<p>Hey guys Im 36 yrs old and will have my BS in EE by the time Im 38. Im thinking of using co-ops and internships for two yrs as experience while I work on my MS in BME. At the end of my education I'll probably be close to 40. When competing for jobs do companies look at younger guys than older when we are both fresh in the field? If so, is there anything else that I can do to make me stand out on my resume.</p>
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<p>No. If anything, you will initially get more respect because of your age, but you’ll have to handle working for much younger (but more experienced) engineers. </p>
<p>These days, companies do not think extremely long-term when hiring (e.g. that you’ll have 25 years of potential employment compared to 40 years for a 22 year old graduate). Unlike the 60’s, employees move around too much and companies are happy to keep someone for 15 years, these days. </p>
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<p>In an interview, I would hammer down the point that you have lived life, and know what you want to do - and that’s engineering. Employers these days are really concerned about job hoppers - young employees that work for 3-5 years (and cost a fortune to train) and them move on for an MBA or another employer about when their training was just starting to payoff. So many people at 25-30 have “quarter-life crisis” and decide to change careers that less than 25% of engineering graduates still work in engineering after 10 years. </p>
<p>If I were you, I would point out that you’re past that point in your life, and you’re looking for long-term employment for the next 15+ years. That should give you an advantage.</p>
<p>I have a similar question regarding age. Don’t employers have a high turnover rate of engineers? I read that a lot of engineers are let go when they hit 40 because its just as good to hire 2 brand new college engineering grads. I’m concerned about this issue. Would it be beneficial for engineering students to try to track themselves to a different career, like getting an MBA, MFE, MAcc, etc. or perhaps getting a more advanced masters in engineering degree?</p>
<p>Good points G P, mainly the one about mentioning that I am looking for a company to work for the next 15+ yrs. One thing I forgot to mention is that I have been out of the work force for about 5 yrs due to a major car accident that caused me to have seizures now, mainly physical therapy. Even though my seizures are alot better now Im still not able to drive. Because of this I go to school full time and focus on my career, just like the younger students in my classes. When I do start working with younger more experienced engineers it shouldnt bother me. My GPA is 3.2 and I attend U of H which is a recognized school. I was curious if I should put down internships as experience and include my GPA/school to help me because of my absence of work. I noticed alot of discussions are about high salaries etc etc. for me its the passion of work. Because of what I went through is why I chose EE, mainly Biomedical, hopefully to work in neural engineering.</p>
<p>Zman, you’ll do fine. Engineering school is much harder than real life engineering, and if you get the degree, you’ll get hired.</p>
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<p>I actually think it’s different, except for research. In classes, there’s an answer to every problem. In practice, that’s not necessarily the case.</p>
<p>Love this thread so I wanted to give it a bump! I to am anticipating going into EE from a military career in Explosive Ordnance Disposal. I have not ruled out UofH zman… perhaps I will see you there!
I was contemplating UT, but have heard much about the shear size of the program and the “grind” of attrition… I am interested in a school that is dedicated to teaching. Not that I am afraid of the grind… I know I will succeed with my passion to learn. I am just looking for the right college fit. I am searching for a great private engineering school (with a good EE program) that participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program for the reason that I am looking for quality instruction vs. quantity of students.</p>
<p>SpunOne - congratulations on a successful career in EOD. Question … why are you restricting yourself to a private school? As for attrition, don’t worry about it. Much of college attrition is self-induced. Remember back to when you were 18 … the belief that you had to “go out and live life with my friends, and right now!!!” is something you’re hopefully well past in the maturity stage. After expressing some reasonable IQ, and if you’ve been accepted into an engineering program, you’ve done that, then the rest of it is a time management and prioritization process. Some years ago in my ECE program the ‘old man’ of the class was a former military guy - he was always relaxed and made good grades. I did chuckle one day when I found him in the lab, mumbling to himself, and building a sophisticated (enough) waveform adjusting radar jammer because he’d just gotten a ticket from the local popo. It was even funnier because the prof advising him was the guy who’d designed that particular radar system …</p>
<p>Thanks thrill… yeah -successful = still alive. I still have all my digits even… which aids in one’s ability to type well. I have been looking at private schools simply because the post 9-11 yellow ribbon program will pay more. Often times more cost doesn’t necessarily mean better education, but more cost does mean more funds to pay for better “more accessible” teachers. I have not given up on the dream of an EE at UT Austin, but I am looking at other schools around the country where my family and I can afford to live while I go to school full time. I am a texas resident and will meet the residency reqs, but I have begun to branch out and am looking at the possibility of strong private engineering schools offering solid yellow ribbon programs. Rose Hulman is one that has caught my eye… not sure of my chances, but from what i have read so far, it would be a good fit. I am interested in Colorado School of Mines (public) also. The state will offer “in state” tuition to recent military honorably discharged. Stevens Institute of Tech (private) is another that has a solid offering in the Yellow Ribbon Program, but the commute would be horrendous -I would imagine that to afford a place to live I wold have to commute hours daily.
Another reason I have been looking at private schools is that, as I understand it, “in state” has no relevance if the school is private. While the GI bill will pay for up to the highest in state tuition, you must qualify for “in-state” otherwise, one would be responsible for the remaining OOS tuition. I am not sure if states other than Colorado have passed laws granting ex-military in state tuition once they separate. Not sure how I would even find out other than by calling admissions offices -this is how I discovered Mines.
I am currently stationed in California and am from here originally, but I have no desire to stay -COL is way too high.<br>
Great story about the ‘ol man’ working on a practical application of ECM! I have had much study in the practical nature of electronic counter-measures, but mostly from the standpoint of defeating insurgent devices -they would come up with new and more clever ways (devices) to kill me as I disposed of their IEDs, enabling access for main supply lines. I have learned much about life and am grateful to still be here! Everything else is just gravy. Thanks for the post and vote of confidence! I am in the hunt and will be happy wherever I end up as long as it is challenging.</p>
<p>Congrats on your success Spunone. Can I make a suggestion? Well for starters, since you are a Texas resident, I heard that as a veteran, you don’t have to worry about paying for tuition. It’s free. </p>
<p>Second, why not stay in california? Since you want to have a good education, California has some of the best schools in the country. And if you attend a public school like the UC system, you dont have to worry about the yellow ribbon program paying more than what your GI bill pays. I should know, I just separated from active duty of 8 years and waiting for spring 2011 semester to start. Don’t forget California has the highest BAH rates in the country AND the schools are relatively cheap for tuition. You would be a resident since you are getting out of the military and you lived here more than a year- all you would have to do is get a california drivers license. </p>
<p>You live in ventura, so do I. You live right in the middle of two great engineering schools- UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. The 2010 engineering rankings came out and UCSB is tops in a lot of programs now. They have small class sizes, the BEST campus location in the country (u can see the beach and coastline from the campus) and thats where I am trying to transfer into after a year or more in community college. </p>
<p>[Electrical</a> and Computer Engineering | UC Santa Barbara](<a href=“http://www.ece.ucsb.edu/]Electrical”>http://www.ece.ucsb.edu/)</p>
<p>check it out. they are doing a lot of amazing things there. </p>
<p><em>ding ding</em> civilian DEPARTING
(LOL, navy humor) </p>
<p>lol</p>
<p>Lookin4ward,</p>
<p>Thanks for the post. Yeah, the Texas resident situation and the Hazlewood Act has some tricky stipulations. I enlisted in the Navy here in California. This disqualifies me for the free tuition that the Act would provide. I have been a Texas resident since 98, but because I didn’t enlist there I am not considered a ‘Texan’ as far as this benefit.<br>
I have thought about the UCs, but the cost of living here is crazy. Yeah the BAH rates are great, but moving closer to my safe zone of South Texas was one of my aims. The military will move me for up to 1 year after I separate. This has been one of my reasons for considering UT.
I put Ventura because I thought most people would recognize it as opposed to Newbury Park. You are right though as this places me almost smack in the middle of UCSB and UCLA. If I were to stay in this place and try to survive on my pension and BAH it would be rough. The commute to either school would be terrible as well. I would have to move closer to either one and I would lose my ‘move entitlement’ back to Texas staying longer than a year.
I am going to look closer at staying though. You are correct… these schools are great. i wish you a successful transition to civilian life. I will soon be “piped” ashore also… can’t wait but it is a little scary not to have the steady pay!</p>