Posted on 09/03/2007 11:07:38 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Every time John Remore steps up to his workstation to form a piece of sheet metal, he brings an intangible asset to the job: 42 years of experience, dating to lessons from his father.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
'K, now that we are past the insult part:
What effects will retaining older workers have on engineering as a profession (my niche is defense).
Don't you think it is loopy that the "younger workers" are now in their 40s? When has that ever occured in any society?
Furthermore, I suspect the lady I insulted with my attitude isn't all that young.
Yes you do. You are in charge of yourself.
Acting like a victim will get you nowhere.
Yeah, don't get too excited, he mistook my point and later kind of took it back.
Listen to me instead of just insulting me:
I obtained a BSEE on a 4 year Army Scholarship. I was a distinguished military graduate. I went on to have a successful career as an officer until my Dad and Grandad died and I had to take care of their land and houses. I had a clearance and I wanted to work in defense like my Dad did. I thought it was important. That put me into the defense engineering job market as a rookie right in 1995. 4 projects I worked on got cancelled. I finally climbed my way up by the ears of my bunny slippers and got a great job on a premier program, but I realized that I'm the youngest guy--and I'm 40! The oldsters aren't retiring, and there are no positions opening up.
So call me a whiner if you want and be uncharitable, but if a guy like me, with my backgroud, recognizes a problem,
There just might be a problem.
Thank you, Dr Phil....
Acting like a victim will get you nowhere.
I know that, but I'm pointing out a fact of the industry.
There's your problem. You should have been an NCO, then you'd know how to work for a living.
Bull roar. I'm an "old fart" at 42. I manage a few dozen engineers ranging in age from 22 to 70+. Ability counts for a lot. BTW, my boss is 35.
Only once have I run into a completely blocked management chain. In hindsight it was the most disfunctional place I've ever seen. I took too long to get out and make a change. Don't wait to long. Your skills are portable though your clearance might not mean much.
I don't know any details but from what I've heard you need to make a change. It appears you are focused on your report count. Stop acting like an MBA, you're an engineer for !#$!% sake. Not having people report to you means you have time to do actual engineering.
Expect it to take at least an average of an hour a day to manage a technical position. Do the math. If you had a bunch of people reporting to you, you would never get to have any fun.
Well, that's the funny thing, after a four year break in service, I went into the Guard in '99 as an NCO after my program got cancelled and I was laid off!
I guess you still have some kinda officer resentment....
Now are you done insulting me and wanna address my previous point?--the deleterious effects on industry from lack of retirements and promotions?
I know it's more fun insulting me, but did you read the Gov OPMs Report on this issue that I posted?
What sector of engineering? Still insulting my abilities, yeah?
I realize too late, this is a horrendous insult. Just low...
I formally apologize for any offense or distress that I have caused you or your family.
The work is fascinating, but the 'management chain' is blocked as it seems to be everywhwere in defense engineering--don'T believe me, look at the stats, or read the paper I posted....
It appears you are focused on your report count. Stop acting like an MBA, you're an engineer for !#$!% sake.
Just looking to the future....
Not having people report to you means you have time to do actual engineering.
That is a great point!
somehow I don’t buy this story.
With companies they view the cheeper new hires or outsourcing as more cost effective that ONE skilled US worker.
For example if they pay a call center for pennies per hour per employee vs dollars per hour per employee. This means it is cheeper for customers to repeat call in frustration than to do the job right the first time.
Cut me some slack, Jack! Chump don' want no help, chump don't GET da' help!
I'm pointing out a fact of the industry.
I beg your pardon, then. I mistook you fact out-pointing for self-pity.
Maybe one of the problems with the seniority issue is overspecialization? Broaden your occupational horizons, and you might have a more fulfilling career. I’m just saying...
Another thing to think about... if you know your field inside and out, what’s preventing you from working for yourself? You do not have to be locked into a dead end job.
As for the question... retaining older workers specifically in PE’s case means hoping to eke out a few more years out of the soon to retire crowd so they can train the new kids on the block that will have to fill their shoes when they leave. The way things are these days, no one teaches the needed skills in school anymore (except for maybe Wneighbor). You either learn it on the job, or you never learn it.
I don’t know about your situation and the younger workers being 40-ish. Like I said above, maybe it has to do with overspecialization? I was overspecialized, and I was one of the older ones in my field. I changed my career path 180 degrees.
Then again, my uncle was a CPA, and didn’t like always being the junior guy so he started his own accounting software management/support business, and has remained in business for more than 20 years.
I guess all of this is to say, it’s what you make of it. If you see a dead end, make you own opportunity if you have to.
I guess all of this is to say, it’s what you make of it. If you see a dead end, make you own opportunity if you have to.
Yep. When life hands you a lemon, get together with someone whom life has handed vodka.
I am not a gaming author, nor do I write for any graphics applications. My stuff goes into microprocessor based controllers and instrumentation.
There are good books on gaming software. If you can't find any at the local bookstore, try "bookpool.com". Gaming involves use of a lot of artwork that must be moved according to progress of the game. Certain software packages assist with this, like perhaps the upper versions of Pagemaker. Trigonometry would be needed to place objects spatially. Programming in multiple threads of execution is needed to time the multiple events which interact.
I suppose this wasn't much help. The books are key.
Here is one: http://www.rudyrucker.com/computergames/
A gaming editor: http://game-editor.com/
A community: http://www.garagegames.com/
Writing software is just as addictive as gaming. Although the industry has been destroyed by outsourcing, I still love to write software. I wish you kid good luck and happy learning.
Thank you!! :)
And meanwhile guys like me, 55, willing to work, and wanting a permanent position so I can concentrate on building my reirement nestegg, can't find such work, and settle for being temps. I've been in IT for 10 years, know th hardware, and can learn any software they put in front of me. I'm damn good at what I do, and can learn any IT job they want me to do, if I don't already know how to do it. I can train, install, troubleshoot, run a Help Desk, Manage a crew of workers, keep track of important milestones and make sure they're done on time, and in short, do the damn work, but i get beat out by stupid kids with no work ethic, who will work for peanuts.
I was told by an interviewer for a job some years ago, when the salary equirements came up, that they couldn't pay like the "big cities", because their locale was "Mayberry". Knowing the interview was over, I asked him, "Well then, which one are you? Andy, Barney, or Goober?" I'll bet he never used that analogy again.
From a Government Office of Personnel Management paper on the lack of opportunities for the 'younger' Senior Executive Service workers (yes, this holds true in private sector in defense as well):
This is further compounded by what is termed the “gray ceiling” – promising Xers in their 30s and early 40s find themselves stuck, unable to move up because the pathways to advancement are blocked by Baby Boomers postponing retirement. Much has been made of the impending “retirement tsunami,” particularly in the senior leadership ranks in the Federal sector, where some 70% are eligible or soon eligible to retire. However, “eligibility” to retire does not mean “able” to retire.
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