Pressure Vessel Design Review Exam Preparation Camp
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I work as a manufacturer of pressure vessels, involved in design review and approval processes. I have 16 years of experience in pressure vessel design. To date, I hold 8 patents for my own inventions, as well as 2 invention patents that are currently under consideration. In life, I’ve encountered many communities; by observing the working conditions in other fields, I’ve seen that people in other industries can write books even without having the necessary capabilities, and when they do manage to do so, the price is exorbitant – thousands of dollars per copy, and it’s not even certain that they’ll sell it to you… Upon reading this, you might say, “What’s the point of boasting? It’s better to just steal or cheat one’s way to success!” Within your own circle, it’s hard to know what’s going on outside. Can you imagine a group of people who don’t go to bed at midnight and wake up at 5 a.m. to do what they love, reaping the fruits of their efforts over and over again? Now look at yourself: aside from the times when standards are required at work or when you need to read books, are you and professionalism completely unrelated, like strangers to one another? In our industry, especially in the design of manufacturing plants, there aren’t many things we can work with, and there are numerous restrictions. In any manufacturing plant, the status of designers is somewhat delicate; often, standards hold less importance than what the boss says. As for design concepts, those are even more irrelevant... After working for so many years, I’ve developed a strange feeling: the job I do is highly knowledge-intensive, and it should require continuous learning... To those reading this article, I have a question for you – how much time do you spend studying professional knowledge in your free time? Do you feel that you can still carry out this job regardless of whether you learn or not? Do you also find that you only have a superficial understanding of many things taught by your mentors? Is it the case that no matter how skilled you become, just like your master, your salary remains the same? It’s not attractive at all – it doesn’t motivate you to strive for improvement As you do this more often, do you want to get an auditing certificate? I have a question for you: if there were a training camp that required you to pay a deposit, where you could learn together with a group of people, and where experts would regularly answer your questions and provide guidance, how much effort would you be willing to put in? Every day, you need to complete certain learning tasks in order to earn back the deposit you paid… Of course, the amount of that deposit is significant – it’s not 9.9 or 99, because such figures wouldn’t be fair to your efforts! If the amount of the deposit is 1999, of which 1900 is a deposit for completing the training – meaning that if you finish 36 out of 40 days’ training tasks and actively participate in discussions, you will receive a leave permit, and the 1900 will be refunded to you. The remaining 99 will be held until you receive your certificate, at which point a red envelope will be given to you. Of course, if you feel that this training camp is helpful to you, you can also give a gift envelope to the organizers as a token of appreciation. There’s an exam in May, and there’s a 40-day exam preparation camp. What can the organizers of such a camp get in return? (I hope you won’t check in during your study time, so that I can be paid, as well as the teachers who will guide you along the way)… Would you be willing to participate in such a camp? You can message me privately!
If there were such a camp, I wouldn’t participate either. The reasons are as follows: 1. Knowledge intensity: Pressure vessels cover a very wide range of applications; perhaps your organization focuses on low-temperature vessels, while ours focuses on chemical reaction kettles. I studied the low-temperature part, but I hardly use it. In daily work, one can gradually learn what they want to learn by reviewing the standards needed. 2. Time constraints: We’re all veterans with over a decade of work experience; aside from working, we spend a lot of time on site, in meetings, and engaging in social interactions. Those with experience are usually in management positions, and the review roles are also managerial in nature. They spend a lot of time dealing with regulatory agencies, and their schedule is irregular, so they don’t have much time to take on roles that require constant presence. 3. Difficulty issue: The pressure vessel inspection certificate is quite easy to obtain; there’s no need for last-minute cramming*. Put it bluntly: if one can’t even obtain this certificate, it shows that they are not suited for this industry; one could even say that their intelligence is questionable. 4. Crash courses available on the market: These generally involve certificates such as those for certified accountants or certified construction professionals; they are not very difficult, the knowledge required is fixed, and it’s possible to pass by simply memorizing everything, regardless of whether one has any practical experience in the field. 5. Time outside of work: family, friends, hobbies. Write more papers, make more friends within and outside the industry, and broaden my horizons.
I like your straightforwardness. This industry is extremely broad, and many people fail the assessment exams; it’s not necessarily a matter of intelligence, but rather due to the unfavorable conditions in this industry
Don’t get me wrong; I might have been too direct, which could offend people. Those of us in technology tend to be straightforward in personality. Actually, I’ve always been quite disappointed with our industry. High risk, but low social acceptance. The responsibilities are great, but the return on contribution is low. In short: a lot of work for little pay, a high chance of ending up in prison, but a fixed salary is truly frustrating. After reading your first paragraph, I see that we’re roughly the same age and have both participated in projects funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology. I’m just starting to get involved in management roles little by little; the ceiling for technical positions is too low. Unless you have connections with the Chinese Academy of Sciences or the Chinese Academy of Engineering, you’ll always have to work according to rules set by others. Of course, you can obtain certifications such as those for safety, chemical engineering, or fire protection, but these certifications only serve to make you the scapegoat in case of an accident. You don’t earn much on a daily basis, but when an accident occurs, well, congratulations – you’ll have something to eat.
I have been in the container industry for decades. Our field is designed to serve the manufacturing industry; it is possible to achieve success in design firms or engineering companies. However, in private enterprises or other restructured organizations, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to stand out. The companion camp you’re talking about, as I understand it, is of a learning nature. If it’s meant for learning purposes, there’s little motivation to participate; aside from those who want to obtain certain certificates, others might not be interested in joining. Moreover, the value of these certificates these days is extremely low.
Look, another peer, or even a senior, shares the same feelings about the industry. The industry is tough; more people are changing careers.
It’s not exactly honesty either; it’s just that after doing this for so many years, I have quite a lot of reflections, or rather, quite a lot of complaints.
Yes, I just think that since it’s all work anyway, and we spend so many hours at work, either we can try to make a difference or at least do something useful for the industry (:lol)
With the same 10 years of work experience in the construction sector, one would likely be a project manager at least, earning millions per year with ease. In the manufacturing sector, one needs to be at least a manager level; with an annual salary of six or seven hundred thousand, it’s quite easy to earn that much. In management roles, it’s at least the vice president level; the annual salary is over a million, and it’s quite easy. Just look at those who sell houses on the streets – after working in this field for ten years, they’ve managed to own at least two or three homes by then. For design-related tasks, hehehe, one has to keep thinking about whether it’s an A-type weld, whether it meets Grade II standards, and whether there’s insufficient corrosion margin… Those with an annual salary of over 300,000, raise your hand! I love this major, I love this profession, I love this job. But who the hell loves you? Count it as one case: during the New Year, when people ask you how much you earn in a month, do you really have the nerve to tell them?
Haha, if you want to avoid starving, this major is okay – at least you won’t starve. But when compared to those in other fields who have worked for ten or twenty years or more, the situation is dire.