Where to go from here
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Dear seniors: I have a master’s degree and have been working for two years. Now I have an opportunity to join one of the large design firms in our country; it’s a great firm (it’s now called an engineering company). However, I’m a bit hesitant. First, I like the city where the firm is located, but I don’t like the atmosphere there – everyone talks in a sharp manner, and arguments seem to happen as casually as eating. I’m a person with a calm personality, I talk little, and I never get into arguments with others. 2. Do people who come from design institutes have a narrow range of employment options? Do they fail to gain true expertise in technology and human resources, as well as to understand the principles underlying the world and human affairs? Because among the leadership levels in large enterprises, foreign companies, and even many small and medium-sized enterprises, there are very few people who came from design institutes. 3. The water in design institutes is quite deep, right? I’ve seen that in many design institutes, both the father and the son work there. 4. Once you join a design institute, do you have to spend a few years drawing diagrams first? The salary at the beginning is also quite low. I now receive an annual salary, and my compensation is considered relatively high; from a short-sighted perspective, I’m a bit reluctant to leave. Please give me some advice!
I might not be able to be your senior, but I would like to respond to your points as follows: 1. In design firms, technical debates are indeed common, but they always take place on the basis of facts; there’s no intention of causing trouble. At least during my 4 years working in a design firm, I never encountered anyone who tried to start arguments on purpose. 2. Design institutes are indeed quite professional; the larger the institute, the more detailed the division of labor. If one fails to learn skills in the design department, it is definitely a personal issue. You say that in large enterprises, foreign companies, and even many small and medium-sized businesses, it’s rare for leaders to come from design institutes. I’m really curious: you’ve only been working for 2 years – how can you know this? Among the people I know who graduated from or work in design institutes, some are now in Chengdu, some in Beijing, some in Shanghai, some in Nanjing, and some in Xi’an. Most of them are just ordinary designers; there are a few who hold positions as project leaders. They’re not really managers. As for their monthly incomes, I haven’t encountered anyone whose income is below 6K yet. 3. The industry in design institutes is indeed complex, and connections play an important role. But don’t assume that just because someone’s father works in a design institute, his son will also get a job there through those connections; the institute needs to consider its own development, so it naturally prefers to hire stable employees. You don’t necessarily have to be better than others in every aspect, right? 4. Salaries are definitely lower at design institutes at the beginning of one’s career. As for drawing, how many people in the design departments of design institutes these days don’t do drawing? Once again, there is no right or wrong choice – it depends on what suits you.
I’ll reply to you with just one word------------------Go!
If you want to become an official, don’t work at a design institute. If you want to get involved in technology, go for it; everything else is secondary.
Design firms are great and stable; despite the sudden onset of economic crises, they generally don’t cut salaries or lay off employees. At first, there may be fewer projects, so income might be lower, but after a few years you’ll find that both your income and working conditions will be better than those in the chemical industry. Moreover, there’s no need for scheming or political maneuvering in design firms, so you can rest assured. Furthermore, if you say that nothing can be learned in a design institute, then I think there is no place where anything can be learned at all. This is just my humble opinion, for reference only: handshake
I’m extremely grateful. I was able to get a job at the Second Hospital right after graduating, but it required help from my family; my parents really wanted me to go there. I’ve always hated relying on connections, and thanks to my confidence in myself, even my blind arrogance, I decided to find a job on my own. Now that I’ve achieved some success, I still feel reluctant to give up!