Is going for a masters in engineering worth it?
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My manager takes my work (which takes hours), feeds it to AI, and tells me to match the AI's output. Except the AI version makes zero sense for the actual project. I'm so annoyed and checked out that I'm skipping crucial steps in my workflow, making things worse. I used to love this work, but now I’m losing all passion. Has anyone dealt with a boss like this, or is it time for me to quit?
I recently switched to salary, and my workload exploded. Suddenly, everything is "urgent," so I'm working 2–3 hours of unpaid overtime at home every night. The company is billing the client for my extra hours, but I'm not seeing any of it. How do I bring this up with management? I'd rather not keep working for free.
How do you know when it’s time to leave a job vs. stick it out and push through a rough patch? For me it comes down to whether the core reasons I took the role are still intact. If the work is still interesting and the people are decent, a rough patch is survivable. But if I’m dreading Mondays every single week, that’s usually a signal worth listening to.
I graduated in 2023 currently living in Florida with 3.5 years of experience in aerospace. I got my engineering degree in electrical and I’m wondering if I’m screwed trying to land a job within electrical power or energy? The closest experience I really have within my degree is basic circuit board building, basic circuit design in programs like Pspice, and using a digital oscilloscope. To this day, the closest I can think of that I have experience in is reading low level c code and logic design.
In my opinion, only if the company is paying for it and/or there’s a specific job or field that you want to enter that requires it. I have mine. Didn’t get experience in the field first. It’s useless to me and has resulted in no pay increases because it’s not relevant to my field.
Depends on what you want with your career. An ME or MS both typically shave off a year of the work experience requirement if you are trying to take the PE. Both an MS and ME look good on a resume. Typically, your pay is higher with a masters. NCEES is pushing for every to get one. Overall, I would recommend it if you are going into design or consulting. The master classes are typically theoretical and help explain concepts well beyond the intro undergrad classes. Bigger question, who is paying for it? Can you get an employer to cover it? I am a geotech w/an ME.
I 100% agree. If the company pays for it, it is worth it and can put you ahead of co-workers/employees who do not have a masters for a promotion or future employment against candidates who dont have a masters.
For me, this gets into the question "is college a business investment or is it a personal achievement" for example, if someone wants to study archaeology that's great because there's a place for people who want to study ancient civilization, regardless if they make $$. Businesswise, I have BSEE but interested in LATER getting MS and maybe PhD, for a combination of business and personal. I'm glad I didn't do this early. I'd be OQ with no EXP, which is just as unappealing as being PhD with no EXP
My son actually is looking into college for engineering and the professors said experience is needed and to have your employer pay for your masters degree.
It doesn't feel all that different. It seems like I stayed in school for a few more years—one taking classes and another few trying to complete an unending thesis project. I felt a little bit better educated by the time it was over, but I wasn't really any more prepared for the working world.
It was worth the expense in my opinion. I learnt more about my field in the one year of courses I took for my master's degree than I had in the 3.5 years of my undergraduate studies.
My Master's degree was worth investing. After completing my undergrad, I needed a year to complete a blended master's. In comparison to other engineers I started my firm with who only have a bachelor's degree, I have more leadership and responsibility.
Acquiring one put me a little behind schedule, but I considered it beneficial. It gave me a start-up income boost and unlocked a few new doors. In general, graduate school taught me so much more than undergrad; it was a wonderful experience.
I would say that it was worth pursuing since it has benefitted me in my career search, particularly for employment in government.
Yes. Any education is generally worth it. getting a masters looks better for your company, will help you get into more senior positions, etc.
Getting a master's degree helped me realize what I want to do with my degree. I got a bachelor's in electromechanical engineering, and then specialized in clinical engineering and realized that devices that interact with the body are much more intriguing to me. I was studying abroad though and so the cost of it was minuscule in comparison to the cost in the US.