Confusions about career planning
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First of all, I’m not a person who plans things. So, I’ve always gone with the flow and settled for whatever came my way. I worked at a small design firm for 2 years. Although it was small, it was a reputable firm. My future career path is closely tied to those two years, and I owe much of my professional development to the experience I gained there. Later, I jumped in, went to a factory, and took care of building the plant, installing equipment, and recruiting staff. . . I’ve been exposed to almost everything, and I also worked on a construction site for 4 months; once the factory building was completed, I was assigned to work at the grassroots level. It was roughly a year from start to finish. I spent some time working at the grassroots level, and then I changed jobs again, going to another design company. Right now is when I’m most confused: this design company is very small; I’m the one in charge of the manufacturing process, and I’m the only one doing it. However, my skills in this craft are only rudimentary; I still rely on others’ guidance. Of course, the company is pretty okay; they assigned me a teacher from a design institute whom I can ask questions to if I have any doubts. I also keep in touch with my former mentor often, and I ask for advice when I’m unsure about something. Although the company is small and its business scope is limited, I’m expected to be involved in everything, so I handle the negotiations with clients personally. In the process, I’ve learned a lot from various industries. But it’s still my field of expertise, so I received very little guidance. I had to figure everything out on my own. Then I thought that, with my experience and background, maybe I could go to a larger, more established company – preferably one that is foreign-owned. Similarly, as long as one is willing to learn, it’s definitely possible to learn a lot as well. At the same time, it’s important that the wages will also be much higher, right? I guess one’s horizons and such will also broaden a lot. Right now, I’m confused about whether I should change jobs or not Because in this company, I am indeed like a beginner, but I’m a beginner just like in other companies as well. The most important thing is the platform on which I need to improve. In this small company, I handle small projects, and it’s still me who is responsible for all the aspects related to their execution. In a larger company, although the projects are bigger, I’m likely to only be involved in a single aspect of them. Where to go? Please give me some advice, seniors. I think I need to create a solid career plan for myself, but I can’t find any experienced mentors who can guide me at the moment. As for the field of chemical engineering design, I’m not sure what advancements are possible after working in it for a long time; I only know that if one has the necessary skills and passes the relevant exams, they can become a senior engineer.
The key is to adopt the right attitude； Everything has two sides; in the past, things were determined through allocation, but now there are more choices, which in turn brings about more troubles ； In fact, both large companies and small companies have their advantages and disadvantages ； In my opinion, you’re in a good situation now and should keep working ； 1. Small companies require you to have knowledge in various areas; in fact, much of the work is learned through practice. Having broad exposure to different tasks is an advantage of working in small companies. In large companies, your opportunities are limited – there’s little chance for training, and thus little opportunity to learn ； As the company grows and develops, you will become a key force within it. 2. It is necessary to correct the relationship between income and experience; one must understand that effort comes first, followed by reporting of results. The world is fair – large companies offer higher incomes and fewer difficulties, but this is not necessarily beneficial for one’s future development. After all, such companies are full of talented people, leaving little opportunity, as decisions are made based on seniority rather than merit ； 3. As for advancement, I don’t think it’s a crucial factor; one should understand that gold will always shine. That’s all for now; the path still needs to be walked by oneself. I hope this helps you. This post was last edited by TE1530926 on 2008-2-15 17:11.]
You may have the following options: 1: Professionals. You can work in a smaller firm for a few years first, and then move to a larger design institute; just keep working hard to advance. 2: Managers. Just work in a small unit, advance in your position, so as to have at least a title. Jump later. Of course, if the company develops, they will stay. 3 Self-development. If you plan to start a business in the future, work at Xiao Wei for a few years first. Find the right direction and develop on your own; going to a large organization is just a waste of time. There might be other directions as well, such as pursuing education, which can be quite exhausting. Going abroad is also a way. And so on. If there’s still something that can be done, then do it.
My situation is similar to yours. My salary isn’t high at the moment, but I do have great opportunities for training. I give priority to getting such training opportunities; I’m still young and just starting out. I’m determined to work hard – that’s how I think
First of all, I would like to express my admiration for the original poster – it’s indeed tough to rely on one’s own efforts, and it takes real skill to manage to do so. Actually, the question that confuses the original poster is quite simple: it involves the choice between following the standard procedures of a reputable design firm and adopting unconventional approaches used by smaller design firms. If I say that, no one will scold me, right? The courtyard, being able to stand on its own, represents the core of this technology; it allows access to a wide range of different elements. However, due to the relatively small number of projects or the lack of completeness (as various supporting elements are often created), the knowledge acquired is varied but not comprehensive enough, or rather, not well-structured. If you go to the compound, it’s basically impossible to participate in various crafts, because you simply don’t have any choice. But what you do is generally much more regulated. Nothing is perfect. So, in his current situation, if the original poster wants to organize his design approach and behavior, he can improve by learning more about the rules or studying the design concepts used in such complexes. But once you’re inside the compound and want to get involved in various types of design work, it becomes quite difficult. We can’t just invent new design methods or interfere with others’ work to learn from them. Think about it: it’s better to be the best in a smaller role than the second-best in a larger one. The original poster should think it over carefully. Income shouldn’t be the main concern for the original poster, because some things require time to bear fruit.
Hehe, thanks to everyone up there. I’m seriously confused – I’m wondering between following the standard procedures of a reputable design firm and taking the unconventional path used by smaller design firms. After all, they came from reputable design institutes; at first they disdained unorthodox methods and looked down on those who did not follow established procedures, fearing that they might themselves end up abandoning those standard rules. In fact, it is the opposing sides of contradiction that have left me confused and hesitant. I thought about it this weekend as well, and decided that I should get rid of these nonsensical ideas, focus on my own workplace, work diligently, and build a solid foundation. As for making money, given my age and the nature of my work, it’s not something I should be focusing on at the moment. Hehe, contradiction is a unity of opposites; I have experienced and been exposed to both, and for me, it has actually served as a great stepping stone. The platform has been set up; from now on, I’ll have to rely on myself.