Where does the top Mechanical Engineering talent in the US work?

[cosmicfish]

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Cosmicfish, it seems that we’ve been debating these very same issues for quite awhile now, and you always seem to defend and/or otherwise serve as an apologist for the engineering career-ladder status quo.

You seem to think that world consists only of your particular innovative idea and the poor deluded slobs favoring the status quo. A little too simplistic. The reality is that I consider the status quo less than optimal but still far superior than what most get. Your solution would benefit a select few while making the overall situation worse - I do not consider that a solution.</p>

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And to that, I must ask- why? It has always been my thesis that engineers - or at least the top ones - are substantially underpaid relative to the value they provide to the world. That is to say, they generate tremendous value, but they capture relatively little of it. They furthermore don’t enjoy the career advancement opportunities that they should. Nor do they enjoy the social status in society that other professions enjoy. We should therefore investigate potential reforms that might provide such top engineers with enhanced opportunities.

On this I agree. Where I disagree is in your recommendations for general reforms, and your advice for self-promotion for individual engineers.</p>

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[quote]
So I must ask, why do you fight? Exactly why do you continue to defend what is, at least IMO, the indefensible? You don’t want additional pay? You don’t want more career opportunities? You don’t want more status? <a href=“1”>/quote</a> Because I think your ideas are bad, and will only make things worse.
(2) I don’t. I just oppose YOUR proposed solutions. If I am injured, I should listen to the guy who thinks I should I should spray windex on it?
(3) Of course I do, but I recognize that my “measly” engineering salary already puts me higher than any other profession with a comparable educational requirement. Also, my desire to actually do engineering work exceeds my desire to get paid however much more to do other things.
(4) Of course I do, but that does not mean that I want the career opportunities you seem to think I should want, nor does it mean that I think such opportunities are unavailable to poor little me.
(5) I don’t particularly care about status. I generally have a poor opinion of those who do.</p>

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Or if you really don’t want enhanced career opportunities and status, perhaps you could at least allow other engineers to partake.

Do I have the power to stop them?</p>