Mech Eng Fresh Grad Career path -> Technical/Management/others?

[ss1]

Thanks for pointing this out, I am glad there are people willing to give me some true advice, rather than bs which is quite often in this forum.

Of course, in a industry, there is always some guy earning big bucks while some just being average. I have relatives in engineering fields but one of them earning damn big while another earning damn little with high experiences. That's why I always wanted to get information to prevent myself going into the latter one.

Getting 200kpa is damn great, but of course 140kpa is good too. What I am trying to do is that I wanna know how these people can earn big bucks, what is the skills/knowledge that they have and I don't, and what is the career path they went through. From there at least I have a direction on where to go. Eventhough I can't be as good as them, perhaps getting 70% of them is good enough

140k seems more realistic, but I do see people with 10 yrs experience earning less than 100k. Hence I would wish to know which path has the good potential, while which one I should try avoid.

Again, thanks for the true advice, I appreciate it

Originally Posted by Unregistered

TS, no one is gona say this to you in school, not your professors, your relatives, not even your senior. Let me be the bad guy to break this demoralising truth to you, someone has to let you know.

If you want to make 200kpa in engineering, you need more than just technical skills to reach there. Everything in life happens for a reason, a company will only pay you 200kpa because the value you bring to the company way exceeds that value be it the sales u bring in or the responsibility you shoulder. Your senior might be lucky and earn 200kpa, but this does not mean the exact same thing will happen to you 10 years later. I have many friends working as application engineers who till date find no success in terms of monetary or work satisfaction.

I can tell that you have been brainwashed by what mainstream society/media/internet has taught you. Having goals in life and planning ahead is important, but one has to be realistic in what the world has to offer to you. if you said you wanted to achieve something like 140kpa in 10 years maybe people wont say you are unrealistic already.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Just want to share my experience as an engineer for nearly 5 years. I am not from O&G company. Started off as an junior engineer earning around $30kpa and now earning around $100kpa as a technical manager (a field that I like). Generally, I think it is not necessary to choose what type of engineer you want to be. As a fresh graduate, you should look for something that you like. Excel in it and you will benefit from it. From time to time, bring your knowledge and experience to the next level.

so you promoted from junior engineer (30k annum) to manager (100l annum) in just 5 years in the same company ???

or you jump ship?


how can the pay increment be so huge??? in just 5 years

Switch companies two times. Promoted twice, once every before job change. Last job change from a senior engineer role to a managerial role.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

so you promoted from junior engineer (30k annum) to manager (100l annum) in just 5 years in the same company ???

or you jump ship?


how can the pay increment be so huge??? in just 5 years

[ss1]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Switch companies two times. Promoted twice, once every before job change. Last job change from a senior engineer role to a managerial role.

So what kind of fields you were in? semicond? m&e? turbomachinery? etc etc?
by the way have you changed your field in between?Thanks

M&E. Same field but there is 40%-70% job scope difference in between every job change.

Originally Posted by ss1

So what kind of fields you were in? semicond? m&e? turbomachinery? etc etc?
by the way have you changed your field in between?Thanks

[ss1]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

M&E. Same field but there is 40%-70% job scope difference in between every job change.

Ar..I see. I actually got an offered by a SME M&E company previously for HVAC. However after did some research in job website, the salary for around 5 yrs experience is somewhere around 5kpm, which is quite low considering need to work at site. Never expect the pay could be good, perhaps I shall look back into the field again. Thanks yea!

Originally Posted by ss1

Ar..I see. I actually got an offered by a SME M&E company previously for HVAC. However after did some research in job website, the salary for around 5 yrs experience is somewhere around 5kpm, which is quite low considering need to work at site. Never expect the pay could be good, perhaps I shall look back into the field again. Thanks yea!

you are welcome. My point is that you have to look for a job that you like and suitable for you. High chance, you will be able learn the ropes quicker and excel in it. Thereafter, you will be able to earn well. To achieve 200kpa within 10 yrs in engineering field, you need more than just passion to achieve it

To hit and exceed 100k p.a. in engineering, one must be able to reach managerial role in the high valued engineering fields such as O&G or aviation.

It is possible, but need quite regular promotion and/or job change. The step up to manager is quite tough and usually must be achieved within the same company, i.e. through promotion.

If you look at the job ads for managers, usually they want somebody already with managerial experience, i.e. heading a team of people. So trying to become a manager by changing jobs is not so easy.

What is important for young people in the early stage of their career is to be able to recognize stagnation and jump ship to another company before it's too late and years of their life (and potential plus marketability wasted). If no promotion in 2 or 3 years, or see your peers promoted ahead of you - then it's better to just go, keep moving, instead of waiting and hoping to be noticed.

Wasting too much time in one company = never be able to reach or pass 100k p.a., not to mention 200k p.a.

I'm talking from my own experience whereby I wasted time on my previous job waiting and waiting thinking the next year will be my turn... finally switched to current job and was pleasantly surprised to find myself moved up regularly at last. Now earning double of my previous pay in the same number of years spent! And broke the 100k barrier, but took 15 years working... some years I won't get back.

If only I analyzed the situation and acted faster!

[ss1]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

you are welcome. My point is that you have to look for a job that you like and suitable for you. High chance, you will be able learn the ropes quicker and excel in it. Thereafter, you will be able to earn well. To achieve 200kpa within 10 yrs in engineering field, you need more than just passion to achieve it

I really hope I have the chance to find out what I like and passion about in 2-3 years and work hard to excel on the field. Thanks

[ss1]

Alright, I guess changing company is unavoidable to hit better pay, and more unavoidable in earlier stage of career as need to identify the career that is suitable. Thanks for the advice!

Originally Posted by Unregistered

To hit and exceed 100k p.a. in engineering, one must be able to reach managerial role in the high valued engineering fields such as O&G or aviation.

It is possible, but need quite regular promotion and/or job change. The step up to manager is quite tough and usually must be achieved within the same company, i.e. through promotion.

If you look at the job ads for managers, usually they want somebody already with managerial experience, i.e. heading a team of people. So trying to become a manager by changing jobs is not so easy.

What is important for young people in the early stage of their career is to be able to recognize stagnation and jump ship to another company before it's too late and years of their life (and potential plus marketability wasted). If no promotion in 2 or 3 years, or see your peers promoted ahead of you - then it's better to just go, keep moving, instead of waiting and hoping to be noticed.

Wasting too much time in one company = never be able to reach or pass 100k p.a., not to mention 200k p.a.

I'm talking from my own experience whereby I wasted time on my previous job waiting and waiting thinking the next year will be my turn... finally switched to current job and was pleasantly surprised to find myself moved up regularly at last. Now earning double of my previous pay in the same number of years spent! And broke the 100k barrier, but took 15 years working... some years I won't get back.

If only I analyzed the situation and acted faster!