Fresh Mechanical Engineer entering the pipeline installation industry

[WeddingCrasher]

Hi
I'am a fresh graduate with a bachelors of engineering in mechanical engineering. During an interview for a job opportunity in crude oil pipeline installation, the interviewer warned me that if i got the job and entered this domain it will be really hard for me to enter another mechanical engineering domains in the future such as HVAC, manufacturing,aviation , automation etc.

I didn't choose the job opportunity because i like the domain of pipeline installation, i chose it instead because:

1-It pays good compared to other jobs, and i need that money to get a masters degree later
2-I didn't score high grades in my university, so i couldn't enter other high paying jobs that requires a high GPA such as consulting, investment, design etc.

This job opportunity i got has a bad reputation by forcing tough lives on the people working there
. Its on site in the middle of the desert, i may have to stay a couple of consecutive months on the project. I don't want to spend the rest of my career on some desert isolated from civilization. I always wanted to work something related to investment, trading, management ,sales, consulting, manufacturing in any bank, corporate ,or engineering firm etc.

If i started this job in pipeline installation, how hard will it be to change my career track in the future? How much will masters degree help me with achieving this?

 

[Travis_King]

Depends on how long you work for and what your job description was. There are many parts that go into installing crude oil pipelines. What's the job description / what would you be doing?

 

[buell23]

I have worked as an assembler for 2 years in the domain of mechanical engineering.
I mean the job was ok and I earned a lot of money, but even doing such jobs you normally don't need to be a bachelor in engineering.

If you chose it because of the money for you masters degree, i would say do it. Do it for 1, 1.5 or 2 years or better until you think you have enough money.
Afterwards if you looking for a new job you can tell them from your experiences there and you can tell them that you did it for your masters degree.

The only problem for me would be that the technologies are not waiting for you. One or two years are a long time if you consider to the evolution of technology.
But in the end if you apply for a new job nobody cares why you did what you did.
It is a question of how well you can present yourself in the end.
The only two reasons above in my opinion would be enough to get a new job.
It would only be difficult after your bachelor degree if you worked for 15 years in the mentioned domain.
Good night

 

[WeddingCrasher]

Depends on how long you work for and what your job description was. There are many parts that go into installing crude oil pipelines. What's the job description / what would you be doing?

Iam planning on staying 2 years max before returning to get a masters degrees. I hope i can tolerate this duration since i hear that a lot of people quit after a couple of months.

The job offer didn't state anything specific other than pipeline installation. The interviewer said that in the 1st 3 months i will be in a graduate program for training to see where i "fit" in the project.

 

[WeddingCrasher]

I have worked as an assembler for 2 years in the domain of mechanical engineering.
I mean the job was ok and I earned a lot of money, but even doing such jobs you normally don't need to be a bachelor in engineering.

If you chose it because of the money for you masters degree, i would say do it. Do it for 1, 1.5 or 2 years or better until you think you have enough money.
Afterwards if you looking for a new job you can tell them from your experiences there and you can tell them that you did it for your masters degree.

The only problem for me would be that the technologies are not waiting for you. One or two years are a long time if you consider to the evolution of technology.
But in the end if you apply for a new job nobody cares why you did what you did.
It is a question of how well you can present yourself in the end.
The only two reasons above in my opinion would be enough to get a new job.
It would only be difficult after your bachelor degree if you worked for 15 years in the mentioned domain.
Good night

Yes exactly i planning to work max 2 years. And you're right, its a matter of how well I can present myself . Thank you for your advice

 

[donpacino]

Just pointing out most large engineering firms, and many smaller ones, will pay for you to get your masters while you work.

Also some companies will give you partial paid time off the get your masters as well.

My point being taking a job for 2 years just to build up money SPECIFICALLY for your masters degree is silly in my opinion. that being said there are many ways to skin a cat

 

[buell23]

Just pointing out most large engineering firms, and many smaller ones, will pay for you to get your masters while you work.

Also some companies will give you partial paid time off the get your masters as well.

My point being taking a job for 2 years just to build up money SPECIFICALLY for your masters degree is silly in my opinion. that being said there are many ways to skin a cat

Why not? There are many advantages
1. He earns there his own money and is then not dependent on the company. Also after your masters degree in many cases you have to stay up to 3 years there cause of a stupid contract. (maybe you want to change to another company after 1 or 2 years because of dissatisfaction)
2. He can manage himself alone easily cause having a lot of money.
3. He experiences a lot and even knows then as an engineer that you better take a flat wrench of the size 19 (in hydraulics size 22) with you if you want to fasten a M12 nut instead of using size 17. Sounds stupid, but all that will help him if he works anytime in an office or somewhere else.

 

[WeddingCrasher]

Just pointing out most large engineering firms, and many smaller ones, will pay for you to get your masters while you work.

Also some companies will give you partial paid time off the get your masters as well.

My point being taking a job for 2 years just to build up money SPECIFICALLY for your masters degree is silly in my opinion. that being said there are many ways to skin a cat

Thanks for the new info. But there's something i forgot to mention. My main goal is to land a job related to business or engineering either in Europe or USA. The problem is iam neither an American nor European . I applied to a lot of jobs in europe and USA and then realized that they'd rather hire their own citizens over foreigners, unless i had some 4.0 GPA. The best solution was getting a masters there. I know and heard of a lot of people who got jobs in europe after they completed their masters degree there. I'am even up to learning the language there if that's what it takes. Hence that's why iam so eager to get my masters there. But to make that happen, i need to gain some money to handle both, my tuition and living expenses during my education period.

 

[WeddingCrasher]

Why not? There are many advantages
2. He can manage himself alone easily cause having a lot of money.
3. He experiences a lot and even knows then as an engineer that you better take a flat wrench of the size 19 (in hydraulics size 22) with you if you want to fasten a M12 nut instead of using size 17. Sounds stupid, but all that will help him if he works anytime in an office or somewhere else.

Yep these 2 points you mentioned are solid and the reason that iam going to endure a couple of years in this job.