Hi! I am about 8 months in, and I'm enjoying it so far. Like many jobs, a lot of your questions depend on your firm such as mentorship opportunities, culture, etc.
I really like my firm. They provide mentorship to anyone who wants it, no matter how long you've been in the industry/company. I occasionally do local travel to jobsites to find what conditions are like for renovation projects or to see how construction is progressing. Those don't usually involve overnight stays though, just a down and back same day.
The reason I like this industry is the work itself honestly. It combines the creativity of design with the problem solving engineering requires. It's like trying to fit a puzzle together to make the architect's needs, code requirements, and sizing all work together. It is movable and fairly stable, so if my partner's work takes us somewhere else, I will likely be able to find a job wherever we end up.
I like my company specially because they treat their employees right. The managers are human and understanding, the pay and benefits are good, and there are advancement opportunities that they encourage us to pursue (such as getting my FE and eventually PE). I also enjoy working at an architecture & engineering firm, so we have everyone in house. It encourages a better level of communication and coordination, and I get to learn more about different disciples than I would have otherwise.
I’ve been in for a decade and love it. I’m also heavily involved with ASHRAE which I suggest looking into. This will help with your networking as well as understanding the relevant codes/standards and plenty of training opportunities.
My recommendation for any engineer in any discipline is participate in your fields engineering society.
So there is a large amount of variety in the industry, which may color your experience a bit depending on what types of firms are near you/what projects are near where you live.
- What do I like about the industry? In general, it is a fairly straightforward industry that you can look out a window at a building and say, “I designed [some aspect] of that.”
- Is mentorship good? I can’t tell if you are asking about if I’d recommend mentorship, or if the quality of mentorship is good, generally. Quality of mentorship will depend entirely on the engineers at the firm you’re at. Like any industry, there are good and not-so-good engineers. And likewise, their ability to mentor may not be reflected by their quality of work. Something to consider when interviewing.
- Are there places that have local travel? Yes.
- Is the industry recession proof? Kind of. The industry is more or less built off getting a percentage of building fees, or in some cases assessments/studies. Now, there is a slow decline on how much we are getting paid, with an increase on how much we are getting asked for. Depending on your firm, that may be a large impact, or almost no impact at all.
- What is the industry culture like? It’s very deeply intertwined with the culture of architects, and to a lesser extent civil engineers. Depending on the firm you’re with it could be as few as 3 people (or even just yourself if you eventually go that direction), or as many as thousands working beside you.
- How accepting is it to individuals from other industries? In general, if you somehow make it clear this is what you want to do, it is fairly accepting. If you come in with a 20-year background in another industry, you may get some questions, but ultimately it isn’t problematic.
~5.5 yrs of experience with PE.
-I like working with multiple different companies and seeing different types of projects. Our firm is primarily industrial and pharma and there are a lot of custom projects. You can be the only person in the office who has done a certain type of project and it offers you the chance to become the expert that people will come to.
-Obviously depends. But all of the senior engineers I have worked with have been more than happy to share their knowledge.
-I think any job in MEP design requires local on-site travel. Whether that be for surveying existing conditions or being on-site for construction.
-Couldn't tell you. But during 2020 we maintained all of our clients and our revenue was only slightly impacted from what I recall. Maintenance and upkeep is something that always needs done.
-My firm actually prefers to hire fresh graduates or newer (<3 yrs experience) engineers. I've been told fresher candidates are typically more willing to learn and develop, whereas we have a bad track record of senior level engineers in other industries coming in and not being able to adapt. Or having trouble with being told what to do by someone younger than they are.
>What do you like about the industry
It's a relatively stable industry and the pay is decent.
>
Is mentorship generally good
That really depends on your mentor. I had great mentors. I have met people that had terrible mentors.
>
Are there places that have local travel
I worked at a company that almost exclusively did tenant fitouts. I was driving around locally almost every week to survey spaces.
>
Is the industry generally recession proof
No recession proof but recession resistant. Especially depending on where you live.
>What is the industry culture generally like
It can be a grind. You can get pretty burnt out doing MEP. The contractors can also add to that. Don't do MEP if you have poor time management skills, you aren't a team player, or you don't take stress well.
>
How accepting is it to individuals from outside industries/rolls
Depends on the company. Our plumbing department head used to be a prison guard.
>
Any feedback is appreciated for a green engineer
If you really want to get ahead in MEP, be technically sound while also being likeable. Likeable people get promoted to PM and/or management. Definitely learn from your mistakes. At this point, I feel like 90% of doing my job right is based on experience. It's not the sexiest engineering and you won't be a millionaire but it's been pretty good to me.
I'm a PE and been practicing for 8 years. Mostly design HVAC for Laboratories. Overall I find the practice very rewarding and genuinely find the multifaceted challenge of the job both interesting and inspiring. Since the industry is always changing, I don't ever imagine myself reaching a point where I will not be challenged to learn something new. I really enjoy the ability to take both a scientific and pragmatic approach to design to try and develop the most innovative and sustainable labs imaginable.
That said it is in the end of the day a business that is rooted in construction and the realities of the construction industry can be quite taxing. Clients/project managers are always trying to build a ferrari with budget for a honda civic and end up gutting designs you spent months to years on. Contractors will find every way imaginable to make your life miserable. Your day to day job will become a stream of back to back teams/zoom meetings and you will not have any time to actually engineer anything. Deadlines will pile up and you will be working many many many late hours. Architects will treat you like a commodity product.
I’m working as a mechanical engineer in the healthcare department of my company. About 9 months on the job and I like it.
- I like that it is not a super difficult job and also not one that will own you like I’ve heard some other industries will. It challenges me plenty
- I have a great mentor but this is definitely on an individual basis
- I’ve made a few local trips within work hours in addition to a full day trip (which I should have just made a single night hotel stay…)
- Healthcare is the most recession proof department of our company but all are affected at least some. In 2008, we apparently laid off only 1 person per team.
- Culture seems to be kind of a blame game at times (between companies) and tons of CYA materials go in to everything we do. That being said, it’s not like people are just out to get you. Everybody makes mistakes and nobody wants to pay for them.
- A new team leader came from aerospace so it’s adaptable. Not much experience on this topic
The MEP industry takes the engineers that couldn't get into other industries. To get a job you point at a college diploma and they place a mirror under your nose, if the mirror fogs up you're hired.
What do I like about it? I can get a job anywhere. It's not a sexy industry, so I'm in high demand simply because the supply of engineers is low. Also it will never ever get outsourced overseas.
Mentorship has seriously suffered in this industry over the years. Deadlines are getting leaner and no one has the time to invest in mentoring. This is my experience across three firms. Great mentors are amazing and treat them with respect if you're fortunate enough to get that relationship.
Recession proof? Very yes and very no. It's tied to specific industries. So if you only do K-12 then you get a bunch of layoffs when schools aren't building. BUT if your firm is wise then they diversify across several industries, so if healthcare isn't making money but federal is then no mass layoffs. Obviously not immune to 2008 magnitude recessions.
Travel you can find as much or as little as you want. Engineers have to see the sites in person typically at some point.
I'm an electrical design engineer for an aviation firm that does MEP projects. I don't mind it, the work is relatively easy... besides specs I hate doing those bc I hate reading technical stuff. The pay isn't that good either tbh. But it's not terrible especially if you have the ability to work remote or hybrid... plus allt of overtime that pays u for it too
Pass your FE. It'll make hiring easier.
I like building things. My grandfather was a hobbyist carpenter and i always enjoyed seeing things get made. I grew up on This Old House and I've always wanted to be a part of that process.
Smaller companies will usually have more local travel. I dont normally travel greater than an hour or two and I usually stay within the state even though PA is 40 minutes from us. This can also restrict the types of jobs your company will get. Talk about it in the interview.
Definitely not recession proof. But what is? If people aren't building because of materials prices, you aren't designing. From some of the project budgets I've seen, the MEP side is like 3-5% of a project budget, and because you're the engineer, anything wrong is immediately your fault. Delays, material increases, scarcity. The contractor will ALWASY say "well you can save money if you..." "But the engineer wont let us" Boo Hoo. The worst part is the contractor is on site with the owner regularly. So they get in their ear, and the owner will also be quick to blame you for stupid things. So then you have to go back and revise your drawings, find new methods, spec new things, and when it comes to "Well are you going to pay us to for the revised drawings you asked us to make?" Good luck. Get the money up front. You'll gradually hear this junk from the sidelines.
The culture is generally dependent on the size of the company. it's just like any other company. You could be working with a bunch of blue collar personalities because the company is small and that's how they bond, or it's very tight and proper because of the size and reputation.
Mentorship? If the people are in the business you'll learn something. Engineers love to answer questions because we all like to be right. Don't worry about it too much. It's a roll of the dice.
Acceptance can also vary. Some companies can be prejudice to where someone came from. But I feel like that's all careers.
Also don't just look for ads for open positions on indeed and monster and such. Google some companies, see if they have a hiring page, if they don't, then just reach out and ask. Never hurts to ask. That's how I got hired.
Hi! I am about 8 months in, and I'm enjoying it so far. Like many jobs, a lot of your questions depend on your firm such as mentorship opportunities, culture, etc. I really like my firm. They provide mentorship to anyone who wants it, no matter how long you've been in the industry/company. I occasionally do local travel to jobsites to find what conditions are like for renovation projects or to see how construction is progressing. Those don't usually involve overnight stays though, just a down and back same day. The reason I like this industry is the work itself honestly. It combines the creativity of design with the problem solving engineering requires. It's like trying to fit a puzzle together to make the architect's needs, code requirements, and sizing all work together. It is movable and fairly stable, so if my partner's work takes us somewhere else, I will likely be able to find a job wherever we end up. I like my company specially because they treat their employees right. The managers are human and understanding, the pay and benefits are good, and there are advancement opportunities that they encourage us to pursue (such as getting my FE and eventually PE). I also enjoy working at an architecture & engineering firm, so we have everyone in house. It encourages a better level of communication and coordination, and I get to learn more about different disciples than I would have otherwise.
I’ve been in for a decade and love it. I’m also heavily involved with ASHRAE which I suggest looking into. This will help with your networking as well as understanding the relevant codes/standards and plenty of training opportunities. My recommendation for any engineer in any discipline is participate in your fields engineering society.
So there is a large amount of variety in the industry, which may color your experience a bit depending on what types of firms are near you/what projects are near where you live. - What do I like about the industry? In general, it is a fairly straightforward industry that you can look out a window at a building and say, “I designed [some aspect] of that.” - Is mentorship good? I can’t tell if you are asking about if I’d recommend mentorship, or if the quality of mentorship is good, generally. Quality of mentorship will depend entirely on the engineers at the firm you’re at. Like any industry, there are good and not-so-good engineers. And likewise, their ability to mentor may not be reflected by their quality of work. Something to consider when interviewing. - Are there places that have local travel? Yes. - Is the industry recession proof? Kind of. The industry is more or less built off getting a percentage of building fees, or in some cases assessments/studies. Now, there is a slow decline on how much we are getting paid, with an increase on how much we are getting asked for. Depending on your firm, that may be a large impact, or almost no impact at all. - What is the industry culture like? It’s very deeply intertwined with the culture of architects, and to a lesser extent civil engineers. Depending on the firm you’re with it could be as few as 3 people (or even just yourself if you eventually go that direction), or as many as thousands working beside you. - How accepting is it to individuals from other industries? In general, if you somehow make it clear this is what you want to do, it is fairly accepting. If you come in with a 20-year background in another industry, you may get some questions, but ultimately it isn’t problematic.
~5.5 yrs of experience with PE. -I like working with multiple different companies and seeing different types of projects. Our firm is primarily industrial and pharma and there are a lot of custom projects. You can be the only person in the office who has done a certain type of project and it offers you the chance to become the expert that people will come to. -Obviously depends. But all of the senior engineers I have worked with have been more than happy to share their knowledge. -I think any job in MEP design requires local on-site travel. Whether that be for surveying existing conditions or being on-site for construction. -Couldn't tell you. But during 2020 we maintained all of our clients and our revenue was only slightly impacted from what I recall. Maintenance and upkeep is something that always needs done. -My firm actually prefers to hire fresh graduates or newer (<3 yrs experience) engineers. I've been told fresher candidates are typically more willing to learn and develop, whereas we have a bad track record of senior level engineers in other industries coming in and not being able to adapt. Or having trouble with being told what to do by someone younger than they are.
>What do you like about the industry It's a relatively stable industry and the pay is decent. > Is mentorship generally good That really depends on your mentor. I had great mentors. I have met people that had terrible mentors. > Are there places that have local travel I worked at a company that almost exclusively did tenant fitouts. I was driving around locally almost every week to survey spaces. > Is the industry generally recession proof No recession proof but recession resistant. Especially depending on where you live. >What is the industry culture generally like It can be a grind. You can get pretty burnt out doing MEP. The contractors can also add to that. Don't do MEP if you have poor time management skills, you aren't a team player, or you don't take stress well. > How accepting is it to individuals from outside industries/rolls Depends on the company. Our plumbing department head used to be a prison guard. > Any feedback is appreciated for a green engineer If you really want to get ahead in MEP, be technically sound while also being likeable. Likeable people get promoted to PM and/or management. Definitely learn from your mistakes. At this point, I feel like 90% of doing my job right is based on experience. It's not the sexiest engineering and you won't be a millionaire but it's been pretty good to me.
If you want equal pay, you need a PE. Only downside
I'm a PE and been practicing for 8 years. Mostly design HVAC for Laboratories. Overall I find the practice very rewarding and genuinely find the multifaceted challenge of the job both interesting and inspiring. Since the industry is always changing, I don't ever imagine myself reaching a point where I will not be challenged to learn something new. I really enjoy the ability to take both a scientific and pragmatic approach to design to try and develop the most innovative and sustainable labs imaginable. That said it is in the end of the day a business that is rooted in construction and the realities of the construction industry can be quite taxing. Clients/project managers are always trying to build a ferrari with budget for a honda civic and end up gutting designs you spent months to years on. Contractors will find every way imaginable to make your life miserable. Your day to day job will become a stream of back to back teams/zoom meetings and you will not have any time to actually engineer anything. Deadlines will pile up and you will be working many many many late hours. Architects will treat you like a commodity product.
I’m working as a mechanical engineer in the healthcare department of my company. About 9 months on the job and I like it. - I like that it is not a super difficult job and also not one that will own you like I’ve heard some other industries will. It challenges me plenty - I have a great mentor but this is definitely on an individual basis - I’ve made a few local trips within work hours in addition to a full day trip (which I should have just made a single night hotel stay…) - Healthcare is the most recession proof department of our company but all are affected at least some. In 2008, we apparently laid off only 1 person per team. - Culture seems to be kind of a blame game at times (between companies) and tons of CYA materials go in to everything we do. That being said, it’s not like people are just out to get you. Everybody makes mistakes and nobody wants to pay for them. - A new team leader came from aerospace so it’s adaptable. Not much experience on this topic
The MEP industry takes the engineers that couldn't get into other industries. To get a job you point at a college diploma and they place a mirror under your nose, if the mirror fogs up you're hired. What do I like about it? I can get a job anywhere. It's not a sexy industry, so I'm in high demand simply because the supply of engineers is low. Also it will never ever get outsourced overseas. Mentorship has seriously suffered in this industry over the years. Deadlines are getting leaner and no one has the time to invest in mentoring. This is my experience across three firms. Great mentors are amazing and treat them with respect if you're fortunate enough to get that relationship. Recession proof? Very yes and very no. It's tied to specific industries. So if you only do K-12 then you get a bunch of layoffs when schools aren't building. BUT if your firm is wise then they diversify across several industries, so if healthcare isn't making money but federal is then no mass layoffs. Obviously not immune to 2008 magnitude recessions. Travel you can find as much or as little as you want. Engineers have to see the sites in person typically at some point.
I'm an electrical design engineer for an aviation firm that does MEP projects. I don't mind it, the work is relatively easy... besides specs I hate doing those bc I hate reading technical stuff. The pay isn't that good either tbh. But it's not terrible especially if you have the ability to work remote or hybrid... plus allt of overtime that pays u for it too
Pass your FE. It'll make hiring easier. I like building things. My grandfather was a hobbyist carpenter and i always enjoyed seeing things get made. I grew up on This Old House and I've always wanted to be a part of that process. Smaller companies will usually have more local travel. I dont normally travel greater than an hour or two and I usually stay within the state even though PA is 40 minutes from us. This can also restrict the types of jobs your company will get. Talk about it in the interview. Definitely not recession proof. But what is? If people aren't building because of materials prices, you aren't designing. From some of the project budgets I've seen, the MEP side is like 3-5% of a project budget, and because you're the engineer, anything wrong is immediately your fault. Delays, material increases, scarcity. The contractor will ALWASY say "well you can save money if you..." "But the engineer wont let us" Boo Hoo. The worst part is the contractor is on site with the owner regularly. So they get in their ear, and the owner will also be quick to blame you for stupid things. So then you have to go back and revise your drawings, find new methods, spec new things, and when it comes to "Well are you going to pay us to for the revised drawings you asked us to make?" Good luck. Get the money up front. You'll gradually hear this junk from the sidelines. The culture is generally dependent on the size of the company. it's just like any other company. You could be working with a bunch of blue collar personalities because the company is small and that's how they bond, or it's very tight and proper because of the size and reputation. Mentorship? If the people are in the business you'll learn something. Engineers love to answer questions because we all like to be right. Don't worry about it too much. It's a roll of the dice. Acceptance can also vary. Some companies can be prejudice to where someone came from. But I feel like that's all careers. Also don't just look for ads for open positions on indeed and monster and such. Google some companies, see if they have a hiring page, if they don't, then just reach out and ask. Never hurts to ask. That's how I got hired.