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...many people get weeded out of engineering after thirty since they can't make it into management. There is usually 1 manager per 10 engineers (typically MBA corporate type), so getting into management is pretty tough.
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<p>Yeah, but this isn't specific to engineering. In many fields, lots of people get weeded out after 30. And in most fields, getting into management is tough. </p>
<p>Look, what I will say is this. At the better MBA programs, every graduate can get a management job of some kind. So it's not like there are few management jobs out there. In fact, a lot of employers who recruit at the top B-schools actually find out that they can't hire as many MBA's as they want. For example, certain companies may be looking to hire 10 people, but only 2 or 3 people will even show up for the interview. </p>
<p>The point is, if you go to a better B-school, you will get a management job offer. It may not be McKinsey, it may not be Goldman Sachs, but you're still going to get a management offer of some kind. </p>
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BTW, who's to stop you from becoming an "architect" from day 1? Does the manager decide who's an architect? Is it the most smartest guy in the group? Is it the guy that knows how to BS the most? What's the dividing line between "ARCHITECT" and "GRUNT PROGRAMMER"??? There are NOOOO boundaries whatsover...you can be the smartest guy, but if you're not the #1 talker at the table, you're not going to lead anything.
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<p>Actually, I would argue that engineering is one of the least affected by these kinds of politics compared to most corporate jobs. Let's face it. In engineering, it's a lot easier to tell who is good and who isn't, compared to most other corporate positions. Engineering is FAR more meritocratic than, say, Marketing, or Business Development, or most of the other positions you can have in a company. You might say that engineering advancement is based mostly on politics, but I would say that advancement in Marketing is REALLY based mostly on politics. </p>
<p>So it gets back to what I've been saying before. Yes, engineering tends to be a 'corporate-type' job and therefore tends to carry the drawbacks of corporate jobs. But it's no worse in that regard than most other corporate jobs. So why pick on engineering specifically? We should be picking on ALL corporate jobs.</p>