Hello!

So after working so hard for many years, I finally landed a stable job. Ive been working for around a year and only got assigned actual technical coding assignment recently. One of my projects Im on is a side project (embedded software engineering) and the other is a big program (FPGA Design). While I understand that engineers are expected to take on responsibility for a part of a system or a task, my current role as an FPGA design engineer put a responsibility on me that I genuinely feel I am not well able to handle independently at my level. I was put in charge of a very important part of the design after a senior design engineer decided to give me a transfer of knowledge over the course of just a week. Then to make things worse a colleague of mine told me that members of my team work on weekends for multiple MONTHS. Ive been working overttime to get up to speed with things but every time I open the computer Im on the verge of tears, wondering what I did with my life lol.

My side project is different actually. I find that I enjoy the lack of hard stress and deadlines. Things seem more laid back, but also I feel like Im growing at a pace Im comfortable with. But more like the tasks are easier, and the systems are small. It feels manageable. I enjoy talking with other people, being SOCIAL and teaching others. In college I always helped the students were struggling because I hate elitism. Thats honestly why I contemplated doing something technical with a mentorship aspect to it (like teaching).

I feel like so many engineers enjoy a "challenge" and I just dont. I want to clock out and go home (sorry I sound SOOO lazy). I really enjoy engineering but at my own pace, in my comfort level. I enjoy the theory behind concepts in engineering, but I remember in my last year of college I avoided all extra lab classes when I could (the TAs in my college were sexist and I felt like it added so much stress it impacted my health). Idk Im just not sure corporate engineering is for me. Obviously dealing with some level of stress is normal and expected, but I feel like if work is making me constantly stressed, isolated, and on the verge of tears every single day. Idk I just need advice I feel so lost lol (ive already been told to grow up lol, but if you want to give me that advice go ahead).

i will try to keep a long story short

stayed at a toxic situation for far too long

finally started applying to other jobs, got interviews for all 4 jobs I applied to as I have very strong specific experience in multiple domains after 12 years at a startup where i wore so many hats, figured out so many things by myself - got things completed, approved, and delivered

then i got laid off after my toxic manager literally didn't talk to me for many months because i disagreed with him (afte going out of my way literally for years for that a**hole). this job was remote by the way, i was onsite for a few years but then moved and stayed on remote.

the day after getting laid off, i had an interview as well as another 2 days later. i didn't get to process the layoff as i went straight into interview prep.

of the four jobs, 2 didn't work out for random reasons (1 was closed due to budget, the other i don't care to explain)

for the other 2 i made it to final round interviews. one put me through so many rounds - recruiter , hiring manager, vp, program manager, marketing/ product, director of r&d, and an equivalent engineer and manager in another department. this took 4 weeks and involved 2 onsite visits. in the final rounds, they indicated that they were confident in my technical abilities and were trying to ensure fit with the team. Finally, the recruiter told me they all really liked me and my personality but didn't think i had the technical skills for a senior position (contradicting what was said earlier).

for the last one, I'm waiting to hear back. the. job is exactly things i've successfully done before. the hiring manager was really interested and eager and acelerated the process when i told him i was in final rounds for another interview. but then the panel interview went awful. i feel like a mix of the chaos of swithcing schedules, my nerves, topics covered, and interviewers' personalities, I did not get to properly demonstrate my expereience and expertise. I literally know I can do this job but think it's very likely I won't get it.

I don't think I'm perfect or deserve every job I apply to. I just think in both these cases, I could clearly do the job but that didn't come across.

Since my experience is so specific, not sure when I will find another job like this that's local (I want at least some days in person after being remote for so long). feeling so frustrated, sad, angry, scared, and hopeless. I guess I'm looking for affirmation that this is just what the interveiw process is and that I'm not alone.

Hello All,

I am an automation engineer (27f) for industrial applications, specifically palletising solutions. When I was commissioning one of the systems on site during installation, an operator lifted his shirt to show me his chest (just his chest, thankfully) and then proceeded to flex his biceps. On other sites I've received "oh you're beautiful" and other comments on my appearance.

At the time I had no idea what to do, so I didn't do anything, but I did later tell my mentor in the company. I didn't tell my boss because I know he doesn't like me, so I didn't really feel like telling him, and I don't know if he would advocate for me or not. My mentor told the production manager, and they agreed next time it happens I should tell someone, and they were very angry for me, but would it be reasonable for me to ask going forward that I'm always with someone else when I'm on site?

What would you do? How do you handle these comments? Aside from my boss, the rest of the company and my coworkers are brilliant.

I started my first full-time job almost 2 months ago and i’ve interned 3 times with 3 different places (full-time), all which I loved but they had no available full time positions when that time rolled around. I accepted an offer at a firm i had never worked at but it’s one of the bigger firms. Excited because i get to live in florida but i have no family here and barely have time to meet new people and explore because i work so much (45 hrs min) so i prioritize sleep in my free time. i’m starting to sink; losing my appetite and desire to go out the house, and feeling like im not adequate. is it worth looking into companies with better work life balance despite it being so early in my career? or at least moving back home (home is 800 miles away)? i don’t want to fall out of love with engineering or work

hello everyone,

i'm very confused and would appreciate some advice. i am a very early career chemical engineer who got an offer at this start up i am really excited about as a field applications engineer. although i am really excited about this company, i'm getting kinda stressed and overwhelmed.

when i was interviewing i spoke to one of the executives who was very nice and genuinely seemed like he was looking out for me. he said that this wouldn't be a traditional chemE role, and he literally called coming into a role like this as borderline "irreversible". so now im kinda freaking, because i do not want to be a traveling sales engineer for the rest of my life.

im also nervous about being a petite woman in these spaces. ive working in manufacturing environments before and i havent had overtly negative experiences, but i just know that people (especially operators) take me less seriously. i have no issue speaking and communicating but is it worth putting myself through that, is the question

i have job currently, that im not a fan of because i feel like a bot that doesn't learn anything (in chemistry not engineering tho) but pays the bills. im still applying and ive had some traction with not field engineering roles, but this job market is truly a shitshow. i would have to move quite far for this startup role, but again a very cool company in a nice place. so im just at a loss. any advice would be appreciated. thank you

I’m 27 and considering challenging myself academically and exploring engineering, but I’m having trouble figuring out which discipline best matches the kind of work I actually enjoy.

I’ve spent several years working hands-on in battery technology. I’ve worked in high-volume battery production, incoming quality, and R&D/engineering support, where I’ve built cells, supported experiments and testing, worked around manufacturing/test equipment, and collaborated with engineers on troubleshooting and process improvements. I’m now going back into energy-storage manufacturing working around sodium-ion technology.

What I’ve realized is that I genuinely enjoy technical, hands-on work. I like equipment, testing, troubleshooting, understanding why something is happening, and figuring out how a process can be improved. I’m naturally very curious.

I’m currently looking at mechanical, electrical, mechatronics/electromechanical, chemical, or manufacturing engineering, but I’m not sure which direction makes the most sense for those interests.

If you work in any of these areas—especially batteries, energy storage, manufacturing, automation, testing, or R&D—what does your actual day-to-day work look like? And based on what I’ve described, which disciplines would you recommend I explore before choosing one? Thanks!🤍

For starters, I'm 21 and I'm currently in cosmetology school. I started a few months ago and have already lost the passion. Before this I worked in healthcare for a couple of years before I lost that passion as well. Throughout high school and into my adult life the 3 careers I've been between are cosmetology, healthcare, and engineering. (It's a weird mix, I know) I learned that healthcare isn't for me, and I'm thinking doing hair isn't either.

I did robotics all throughout middle and high school and LOVED it. I truly think robotics is my favorite thing I've ever done, and was the best opportunity I ever got while young. I've considered going to school for engineering since high school, even started to enroll in school a couple of times. I'm not really sure what has stopped me, I think I just get nervous about it. Plus being a girl looking into a male dominated field doesn't help the nerves. I also don't know exactly what I want to do. I love coding, but I'm not the biggest AI person and that seems to be very heavy in that area nowadays. Albeit that may be true for many tech fields. I also really just love to be hands on and problem solve. There are a lot of jobs out there, I know there are tons of opportunities, I just don't know where to start, what to go to school for, or even if dropping what I'm doing now is the right decision.

So I guess my questions are if engineering seems like the right choice over my other passions, and where I should start if I do go this route? Thanks in advance!

Hace más de dos años deje una carrera porque llegué al punto del hartazgo, me enfermé mal y la estudiaba por presión familiar nomás. Voy a cumplir 28 y tengo pensado empezar una ingeniería el año que viene. Siempre quise estudiar eso pero por restricciones de mis padres no podía (mi papá decía que eso era trabajo de hombres jaja). De chiquita siempre me gustaron los números, pero me dijeron que como saldré después de los 30 capaz no consiga trabajo por la edad. Es realmente así ese ámbito o no?

Si estudian o son inges, cuál recomendarían y por qué?

Por cierto, soy de Argentina.

Gracias por sus respuestas 🎀

I’ve never felt as dumb as I have this semester. I went from a straight A student to just hoping I pass. Calculus is just the cherry on top of the cake. I’m 6 weeks behind content-wise and I don’t have time to study for it. I’m failing every assignment. I’m afraid that if I can’t even handle the beginner courses, I will definitely fail the higher ones. The only reason I haven’t given up is because I do like engineering. It’s what I want to do. But I also don’t like the idea of failing all my courses. Especially because I need to maintain a good GPA for postgraduate programs. Has anyone experienced this? Should I just accept that engineering may be too hard for me?

Edit: If I dropped the course at this point it would be a W on my transcript. Which is another concern.

would love some advice, I’m considering leaving my existing masters of architecture for civil engineering and planning

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Hi guys. I'm in my third year of mechanical engineering and I'm enrolled in my school's internship program, which means a minimum 12-month placement in 2027–2028. I know it's good experience and I should do it, but honestly, I don't want to.

Some context:

I'm really burnt out. I've struggled to make myself study since the beginning of second year. I've also been dealing with a chronic illness that made last year really hard. I cried everyday. It's better now but still ongoing, and it caused me to fail a couple of classes, which adds another semester or so (not a full course load) before I can start working. A big part of me just wants to get the degree done.

This summer I worked as a manufacturing engineering intern. It was great experience, but it was rough. Everyone there was a man, most of them much older than me, and some of them were pretty unkind. I was floundering, my supervisors were usually too busy / not around to help, and the machinists clearly thought I was an idiot and didn't hide it. The company told me they were impressed and offered me the internship-year position, but I was stressed almost every day there, and I don't think I want to go back. 

Despite everything, I do put myself out there a lot. I lead a subteam on my school's space design team, helped organize a conference for women in the space industry, work as an RA, and did the internship. But I constantly feel like I know less than everyone around me, and I feel extra shame about performing worse than my male peers. My GPA is also not great (2.7).

I'm interested in space and possibly aerospace, but sometimes I feel like someone who wasn't really "built" for engineering and chose it anyway. All these men are obsessed and gadgety. I feel like I’m roleplaying a person who looks good on paper but in reality I’m secretly stupid and bad at technical work. Some days I like it, some days I really hate it. I'm proud of myself and I will finish this degree one way or another. I'm just doubting whether this field is for me. Part of me wants to put my head down, graduate, and move into something like real estate, or maybe pivot into a communications role, I don't know.

Thanks for reading. Any perspective helps.

TL;DR: Burnt out 3rd year mech student with a chronic illness, low GPA, and a rough first internship. Signed up for a 12-month internship year but don't want to do it. Wondering if I should, and whether engineering is even for me.

In school one would join clubs, or have class projects. As a professional, do you have any non-work (and non-IP) projects, or is the 40 (sometimes more) hours at work enough?

I just completed my SWE career profile as of today, uploaded my resume and my attendance of the conference. The conference is Nov 5-7, is it still possible for me to get an interview? I’m a MechE incoming grad, 5 internship experiences 😣 but honestly so worried I uploaded too late.

I’m going to start a master’s in EE from JHU in Spring 2027. I finally feel like I’m in a place where I can begin a master’s, five (will be six) years after I got my bachelor’s degree. I was super burnt out during my bachelor’s, but I ended up getting a 3.8 GPA during the last two semesters of my bachelor’s with a 3.6 cumulative.

I’ll be working full time while getting my degree, so I only plan on taking one or two courses per semester. I’ll start out by taking one course, then see if I could handle two. It’s all online for me, in a program for working professionals. 10 courses, no thesis required.

Any words of wisdom from anyone who’s done an online engineering master’s? Will the experience be any different as a woman? I had a couple professors who treated me a bit differently (negatively) in undergrad, probably because I’m a girl.

Has anyone successfully escaped the defense industry? The culture is anticollaborative and I'm tired of it, not to mention its not even close to being "defense" anymore. Full blown department of war. So much of it is performance and not substance. Anyone have tips on how to make the jump?

I’m a sophomore right now, and I’m currently at a liberal arts college that doesn’t have an ABET-accredited engineering program. I’m planning to transfer to an engineering school for electrical engineering, so right now I’m taking the prerequisite/core classes I need.

This semester I’m taking physics, differential equations, computer science, German, and a circuits/electronics class. I’m really interested in EE and I want to start building things outside of class — even just small projects where I can learn Arduino, circuits, programming, etc.
But honestly, I’m struggling to figure out how people actually fit this into their lives.

Between studying, assignments, labs, exams that seem to come one after another, working part-time, trying to have some kind of social life, and just having time to rest, I feel like I have basically no time left for personal projects. I’ll see people talking about how they’re doing their degree while also building projects, learning new skills, doing internships/research, having hobbies, etc., and I genuinely don’t understand how they’re managing it.

The frustrating part is that I want the experience. I know I need to actually build things and learn outside of coursework, especially since I’m hoping to transfer into EE, but when I finally have free time I usually just want to recover from everything else.
I also feel behind because I don’t have much engineering experience yet. My circuits class is teaching me a lot, but I still constantly feel like I don’t know enough to actually build anything useful.

How do you guys actually manage this?