Ten years of work, yet nothing in sight

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I started working in July 2006, and it’s already been over 10 years since then. Although there are annual summaries prepared each year, those are mostly meant for the management to read. Taking this moment around the 2010s as an opportunity, I plan to summarize my work experience over these ten years, giving myself a chance to review it, and also to share these thoughts with fellow netizens who understand the hardships faced by engineers. My first job was in Beijing. At that time, I was busy preparing for the postgraduate entrance exams, so I didn’t really look for a job seriously. By the time I failed those exams and decided to look for work, it was already a bit late; that’s when I came across this job. I went to the interview in a daze, signed the contract in a daze, and started working in a daze. Looking back, this job was a bit off track for me, as I majored in thermal engineering, while this job involved engineering installation – specifically, the application of inorganic non-metallic linings in power plant cement kilns. Apart from both involving work in power plants, there really isn’t any commonality between them at all. At first, I thought that by interacting with more power plant owners, maybe they would appreciate you and give you a chance to work at the power plants. Later, I realized that these were all things one could only dream of. As a small specialized subcontractor, the number of senior-level contacts one can make is quite limited. Moreover, at that time coal prices were volatile, making it difficult for power plants to operate. Fresh graduates were hired only out of consideration for state-owned enterprises, not to mention those recruited through open recruitment. Looking back, this company was actually quite good – it was a state-owned enterprise with many benefits, and it even provided Beijing residency permits (although they were collective in nature). But at that time I wasn’t aware of all this; after working there for a year, I felt I had made the wrong choice and wanted to leave. At that time, I met a relative from my family with whom I had no connection at all (really no connection at all; I counted), who was doing well in Beijing. He had dinner with me, we talked, and then he said two things to me: “What advantage do you have if you leave now, compared to this year’s fresh graduates?” ”“As long as I can still learn something, it’s worth staying and seeing.” Just because of these two sentences, I stayed. I kept working until the end of 2009. During these three and a half years on the construction site, I went through all sorts of challenges, spending over 200 days a year on site. Those who have read my previous posts know that it was during this time that I embarked on the journey of obtaining certifications. Later, due to internal competition within the company, our engineering manager and sales manager competed for the position of successor to the boss. Unfortunately, he lost, and a deputy manager from the sales department was assigned to oversee the engineering team; there was mutual dislike between them. At that time, I was on a construction site and had picked up a lot of rough behavior; my edges hadn’t been smoothed out yet, so during meetings there were constant confrontations. My good buddies around me all found better opportunities elsewhere. My own career also hit a bottleneck; I gradually became disheartened, and in the end, we parted ways amicably. It has to be said that it’s easy to meet the King of Hell, but difficult to deal with little demons. Although I offended almost all the middle managers, the senior leaders still tried their best to keep me, and they didn’t deduct my year-end bonus either. After all these years in Beijing, the greatest gains have been developing a resilient will on construction sites and making a bunch of good buddies. After leaving my job, my family introduced me to another large state-owned enterprise back in my hometown. From that point on, almost every time I changed jobs, I made sure to summarize the reasons for my departure; I couldn’t just leave without a clear reason. In my opinion, the first company made mistakes on two counts: it offended too many middle managers, and its engineering department never became a core division of the company. As a result, it had no status within the organization and often bore the brunt of criticism from both inside and outside. This second company, on the other hand, is engineering-focused; therefore, I feel that I’ve been given an opportunity to showcase my abilities. As a result, the company hired a large number of talents in preparation for a major project. However, when it came to the internal bidding at headquarters, the project wasn’t awarded. Consequently, everyone was assigned to civilian projects, where they ended up “retiring” in a sense. At the time, I was full of motivation and eager to make a difference; there was no way I would just coast through life. Thus, I started working in March and quit in October—a classic example of entering and leaving a job too quickly due to bad luck. After leaving my job, I stayed at home for four months. Although I had saved some money before, relying on that money to cover my expenses during those four months was still very difficult. During this time, aside from taking a civil service exam (which I failed), I spent it reflecting on my future career path. At the time, my thinking was that engineering is still a rather fundamental field; it would be best to switch to thermal engineering design, which was my major in college. Given my several years of construction experience, I believed I could perform better than most people in this field. And my ultimate goal was to move from engineering to design, and from design to consulting; that path seemed to be the most suitable for me at that time. However, typical design firms do not hire people without work experience through open recruitment; at that time, a friend introduced me to a private design company and suggested that I go for an interview there on my own. I think I should start out in design as a stepping stone; that would be good, and after working there for a few years I’ll gain some experience. This is my third company. The company’s senior management all comes from design institutes; there is basically no situation where outsiders guide those with expertise, and the interpersonal relationships are very relaxed. I originally planned to do it for a few years as a stepping stone, but as I continued, I found it to be quite good. Normally, when it comes to technical matters, even if I disagree with my supervisor during a meeting, it’s perfectly fine to engage in a brainstorming session. Additionally, my salary is fairly decent compared to others in the industry. I did this for four years. During those four years, I learned a great deal about design; I truly managed to integrate the engineering experience I gained back then with the theoretical knowledge I learned in college. It was also a period of intense effort on my part to obtain various certifications: I passed the First-Class Constructor exam in the first year, the Registered Mechanical Engineering Foundation exam in the second year; I failed the Registered Mechanical Engineering specialty exam in the third year, but managed to get promoted to an intermediate professional rank; and I passed the Registered Mechanical Engineering exam in the fourth year. It’s a pity that happy times are always too short. When private enterprises grow to a certain scale, the problem of a shortage of professional managers becomes apparent. First, the company had to invest nearly 100 million yuan in BOT projects, only to find itself trapped in such investments; coupled with stricter environmental regulations, many of the projects that were won failed to proceed, and the company’s business gradually declined. Some colleagues gradually left due to personal reasons, but out of their affection for the company, many others gritted their teeth and stayed on—I’m one of them. However, when the company had accumulated 6 months’ worth of unpaid wages, I finally could no longer hold on, as my savings were almost depleted; ultimately, I also decided to leave. Out of sentiment, after the company settled its debts, I gave up demanding severance pay. To this day, many colleagues are still staying there, but it is said that the situation has not improved. I hope they can have a better life. This is now the fourth company I’ve worked for; I started here in May this year. For the reasons mentioned above, I’m not really satisfied with the conditions offered by this company – I chose it only as a means to make ends meet. Originally, I thought that although my income from work would be a bit lower, at least I’d have something to do, and I wouldn’t let my skills deteriorate; I could slowly wait for the industry to rebound. And at that time, I relied on having a registered certificate to support myself, thinking it would be fine to live on my own. But the pain experienced by the industry is truly as severe as that of a difficult labor. I’ve been at the company for half a year now. They said I’d be working on energy-saving projects, but for the past six months, I’ve just been sitting in the office with no actual work to do at all. Across the entire industry, it’s also a period of downturn. None of the design firms are expanding any longer; even the cost of registration certificates has dropped by almost half, while the cost related to HVAC systems is now only slightly higher than that of first-level construction qualifications. To be honest, I’m not relying on a GK certificate to make a living; professional certifications are strictly regulated and tightly controlled, and I agree with that approach, as I work in this field and am aware of the risks involved. Only through strict regulation can quality be ensured. Moreover, for true professionals, only with strict oversight do those of us who are a small number, experienced, capable, and certified have the leverage to negotiate salaries with companies, which is in our favor. But this painful period of reform has really been too long. For one person, it might just be a matter of ten years, or two five-year plans; but for us engineers of this generation, it means having to go through this industry downturn at the peak of our lives, when we should be taking on family responsibilities. This was the period when I felt most lost and distressed. After ten years at work, I believed I had never done anything that went against my conscience; I worked diligently and responsibly, and I also continued to learn new skills. Yet, I could see no hope of creating a path for myself through my own efforts. Especially in Shanghai, living costs are very high. When I see the insights that come across casually in the conversations of my classmates working in finance, IT, and media, I sometimes really feel that there’s no hope left in continuing a career in engineering. As a man from a technical background, I do have a passion for technology, but as the eldest son in my family, I also have to bear the pressures of life. I’ve been working for ten years, yet I’m unable to improve the living conditions of my elderly parents. Although they say they can’t spend all their pensions, I know it’s because they’re still in good health; once they fall ill, my current income is barely enough to cover basic expenses. It’s not just migrant workers who build tall buildings with their own hands but can’t afford even one of the toilets in them. Maybe in a while, or maybe if there’s no hope left in working in engineering, I’ll really have to consider changing careers. When I took the college entrance exam, I didn’t know much about different majors, so it was my father who filled out the application form for me. He started in the physical goods industry, rising step by step from a worker to a manager. He told me that at all times, the physical industries are **the foundation of the economy; they’re needed at any time. As long as one works hard and has skills, they won’t go hungry anywhere.** And so many computers are hired every year; by the time I graduate, the market for computers will already be saturated. I believed it back then; now, after ten years in the workforce, fresh graduates from computer science or finance programs earn starting salaries that are higher than my pre-tax income. I don’t want to complain about the unfairness in the industry; it’s the same in countries around the world. But I still believe that the real economy is the foundation of industry. No matter how little farmers earn, **a certain portion of policies must be allocated as agricultural subsidies to ensure food self-sufficiency. But what about the real economy?** We have the most comprehensive industrial system in the world, yet we are unable to enable the technical professionals in the physical industries to lead a decent life through their own efforts. Many of my friends around me are confused; many say that everyone is holding on tight, hoping to get through this. I also wish I could persevere, but everyone’s situation is different; I really can’t carry on any longer. How many people like me are still able to keep going? I registered for HaiChuan at the end of 2009; back then, I saw a group of fellow technicians with similar interests, who would discuss things together and grow together – it really felt like finding a home. I am a Party member myself, and I dare not say that **’s policies are wrong. In the past, there were indeed many irregular, unreasonable, and even illegal practices within the industry. Now, to rectify these issues in the short term, shock therapy is almost inevitable. But I still want to say: could we, during this difficult period of reform, give us small technical staff like us who are still holding on, a glimmer of hope for the future? After all, it’s the last half of the journey that is the most challenging. Having one more source of hope gives everyone an extra reason to keep going.