RE: virus: Religion {Work Rant}
Wright, James 7929 (Jwright@phelpsd.com)
Fri, 30 May 97 08:22:00 EDT
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From: Eric Boyd[SMTP:6ceb3@qlink.queensu.ca]
>I'm gonna be a Engineer just as soon as I graduate, too. Although I
>must say my only experience with the actual work was not nice. I
>co-oped for 273 hours in a small office doing just about nothing. Fix
>this drawing. "computerize" this one. Make a drawing for this part.
>blah blah blah. That's why I'm going to keep an active interest in
>philosophy... it's good for the soul.<
<RANT ON>
If your real experience with Engineering is exactly like Dilbert, find
another company, and fast. Co-ops rarely get direct involvement with
complete project work because the Co-op programs are never long enough -
even a full year is insufficient. For example, one of my current projects
is now three years in the running, and only about four people in the
department (NOT including me) have been in the department that long. I
have had to read all the files and interrogate the available veterans to
determine what was intended, and how it should be approached for
execution to completion. Note that I now have 15 years+ in industry
experience, and it isn't all that easy for me, either.
Knowing this, I have tried (with active assistance from my boss, a
treasure to the company and a blessing to me) to expand the experiences
of our Co-ops: we send them to the field to watch construction in
progress, give them some calculations to do to get a feel for the
problems, give them real (small) problems to do without giving them any
answers so they can figure it out for themselves, and so forth. It must
be working, we've had both of them come back for more, the current one is
on his second quarter with us and next quarter's will be back for his
third.
Real engineering is rarely completed in one year anymore - design,
funding, permitting, construction and start-up can take a long, long
time. Try not to judge all engineering work by your Co-op experience -
and try not to judge all life by your current experience either. I know
it's tough, but consider - just as there are hundreds of nations and
lifestyles in the world, so are there thousands of companies and
engineering experiences in the world as well. If you cannot stand what
you are doing, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE - but remember, there is probably no
more Utopia in Engineering than there is in real life. Some of Dilbert's
frustrations will undoubtedly show up wherever you go; as long as they
aren't too much of your work / life experience, you can do what you need
to do and go on.
<RANT OFF>
Damn, I feel better! <VBG!>
>It's been years since I watched any significant amount of television.
>Too boring. And besides, I have /much/ better things to do with my
>time. Or result of this is that I am profoundly ignorant of all of
>modern culture. Music, sports, movies, etc. I know very little.
>Them's the breaks, eh?<
I'm glad you've developed such good habits so young! <VBG!>
>ERiC
>Television, n. Box populi. Life support system for a consumer
>consciousness.
>Marx called religion "the opiate of the people"; television, as
>implemented
>under state-enforced monopoly, can only be described as "the people's
>crack"
>-- a brain-destroying drug administered through a glass tube. Soma for
>shut-ins.
Even without government monopoly, television tends to become this. I
don't watch much either, for similar reasons.
Cheers!
james