UNEMPLOYMENT!

"promoted by the color red" (whenindoubtflatout)
05/05/2014 at 17:38 • Filed to: doodling

It's funny what you have time for when you're unemployed and searching for a job.

HAVE MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE WILL TRAVEL.

DISCUSSION (24)

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > promoted by the color red
05/05/2014 at 17:44

This was an unpleasant thing to read during a break from studying for my second year mech eng exams...

BugEyedBimmer - back in the Saddle Dakota Leather > promoted by the color red
05/05/2014 at 17:45

Keep at it man. I'd make some technical drawings of cars and see if you can get them shopped around.

Montalvo > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/05/2014 at 17:55

Don't worry about it, it happens across all professions. There are more positions available than there are engineers. Also internships and co-ops are the way to go if you want to get your foot in the door or get some experience down before you get tossed into the fray.

midengineer > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/05/2014 at 18:07

Literally doing the exact same thing... Back to studying...

The man in the iron mask > promoted by the color red
05/05/2014 at 18:16

Its also funny how you can waste a lot of time and do nothing in a day.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/05/2014 at 18:19

If you're studying MechEng (and are any good at it at all) you'll never be in the position where you have to search for a job. You'll always be able to find something, even if not quite what you want.

But it's good career advice to know your own value and be willing to hold out for what you want. When you're doing that, 'searching' for a job has a different kind of meaning.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Montalvo
05/05/2014 at 18:19

Yeah I got into engineering because it seemed the best option for getting good work so hopefully its looking good in a years time.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
05/05/2014 at 18:22

That's a good point, I'll probably just take what I can get straight out of uni even if it isn't really best for long term I just wana work.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/05/2014 at 18:51

If you get a good job that you want straight out of uni you don't have a problem - except maybe undervaluing yourself. I'm not saying you should wait months for the right job, and leaving uni it can all be pre-arranged anyway, but it's worth looking at more than just the first offer you get. Unless it's a really great first offer, of course :)

The bigger picture is that learning stuff like what a good employer is like (and a bad one too), what you're worth and how to get it, how to find the kind of jobs you want, and so-on are as much part of building a career as qualifying in your field and gaining experience.

I've been working for myself for a while now because I never liked working for other people - it's not as lucrative, although much more enjoyable for me - but back when I was doing IT crap for people I found that I was earning about 50% more than average with similar IT experience, skills, and general competence, simply because I had learnt more about picking the good employers who paid people what they were worth and negotiating a package.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
05/05/2014 at 19:20

That's advice I havent really had before in regards of picking a good employer. Most advice just focuses on picking the right job title and such. Something I'll have to bear in mind.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/05/2014 at 19:27

Yeah, it's something that helps you to keep a level head, as well. If a job doesn't work out, it's a learning experience, not a catastrophe.

I guess it's like something I read on here the other day about car-flipping: you make your money when you buy the car, not when you sell it. It's the same with jobs. You have to do a good job to get better jobs, but you make your money when you get the job, not by working hard once you have it. Many/most people don't pay enough attention to the first part of that.

By the way, I expect commission here. When you get a better paying job as a result of this advice, you'd better buy an interesting car and tell Oppo about it :)

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
05/05/2014 at 19:30

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
05/05/2014 at 19:31

Given the insurance prices here you might be disappointed haha Unless you like reading about a rusty ford focus diesel...

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/05/2014 at 19:34

Are you in the UK? Classic car insurance is the only way to go. And as a bonus, guarantees it'll be something vaguely interesting. I mean, even an Allegro's interesting, if only as a turd.

First-gen MX-5s are just slipping into classic car cover territory, but as a young driver you may not be able to get that yet. Go another ten or fifteen years back, though, and you shouldn't have any trouble.

P.S. But the yanks would probably love a Focus diesel as long as it's an estate...

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
05/05/2014 at 19:41

Yeah I'm in the UK. Buying the car out of my savings over the summer and need to haul my stuff back and forth from uni so classics and mx5s are out unfortunately. My idea so far is a reliable (although dull) diesel wagon then hopefully when I start making money I can pick up something as a weekend toy... One day.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/05/2014 at 19:59

Unless you're doing loads of miles, the diesel premium's not worth paying. In fact, until you start doing quite a few miles a year, nothing outweighs the benefits of cheap classic insurance. If you can find something you pay £100 a year for while building up your NCB, it's just about leaving it off the road for the NCB alone. But you can actually get somewhat practical cars with that kind of insurance, and even tax exempt as well.

The saving on insurance and road tax for a pre-73 classic will pay for an awful lot of fuel.

As far as MX-5s go, I've been wondering about attaching a small trailer to one so I can carry the stuff I need during the week when handling isn't an issue, and then drive a sports car at the weekend. I have no idea if that could actually work, but if you get creative there's always some way you can save money over the conventional way of doing things.

promoted by the color red > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/06/2014 at 00:12

You should be fine. I'm sending out application en masse right now but I also made a whole bunch of awful decisions at once and shot myself pretty badly in the foot.

Just don't overload on upper-division courses and know your limits.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
05/06/2014 at 07:37

It's mainly going to be road trip and travel back and forth to uni car so to be honest the reliability and motorway economy of a modern diesel has a lot of pull. The mx5 has always been tempting but I know in the back of my mind I need at least 3 seats. Classic insurance saves a fair bit but to be honest on a small diesel its around £1'000 and classic insurance on an old escort (which is probably what I'd want) isn't that much cheaper. I love to work on cars so it looks like I'll stick with a good DD and pick up a project car along the line.

Getting a mid-sized diesel hatch is strangely uncommon in my age range, the biggest car among people I know is a 1.4 petrol grande punto. Everyone else drives a 1 litre box, so at least it's an upgrade among my group of friends haha.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/06/2014 at 08:46

If it's going to be back-and-forth to uni and the odd road trip, that doesn't sound like as many miles as would make it worth getting a diesel - unless you're doing the uni trip weekly and driving halfway across the country or something. If you're doing mecheng, I'm sure you can run the numbers for yourself, but if you're not driving at least 4-5k miles a year then fuel economy really isn't a big deal as long as it's not ridiculously poor.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
05/06/2014 at 11:52

The thing id that for the age of focus im looking at the petrol 1.6 barely costs less than the 1.8tdci so even a marginal saving is good. Plus more torque in the diesel.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/06/2014 at 12:08

Hmmn, isn't that because the fuel economy isn't too different either? Especially once you allow for the higher price of diesel?

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
05/06/2014 at 12:38

From researching reviews and forums etc most seem to agree the diesel is worth it unless you only do town driving, especially with the boost in torque. Tax should be a little less too.

davedave1111 > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
05/06/2014 at 12:55

Well, everything else being equal there's no reason not to have a car that's cheaper to run :)

Out of interest, do things like the River 45 still come up with lower insurance quotes because they're old man cars?

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > davedave1111
05/06/2014 at 13:39

I thought that too but the rovers end up similar to larger cars like the 2 litre mondeo, to be fair I think it's because some boy racers love old rovers for some reason.