, chemistry, or physics? Do you like teaching, or just learning? There are many more questions you can ask and answer to yourself that will help guide you. If you ask God, humbly, with no preconception of an answer, what does the still small voice (within) say? You know to pray, and you know how to pray, do you not? Prayer is just a conversation with the Higher Power. Choose that, and see if you are led to your calling that serves the most, and provides for the greater good.

Thank you James for your comment. These are really basic, but important things that you say. But the point is that, even if I know that I am people person(+ I am not a person who loves math and calculations), and I know what I want to achieve, I still don't know how( which "way") I will do this. Becoming an IE student was not my choice at first, but what is done is done, and I have to figure out what t9 do next...

I have found it best to always love the people God places in my path, then it is no mistake when a divine appointment is met. If IE was a choice imposed upon you, sometimes it is best to take that lemon (if indeed it is), and make it into a splendidly sweet beverage known in America as lemonade.

Take sour grapes and make wine vinegar, but take the sweet grapes and make the best vintage. Sometimes what appears to be a narrow path can become a wide field of endeavor with only a little bit of creativity and honest sweat added. It also comes with recognizing a real problem we humans have yet to solve and finding new ways to view, tackle, surmount, or create around or over it.

Thank you very much James for such advice. You are a "hope-giver" :)

Sounds like you need some real world experience....why not take some time off and explore your possibilities....an MBA can help towards management and independence...

One thing that is becoming a very hot job beginning to be recognize by some larger ABET Colleges and that is Project Management.

Its a Masters of Degree (Business) in Project Management. With a STEM background there is a need for this. And it sounds like a fit for you.

Here are some colleges offering it.

• Penn State
• Boston University

• UW-Platteville (part of the University of Wisconsin system, I don't believe UW-Madison offered it, it is part of the UW sytem and saw its a masters Certificate. But I would doubt it they soon will)

I know UW-Platteville for the most part offers it on-line. Other colleges do also.

Getting you PMP or PgMP (Project Management - Professional or PgMP Program Management - Professional) certification is another thing, but is a matter of taking a test.

When I receive my BsC in Project Management, at the time, no one believed there was such a thing.

If your states side, you can check out colleges in your area.

If I am not making any mistake Project management is a part of IE right?

It a part of industries.

• Business, (handling mergers, incorporating products, ect....)
• Engineering and Technical (OEM's, R&D, IT infrastructure, IT is very big, it wasn't that long ago that over 67% of IT projects ended in failure due to poor project management< That is why the drive is big..)
• Construction (Building, road construction, civil, environmental)

And a lot of it, the fundamentals, (like a lot of fundamentals can cross over to different industries, all because the tools and controls are similar.)

Myself, I'm in the Engineering and Technical portion. But with expansions at my company, I also did Construction.

Can be part of any engineering endeavor at any site.

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Sounds interesting, thanks a lot!

I don't know if this will be any help in you making your decision, but when I was just starting college, I knew a fellow who had a bachelor's degree in engineering (either chemical or mechanical), an MBA, and was working on his law degree.

Pretty much left him with a lot of options.

That is one of the reasons why I don't want to do master degree on engineering :)

P.S - about loyalty, 5/5 for those words!

Were one to have a true passion, then following that passion into a line of work means that one doesn't end up doing a day's work in one's life. So follow the passion.

When I was in college (back in the dark ages) there was a term, for all engineering majors at the start of the sophomore year, where engineering sorted out who belonged and who didn't. Of my 10 closest friends, only 3 of us survived that term to go on in engineering. Of the 7 that moved to other majors, 5 were to business admin. Seems to be a tie in there, and you've picked up on that. The fact you survived the weeding out process, which must still exist, tells me you may be better than you realize.

Also realize that applying engineering is quite a bit different than learning it. Have you consulted with recent graduates from you school who are in your field to see what the real world application of engineering consists of? Don't assume that a real job is anything like school classes. It is another world outside of the ivy covered halls of academia.

Have you got the funds and backing and time to study full time for whatever you choose...and the brain to assimilate the knowledge....easily...or is learning hard work?

These degrees are but keys to get a job and the tools to keep it.

Do you expect to work for someone else (are you happy taking orders), or would you like to please yourself (jobbing to earn a living) or starting your own company (doing what?)....and then employ others....achieving something original.

If the latter, then you will need basic management tools - an MBA (this will save you having to employ expensive accountants and solicitors) - on top of a specialised subject in what you do (manufacturer or service provider) - or per Phoenix advice - project management....if you have a project to manage that is.

There are so many things to consider you need to set out the base from which you start and the route to the object you want to achieve, then you can fill in the gaps with appropriate degrees to get you there.

Myself I did not have the choice. I had to work hard full time from day one, and any aspirations to better myself by learning was a battle that took ten years of part time day release and evening classes to achieve a basic HNC, that regretfully did not get me a better paid job.

During which time, having to battle on my own for survival, I developed a temperament to work ethics that made me unemployable because it made it almost impossible to 'take orders' from others I had no respect for (despised almost).

So I took a chance and started my own company - and evolved from there - and have never regretted it.

For you it all depends on freedom of choice today and can you afford to get it wrong.

Thank you very much, cause seems like you are the person who really understood me. The point is that, I aint a kinda person who will do the orders and work for someone all the time, I want something own, original, difeerent from others. And for this, I need a path(academic path). And i seems that the best path is MBA...

An MBA is a valuable asset and a qualification I did not have.

Not that I needed an MBA at the time. Mine was a family business. My wife did the admin (the 'books) and I did the sales and engineering - later, my son joined us to help with manufacturing, and he went to school to get an MBA, initially to help us as a company, but also something for himself to help find another job if ever we failed. We didn't - although we came close to it on a couple of occasions - having to work long hours (and without pay at times) but between us we persevered and prospered - nothing big or world beating mind you - just a specialised niche market that makes a living for us.

I have long since retired and my son runs the company.

I said it before, an MBA would help you control you affairs without the need to employ expensive accountants and solicitors. It is a regrettable fact that they have industry stitched up to the point that relegates engineers to mundane positions, and poorly paid by comparison. The up-side of this is you deal with the law and money yourself, and employ engineers if you need to at must less cost.

You might hear it said in protest that this is not true. Yes, some engineers are highly paid, and more so than accountants and solicitors. And probably true, but I think if you analyse the situation you will find the engineer is highly paid because the job itself is much more than that of an 'engineer' embracing - project management - sales management - HR management etc - for which an all round MBA would cover most aspects when you start out.

But you must have the basic skills in your chosen subject to create something that needs a manager with an MBA in the first place.

And be prepared for setbacks. You will get it wrong at times. Don't worry. Anyone who hasn't made a mistake - hasn't made anything.

Consider this: Above all else pursue the truth. If it is false for you to pursue IE career now, then let it go, and seek what is true about you. Learn to stand up for what you know is right (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, for example). If you have not stood in the military in your country, maybe you should have that experience before you go too much further down the road of life.

Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called children of God. Find within yourself the attitude that you are willing to go wherever you are called, find your calling, and then go forth and serve others. It does not matter if that calling is sweeping the floor, or running a multi-billion dollar corporation, or some giant government undertaking as going to Mars. One is only a step to the other.