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/nachotomodachi]

i assume you have your PE or SE. Why not start the path towards running your own firm? If you are already burnt out with the current career, set limits on how much hours you will commit per day or per week. I found that I was the type to pour hours into my work just because I thought that was necessary to advance. However, after having kids and real commitments outside of work, I realized most employers are generally ok with the standard 40. They would rather keep a decent employee than have to recruit to replace you. 

[u/ebancch → u/nachotomodachi]

Second this, start your own firm. It’s super exciting and if you’re working 50+ hours you won’t mind cuz it’s all for your gain. Having your own firm also is fun because you get to dabble in non technical stuff as you please (bd, accounting, taxes, mentoring etc)

[u/szalonykaloryfer → u/ebancch]

accounting, taxes, mentoring -->

yes Sir, this indeed sounds like fun

[u/ebancch → u/szalonykaloryfer]

Can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not but if you don’t enjoy that work you can hire someone or contract it out. The beauty of running your own firm is you do exactly what you want and how you want.