Need YOUR opinion, career-related question.

[DFA]

I'm on my last week of 2nd year of Electronic & Telecommunications Engineering at the best engineering school in Panama. I love what I study. I flunked a subject last semester but I'm working hard on it and should be back up on my feet after the summer and start 3rd year with no spots in my record.

Yesterday, I was offered to take a (dumb easy) test at the US Embassy on friday, they're giving FULL scholarships for:
Industrial Engineering
Systems Engineering
Computing Engineering
Astronautical Engineering
Aeronautical Engineering

The only one that tickled my fancy was Astronautical Engineering, but it still doesn't excite me as much as what I'm currently taking. Some things I've thought about:
- It's a great opportunity to leave this hellhole, something I've wanted to do since I was like 9 years old.
- I'll probably land a job much more easily than I will if I graduate here, and with better pay.
- I don't want to waste years of my life into studying something I don't like that much.
- If I ever wanted to return back home... what the hell is a rocket scientist good for in a country that doesn't make any? I'm aware that engineers are very versatile in the entry-level job area, but I won't have much room for growth unless I start taking up additional majors that are more related to local industries.

Long story short,
On one side, I have a free, all expenses paid ride to the US to study something that kind of interests me.
On the other side, I can stay here and study what I love, maybe look around elsewhere for a similar opportunity that lets me continue studying what I love.

What would you do?

[KCALB SIRAY]

If I had no obligations to where I was, I'd do it in a heartbeat. You already know what you love, right? Who's to say you won't love this job. You say that it doesn't really excite you, but you may end up really taking an interest in it once you dive in. 50% chance my friend, the rest is up to you. Go for it!

[Bob_VT]

Look into the future...... These are just my opinions.....

Which one of those careers is applicable worldwide?

While Astronautical may sound fantastic .... I think it is a narrow field and very specialized.

Computing is another use anywhere job but the field is flooded.

Aeronautical is not a bad choice but once again limited work. Embry Riddle turns these people out every year.

Industrial Engineering & Systems Engineering seem to both be more flexible and available for worldwide employment...... these would be my first choice.

Do some Department of Labor research and see where you would have a future. An education in any field is a great idea however, look further ahead. Good Luck.

[jclo3313]

Originally Posted by KCALB SIRAY

If I had no obligations to where I was, I'd do it in a heart beat. You already know what you love, right? Who's to say you won't love this job. You say that it doesn't really excite you, but you may end up really taking an interest in it once you dive in. 50% chance my friend, the rest is up to you. Go for it!

+1 on that. I think a great woman once said,"Sometimes you just have to say, what the fuck!".

[TheRealEnth]

Do what makes the big money, Ull find yourself with a lot more free time than other people. Free time = lots of vacation time with the money to go visit home or other parts of the world in style.

[KCALB SIRAY]

Originally Posted by PK198105

well what is your field exactly , satellite, fiber optics, DSP, cellular communications etc. if i were you i'd go into aeronautical or systems engineering. i have the same field as you ie telecommunications but im specializing in fiber optics and satellite communications.

Yeah, but you have pickup lines for the ladies, you're in like Flynn

[lita_g]

I got a systems engineering degree in my country and then came to the US to work and study, so I kind of know what you're going through. You just called your current location a hellhole and said you've been thinking about leaving for a long time, so you might as well take this opportunity, because if you stay and finish up with what you love, you maybe work on what you love but will still live in the same hellhole.

If you get your degree in the US you have better chances of getting a job in the US than with a degree from your country, that's a fact. If I was you, I would research more what each degree consists of and go from there, industrial and systems engineering are definitely more versatile, but if you're interested in astronautical engineering then it might be good for you, although you may want to do more research on how the job market is doing on that field.

Good luck.

[DFA]

Thanks alot to each an every one of you for your thoughts on this. I'm going to research as much as I can tonight on it and make up my mind.

I'm kind of leaning towards taking it right now, but I still look down that cliff and wonder if I'll fly or plummet down and break my head. I'll deeply think about it tonight. Test is tomorrow (which, I guess will be the first of several.. unless they're really keen on giving those away.)

PK, My main specialty is Electronic Engineering, we study alot of telecommunications, but don't focus on solely one, we go partially in-depth in each major aspect and that's it.

I don't go with systems engineering because It's WAY too flooded IMO. I'm not that insecure about myself but the more flooded it is, the harder it is to land a good, stable job. I don't go with industrial engineering because, honestly, I don't like it one bit. My parents practically tried to push me into taking it here, and I refused.

If anyone has anything else to put on the table, I'd be very grateful.

[id3379]

Originally Posted by TheRealEnth

Do what makes the big money, Ull find yourself with a lot more free time than other people. Free time = lots of vacation time with the money to go visit home or other parts of the world in style.

[Malaya1221]

IMO, try one of those things that would tickle your pickle(astronautical engineering) and u if decide you don't like it, then party like a rockstar here in the states(git w/ lots of bitches and hoes), go back to panama and continued on what you left behind...

no matter what you do it's always the ride(journey) mah man!

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by DFA

I'm on my last week of 2nd year of Electronic & Telecommunications Engineering at the best engineering school in Panama. I love what I study. I flunked a subject last semester but I'm working hard on it and should be back up on my feet after the summer and start 3rd year with no spots in my record.

Yesterday, I was offered to take a (dumb easy) test at the US Embassy on friday, they're giving FULL scholarships for:
Industrial Engineering
Systems Engineering
Computing Engineering
Astronautical Engineering
Aeronautical Engineering

Wow, too bad that they don't give native born Americans such opportunities.... I'm in hock for eight thousand bucks (out of twenty thousand) for education. Some kids are paying $800.00 a month US on their student loans. Meanwhile non-Citizens are being handed full boat scholarships.... Wow!

Hey, good for you.

Originally Posted by DFA

The only one that tickled my fancy was Astronautical Engineering, but it still doesn't excite me as much as what I'm currently taking. Some things I've thought about:
- It's a great opportunity to leave this hellhole, something I've wanted to do since I was like 9 years old.
- I'll probably land a job much more easily than I will if I graduate here, and with better pay.
- I don't want to waste years of my life into studying something I don't like that much.
- If I ever wanted to return back home... what the hell is a rocket scientist good for in a country that doesn't make any? I'm aware that engineers are very versatile in the entry-level job area, but I won't have much room for growth unless I start taking up additional majors that are more related to local industries.

Long story short,
On one side, I have a free, all expenses paid ride to the US to study something that kind of interests me.
On the other side, I can stay here and study what I love, maybe look around elsewhere for a similar opportunity that lets me continue studying what I love.

What would you do?

Rocket science is capital intensive. I worked for a PhD in Aerospace engineering. She was frustrated because all she could do is work in mechanical engineering. Especially after NASA told her to stuff it. There are not a lot of companies building space ships and few of them are hiring newbies unless you have a Grad degree or come from a "name" school. JMO.

Most of the rocket related jobs will be in China, Russia and India. The US, depending upon how the current economic situation shakes out, will probably be "go slow" on space flight. Things are gonna get tight in the US because our Congress is going bonkers and we have a President who is Corporatist but not pro-Business. Between Kyoto, "health care" and some of the other horseshit there isn't going to be a lot of excess money. Besides we're staying in Iraq for three more years and dumping more guys into Afghanistan. We're gonna be in the poorhouse at this rate.

Space flight aside scientific exploration is mostly Nationalist chest thumping. Until business can profit from innovations in space and bring home the bucks don't expect a lot of work up here in rocket science. Again, JMO.

I work in electronics myself in the US. We're always looking for degreed engineers. A quarter of our staff is from offshore, mostly Asia and Europe but we have three guys from Africa. The Africans are good but language is an issue, their English is accented and drives the production staff up the wall sometimes. However I see a lot of good "fundamentals" in their training. I know enough from talking to them and seeing their work to know it.

The Asians and Europeans are fine. The Americans are good but sometimes get lazy. They also won't learn foreign languages so they need translators. I speak Spanish albeit poorly, decent French, a bit of Mandarin, German, and some other languages. Whenever we get visitors I try to polish my languages. Gonna have to find me a Spanish girlfriend....

We have no one from Latin America at all on the staff. I'm disappointed because we have a lot of customers from latin America. When they show up I get to talk with them, and they probably figure I'm a gringo with poor vocabulary (though my pronounciation is good). Being I'm part French I look latino so that helps a bit too.

I have a four year technical degree and the management comes around from time to time to ask me to go "to the Carpet". I'm considering it because I've about learned all I can learn "on the floor" - the frequency of novel situations that I can learn from is dropping off. Besides, I can get a PE (public engineer) or MS in engineering a lot easier in the office than on the floor (too stochastic on the floor plus I'm seeing jealousy from co-workers who don't have a four year degree).

So I'm gonna do what I'm suggesting for you...

My advice - you're already in for a penny in Electronics and Telecommunications. If you're interested in Space Flight for reals learn Mandarin and ask the Chinese to get you a scholarship - seriously. There are more and more Chinese in Panama because of Hutchinson Whampoa so they're around if you want to ask for a scholarship.

Otherwise consider taking advantage of our Government's largesse (before it runs out, our government is about to discover what "bankrupt" means in about five years or less) and learn something you can market.

Take advantage of the dumb Anglos, get yourself educated up here, and if you like it stick around. Otherwise you can go to Panama or any other Spanish speaking nation and market your education. Especially if you "intern" in a US company. Being an Intern means you'll do scut work but sometimes you'll pick up a thing or two as well.

Gene

[kimona]

Full scholarship? Jump on the opportunity and don't look back. It's what you've been waiting for since you were 9 years old.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by DFA

I don't go with industrial engineering because, honestly, I don't like it one bit. My parents practically tried to push me into taking it here, and I refused.

Some of us tech folks called IE "imaginary engineering". One of the guys in assembly has an IE degree and a few years worth of experience. He's sticking around in the hope that the company will offer him a job. I think he's gonna be having a long wait.

I did some IE work in my first job. Especially enjoyed some of the statistical analysis work. Enjoyed discovering that disgruntled workers who have management eyeballing them all day long are more likely to break machinery. Also enjoyed finding out all sorts of "common sense" shit using statistics.

Those were the days! Thank God they're gone!

Gene

[DFA]

Little update:

I went to the embassy and took the test. Up until yesterday morning before that test, I only knew the scholarship was to study engineering in Colorado. After taking the test with a couple people that only talked about armies, navies, salutations, formalities and ranks, and being led inside the embassy by some army division guy, I investigated what college were the scholarships for... and my search brought me to the awareness that I was signing up for the United States Air Force Academy.
I want to study to be a great engineer, don't get me wrong, but I don't need a 5 mile long run and 100 push-ups at 4am every morning to get to that. Plus I'd have to serve in the army for like 2 years. I respect the people who do that but it's just not my cup of tea.

I mean.. great but, no thanks.

Gene, I thank you greatly for your words of wisdom. You have given me a truckload of food for thought. Imaginary Engineering... ! Exactly the reason I've always refused to take that up, I don't even agree it should be classified as engineering.. but that's a whole another issue and I don't want to go deep into it.

Thanks alot to all of you for your words!

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by DFA

Little update:

I went to the embassy and took the test. Up until yesterday morning before that test, I only knew the scholarship was to study engineering in Colorado. After taking the test with a couple people that only talked about armies, navies, salutations, formalities and ranks, and being led inside the embassy by some army division guy, I investigated what college were the scholarships for... and my search brought me to the awareness that I was signing up for the United States Air Force Academy.
I want to study to be a great engineer, don't get me wrong, but I don't need a 5 mile long run and 100 push-ups at 4am every morning to get to that. Plus I'd have to serve in the army for like 2 years. I respect the people who do that but it's just not my cup of tea.

I mean.. great but, no thanks.

Gene, I thank you greatly for your words of wisdom. You have given me a truckload of food for thought. Imaginary Engineering... ! Exactly the reason I've always refused to take that up, I don't even agree it should be classified as engineering.. but that's a whole another issue and I don't want to go deep into it.

Thanks alot to all of you for your words!

You'd be a US Citizen once you served your hitch. I don't know if you'd want that or not, as Panama offers some great business connections. I am not sure if you'd be able to retain dual citizenship. I know if I were offered a shot at schooling at an earlier age in someone else's military I'd have doubts too.

You would get your engineering degree, no doubt and you'd get top notch experience too.

I am glad I could help you. As far as IE, I work with some of those guys. They're coming into their own now but still don't SEEM TO HAVE the deep level of theory that more specialized engineers get.

One great prospect is Manufacturing Engineering. They get exposed to tons of theory and practice about making things, organizing work flows, management and other stuff. They are a highly marketable field. You might want to see if you can get such training. I work with two guys in our 6S group at work who have degrees from reputable universities in Manufacturing Engineering. They manage day to day operations, keep stuff moving and supervise the 6S group.

We've accomplished a lot of stuff with them, and have a lot farther to go.

Gene

[DFA]

Originally Posted by PK198105

DFA what is it that you love to do? Are you doing engineering because you like it or because you want the money/recognition/status?

for myself I love to build things and apply the stuff i learned thats why im in engineering.

I do engineering because I like it. Like you, I've always loved to build stuff, and know exactly how stuff does everything it does, and know the "why" behind (mostly) every piece of technology.

Back when I was finishing high school, engineering was the only thing (besides graphic design) that felt right... i just didn't see myself pulling me through any other career. I picked out the Electronics and Telecoms. branch because it was the one I liked the most out of all the other engineerings, plus it's a growing field and the sky is the limit right now.

It's just an added bonus that the pay isn't usually that bad either

[DFA]

Well holy crap. I was going to let this go and just not show up for any other tests...

Apparently, I scored the highest on last week's test and someone is supposed to call me sometime soon to set up an appointment with some major (lieutenant, sargent, idk a thing about ranks and that stuff) guy that wants to have a talk with me...

[Tamago]

i vote industrial. aeronautics is too up and down these days (especially Boeing).. and with an industrial engineering degree you'll touch on many different fields and be able to work for ANY manufacturer that utilizes automation (don't they all?)