Curious ... what do you people do for a living?, How do you support your habit? Options

[94bird]

I really do believe it would be a HUGE help to require more classes on writing skills and giving presentations before you could get an engineering degree. Sometimes I'm amazed at how poorly others around me at work write and talk when trying to explain things to others. It really makes a very big difference to a customer or manager or anyone for that matter when you give a very clear, concise presentation with lots of pictures so the dummies who aren't engineers can understand. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Now, we have a couple of Romanian and Turkish engineers who are just plain hard to understand. That's just an English language problem, but it brings humor to some of our meetings. One such time one of the Romanians said, "The dead cat is in my back yard." We all just looked at each other not knowing what to think. Turns out that means the same as "The ball is in my court." Yep, that saying stuck and we still use it every once in awhile.

[beuke23]

I really do believe it would be a HUGE help to require more classes on writing skills and giving presentations before you could get an engineering degree.

Couldn't agree with you more on that one.

Engineers are pretty concise in nature, and some naturally write and speak very clearly (it didn't surprise me that a number of members here are engineers when I read their posts). But, some just can't explain a technical subject clear enough for laymen (like me) to understand, as Mike stated.

More writing and speech classes for engineers!

[robz71lm7]

I really do believe it would be a HUGE help to require more classes on writing skills and giving presentations before you could get an engineering degree. Sometimes I'm amazed at how poorly others around me at work write and talk when trying to explain things to others. It really makes a very big difference to a customer or manager or anyone for that matter when you give a very clear, concise presentation with lots of pictures so the dummies who aren't engineers can understand. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Now, we have a couple of Romanian and Turkish engineers who are just plain hard to understand. That's just an English language problem, but it brings humor to some of our meetings. One such time one of the Romanians said, "The dead cat is in my back yard." We all just looked at each other not knowing what to think. Turns out that means the same as "The ball is in my court." Yep, that saying stuck and we still use it every once in awhile.

Yeah you should've seen our presentations in Thermo II last semester. Half of them wouldn't make eye contact and either read from note cards or from the powerpoint slides. That's cool though-made me look like a professional. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/thumbup.gif) In my high school I wouldn't have been allowed to continue giving a presentation if I did those things.

We have a Jamaican engineer at work from florida state that's pretty funny. He even makes fun of his accent. There have been some "interesting" moments.

[robz71lm7]

I made a new thread for the AWB. Sorry, but I had use that button it was like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory-I just hadn't pushed that button.

[CMC #37]

When I was attending UC Davis about 20 years ago, I had some friends attending at the same time in the Engineering program. They had about three units of electives. Can you say "imbalanced?" (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

As long as we brought this up, on a related subject: I can remember going with my Mom to pick up my Dad from Rockwell one day after work. I had always wondered about Dad's selection of clothes, stripes with checks, mismatched colors....then I saw the shift change at Rockwell... all was explained when the hundreds of other fashion wrecks rolled out of the building! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rotf.gif) Well, no one cares what color space suits are now do they! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[94bird]

Hey now, I think I dress quite stylishly. No pocket protector for me thank you.

[sgarnett]

When I was attending UC Davis about 20 years ago, I had some friends attending at the same time in the Engineering program. They had about three units of electives. Can you say "imbalanced?" (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

I tried to pursue a few minors (hmm, that doesn't quite sound right ...) but was told by the Engineering College that they didn't allow minors. We certainly wouldn't want anyone to be too well-rounded, after all ....

[timyerby]

I have a minor in Math by default (based on requirements of the ME degree program).

You all make a very interesting point about communication, one that I have made myself many times to others in management.

I believe the problem with engineers and communication to be related to two factors. The first is that most engineers/technical types have a similar personality type (for those skilled in MBTI, that would be INTJ or ISTJ) which is/can be very different from non-technical personality types. Further, most engineers do not even realize that others have a different perspective based on their different personality type, and that others would see a situation any different from the way they see it.

Add on to this the fact that engineers are educated by older more experienced engineers, who just further reinforce the 1/0 - right/wrong - perspective on any issue. I'm sure many of you can relate having an entire 40 point problem that required 3 pages of calculations marked completely wrong on a test because of a minor error on calculation number 25 at the top of the third page (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

I am an engineer, and I would agree the we need a/more classes to help communication, and MBTI class would be a good start. I actually brought in a trainer for 2 days worth of training with my staff and it made a dramatic improvement in relations with the operations personnel.

[Cal]

Hey now, I think I dress quite stylishly. No pocket protector for me thank you.

When I first met my wife, she said my clothing was out of style and miss-matched, and thought I should be embarassed to go to work that way. Then one day she saw the other engineers leaving my building, and she understood! (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[slowTA]

Tonight my professor gave us a handout and the last page said by the end of the course we should be able to think, talk, learn, and be prepared like an engineer. I'll have to download the presentation and post that page so you can see the drawing that went along with it.

Now I'm all for being smart and knowing everything, but some people just lost touch with reality when the books took over.

[Bald54]

Years ago when I was in my early 20s I worked as a salesman at the local BMW Volkswagen Mazda dealership. We were located very close to the University of Notre Dame. Many of our customers were professors at the university. Most of the ones I dealt with were probably experts in their field, but would have a hard time tying their shoes in the morning. I still remember one of them who requested that we completely remove the cigarette lighter in a car he was going to purchase. When I asked about the reasoning behind the request, his reply was, "I'm afraid my wife or myself may accidently stick our finger in the socket". I told him it might be good idea just to keep the lighter in the socket at all times. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[trackbird]

Scary..... :stupid:

[Jon A]

told me the reason he got so much further than other engineers that were more taleneted than him. You guess it he communicates well with the people here.

Sometimes I'm amazed at how poorly others around me at work write and talk when trying to explain things to others. It really makes a very big difference

Couldn't agree with you more on that one.

More writing and speech classes for engineers!

I am an engineer, and I would agree the we need a/more classes to help communication,

U ol sount juss lik all thye pompuss a$$holes on cornercarvrzxcom. FUing gramer police u think u no it al.l it don't make no diff, bros. i comunicate lik i feel like i say. ne1 juge me cause i talk way i talk is lameo. get ur self a life asap. i shood only nede ot tipe good wen i doing my eglish papeR for skool. datz how u rally lern man, that 1 englis paper mkes me an exprt wen I want 2 B. reely i can turn it on an of any tim i want.

[94bird]

I hope you had to think hard to type like that.

[00 Trans Ram]

Wanted to revive this thread. I know we've got a lot of new people here . . . heck, even I'm new compared to this thread!

Government Relations for a large hospital in Louisiana. Live in New Orleans (well, what's left). I pay for my hobby by selling stock stuff off my car.

Let's see, for those who don't feel like reading the whole thread, here's the synopsis:

3 Governement-related jobs
2 Lawyers
15 Students (probably all graduated by now)
8.3x10^16 engineers

[BigEnos]

UNIX System Administrator at a gov't facility.

This post has been edited by BigEnos: Aug 1 2006, 02:02 AM

[sgarnett]

I'm an electrical engineer as I said a few pages and years ago, but I started my academic career as a mechanical engineering student and interned in a plastics technology consulting group.

It's all been coming back to me lately as I've been digging through wheel designs (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[DanKeen]

Wow, I never added to this thread...

I work at a fruit company. That sells computers. And music players.

I'm a software engineer.

I hope to one day show you guys what I do... and make you all buy it, so I can support my crack habit. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[RichJ]

I guess I'm in the minority here having a non-tech job -- I'm a securities attorney and work on the enforcement side (i.e., don't hate me because I'm a lawyer -- I wear the white hat in this job and protect investors).

[killer_bluebird]

I'm a 3D Computer Animator by trade but I also do a other Graphics Art, Video and Multimedia. I work for the Marketing department of one of the Big 3 accounting firms, doing from 3D animation for videos to webcasting. I've been there 10 years in a couple months. I also teach 3D animation at the local community college on the weekends, and have done so for 12 or so years. Now I find myself freelancing to feed the need!

Hey Mitch I guess we have a few things in common. My wife is an Artist but is also disabled, Do to a genetic Immune Deficiency and also suffers from Fibromyalgia and depression. So I can understand about your wife not been able to do anymore than take care of herself some days and even struggle at that. We have a Med bag the size of the small drugstore (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) Fortunately the Lord has provided me with a Job with great Benefits to cover the triple digit yearly bills and a great flexible work arrangement that allows me to work from home 1 or 2 days out the week as well as time flexibility, so I can work different schedules to allow me to take her to doctors appointments and her tri-weekly infusions. She loves racing and loves working on the cars when she is able, in fact knew more about cars than I did 3 years ago.