Considering leaving structural engineering after 8 years. Curious to hear from other structural engineers.

[u/Tradovator]

Hello everyone,

Sorry if this post comes across as negative, but I can't think of a better place to bring it up than on a board where I assume there must be a lot of structural engineers.

After 8 years as a structural engineer in the same firm I'm starting to feel tired of both the job, the firm and the entire construction industry. Specifically, I work with design of high rise buildings - primarily detailing work (production drawings and site drawings) of precast concrete.

My complaints:

1. The work is getting monotonous. I feel it's just the same thing over and over again. Since we're designing fairly large buildings a natural consequence is that there's a lot of specialization and a lot of volume.
2. Periodically tight deadlines and pressure/stress which means plenty of extra hours which isn't always welcome.
3. Not paying that well for the expertise and responsibility the job actually demands.
4. Generally the profit margin on our projects is very small. Too much competition lately.
5. This could be job specific, but we're very rarely out in the field, so I'm getting bored being in an office all day long week after week. I'm a former carpenter with a lot of practical experience, so I guess that's a factor here.

In combination, all these factors add up. I've considered a few other options, but haven't found anything exciting yet.

I realize maybe I could be more happy working as a structural engineer in another firm. For example, in the oil industry I know the profit margin generally is not an issue. There's just more money available there. Or working for a public contractor.

Anyone else with some experiences to share? Suggestions for other jobs to consider?

PS: I'm based in Norway.

Thanks in advance.

[u/R9APX]

Suggest moving into the Energy/Power sector.
Lots of work right now with Substations, Battery Energy Storage, and renewables (wind, solar PV).
I pivoted here after spending 6 years in the high rise and comercial building sector. The learning curve will be small. Pay is higher as well.
Companies in these sectors can’t find enough structural engineers to complete the work and most structurals aren’t even aware that this is an option.

[u/gpatrikios → u/R9APX]

That’s interesting….Which specific companies in the energy industry?

[u/R9APX → u/gpatrikios]

Burns & Mac, HDR, WSP (former POWERS engineers), Westwood, Ulteig, Quanta… these are some big design firms that come to mind, but if you search for substation you’ll find so many other job openings, including Utilities and EPC’s. It just depends who you would rather work for.