<p>Hello all,
I am new to this forum and need some advise. I'm in a unique situation. I'm definitely what you would call a nontraditional college student. I recently earning my GED two years ago at age 40 and I am currently enrolled in community college in Texas, I have questions about my career choice that I believe forum members could help me with. I'm currently pursuing an engineering degree, particularly Aerospace Engineering. I am one semester away from earning my associates degree in MechE with a 3.8 GPA. The dilemma I am having is that Aerospace Engineering has been a dream of mine since I was a child. I am passionate about Space flight and all that pertains to it. However, I am now considering petroleum engineering because of the pay. I know everyone will probably say do what you love, but I love all aspects of engineering and petroleum or geology is also interesting to me as well. My question is, would it be smart to just pursue a MechE degree which leaves me with more options, and could I still obtain a job in petroleum with the higher pay? Also do MechE earn the same starting pay as Petroleum engineers in the oil industry? I know this question will bring about a lot of opinions, but remember I will be about 45 yrs old when I graduate and will not have the longer earning potential that all the younger kids will have. I appreciate any suggestions or opinions. </p>
<p>Thanks you.</p>
<p>MechE will teach you what you need to know for PetE jobs well enough, and give you plenty more opportunities than just a PetE degree. </p>
<p>Not going to lie, starting at 40 is a definite disadvantage. Many people here might insist that they will appreciate someone who is old enough to be serious or similar fluff, but what really matters is this: you cost more. Paying for health insurance is not free, you will have a shorter career, you will have to take care of your family, and you have less stamina than a 22 year old. Not that you can’t get a job, but if you pigeonhole yourself into only one specialty, you will have a more difficult time than most.</p>
<p>I would try to be pragmatic rather than idealistic at 40+ age. What NeoDymium says about older people costing more is a concern for older job seekers, because in the current market situation employers are interested in optimizing costs, a totally rational practice, but of course it puts older applicants (with minimal engineering experience) to a tough spot. See, the job market (well in engineering and the production industry at least) isn’t currently interested in offering everyone a job, but rather optimizing production (and laying off people that cost too much). The market is flooding with young people straight from school and there’s also laid off senior personnel jobless. From the perspective of an employer, those kids are more appealing for entry-level positions, from a totally productive perspective. Senior staff are needed (if needed at all) because of their expert knowledge and experience.</p>
<p>MechE is a practical degree (you can take it to many places, even set up your own business), thus it’s “pragmatic”, more so than PetE I would say. So the knowledge and quantitative skills you gain are useful anyway, even if the job market would turn out to be tough. You can leverage those skills to many places, so you shouldn’t have a big problem in finding something to work on. So I would do MechE, because it has more breadth than PetE, so it should give you more options (which you need, because of your age).</p>
<p>Don’t shy the job market, but try to think pragmatically and critically what the situation is and what you should do at 40+ age when trying to start a career. And what the employers are thinking and doing and why.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. I guess I needed someone to tell me what I already knew. I know a more specialized degree like PetE will limit my opportunity’s even more. I was just looking to finalize my decision with some help from someone in the engineering field. I think MechE will be the smart choice and allow me to pursue more opportunities. Thanks again for your valuable insight.</p>
<p>Just to give you a slightly different perspective than Neo, I’m actually a fan of specialization. It will limit your opportunities, but it will make you much more competitive than a broad mechanical engineering degree. 20 years ago the supply of petroleum engineers was much smaller which caused companies give jobs to mechanical engineers. Today, the market to chalk full of petroleum engineers, it seems like most mechanical engineers are facility engineers. I’m speaking more specifically about operators opposed to service companies.</p>
<p>I think at 40 (and I went back to school at 27), I would push all in, go after what you want and get the job. In tough markets, being specialized is exactly what you want to do.</p>
<p>
You make the wrong choice, you fail to predict the market, you run into a snag along the way, you get passed over by another young PetE willing to work more than you for less money, you have a change of heart (maybe you don’t like the conditions of petro), you just plain get unlucky, and you’ll have nowhere left to go. You’ll be stuck with a degree that you can’t use.</p>
<p>Degrees should be a risk-free investment. Take risks when the risk vs. reward justifies it. In getting a degree, it very much does not.</p>
<p>If there is a young PetE willing to work more than him and for less money, then he won’t get then he definitely won’t get the job with a mechanical engineering degree. My point was simply that if he wants to work in oil and gas, his best bet is to get a petroleum engineering degree. If he isn’t sure, then he should get a mechanical degree but needs to understand that while getting a job as a petroleum engineer with a petroleum degree is tough, getting a job as a petroleum engineer as a mechanical engineer is cutthroat. Now, there are a multitude of different other disciplines for engineers in oil and gas that aren’t necessarily petroleum engineering that he could get with any number of engineering degrees.</p>
<p>Again, just a different perspective… having more options isn’t necessarily a good thing. “Jack of all trades, master of none”. In a tight job market, being a jack of all trades might not be beneficial.</p>
<p>A petroleum engineer’s starting salary is almost always going to be higher than a mechanical engineers starting salary, even if working for the same company or having a similar position. Right now petroleum engineers have excellent job opportunities in the oil and gas industry, just look at the placement rates:</p>
<p>University of Oklahoma Petroleum - 100% (2013)
[Petroleum</a> Engineering | The University of Oklahoma ||](<a href=“http://mpge.ou.edu/undergraduate/overview.html]Petroleum”>http://mpge.ou.edu/undergraduate/overview.html)
Montana Tech had - 92% (2010)
<a href=“http://www.mtech.edu/academics/mines/petroleum/BS_Pet.asp[/url]”>http://www.mtech.edu/academics/mines/petroleum/BS_Pet.asp</a>
Texas tech - 89% (2011)
[Job</a> Placement](<a href=“http://www.investu.ttu.edu/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=22]Job”>http://www.investu.ttu.edu/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=22)
In 2011, on average, starting salaries for PETE grads was 33000 higher than MECH grads at Texas tech.</p>
<p>Average starting salary for petroleum B.S. is about 19000 higher than a mechanical b.s. at UT Austin:
[Salaries</a> & Statistics - Cockrell School of Engineering](<a href=“http://www.engr.utexas.edu/ecac/salaries]Salaries”>http://www.engr.utexas.edu/ecac/salaries)</p>
<p>Basically, if you have a decent GPA, and an internship under your belt, you are gonna get a well paying job right out of school.</p>
<p>Hey guys,
Thanks for the replies. I understand both arguments, that’s why I’m conflicted. I know there could be uncertainty in the oil industry, but there are so many positive stats like alchemist007 provided. Also, I understand they would prefer young over old, but even if I hold steady and eventually get a job as a PetE it would still pay much more. Man if were a young kid again! I appreciate the insight from both sides. Thanks again. Tough decision.</p>
<p>Take statistics from interested parties with a grain of salt. Universities put a very significant spin on these numbers to be able to brag about how good their school is, but that doesn’t always mean that you will have success because you go to a school with good numbers.</p>
<p>Petroleum salaries are declining because of all the people going into the field because they hear about $150k starting or something like that. A lot of parties have a vested interest in hiding the fact that all is not well - universities who want students, oil companies who want to be able to pick and choose (and do so at a discount!), politicians who want to run the popular “we need more scientists and engineers” line, etc.</p>