I would like to ask those with more experience: how is Sinopec Nanjing Engineering Company? Is the number of projects per year acceptable?

I have been working for just half a year, at an engineering company, where I am involved in polyester design. Since our company is an engineering firm rather than a design institute, we spend a considerable amount of time on project sites during business trips, and are often away from home. Having worked with Tianchen Design Institute, I recall that most new employees there spend their time drawing diagrams, as clients these days push for quick results and allocate little time for design work. If there are clients with their own ideas, the drawings need to be modified frequently, which inevitably leads to overtime when things get busy. However, more work equals more reward; the basic salary for design work is low, while project bonuses are high. There might be some differences between large-scale chemical manufacturing and polyester production; I can only offer you these suggestions. There is still a big difference between design and finance; I’m not familiar with the tasks involved in financial work. See which working environment you prefer.

Thank you; it seems that at the beginning one still needs to work hard on drawing and gain experience.

There are many projects available. Working in petrochemical process design is not SNEI’s strong area, but there are opportunities to work on projects in Saudi Arabia.

It depends on what you like; it really comes down to personal preferences! First of all, the nature of work in product design differs greatly from that in the financial industry. Product design is more suitable for women, and Sinopec is a decent company in the chemical industry. Previously, I worked as a client, and based on the requirements outlined by the designers, my task was to create drawings. I also had to deal with various requests from the clients that went against industry standards. If you want to progress quickly, you need to go to the construction sites (where conditions are often poor) to assist with debugging. As for salary, it generally increases in proportion to the number of years of experience, and there are also project-based commissions. Compared to the finance industry, it can be considered relatively low; I’m not very familiar with the finance sector, but I know people who work in venture capital and they earn quite well.

How should I put it? The petrochemical design sector is considered an industry on the decline; it’s better to pursue opportunities in industries such as finance. This Nanjing engineering company focuses mainly on construction work, and its design capabilities are average

Thank you. If the design skills are average, can the volume of projects be guaranteed? Since my undergraduate and master’s degrees are not in finance, even with work experience, it might be difficult to switch to a large company in the future; so if my design skills are decent, I plan to stay.

At the Design Institute of the Ministry of Chemical Industry, revenues have been declining since 2013, as design fees have become lower and thus bonuses have decreased as well. Therefore, income is not necessarily proportional to the number of years; it is related to the cycle of the entire chemical industry. I’ve taken on projects for private enterprises; the design fees are low, but proper design is still required – it can’t be done carelessly like in small-scale projects. Design work comes with a lifetime responsibility.

If you have the chance to work in finance, and the starting point is good, don’t hesitate at all!