Re: virus: Religion {Work Rant}

Eric Boyd (6ceb3@qlink.queensu.ca)
Fri, 30 May 1997 11:28:16 -0500

Wright, James 7929 wrote:
> If your real experience with Engineering is exactly like Dilbert, find
> another company, and fast. Co-ops rarely get direct involvement with
> complete project work because the Co-op programs are never long enough -
> even a full year is insufficient. For example, one of my current projects
> is now three years in the running, and only about four people in the
> department (NOT including me) have been in the department that long. I
> have had to read all the files and interrogate the available veterans to
> determine what was intended, and how it should be approached for
> execution to completion. Note that I now have 15 years+ in industry
> experience, and it isn't all that easy for me, either.
> Knowing this, I have tried (with active assistance from my boss, a
> treasure to the company and a blessing to me) to expand the experiences
> of our Co-ops: we send them to the field to watch construction in
> progress, give them some calculations to do to get a feel for the
> problems, give them real (small) problems to do without giving them any
> answers so they can figure it out for themselves, and so forth. It must

That sounds good! Poor me, I got stuck doing all the little things that
nobody else wanted to do.

> be working, we've had both of them come back for more, the current one is
> on his second quarter with us and next quarter's will be back for his
> third.

One thing, though: my co-op experience was in highschool:grade 12.
Probably makes a difference, eh?

> Real engineering is rarely completed in one year anymore - design,
> funding, permitting, construction and start-up can take a long, long
> time. Try not to judge all engineering work by your Co-op experience -
> and try not to judge all life by your current experience either. I know
> it's tough, but consider - just as there are hundreds of nations and
> lifestyles in the world, so are there thousands of companies and
> engineering experiences in the world as well. If you cannot stand what
> you are doing, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE - but remember, there is probably no

The company offered me a summer job that year. I turned them down
becuase I wanted out of that hell hole.

> more Utopia in Engineering than there is in real life. Some of Dilbert's
> frustrations will undoubtedly show up wherever you go; as long as they
> aren't too much of your work / life experience, you can do what you need
> to do and go on.

On of the points of Zen is to understand that all suffering and
fustration is not an externally imposed thing but something that you
bring down on yourself. I really think that despite my negative co-op
experience I learned a lot. The big one is of course "You must be the
change you wish to see in the world" - Gandhi. Things around you won't
change for the better unless you strive to make them that way. (in the
interests of level 3 awareness, however, I'd like to point out that
"Contentment consists not in adding more fuel, but in taking away some
fire: not in multiplying of wealth, but in subtracting men's desires."
Thomas Fuller)

> <RANT OFF>
> Damn, I feel better! <VBG!>

Yea, there is something about rants... sometimes ya just gotta get it
out.

ERiC

Carpe diem, troglodytes.