Hi Ken,
> Regarding the title of "engineer", let me ask this question:
>
> Are you an "engineer" because of your training or are you an
> "engineer" because of what you do? At what point does experience
> trump training? At what point does not working in the field of your
> qualification override your title of "engineer"?
Mine is from a degree, though I've sure after all these years I
know a lot more about Audio and Computer hardware from
experience than I remember about my Electronics Engineering
degree. I dont tell people I'm any type of engineer normally
though, because all the income based things I've done I've
never had a degree for :-)
The degree does I think give you a head start depending
on your life directions but some uni grads I've come across,
thats probably debatable to.
Personally, if someone has earned their way up through
the ranks to become a [whatever] Engineer, I have no problems
with that either. I have no computing degrees but I sure know
my way around networking, Cisco routers, AIX, OS/2, routers,
firewalls, code hacking and a lot more. I have almost completely
forgotten all my VAX VMS Systems Manager training, everything
I learnt about MVS but all the experience one gains with
age still add's to ones general knowledge store, even if
most of it is "forgotten".
I'm also sure I have forgotten a lot of what I learnt from doing
photography and Audio Visual at Mt Lawley Technical College
back in the early 80's.
When I was in the RAAF one of the first things drilled into us after
GST (General Service Training, not the tax) was that the training
we receive is initial, a good frame work in the basics and logic
behind what you need to know but that the real training/learning
starts once you are on the actual job.
And if I'm confusing anyone, I think I have more than enough
material to write a book on my life, though I'd probably have a
very limited audience, one never knows.
* Plug alert *
I have to catch up to this and previous generations first :-)
<http://www.mannwest.com/hm/>
> Let me use myself as an example. I've had "engineer" as part of my
> title (audio engineer, application's engineer, design engineer,
> network planning engineer, etc) for over 15 years of my profesional
> career. But I have no degree. I've had years of vocational training as
> well as on-the-job education, but no formal program with the pathway
> towards the fancy plaque on the wall.
The degree is your fast path to theory grasshopper, enter the real
world were it might take longer without the degree but the destination
is often the same. (also depends on how anal you are as well).
> If I could sit still long enough, I could go back to school and get my
> degree, but to what end? What will it gain me? Theoretically it should
> give me an easier time getting a different job (and more money), but
> the reality is, as a person progresses up the career ladder, you get
> farther away from applied knowledge into management and planning.
I couldnt go back to an institute of learning unless it was something
I knew absolutely nothing about, or a quick one to get certification.
I know I would drive the instructors nuts :-)
And I would find it hard to concentrate on something I thought I know.
> To be honest, though, it has always bothered me to have a title of
> Engineer through these years as I've felt that it's something that
> needs to either be degreed or or acquired through a journeyman
> process. With the number of years and type of work I've done as well
> as the formal education I have had, I'd probably consider myself now
> to be a journeyman engineer in two fields (broadcast/recording audio
> engineer, and telephone network engineer). Obviously, I can't put that
> on my resume as official designation, but I can as a matter of
> functionality.
To be honest, dont let it bother you. If someone looking at employing
you has a problem with it, you probably dont want to work for them.
> But I don't play a doctor on television.
Why not ?
Just dont do it in real life ;-)
Cheers
Ian Manners
I used to have a handle on life, then it broke.
--
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