Calculus and Careers

By: Bill McEachen, Associate Engineer

Rita Cheng, Assistant Engineer

Overview

Benefits of a higher education Advice on life choices A short tour of the plant including the storage

towers of the sample problem

*Note: Please turn off cell phones and refrain from using electronics

Sample Timeline of Engineer

1984 earn BS, start at $21,500/yr (*) 1991 earn MS, switch careers, begin as a Junior

engineer 1996 earn PE for +5% (promoted to Assistant

engineer) 2000 reclassified to Associate engineer, lose 5% 2010 earn PE for + 5% 2011 apply for Senior engineer position Tops out at $128K A 2.5% COLA > $3000/yr

Training

Business side (partial):

Customer service

Teambuilding

Listening skills

Leadership

Ethics Supervision (at least 4) Technical writing

Training (continued)

Technical side (partial): C++ (DVC, 2 courses) Linux Administration certification (CSU, 3 courses) Wonderware SCADA HMI PLC Modicon Programming PLC Concept Programming HTML, PC repair (DVC), Excel, JavaScript, Perl,

netbeans, Pari Server 2003 CLI, Fortran, Assembly, Basic

Construction estimating (DVC)

General Living Expenses

Housing $3000/mo Utilities $300/mo Food $600/mo Transport 2K miles @ 0.25/mi = $500/mo Federal and California taxes are 30%+ Subtotal = $ 66K

*Note: This left out clothing, recreation, 401/college funds, etc

Approximate Worth of a Professional Engineer (PE) Presume retire in 2020, live 25 yrs beyond, final

salary $150K,pension 2%@55, 2% COLAs I actually did a JavaScript calculator to run my

numbers

($118K*1.02^5)*0.05 *10 = $65K

+

(150K*1.02^10)*0.05*0.60 *20 = $110K It cost me $275 to take the exam and 3 months of

study I pay $125 every 2 years to renew the license. Total cost 275+4*125 < $800. ROR>18%

Example of Public Force

Positions at Central Contra Costa Sanitary District (CCCSD):

Accountant Admin Chemist Civil engineer Construction inspector Control systems engineer Field worker GIS

Graphic artist Human resources Inst/Elec tech IT specialist Mechanic/machinist Mechanical engineer Operator Risk management Surveyor

Examples of Successes at CCCSD

Alan Weer– has risen to Associate Engineer within 5 yrs, to be Plant superintendent (S81). Approximately 30 years old, B.S. in Civil

Engineering from the University of Kentucky M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of

California-Berkeley P.E. licensed, Grade V Wastewater Operators

License

(I am an S79 after 20 yrs)

CCCSD Successes (continued) Dave Clayton:

29 years old, started working two years ago. Attended college classes, and trade school Rose to Shift Supervisor (S76) within 2 years, 6 figure

salary, Several inside people with 20+ yrs were passed over

Nick Hansen: 26 years old, University of the Pacific graduate (BA in

Communications, Minor in Technology) Newer Operator, may well advance to head of Operator

training

*Note: My sister never earned a degree, she works multiple jobs, and has no retirement coming up on age 50…coincidence?

Math in the World

Neither Rita nor I are mathematicians but we use many tools based on mathematics (Excel, graphing software, computers, etc)

Prime numbers and secure online transactions Financial “Quants” in stock trading (recent “60

Minutes” piece) Space program possible only through math and

physics Detection of fraud in financial audits (Benford’s law) Techniques for digital data error checking,

transmission, compression Modeling of global weather and nuclear explosions Probability and stats for gambling casinos, lotteries

Example at CCCSD

Just completed emergency sludge storage facility If furnace cannot be used, sludge to be

trucked away Need to estimate how many trucks to have

servicing the hoppers, and what rate they must be circulated

Change is Constant

When I grew up: Typewriter, rotary phone, 3-speed bike (with banana seat!), color TV, 2 sizes of floppy disk, slide rule, 3 elemental particles, 9 planets , hard cover books

Since: GPS/GIS, smart phones, hybrid and electric vehicles, Google TV, same-sex marriage, no Berlin wall, Many people have multiple electronic devices Social networking, cloud computing, 3D movies, Solved Fermat’s and Poincare’s conjectures, Segway, Manga, 8 planets, many elemental particles Ebook devices,

Private or Public?

Public Advantages: Job security

(In past 2 years I have seen my sister, brother-in-law, step-daughter and 2 close neighbors laid off, all from private firms)

Benefits including full health, pension, no FICA

No pressure of shareholders or minimum profit

Private or Public? (continued)

Public Disadvantages: No raises No stock options Advancements are more deliberate Far less able to move between positions/jobs Less benefit from additional education (we

have 1 PhD)

Internships/Co-Ops

Do as many as you can, for several reasons: Helps you decide both what you like & dislike Gain valuable experience & edge over

competition Many times networking plays a role in

employment (you can’t apply for a job you don’t hear about)

Resumes and Cover Letters

Sound confident by using power words i.e. managed, created, streamlined. You’re your best advocate! Please do not exaggerate your experiences

Proofread is essential A cover letter should complement, not

duplicate, your resume Provide a personal touch and create good first

impression

Interviews

Dress for success Be punctual, confident, and sincere Research the company Know your resume Do not talk ever negatively about a past position

or manager Have good eye contact and professionalism Ask questions. DO NOT inquire about benefits

and salary Obtain contacts and follow-up with Thank You’s Set social networking profiles to private

Career Fairs

Great for networking opportunities Do homework before the job fair Research companies Cater your resume to the job that you’re

applying for

What to Expect at Your First Job

Carry yourself with professionalism Technical writing skill Presentation/public speaking skills Pay your dues Take initiatives Continuing education (trainings and classes) Be grateful for what you have

Basic Financial Education

Know your FICO score. Don’t get into credit card debt!

Save up for your retirement. Maximize your 401k matching

Save up for emergency 3-6 months of your income Open a money market account (i.e. ING) or a

CD account, both with higher interest rate than regular savings

Do fun things! i.e. travel, new hobbies, etc

Final Tips

Life accelerates (ask your teachers and parents!)

There are class strata in the U.S. Higher is better than lower

All other things being equal, pick a burgeoning field rather than a dying one (steel mill or high-tech firm? )

Contacts Bill McEachen

Office # : (925)229-7293 E-mail: bmceache@centralsan.org

Rita Cheng Office #: (925)229-7630 E-mail: rcheng@centralsan.org

www.centralsan.org (has org charts)

www.solano.edu (wastewater Operator-in-Training program)

www.losmedanos.edu/TEC (Process and Elec/Inst Tech programs) (925)439-2181 x3194 Meeting dates: Nov 20 & Dec 2

Questions?

Math Humor

The Golden Rule of Deriving: Never trust any result that was proved after 11 pm

For a good prime call, 555.793.7319 I'll do algebra, I'll do trig, and I'll even do

statistics, but graphing is where I draw the line! Alcohol and calculus don't mix. Never drink and

derive! A professor's enthusiasm for teaching pre-

calculus varies inversely with the likelihood of his having to do it.

How many problems will you have on the final? I think you will have lots of problems on the final.

Math Humor (continued)

Math: putting the "fun" in "functions" since t=0. Recursion [ri-kur'zhun] n. See recursion. The graduate with a Mathematics degree asks,

"Why does it work?" The graduate with a Science degree asks, "How does it work?" The graduate with an Engineering degree asks, "How does one build it?" The graduate with an Accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?" The graduate with a Liberal Arts degree asks, "Do you want fries with that?"

Math Humor (continued)

Two male mathematicians are in a bar. The first one says to the second that the average person knows very little about basic mathematics. The second one disagrees, and claims that most people can cope with a reasonable

amount of math.  The first mathematician goes off to the washroom, and in his absence the second calls

over the waitress. He tells her that in a few minutes, after his friend has returned, he will call her over and ask her a question.

All she has to do is answer one third x cubed.  She repeats "one thir -- dex cue"?

He repeats "one third x cubed". Her: `one thir dex cuebd'? Yes, that's right, he says.

So she agrees, and goes off mumbling to herself, "one thir dex cuebd...". The first guy returns and the second proposes a bet to prove his point, that most people do

know something about basic math. He says he will ask the blonde waitress an integral, and the first laughingly agrees. The second man calls over the waitress and asks "what is the integral of x squared?".

The waitress says "one third x cubed" and while walking away, turns back and says over her shoulder "plus a constant!"

Necessary Life Equations

TVM - time value of moneyTVM - time value of money (the power of

compounding) G = 0.01*I + 0.99 P

Genius is 1% inspiration + 99% perspiration UC(t+1) = NC(t) * 0.90

Used car value is 90% new car after driving 1 day

AI = GI * 0.90 Pay yourself 10% off the top

IQ(s) >= IQ(y) Make sure your partner is at least as smart as

you are

Necessary Life Equations (continued)

I(i) >> sum(I(j) ) You are by far your most valuable

investment PhD > MS > BS > AA > GED Achieve the highest education level practical,

with the best grades possible Pt(n) >= 2*t(n)

Perceived time moves faster than real time