Two years since graduation; a frustrated person carries a frustrated heart

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The original poster graduated in 2013 from a university that wasn’t part of the 211 project, majoring in Process Equipment and Control Engineering. To be honest, during those four years in college I didn’t really know what one would do after graduating with this degree (the school didn’t provide any information on this, and I didn’t take the time to find out either). It was purely by chance that I ended up working in equipment design. At first, I worked at a small gas manufacturing company that dealt with urban gas, such as CNG; the equipment involved was mainly separators and manifold pipes. At the beginning, I spent over a month studying standards related to size specifications before gradually starting to work on designs. Honestly, working on designs there felt like being a draftsman – just drawing according to given dimensions. Yet it must be said that my CAD skills improved rapidly during that time. Since there weren’t many projects at the company (probably only one small item like a filter per month), I spent my free time reading novels; when I got bored, I would learn their 3D piping software or study various standards. If not for some subsequent events, I probably would still be working there, leading a leisurely but poor life (although I’m still poor now). What changed for me was joining a group dedicated to equipment design. As soon as I joined, I saw people discussing various types of equipment (things I had no experience with) or certain engineering companies. I thought those people were amazing and knew so much. From then on, I started searching online for information about engineering companies and design firms, and began to study standards carefully (that was probably the period when I became most familiar with standards like 150, relevant size specifications, and 151). It was only two months after graduation at that point, meaning my probationary period hadn’t ended yet. In the third month, the hardest times arrived – the company started delaying salary payments. . . And it dragged on for months; sometimes I really couldn’t understand how a company of moderate size in the town’s gas industry could owe salaries to us – a total of 5 freshly graduated employees – without giving any notice. It turned out that there was no explanation at all during those months of delay. We were told by our supervisor that the company had taken on a \"large project\" and therefore didn’t have any money. I really have to thank my girlfriend; it was her financial support that helped me get through those months. Thank you so much! . . Continuing with the work experience, it was around this time that I started feeling the desire to change jobs, but it wasn’t a strong feeling; perhaps it was because I was aware of my lack of experience and the fact that my educational background wasn’t very good. . And that’s how time passed quietly until New Year’s Day. A classmate from university who also worked in equipment design (let’s call him a *scientist here; he often referred to himself that way) said he had received an interview invitation from a small design firm, and he decided to give it a try. As expected, he was successful. . From then on, my desire to change jobs grew stronger and stronger. I searched the Internet for job listings at small design firms or engineering companies, or I would use Baidu to find engineering companies in certain areas and then call them directly to ask if they were hiring. For almost a month, all I did was look up company names and make calls. This went on for over a month until my supervisor came to talk to me and asked if I wanted to leave; the company wanted me to stay, and so on. (I was actually a bit excited when I heard that, as it felt like I was valued.) Of course, I replied that I didn’t have such intentions (please forgive my dishonesty). After that incident, I finally decided to leave and go to an ASME-certified manufacturing plant (which I had discussed before). So I resigned and went to that ASME-certified manufacturing plant. I stayed there for about a week, working in the workshop, but I couldn’t stand it anymore. Finally, mustering up my last bit of courage, I called my current company, and fortunately, I was hired (by a small engineering company). This marked the official start of my career in equipment design. In the first month, there wasn’t much to do, but starting from the second month, I gradually got involved in some design work. At first, I really didn’t know anything; I had never used any of the software, which made me nervous (often I had to perform process calculations for individual devices, involving the use of Aspen and HTRI). But I enjoyed it, as I felt that this was what true design entailed, rather than just being a draftsman. It took some time for me to learn how to use Aspen and HTRI, and eventually I was able to carry out the calculations step by step, though I still didn’t fully understand the principles behind them; I was quite inexperienced. . . After starting a new job, I often discussed industry-related or academic matters with a senior scientist. Under his influence, I began to learn finite element analysis; at that time, my main focus was still on the process design of towers and heat exchangers. Regarding finite element analysis, I learned how to use the Ansys software. Another significant change occurred this year when the company decided to seek ASME certification. In previous years, a regular design presentation was sufficient, but two months before this year’s presentation, the company was informed that we also needed to present our U2 design. Since I had asked my supervisor several questions during my studies of Ansys (and he held an ASME certification), I was assigned to handle the U2 design. It was somewhat like being forced into taking on a task I wasn’t fully prepared for, but fortunately I already knew how to perform static analysis on simple devices. I mainly focused on becoming familiar with the ASME VIII-2 standards, which helped me manage the situation without too much chaos. In the end, the presentation passed successfully. . From then on, I focused my studies again on finite element analysis, aiming to obtain the SAD certificate. Once again, I thank the leading scientists for their guidance in the field of finite elements! . . . Up to now, I have gradually gone through several typical reference materials, and now I feel unsure about what else to read. Often I just sit there lost in thought. Due to work requirements, I need to learn finite element analysis as well as process simulation, so there are many materials I should read and that I actually want to read, but in the end I still don’t know what to pick up. . . Moreover, given the worrying situation in the chemical industry at present, I sometimes think about trying my luck on my own, but I lack the necessary connections and don’t dare to take such risks; after all, I’m about to get married and my family’s financial situation isn’t good. . . I’m not sure if this is what’s known as a period of confusion. . . I’m a bit at a loss, not knowing where to start. Finally, I’d like to thank my wife, the leading scientists, my department head, and everyone who took the time to read this rambling text. . . Thank you all!