Hey all,

I am coming to the end of my "university experience" finally finishing with a BS and MS. It is looking like I will have two or three job offers, in vastly different fields, and areas....but pretty much doing what I want to do...and avoiding what I dont. Im an engineer so many of us end up in defense, I dont want to build bombs.

One is in Canoga Park, CA...I used to work nearby the plant...Family is down there...But I am fairly certain I would never be able to commute on my bike...recreational riding would involve driving out of the city...(big change from San Luis Obispo!!!)..

The other two are in Northern Cal...santa rosa, and santa clara...more bike accessable...might have more affordable housing (slightly!)...

ANyways, how important is riding to you? Would this rank high on your list of "must haves" when selecting a place to work? Im just kinda finding it hard to make a decision...

thanks for any input!

nK

I never figured out how to ride 2 hours a day, 7 days a week as a young engineer. Went to the gym M-F and rode on weekends. Anyone who tells you bicycling is a large factor vs. career path should own a bike shop.

I would be thinking about where you could find dateable women, Silicon Valley's numbers were against you in the old days. Could be better now?

You can find rides anywhere -- not necessarily good rides, but you can find rides. Canoga Park is a really easy jaunt up to Calabasas or Simi.

Regardless, focus on the job that makes you happy - particularly at this stage of your career. You'll make the cycling work.

You have to earn a living first to pay the bills and put food on your table. It would be ideal to combine cycling and career, but don't let cycling dictate your refusing a terrific job, one with a real future. I agree with magicant, you'll make it work if you want. Just ask bigbill in HI how far he rides from home to the naval base...
Cheers, Wayne

For what it's worth I took a job which moved me away from many miles of cycling right outside me door. Within 10 years I packed on a bunch of weight and was miserable.We moved about 25 miles away from that house. I started riding again, lost the weight, family life is much better. I still have the same job. It's a longer drive to work, I do commute on the bike during summer. My evaluations at work are back on top too. I tell my mgmt right upfront it's the cycling and right now I have a balance between work & cycling which has led to me being more efective in everything I do.

Long story short I've rode a bicycle my whole life and I learned within those 10 years I need to do it. All the other components in my life work better.

Im an engineer so many of us end up in defense, I dont want to build bombs.
nK

Well someone has to................

My 2 pences worth: Choose career first and then cycle (metophorically) around it. Choosing career based on cycling is not thinking ahead properly.

Since you say each job pretty much provides you with what you want professionally, that frees you up to use other factors (like cycling) in your decision. I am at a time in my life (mid-40s experienced professional) where other factors besides the job assume a very high priority. In some ways, a job is a job is job as long as it pays the bills and isn't horribly painful to do every day. Other factors like weather, access to recreation, schools, housing, lack of terrible traffic, and good cycling play a larger role. I agree with "saddle tramp".....if I couldn't cycle easily and regularly, I would be miserable and my overall job performance would suffer. My wife understands that and if it became an issue, I would make sure my employer understands that as well.

Too often, we place job factors too high in our decision matrix. Work has its place, but don't elevate it above all else. Even at your young age, you shouldn't toss away access to cycling if cycling is important to you. If you balance your life, you'll be much happier overall.

I share similar issues, although it is about balanced family and biking--- or rather family and health (as they "should" go together). When we puchased a house, we chose an area where I could easily bike and take public transportation (or drive). Why are you so sure you could never commute by bike. I work in a technology park where we have showers, and probably 10% of the workforce bikes to work.


Hey all,

I am coming to the end of my "university experience" finally finishing with a BS and MS. It is looking like I will have two or three job offers, in vastly different fields, and areas....but pretty much doing what I want to do...and avoiding what I dont. Im an engineer so many of us end up in defense, I dont want to build bombs.

One is in Canoga Park, CA...I used to work nearby the plant...Family is down there...But I am fairly certain I would never be able to commute on my bike...recreational riding would involve driving out of the city...(big change from San Luis Obispo!!!)..

The other two are in Northern Cal...santa rosa, and santa clara...more bike accessable...might have more affordable housing (slightly!)...

ANyways, how important is riding to you? Would this rank high on your list of "must haves" when selecting a place to work? Im just kinda finding it hard to make a decision...

thanks for any input!

nK

I would never live anyplace where I did not have some kind of cycling opportunity right outside my door. I think you will quickly find that there are not enough hours in the day. Life is too short to have to spend time in a car in order to go riding.

First off, congrats on getting an M.S. in one of the more difficult fields out there.

Secondly, ask youself if you work to live or live to work?

I went to school years at Va Tech, big engineering school, and though I did not major in engineering, I knew plenty of engineers who had their pick of good job offers when they finished. Sounds like you've got the same situation. If you pick a job/location that isn't doing it for you for whatever reason, you can always find another in a couple of years-- experienced hires are always in demand.

Since I assume you're in your early/mid twenties, and you've probably studied your butt off the past few years, take something that gives you the work/life balance you want and time to enjoy what you've worked for. You'll blink twice and find yourself 35 with a wife, kids, and a mortgage....

Thanks for the replies so far...

The job down in canoga park is with Rockedyne, working on the main engines for the space shuttles replacement...really cool work...and its not that they dont support alternative transport, but the thoughts of riding in LA traffic kinda freak me out.

The other two are with biomedical companies, working in R&D for vascular devices. I have yet to visit the facilities but the areas look more sparsely populated, so I would think less traffic insanity.

Another opportunity may present itself soon with a small company out in Mojave...they do a thing or two with composite aircraft (spacecraft now...)

Its not that I want to find time to ride...but commuting has become great stress relief, I feel much better during the day, as well as when I get home after riding in/out. I duno, I think I am answering my own question, but its nice to hear other peoples opinions..

Anyways, thanks for the input, and id appreciate any other opinions!

nK

Speaking as an engineer in the medical device industry there's certainly nothing wrong with the biomed field. Santa Clara, CA offers a lot of road and mountain biking opportunities and you certainly wouldn't be the only bike commuter in the area. "Housing" and "affordability" aren't two words that usually appear in the same sentence though...

step #1
Pick the job where you can have access to good roads for riding.
step #2
Pick the job that allows you "flex time". (so you can leave early to ride)
step #3
If none of the non-bomb building jobs offer you the above, and the bomb building job does, build real good bombs.

Working on engines for the space shuttle may lead to a layoff sooner than later compared to the biomed field. I've been laid off several times and that more than anything else in my life has cut into ride time. Starting over delays retirement, promotions, pay, benefits and increases stress. Think past 10 years if able.

I'm in the aviation biz, so I'm a wee bit nervous about the industry...I think this advise can be applied to most fields, however. Congrats and good luck!

Hey all,

I am coming to the end of my "university experience" finally finishing with a BS and MS. It is looking like I will have two or three job offers, in vastly different fields, and areas....but pretty much doing what I want to do...and avoiding what I dont. Im an engineer so many of us end up in defense, I dont want to build bombs.

One is in Canoga Park, CA...I used to work nearby the plant...Family is down there...But I am fairly certain I would never be able to commute on my bike...recreational riding would involve driving out of the city...(big change from San Luis Obispo!!!)..

The other two are in Northern Cal...santa rosa, and santa clara...more bike accessable...might have more affordable housing (slightly!)...

ANyways, how important is riding to you? Would this rank high on your list of "must haves" when selecting a place to work? Im just kinda finding it hard to make a decision...

thanks for any input!

nK

This is a question that really, you should answer for yourself.

This is a question that really, you should answer for yourself.

Obviously, however Im not looking for answers. Im looking for opinions from those who are older, wiser, have more miles under their wheels, and know things that I dont. I dont think that modeling my career path with FEA will help...

nK

Obviously, however Im not looking for answers. Im looking for opinions from those who are older, wiser, have more miles under their wheels, and know things that I dont. I dont think that modeling my career path with FEA will help...

nK

Finite element analysis probably won't help. But, I think it all comes down to what you are willing to give up, for what you get, and how much you value what you get in return, only you can know that, e.g. give up $$$ to live somewhere that is a cycling haven, or job security to work on something really cool, or whatever.

I've heard that biomed is pretty solid.

Obviously, however Im not looking for answers. Im looking for opinions from those who are older, wiser, have more miles under their wheels, and know things that I dont. I dont think that modeling my career path with FEA will help...

nKObviously a lot of different lines of thought amongst the group. For me, I can't imagine any environment that would keep me from cycling (well, okay, I can imagine some - but I'm not likely to get a job in the middle of a pool of molten lava). So, I'd choose the job I wanted first and figure the rest out from there.

I've been in and around silicon valley for 20 years. It has its plusses and minuses. Plusses: Lots of companies, so lots of jobs. If your job turns out to suck, you can go down the street and work for someone else and not have to move house. There's a strong cycling community, lots of clubs, and a lot of places to ride and race. The corporate culture tends to allow flex time and recognize that people need exercise. I haven't worked anywhere that had strict hours, even IBM. There's a lot of women. There's good music clubs in SF and ok ones closer.

Minuses: there's a whole lot of people here. I've lived in a lot of rural or small towns and sometimes the sheer number of people gets to me. It's really expensive to live here. Housing prices have just gone flat after a big runup, but rents are going up quite a bit. You'll probably get a higher salary to compensate, but you'll also probably have to live in apartments for 10 years before you get married and buy a house. The corporate culture has picked up some of the flavor of startups in that some companies or managers think it's acceptable to work their employees like dogs. You have to watch out for places where they'll pressure you to work 60 hour weeks and mandatory saturdays so some exec can make his bonus.

It should be possible to find a place to live around santa clara where you can both commute to work and be able to get out of town into the hills for longer rides without having to drive.

Is there work around SLO? It's a really nice place. What kind of engineering do you do?

Yeha I would totally find a place that suit your riding. I mean, if its an important part of your lifestyle then I certainly would. if you were into mountain climbing then you probably would be close to some climbs right? I wouldn't base my carreer path on it, I would probably let salary, cost of living and coffee dictate were I would go, i would also consider the type of tail and partying are int he area because if you are single and trap yourself in some cowtown you will end your life. THe great thing about cycling is you can do it anywhere with a road ( smooth helps ). and if you think you are too far out of a town to enjoy a different scenery or whatever , ride the 40- 50 miles into town. more miles the better.

I will say this tho. I went to school in SLO and there is plenty of amazing riding in that area and planty of ASS!! i Never partied harder and just .. well.... wow... the girls of SLO are amazing.. and the riding is cool too.. I love that place. love it!!!!!!!

It should be possible to find a place to live around santa clara where you can both commute to work and be able to get out of town into the hills for longer rides without having to drive.

Is there work around SLO? It's a really nice place. What kind of engineering do you do?


Thanks for the info! The job in Santa Clara is probably 3rd on the list. I went to the interview in an old polo shirt and my cleats...didnt expect anything form it, but made it to the second round of interviews, and hopefully will be hearing back this week. I am from the San Fernando valley, so I know what "alot" of people is like, and after my ride today, down to pismo beach and back, I dont think I can go back...unless the job is wicked cool, compared to the others...

I wished there was decent work around SLO. It is perhaps one of the nicest areas for a university, and many students end up staying. What jobs there are, dont pay much...especially for the area...much less than Id make in LA, and its more expensive here!

I did my undergraduate work in Mechanical Engineering, and am finishing up my graduate work in general engineering, concentrating in material science...basically a welding metallurgy nerd...

Now, what I was thinking as a sweet job, would be working for a bicycle manufacturer...get to put my welding/heat treating experience together with my composites background...Im still thinking of sending a resume through a friend to Specialized...

nK

I will say this tho. I went to school in SLO and there is plenty of amazing riding in that area and planty of ASS!! i Never partied harder and just .. well.... wow... the girls of SLO are amazing.. and the riding is cool too.. I love that place. love it!!!!!!!

Agreed...

nK

I have to say, I think we place too much of an importance on quality of salary and not enough on quality of life. I live in Vermont where the job market is bad, opportunities are small, but the mountains are tall, and the people are friendly. I have personally chosen to stay in Vermont because I love the way of life here and my primary concern is to be able to stay in the area versus having the dream job. I work to live, not the other way around. That said, I like to make enough money to eat and race on occasion.

As someone who grew up in Canoga Park (in the section now called West Hills) from 1966 to 1987, and who still goes back there to visit a couple of times a year, I can tell you with authority that you have access to plenty of good cycling without doing any driving. I might drive to go mountain biking at Malibu Creek or Rocky Peak, but not to go road riding.

I now live in San Jose, but I used to live in Santa Clara (1994-95), and I'd say that it's 10x more difficult to ride anywhere from Santa Clara than it is Canoga Park.

Finite element analysis probably won't help.
I've heard that biomed is pretty solid.

I'm an engineer who works for a missle builder. . And I send my FEA cases out to India like everyone else!:)

I have to say, I think we place too much of an importance on quality of salary and not enough on quality of life. I live in Vermont where the job market is bad, opportunities are small, but the mountains are tall, and the people are friendly. I have personally chosen to stay in Vermont because I love the way of life here and my primary concern is to be able to stay in the area versus having the dream job. I work to live, not the other way around. That said, I like to make enough money to eat and race on occasion.Totally agree -- but I think if you're dedicated to cycling, you can find places to cycle most places you live (especially if your choices are all in warm climates).

I'm not going to be able to offer you advice on tech or engineering jobs in Central California. I live in Alabama, and it sucks. But it's better than Los Angeles.

I lived in Charlotte, NC for a while as well. Nice cycling community. The cycling community here in Birmingham is alive and well, and seems to be getting larger. A lot of people very interested in mountain biking, with the very large and in-charge Oak Mountain State Park, and all the racing that goes on there.

More into the road myself these days. I guess I've been that way since around 2001, and to your point, I have worked at many different places. I let it be known early on at my employers that cycling is a priority. Sadly, there are very few people in my profession, Accounting, that share that passion.

So I stopped accounting.

Now I work for a financial services business, and I plan on using the previous clientele I had to help me build a business. I want cycling to be more of my every day life, as it was in the past, but right now I'm trying to build business and recover from a mild bout of bronchitis. Plus, it's been downright cold here the past few days, for me at least, in the 55 degree range. I know, I know.....but it's Alabama, and we aren't used to it. 55 in October in Birmingham is just as cold as 20 in Minneapolis in September. Someone needs to build a "real feel" chart that shows the equivalent comfort temps for different world cities. I am sure that 55 in Baghdad would be quite crisp....

In short, there are just going to be times when cycling takes a back seat. You want to put on a good face for the new employer. It's important to hit the right marks early on. But cycling still has to be there in order to balance life out. expect a tad bit of weight gain, especially in the winter months, as you'll likely be living behind a desk, like I do.

You make the best of it......And ride like a demon when you can.

Since you say each job pretty much provides you with what you want professionally, that frees you up to use other factors (like cycling) in your decision. I am at a time in my life (mid-40s experienced professional) where other factors besides the job assume a very high priority. In some ways, a job is a job is job as long as it pays the bills and isn't horribly painful to do every day. Other factors like weather, access to recreation, schools, housing, lack of terrible traffic, and good cycling play a larger role. I agree with "saddle tramp".....if I couldn't cycle easily and regularly, I would be miserable and my overall job performance would suffer. My wife understands that and if it became an issue, I would make sure my employer understands that as well.

Too often, we place job factors too high in our decision matrix. Work has its place, but don't elevate it above all else. Even at your young age, you shouldn't toss away access to cycling if cycling is important to you. If you balance your life, you'll be much happier overall.
And his "Priority" would be easier, had it not been his "commitment" via the marriage contract. (esp) For a cyclist --- life is great as a single!!!

Do you choose a career or a lifestyle?

It seems many people choose a career and embed themselves in incredibly long work weeks. After 10-15 years, they wake up and find themselves unhappy with life, but have financial (or other) responsibilities that require them to continue in the same drudgery. And that's why there is the mid-life crisis.

I personally feel that a lifestyle is far more important. If you lead a balanced life and are happy outside of work, you'll probably get more accomplished at work and get along with people better. And that, I think, may be far more beneficial to a career in the long run. And it helps prevent burn-out and stress that can easily accumulate if all of your eggs are in one basket. (From personal experience, I think that the people who tend to be most organized and are most efficient are those who have non-work hobbies and activities. They are far more motivated to accomplish things quickly. For those who only have work, that is also their social time - and they are more than happy to drag everyone else into the morass :)

With competent skills and an engineering background, the market is in pretty good shape right now. After living in the LA area for quite a few years doing graduate work and then moving to the Bay area, I think I prefer it down south. Either way, you'll find both good places to ride and good people to ride with.

If one of the jobs really excites you, then take it. If it goes away in two years, find something else and consider it a learning experience - but don't dwell on it too much. With the present business environment, you simply won't be working for the same company 30 years from now. Also, the chances are you will learn a tremendous amount about what you are looking for in a job in the first several years of non-school employment. Other than academic positions, I know of very few people who stayed with their first position (or company) post-graduation for more than 2-3 years.

Just remember to update your resume every few months and think about what skills and accomplishments make you marketable (sorry for the corporate speak).

Soon to be UCSD ME grad here. Biomed industry looks to be the surest bet for future stability, especially when compared to AE. Have had offers from Raytheon/N.Grumman to work on defense projects but will likely pass since its not my cup of tea to build instruments of death. Commercial aerospace looks to be iffy if you're just jumping in now. Airbus & Boeing are gearing up for manufacture/production side of their already designed/engineered 350/380 & 787, respectively.

Have you considered San Diego? Has some of the best cycling in the US and the Research-Golden Triangle is jam packed with some great biotech companies. UCSD is currently #2 in the US behind MIT in Bioengineering and know a good deal of university-company joint projects are in motion. It's really happening here for ME's, especially materials/biomechanics.

Plus hot ass honey's all about the place and not "that" many people. 2hrs driving distance from your family near Canoga. Living costs are high, but not SV high.

With that said, being a Northeast coasting guy, I'm heading back for jobs in the northern Boston/S.NH area.

i vote for finding a place you want to live, then finding a job second. Work is well work. There is more to life than that. Find a place where you can have fun doing whatever you like doing. If work is fun, well live in some crowded city somewhere. Depends on what is important to you. To me work is just there as a way to earn enough to allow me to have fun afterwards and on weekends. As long as i earn enough to do that it's all that matters.

Hey all,

I am coming to the end of my "university experience" finally finishing with a BS and MS. It is looking like I will have two or three job offers, in vastly different fields, and areas....but pretty much doing what I want to do...and avoiding what I dont. Im an engineer so many of us end up in defense, I dont want to build bombs.

One is in Canoga Park, CA...I used to work nearby the plant...Family is down there...But I am fairly certain I would never be able to commute on my bike...recreational riding would involve driving out of the city...(big change from San Luis Obispo!!!)..

The other two are in Northern Cal...santa rosa, and santa clara...more bike accessable...might have more affordable housing (slightly!)...

ANyways, how important is riding to you? Would this rank high on your list of "must haves" when selecting a place to work? Im just kinda finding it hard to make a decision...

thanks for any input!

nK



It's really not a hard decision. I would rather enjoy Monday to Friday and have weekends as a bonus than absolutely despise going to a job I hate just because it allows me to enjoy my cycling. I love cycling as much as anyone and I would love to commute daily to work on my bike but the traffic is horendous so I ride both days on the weekend, on my trainer and once during the week in an early morning group ride where there is safety in numbers. Yes cycling is important and if I don't get my fix I'm a real grumpy bastard however your job/career is what puts food on the table and allows you to buy nice expensive toys.

Hey NK
Go for Santa Rosa! I lived in the area from 86 to 93 and it’s where I picked up the passion for cycling. There are more roads there then I have seen anywhere I have lived the riding is killer! I miss it to this day.
It’s pretty busy now from when I left but the riding is the same.
You have flat or hills rolling or long climbs going east to Napa, north to Cloverdale, and west to the coast.
And the weather is very nice, not as nice as SoCal but grate for riding.
My 2 cents.
Dan…

You can work in Canoga Park and live in Simi or Santa Clarita Valleys, which are both good for road and mountain biking, and better places to live in general. Biking in the SFV is .. well i don't like it. Not enough dedicated paths, too many bad drivers.

The only 'downside' to west LA area is that almost every ride has a tough climb :-p

I commute from Santa Clarita (where i can ride from my front door up to 30 some miles hardly coming across a car or doing circuits) to Calabasas 5 days a week. I work 1/2 mile from an entrance to a state park with access to a major backbone trail for mountain biking.

From what I've seen from the inside of the engineering industry - I'd go with the biomed route with the commercial aircraft route second. The shuttle engines would a sweet job, but being government funded usually means fairly unstable too. If you think you'll be happy with either job, and you can find a place to live that you'll be happy with at all of the above - then I'd go with the more cycling friendly one.
I was one of those that got the job and burried my head in it to "get ahead" - only to find myself 3 years later with a gut, out of shape, not really liking what I did, and laid off due to my job going over seas. I was lucky and landed a new job that I can commute to most of the year (16.7 miles on the bike) and there is a group that rides at lunch. Hooking up with that group and getting re-addicted to cycling has done wonders for me - I've been dropping the gut, job performance has gone way up, I look forward to going to work (sometimes only for the ride, but hey), and my stress levels are much lower.

I learned the hard way that personal quality of life and family are vastly more important than any job.

No one needs to make bombs. I appreciate your attitude.

As someone who has made the hard choices, lifestyle is definitely more important to happiness than the money. So long as you can meet your needs, the wants take care of themselves.

Ice Man

I basically screwed around til I was in my early 30s, got a ton of riding and racing in. I don't regret it. I'm making plenty of money now that I'm in my late 30s (and ride to work--on the bike 6 hours a week). I never liked riding on weekends (unless it was racing). Anyway, I'd go with location. Good luck.

Don't pick you 1st job based on what you think is the long term health of a specific industry. I made that mistake 12 years ago, and got to go back to school for another year, while trying to land another job. Ended up working for a competitor of the company I should have taken the position with. If you like rockets, there will always be a job for a metallurgist. As soon as you have a few years, or even months under your belt, the world opens up. I have found that what is important to me is always changing, and you jsut adapt as necessary. I finally found a job in a city I wanted to live in, in an industry that excites me, and lets me ride to work a couple of time a week. Sure I could make more money, but I don't want to go back to automotive and I don't want to go to Houston. It all works out, just takes some balance. Wives and kids make the balancing act more difficlt, but worth it, IMO.

Sledge.

PS if you have a stong materials and heat treat background you can go anywhere and do anything.

Well...It looks as if ill be taking a position at Pratt&Whitney Rocketdyne. I took a tour of the facility, and Ill have to admit...having my hands on a space shuttle main engine was pretty rad. The facility is pretty nice, but going to be moved in a few years when the shuttle program ends. It seems as if three project leads will be passing work towards me...because of the metallurgy/manufacturing background...so it looks like ill be busy!

Its kinda nice, they have a satellite health facility a few miles from the buildings....maybe a 10-13 mile ride from my house to there, than another mile or two to work...should work out well!

anyone know of any good spots for riding in LA? And want to try to dissuade me from commuting across the San Fernando Valley? haha

Thanks for the input all, it definatly did help clear my head!

nK

When I moved from San Diego to LA 7 years ago, I thought it would be the end of my riding-based mostly on my impression of LA in terms of its reputation. I was surprised that there's actually much better riding in LA than San Diego. The Santa Monica Mountains are fantastic. I think I know where you'll be-Canoga and Victory? If so, you could live a few miles west, Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks etc and have good riding from there. I don't know about commuting via bike through SFV-I personally wouldn't do it, but you could probably find routes that are OK (even Victory west of Topanga becomes OK). There's shops in Agoura Hills (such as Sundance cycles that have group rides, also check out their website-has a list of different roads/rides/

Don't forget there's the Encino Velodrome that's not too far away-means you can get quality miles in at night after work...

If you find a place to live in Topanga Canyon or Calabasas, which are truly not that far from the Rocketdyne Facility (assuming you actually work at the plant), you'll be right next to some excellent riding. Also, go to the San Fernando Valley Bicycle Club website. At the bottom of the page is a list of their Saturday and Sunday rides. The routes change every weekend. Some are boring as heck dashes through the Valley, but others take you on some pretty good journeys. Hitch along.

Well, I couldn't read every post here but I have a different take on the whole deal.

Work is secondary (for me). Secondary to having a life..You can always find work when you need money. But so many are afraid to take the time to live because they are afraid of losing the Job.. People have it reversed..They work and do recreational activities in their spare time..I work when I need money and have the time to work..I'm afraid I will miss some great memorable fun experience because..."I had to work, missed it"..

So many work work work their lives away, waiting till the magic day when they "have enough" to do what they've always dreamed of..whatever that may be..But guess what? Sometimes (often) that never happens. They get sick or someone they love does and with our great health care system, their whole life's savings are gone in a few months..Or they want to learn a sport or sail round the world, but by the time they think they can afford it, they are old to do what they put off.

After a recent close call with my own death, and seeing my father pass away just a few years into his retirement after he busted his a$$ working two jobs for 50 years and never spending a cent on fun stuff..After seeing my parents "enjoy" few years in a 'retirment community' enjoying the "Golden Years" and the fruits of having had "great" careers...I decided to try to "eat desert first"..

If you have a good trade like an engineer, you can do that almost anywhere .Find somewhere you really like, then look for a job. If you can't be an engineer,,shoot, learn a new trade, build boats, be a ski instructor, dig ditches even..but have your fun, because Life is uncertain and you never can count on being able to do something later that you've put off to go daily to some crappy career job.

.Ok, not every career can be described like that... but the thought of going in to the same-o same-o little cubical day in and day out till I die....holds little appeal for me.

.Especially after an incident when I was being so good, obeying all the rules, heading back to work for a Monday after a week off racing in Nevada and along comes some Cluck Cluck to try to kill me. Hits me from behind while I am stopped at a flag person out in the bright sun on a dead straight road..9am ...I wake up about a month later with real problems and spend a few year recovering..thinking...If I get better, I am going to do exactly what I want, because this could happen again..

Ok, now back to the American work ethic posts..and I will take all the hits,the flames this kinda commie liberal post will surely bring..I have my flame retardant driving suit out in my crappy old Porsche 928 race car that I got by pounding nails, etc.. in various states and countries, when I could fit work into my program of having as much fun as I can.

Don Hanson

Don,

Thanks alot for that! The truth of the matter is. Ya, i need to work for the money (And to pay off student loans). But I do enjoy what I do, very much. Ive taken alot from my current boss as Cal Poly, He has been through alot of different jobs, from working in a surf shop shaping boards, to owning his own solar business, to where he is now (works in the ME dept).

Anyways, he has gotten me hooked on what is going to turn out to be my second job...building streamliners (fully fared recumbent bikes). I would like to build a bike to challenge the human powered speed record (currently 81 mph).

I do really appreciate your input, and after taking the record...i have my next job picked out....owning a bar in Mammoth, CA...

These are my plans. Plans can change. My goals in life, to be happy, to make others happy, etc., do not change, and are less specific...always reach your goals

Nick

Hey Nick,
Good luck with the job, it sounds exciting. Any idea what will happen in three years when production moves? Don't worry about cycling, from what others have written, it sounds like there is no shortage of riding in your area of LA.
Cheers, Wayne

Hey Nick,
Good luck with the job, it sounds exciting. Any idea what will happen in three years when production moves? Don't worry about cycling, from what others have written, it sounds like there is no shortage of riding in your area of LA.
Cheers, Wayne

Heres the interesting part...WHen shuttle missions end, (they are building the last engine in 2007), this facility will be closed and sold (land is worth too much). Since ill be working on the shuttles replacement, I shouldnt be at a loss for work anytime soon. BUT....since the shuttle is being canned...a HUGE number of employees are set to retire in the next 3-4 years. This also has to do with some of the benifits packages carried over from boeing (but not taken by pratt). In the department Im working in, probably half will retire in the next 3-4 years, and then another 25% in the next 10....So im thinking vertical/horizontal moves will not be hard to come by!

nk

Nick,
I'm really not up to date on what NASA's plans are, but what will replace the shuttle? Do you have visions of a particular type of employment is say the next 5-10 years?
Wayne

Nick,
I'm really not up to date on what NASA's plans are, but what will replace the shuttle? Do you have visions of a particular type of employment is say the next 5-10 years?
Wayne

The shuttle will be retired in 2010. Its replacement will launch in 2012? I believe. Anyways the basis of the aries crew launch vehicle (CLV) and the heavy lift vehicle (name?) will be to use proven technology to support a moon/mars mission.

So basically the CLV will take one Solid Rocket Booser from the shuttle, and put a second stage liquid fueld engine (J2X - Apollo LOX/LH2 motor). The heavy lift vehicle will use two SRB;s and a first stage of 5? Delta 4 engines. Again, proven tech.

After that...the actual trips to the moon/mars will require numerious engines to be manufactured (apollo had dozens of different engines, thrusters, etc), so I think this may be a place to stick around for a while? Who knows...never know where ill be in 10 years?

nk

Great post by Gnarly.

I might add though, in thinking about those things myself, some people are just wired differently and need the structure of a 9-5, M-Fri type thing. Of course, I can't see why, but it seems like some people enjoy it...or at least have gone so far in that direction that they don't know any better.

The suggestion I might have for the OP is to try and negotiate extra vacation time and/or the flexibility to have more time off (even unpaid) or a flex work schedule...maybe 4x10's, or working 5:30 to 1:30 so you have time to ride in the daylight. You can emphasize that you are committed to your job, but that you want to maintain a better work/life balance so you're "more productive" he he. Never hurts to ask...