One Year Anniversary with Current Company

I recently celebrated one year with my current company!

I am happy to report that last month, I completed my first full year with my current company. I have had some incredible opportunities this past year; I have traveled to several customer job sites, met with numerous client representatives, participated in a number of highly visible projects, and built several important professional networks in the engineering consulting industry.

If you had asked me a couple of years ago what I wanted to do with my career, I would have described my current role with to a "T." I just never thought I would find a company that was so tailor suited to my professional goals. - I get to travel to numerous customer locations, work on a diverse project portfolio, and learn more about fossil, nuclear, hydro, solar, and wind power generation.  I even have the ability to only work four days a week so I can have more time at home with my family.  I just don't know too many people who get those opportunities in their line of work. The only downside to my job that I have seen is that I work in a cubicle about 40% of the time, but the other 60% is spent in client meetings, at job sites, and educating myself on the customers and power plants they operate. 

I know there are a lot of jobs that pay better, but I would be willing to bet that the stress levels are much higher and the personal rewards for a job well-done are not as significant.  I know, because I have had some of those jobs, although most of them paid less and were less rewarding and more stressful. (Active Duty military - enlisted: low pay, high stress; In-home sales: moderate pay, high stress; University Research Assistant: low pay, moderate stress; Military Civilian Engineer: moderate pay, high stress)

If anyone else is considering a career in engineering, I would highly recommend you learn more about it, do a little research (talk to professors, professional engineers, engineering students, etc) and see if engineering is a job that would be a rewarding career for you. Feel free to email me if you are interested in learning more about what an engineer does and where we work.  I would be glad to help you learn more about it.