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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: [email protected]
Rita Cheng Office #: (925)229-7630 E-mail: [email protected]
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
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