Way off topic: Career advice from engineers for my teenage son

Foghorn · November 2014

My son is a high school senior and I am trying to provide him good guidance as he applies to colleges. He is interested in engineering as a major and has done particularly well with robotics. As a middle-schooler he captained his team in a competition against 50+ high school teams and won the local match and went to the state high school championships. A few weeks ago his high school team competed against 30+ local teams and won again and he was the highest scorer from any school in the individual rounds.

However, based on good music genetics and environment from his mom's side of the family, he is also quite good at music such that he plays and composes classical guitar and also plays in a rock band.

He would love to figure out a way to make a living combining engineering/robotics and music. My brother-in-law (wife's brother) is a professor who teaches sound engineering but my son doesn't see himself as a teacher - he wants to be a doer.

Until recently he was leaning toward going to UT Austin for engineering with a good music scene, or Tulane for similar reasons. Then he got a letter from Johns Hopkins suggesting that he is their ideal candidate for a combined music/sound engineering 5 year program that they have jointly put together with their engineering school and their Peabody Conservatory (which I didn't realize was one of their schools within the university). Obviously, this intrigues him and he is going to apply/audition.

My question is:

Will a degree in "Sound Engineering" be viewed as a "real" engineering degree - or is that a soft degree and would that be limiting to him if he decides he wants to pursue "real" engineer work?

Given the natural progress of the music industry where more and more people are using relatively affordable software to mix/engineer music, he would like to keep his employment opportunites open and not be limited in his options.

I welcome any and all thoughts and thank you in advance.

fishlessman · November 2014

the median pay isnt that high compared to other engineering degrees according to this site.
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Audio_Engineer/Salary
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Audio_Engineer/Salary

im a mechanical and if i had to do it over it would be either a veterinarian or fireman. the firemen here on my lake have the biggest nicest most expensive houses and they have all the time to run side businesses

CarolinaCrazy · November 2014

Caveat: I am not an engineer. I have a business degree and work in the software industry. But I have a strong interest in live music and have worked as a sound engineer and produced many live music events.

A sound engineer is not a traditional engineer -ie. Civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical etc. It is absolutely a technical field, requiring good understanding of electronics, the physics of sound etc, but it does not require nearly the depth of math training that other engineering fields require.

Sound engineering is a really fun field. I have good friend who is a professional engineer for national touring acts you've probaly heard of. But it is also a very tough lifestyle - very competitive, requires a lot of relationship building to get ahead, and if you are a road engineer, makes it extremely hard to have a family. Studio engineers are a different breed and have to have incredible ear, and technical skill.

Getting a sound engineering degree will not set him up for other engineering professions.

The best way to get into sound engineering is through work experience. If it is somethign he thinks he wants to do, I'd suggest to him that he pursue a 'real' engineering degree, while working as much as he can in his free time, summers, etc. as a sound engineer. He will get great work experience. Eventually he will find a way to merge his passion and his career.

My 2 cents.

PS I have a daughter who is a HS Senior who is weighing a career in medicine (stability) vs. a career in Marine Biology (Passion).

theyolksonyou · November 2014

I have an engineering degree (textile engineering). It is very similar to mechanical, a lot of the same classes, training. However, the degree is limiting in its title. Looked at as a specialty. That being said, I have never held an engineering position and have spent my career in floor covering in mgt. if I had it to do again, I wouldn't get an engineering degree at all. I excelled at math and science, but I wish I had pursued a different field.

if he truly has a passion for music and happens to be good at math/science but not engineering maybe look a different direction with music.

I wish I had spent more time looking for my passion. It's not all about the cash.

BRush00 · November 2014

I'm not an engineer; but I'd just like to applaud your efforts to give your son strong advice!

As a NON-Engineer, but a 30 year old who's mildly regretting his career decisions: Make sure he keeps his passions a priority. Don't go into a career because of good money, job stability, or anything of the sort. I wish I had heard this line, and/or really understood it, prior to leaving high-school.

If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.

It sounds like the kid's got a good head on his shoulders; and has a knack for robotic engineering. So long as he's actually passionate about it too, I'd definitely steer him in THAT direction.

Sound Engineering seems like it could be a cool field too, however isn't exactly, "engineering". If he's leaning this way because "music" is a passion, he should consider it, but keep in mind that he doesn't NEED to be employed directly with his passion. Perhaps he manages to be a Robotic Engineer, who also plays in a rock-band on the weekends.

And in an ideal world; maybe he does his Robotic Engineering, and comes up with a way to make these dudes applicable for the next generation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEWiilxASZM

bigalsworth · November 2014

Tell him not to sweat the choice to much because the direction he feels is right now, may or may not feel right in a year. With these things you never can truly tell until you try. Go with his gut feeling and don't be afraid of change, changes in lifes path does not necessarily set you back, they build and help you grow into the person you are meant to be.

dldawes1 · November 2014

As above, I'm not an engineer, however, I made a career out of electrical work, industrial instrumentation, and chemical analysis. In the chemistry industry, an electrical/instrumentation background, laced with chemical engineering is a nice career.

I did return to school and got my Assoc in Business, Bachelor's in Human Services Management, and Masters in Psychology......yeah, to satisfy my passion of exploring the human mind....but it is surprising how much this helped with my chemical analysis knowledge !!!

FWIW,

Donnie

tarheelmatt · November 2014

@Foghorn, I am not technically a "real engineer". My degree is in Computer Engineering Technology, instead of a straight CE major. The CE/EE's course work requires more theory than hands on. I was more of a hands on kind of person.

I am surrounded by many people that are real engineers (ME's and EE's) though the area I work in, I doubt you will see any Sound Engineers. With my degree I am still treated just as the other "real engineers".

In my opinion, would he be considered a real engineer, I don't think so, but hey what does that matter. Sounds like the kid is bright and that is all that matters.

I feel if he's in the electro/mechanical type stuff one cannot go wrong with an EE major or possibly Areo/Space stuff. EE's tend to top the charts on most of the ones published and is very diverse too.

Hope that helps.

DieselkW · November 2014

As a former resident of Baltimore, I would not recommend that city as a place to live for a child that has not been too long out of central Texas. I've lived all over this world, Europe - Caribbean - 9 of these United States have issued a driver's license to me. Maryland is a fine state with a wondrous natural resource splitting it in half, but Baltimore is a pimple on that state's ass. (strong opinion, I know)

The campus is just OK, close to Mercy hospital and a cool section of town called Charles Village, but I recommend watching a season or two of "The Wire" before sending your child into that cesspool of a city.

There are better choices. There just have to be better choices.

Eggcelsior · November 2014

DieselkW said:

As a former resident of Baltimore, I would not recommend that city as a place to live for a child that has not been too long out of central Texas. I've lived all over this world, Europe - Caribbean - 9 of these United States have issued a driver's license to me. Maryland is a fine state with a wondrous natural resource splitting it in half, but Baltimore is a pimple on that state's ass. (strong opinion, I know)

The campus is just OK, close to Mercy hospital and a cool section of town called Charles Village, but I recommend watching a season or two of "The Wire" before sending your child into that cesspool of a city.

There are better choices. There just have to be better choices.

This generalization no longer applies. Baltimore has it's bad areas but it is not a "cesspool". I have worked here for 6 years, 2 being directly across the street from Hopkins' campus at Union Memorial. That area of Baltimore is perfectly safe for an urban campus. Be aware of your surroundings and keep your head out of your phone.

Now, if you were talking about the location of the hospital, that's a different story.

fence0407 · November 2014

I'm also not an engineer, but Mrs. Fence is an Industrial Engineer and I am a project manager for a major HR company, specifically in corporate recruiting.

The three major things recruiters look for, for someone coming out of school, is what degree you got and what school you got it from...and GPA of course.

My advice would be to not declare a major in the first year. Rather, pick a school with a great reputation that offers coursework that he'd be interested in. Look at the specific course requirements for the different degrees he might be interested in (all of this should be on their websites) and pick the school that fits the best.

Don't forget that college is an experience. Be sure to take into account location from home, atmosphere, extracurricular offerings etc.

If you can help him explore his options, he'll ultimately figure out what is most intriguing to him. Exciting time for you guys - best of luck and enjoy it!

fence0407 · November 2014

theyolksonyou said:

I have an engineering degree (textile engineering).

Where did you get your degree from?

Acn · November 2014

Eggcelsior said:

DieselkW said:

As a former resident of Baltimore, I would not recommend that city as a place to live for a child that has not been too long out of central Texas. I've lived all over this world, Europe - Caribbean - 9 of these United States have issued a driver's license to me. Maryland is a fine state with a wondrous natural resource splitting it in half, but Baltimore is a pimple on that state's ass. (strong opinion, I know)

The campus is just OK, close to Mercy hospital and a cool section of town called Charles Village, but I recommend watching a season or two of "The Wire" before sending your child into that cesspool of a city.

There are better choices. There just have to be better choices.

This generalization no longer applies. Baltimore has it's bad areas but it is not a "cesspool". I have worked here for 6 years, 2 being directly across the street from Hopkins' campus at Union Memorial. That area of Baltimore is perfectly safe for an urban campus. Be aware of your surroundings and keep your head out of your phone.

Now, if you were talking about the location of the hospital, that's a different story.

This.

Baltimore is no different than any other major city - there are areas that are perfectly fine and there are areas you absolutely don't want to walk around in after dark.

Sundown · November 2014

Oldest granddaughter graduated from Georgia Tech as a mech-e last may and just landed a cushy position with a European company with world wide plants. She has an employment package that made me choke! Really to involved to accurately describe here but, her base pay to start is $85,000!!

She interviewed with a number of places and, for whatever reason, they couldn't find a spot for her or she wasn't blown away by their offers. A very fortunate young lady!

She told me that nearly 75% of her graduating class is now employed, of course the degrees ran the gamut from mechanical/chemical/electrical engineers to some others that I've never heard of!

Acn · November 2014

One comment I'd make re your son's choice - my Master's program was relatively new, and my sub-specialty even moreso, so I had a bunch of freedom and input to design my program. If that is something you think your son would enjoy, then maybe that is a point in favor of JHU. If that isn't appealing, point for Texas or Tulane.

Eggcelsior · November 2014

Maybe Carnegie Mellon or Cornell as well.

Lit · November 2014

RF engineers are in pretty high demand with the whole cell phone revolution.

Zmokin · November 2014

I'm an Electronic Engineer with a Master's Degree.

And I like what I do.

But money can't buy you happiness. So,like others have said, it's best to do something you enjoy and are good at. You spend a large part of your waking adult life going to work. You don't want your work to be a dirty four letter word. If you find yourself waking up in the AM and dreading another day at work, you need to find a new job. Life is too short to spend it doing a job you despise. Happiness is far more rewarding than anything else in life.

Also, incorrect career choices can be redone. Many people change their careers during their lifetime.

Now, with all of that said. some jobs get outsourced, get sent off shore, etc. So, I think for good job security, the medical profession, cops, fireman, lawyers, chefs, and what have you are safe from those kinds of things.

SGH · November 2014

I'm no engineer at all. You could make the argument that I'm just a dumb redneck. However in the line of work that I do, submersible ROV'S are used extensively. If he likes robotics, this may be something for him to consider. ROV operators are not widely available and the demand for them is high and will continue to grow as oil companies keep pushing into ever deeper water. The pay is excellent if you work for one of the majors- Exxon,Chevron etc.... Just thought I would share.

TN_Egger · November 2014

I am not an engineer either (but I did once stay in a Holiday Inn Express). I too have a son in grade 12 looking at colleges (he's the last of 3!) We're going to do a College Tour over Spring Break and UNC is on his short list. He's a techy, math whiz and is thinking computer science or CE. @Tarheelmatt and @CarolinaCrazy, do you have any insight into the engineering programs at this school?

Jeremiah · November 2014

Lots of sound advice, but if I may, my father was a mech. Engineer. He was brilliant, and had many patents some fairly famous/common. But he always said he really wished he'd stayed a car mechanic and opened his own shop. I went as far as nearly completing a masters in history before I realized my passion was elsewhere, and unrelated to history. He (your son) should only pursue a degree in what he's interested in and shape his life around that. Hope it helps.

theyolksonyou · November 2014

fence0407 said:

theyolksonyou said:

I have an engineering degree (textile engineering).
Where did you get your degree from?

@fence0407 North Avenue Trade School

Georgia Tech

Ragtop99 · November 2014

My middle son is an engineering major at Michigan. Fence's advice is very good about selecting a solid school with options. The area of specialty often changes as the students are exposed to different disciplines. Additionally, many solid students end up switching majors, so having a good business and liberal arts program is a nice backup. A lot of finance and Econ majors start as engineering students. As a UT grad, I think UT offers a lot of good choices.

There is a good music scene on and off campus, plus he can take music electives.

tarheelmatt · November 2014

Zmokin said:

I'm an Electronic Engineer with a Master's Degree.

And I like what I do.

But money can't buy you happiness. So,like others have said, it's best to do something you enjoy and are good at. You spend a large part of your waking adult life going to work. You don't want your work to be a dirty four letter word. If you find yourself waking up in the AM and dreading another day at work, you need to find a new job. Life is too short to spend it doing a job you despise. Happiness is far more rewarding than anything else in life.

Also, incorrect career choices can be redone. Many people change their careers during their lifetime.

Now, with all of that said. some jobs get outsourced, get sent off shore, etc. So, I think for good job security, the medical profession, cops, fireman, lawyers, chefs, and what have you are safe from those kinds of things.

So true!

I wished I would have went on to culinary school or stayed with the restaurant I worked for through high school and college.

However, I wanted to go to work for this large corporation that offered me a job instead. The guy I worked for at the restaurant counted offered on large corporation and wanted to groom me for my own restaurant one day. I feel like I missed out on an opportunity, but on the other hand, I was tired of working 6 days a week at nights. I missed out on a lot of family events and such.

People tell me I am still young and could do those things, but not when you have a family, home, etc, plus well invested in my role with great benefits.

Little Steven · November 2014

A double Phd that I know did his doctorates at MIT. I mention this only because one of his professors was Dr. Bose. I wonder if MIT has a program.

Foghorn · November 2014

Thanks to all for your input.

Ultimately the choice will be his and we have explained to him that he may end up changing his mind several times during the college and even post-college days. I did. He seems to get it.

He's top 5% of his class and got over 1400 (traditional two subject score) on his SAT, but that's not going to get him in to MIT or Cornell. That's why he is particularly interested in an opportunity to leverage his music to get him into Johns Hopkins - although UT Austin probably does have the broadest opportunity options just by virtue of its sheer size.

Anyway, thanks for the thoughtful input. I knew I could count on the good folks here to be helpful.

Way off topic: Career advice from engineers for my teenage son

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