Technologist vs Engineer

[northern33]

Stay with engineering! I can tell you from a variety of perspectives that there are much more rewarding, fulfilling, longer term and lucrative opportunities out there for folks completing the engineering programs. It wasn't long ago that both NAIT and SAIT flooded the province with techs all competing for low paying jobs. Regardless of whether you agree or not; the fact is most organizations require a university degree, preferably a BSc, for senior level positions. Stick with it. Depending on your career path, you may be surprised on how you apply some of the seemingly abstract information you are learning today. I'm not an engineer, but I can tell you from many years of experience (particularly electrical) that having the BSc behind you opens up a whole bunch of doors you would have fought incredibly hard for otherwise.

 

[koby]

What type of engineering you get into greatly depends on how competitive your marks are. You submit a list of your top ten desired disciplines (mechanical, civil, electrical etc). The university only has so many spots for each discipline so they take the 100 people(or however many people they have room for) with the top marks that are requesting that discipline. needless to say, mechanical and civil are the most popular disciplines, therefore the average to get accepted into them is significantly higher than another type of engineering in less demand (ie electrical, computer etc).

anyways, thanks for the advice guys. only a month left in this term.. looking like im staying with this program. sounds like it gets a bit easier after this year

Makes sense

 

[yammysnyotas]

Hey, just another two cents to throw at you, I took Chemical Engineering and am now in Oilfield Construction. I know what it means to go through the first two years of the degree and do all kinds of things unrelated to what it is you actually want to do. But having been in the industry now for the last three and a half years, having done all of those courses, you start to realize why they do it. One the one side of it, you are able to actually have an understanding of what the rest of a project takes (if you limit yourself to one line of education, you'll miss out on the links between why certain things are necessary or important to take into consideration) On the other side of it, its true, anything you need to know, you learn on the job - but thats true of most any field. Yes, you have to do another 4 years before you can be a P.Eng, but in that time you can hop around to different departments, you can get your company to put you through all kinds of training courses (even in things that interest YOU while also benefitting the company in most cases) If you were to drop the degree now, you might be able to get a few of your courses credited but in the long run, you'll end up probably having to upgrade some of your courses anyways and end up doing the same job as the Engineers, but not making the same money (a lot of oil companies have techs and engineers in the same roles and some don't do anything for you even when you do get your P.Eng). I thought of doing the same thing half way through Chem Eng, going to SAIT to do the tech course, they do cut out a lot of the BS courses that you never use, but it is a lot more specialized and you almost limit yourself to where you can actually go with it. (My opinion of course, but it's what i've seen the last few years having been with several different companies trying to figure out what does actually interest me!) The best part about the 4 year post grad experience is you can move around, figure out what it is you like, and persue it. Getting your hands into several different pots early on makes you a more rounded employee, but you'll also find the aspects of the industry that interest you, making you more proactive and productive (because you end up doing what it is you WANT to do) the best part of the application process now the P.ENG is that you don't have to get your approval in the field that you graduated from - you can specify your scope of practice and as long as your experience backs that up, APEGGA should have no issue approving it. At the end of the day, you can't sign off on what you don't know anyways. Just another side of the coin to consider - but just keep in mind that schools are always going to be open, maybe give it a little more time until you actually get into the electrical courses and see what you think.
Hope it works out!

 

[DaveB]

Well... you'd be looking at another couple of years at a tech school.. or a couple more years to get the P.Eng.. maths pretty simple make more money and be the techs boss.. Stick to the Engineering..

Classic misconcenception. Yes P. Eng's have the CAPABILITY to be the "bosses"....but I would be curious as to what percentage of EIT's that enter the job force stay with it vs how many techs stay with it. There's only room for so many bosses. As a Civil Tech surveying (summer) and design drafting (winter) for 13 years, I've lost count how many EIT's I had for rod-men and junior draftsmen. Pi$$y attitudes from 95% of them and they were usually gonzo after one season. After 10 yrs at the same firm I watched our workforce multiply...lots of Techs came and stayed...lots of EITs came and left (didn't like starting "low"...boohoo)...and only 1 or 2 actual P.Eng's were hired and kept. I've been in the oil patch for 10 yrs now in the fluids industry. SAME deal. The "powers that be" like to hire EIT's and Jr. Eng's as mud men just because of that education. I can honestly say they are by FAR the WORST mud men in the industy. Again...pi$$y attitudes from 95% of them and they figure because they did 4 or 5 years in school, they should be boss over guys that have been in the industry for 20 years. Ya...not gonna happen. Best mud hands are techs and ex-rig hands. 3 or 4 years in the field and up the ladder you go if you want. I started out in University heading towards being an engineer and I switched....and I am glad.

 

[slednek]

Get your degree, get your practical experience out in the field through several different jobs for the first few years. The best engineers I've met are the ones that worked in the field and started from the bottom up. You can never replace real world experience. As DaveB has said, don't go into a job thinking I'm an EIT and should be their boss or are better than them. You will find that the more field experience you have and the more you can discuss real field issues the more respect you will recieve in the industry.

 

[chemmod]

I have a Tech Diploma, Brothe is a P.Eng, if you want to work for a oil production company, go with the Degree, they say you need that kind of stuff to get to the top. Service providers not so much. In terms of money I make more than my bro, but is stock options are better than mine, more company to company.

The really thing to remember to what you do after you complete your education, put your nose to the grindstone, be a team player, work hard, make some sacrifices early to get ahead. That will give you the respect and knowledge to get ahead. An education is a starting point (quailfier) but the real race takes place in life. Don't ever think that any kind of education gives you a I'M BETTER THAN YOU TIKCET.

The reality is most successful people, have a certain aptitude and personality, education or not, it is up to your limitations to what you do.

Hope that helps. Just remember it's up to you, not your paper.

ps. My bro is a electrical engineer and he went to work the patch, he didn't enjoy the elec side. I would say if your 2 full years in see it through, you started something and you should see it through.