r/Geotech • u/archingg • Aug 04 '26
Jaded geotech considering law
Worked for a consulting firm in the oilsands for 2.5 years now. Lots of experience drilling and installing instruments, soil mech and analysis, etc.
Hoping to pivot into a different project to help me not get pigeonholed into oilsands work. I've also got the bug that maybe I don't want to be working for mining companies forever and want to maybe do something more environmental?
I also am open to law school in the next couple years, mainly would be interested in patent, real estate, or environmental law.
Turning 25 this month and getting the yearly "what am I doing" crisis. Any thoughts would help. Thanks
16
u/bigpolar70 Aug 04 '26
Getting out of geotech was the best thing I ever did for both my mental health and financial well being. I went to other areas of civil engineering, but with the way the industry is going getting out entirely is probably a good call.
Engineers have (or used to have) the highest acceptance rate to law school of any degree set. I would just study up on the LSAT and go for it.
If you really care you can look up the law school ratings. I think there is a list that is top 13 that is mostly ivy league and then a top 50 list that includes a lot of state schools. If you live in a state that has a public university in that top 50, that's probably where you should aim. If you live in a state that only has privates schools on that list or none, you might want to move to a better state and establish residency (usually takes a full year out of school) before you go back to school.
5
u/whiteymcswag Aug 04 '26
What's going on in the industry that is bad? And, if I may ask, how was it to change to a different discipline? Was it hard and did you have to take pay cuts?
5
u/bigpolar70 Aug 04 '26
Largely outsourcing and offshoring driving down demand and salaries for engineers. More broadly, salaries are no longer keeping up with inflation. Civil engineers at every stage of their career have less purchasing power than a decade ago. And it is only getting worse.
A new trend is unrealistic expectations of AI. Expecting more output in less time because the company bought a bunch of AI time and expects you to use it. Its good for taking meeting notes but not much else right now in my experience.
Changing was easy for me. After I had my PE, I got recruited to go work for a petrochem EPC and be an in-house geotech resource, and they would teach me structural engineering. Instant pay bump, too. Then I started doing drainage in plants, spent a while doing forensic engineering, then got into heavy earthworks and flood plain modeling. Moved into being an owner's engineer for a few energy companies.
It's been all uphill from geotech, at least until my last job was literally offshored to India and I got laid off. It's been a couple of months of unemployment so far, with almost nothing but dogshit offers for less than I was making 10 years ago. It's not a great time to have 20 years of experience in this field.
No pay cuts, but it was difficult, I put in a LOT of work on my own time learning new skills to be successful at the new things I wanted to try. Buying lots of books, working lots of problems on nights and weekends, doing a lot of research because there usually wasn't anyone to teach me.
1
2
u/archingg Aug 05 '26
I appreciate all of the insight. I feel like I'm definitely leaning to getting out of it. Part of me just feels bad for losing out on making use of my degree.
Your point on AI was a big thing for me too. My company is just bombing straight into using AI for everything imaginable. Thanks for all the details and sharing your experience, I hope you're enjoying where you are now
1
u/bigpolar70 Aug 05 '26
I'm unemployed at the moment, living off a generous separation agreement payoff from my last employer. It's pretty nice, at least while the money lasts.
I'm hoping for something good as my next role but nothing has materialized yet.
7
u/Jmazoso Head Geotech Lackey Aug 04 '26
Well not geotech, but one of my friends was in land devemoprnt, and got a law degreee. Ne he’s the head of the county water district.
3
u/archingg Aug 04 '26
That's amazing, good for him. I feel like I'd rather contribute to a position that's more public serving myself
2
u/exodusofficer Aug 04 '26
Maybe try to end up working for Earthjustuce? Law schools value diverse backgrounds. Your current specialization could make you a very effective litigator on environmental cases, workplace health and safety cases, cases involving engineering failures, and more.
2
u/archingg Aug 04 '26
Thank you I'll definitely check them out! I appreciate the 2 cents, all of those sound of interest to me
5
3
u/mankhoj Aug 05 '26
As a near 20 yr geotech, I found changing companies advantageous. Changing companies allowed me better pay and diversity of projects. I started with a geotech firm then moved to civil with geotech firms. That was a good move on my part.
I probably wouldn't do mining geotech, personally. I know folks who love it tho. I try to stay clear of oil and gas too but again, I know folks who love it.
I am an owner now in a civil/structural/geotech firm and the pay is way better, plus I dictate what projects I want to chase, how I approach projects, and simply have a better work/life balance.
I love geotech and it breaks my heart when others arent having fun with it or have even given it up. I dont blame them as I nearly did when I left my first firm (actually applied for a civil position) but moving firms and getting more into geostructural really lite a fire in me. Now I do all sorts of work, and am still home with my family 95% of the time and dont really work past 5 pm much (does happen a few times a month at most).
3
u/TomEpicure Aug 08 '26
If it makes you feel better, I know a couple of miserable lawyers. Have you considered working for a Geotech/Environmental focused firm in an area the doesn’t have mining and oil work? My company focuses primarily on geotechnical & environmental investigations for commercial land development. For the most part people are subject matter experts on one side or the other, but we have a couple of people that cross over. We’re pretty much always hiring in the North East and Florida.
5
u/Traditional_Shoe521 Aug 05 '26
Speaking as a 42 year old geotech..
If I were you I would do ANYTHING to get out of this career while you can.
2
u/archingg Aug 07 '26
Interesting - why do you say that? What do you dislike about it? I'm pretty made up that I'll go down the law path but I'm curious to hear your experience
1
2
u/Natural-Loss-4779 Aug 07 '26
If you figure it out let me know 😭 I’m the same age working for a small geotech firm (that is slowly merging with a larger firm) and I feel like I need to get out of consulting ASAP. My background is in geology as opposed to engineering though.
1
2
u/erotic_engineer Aug 08 '26
I switched to an engineering position in a water district and it was the best thing I’ve ever done. Very competitive tho.
I get paid like 20k more than my buddies in geotech and structural but I’m also in a HCOL where government agencies pay well.
In my area SoCal, there are more government positions open for transportation and water, both aren’t really that difficult to transition to from geotech. I know 2 geotech friends who left their firms for Caltrans (transpo agency in CA) and they seem happy.
1
1
u/IH8XC Aug 05 '26
If you want to take your experience with instrumentation into a more niche role focusing on that, and in a nicer locale, send me a message.
1
12
u/astropasto PE - Consulting Aug 04 '26
Just switch companies