... You know what I like about the engineering firms in my area? No degree, no EE job. ...
... The higher the degree, the more responsibility your given when you start out, not to mention the vast difference in pay grade. Exactly how I would expect it to be.
You seem to me like someone who works best in government structures, or in large companies who have exactly the same structure as 20 years ago. A bit like the Chinese/Russian communist way of thinking, where a job is dictated to you.
But I'm glad for you, you're happy with it. As am I (with master degree) in my situation.
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Funny,I worked for 24 years for a government utility,& never once,was a job dictated to me.
OK,we had things which had to be done,but were always allowed to use our own initiative.
After all,in an ongoing technical environment,a lot of things happen which cannot be dictated by the Manager/Commissar of your example.
In a further 10 years in the Private Sector,I had the same experience.
Largely,the Boss left you to do your job without interference.
Ironically,the only place I worked, that approached the Soviet style,was quite a small private enterprise,where the Techs were supposed to know nothing & to do as they were told.
If you showed initiative,or any other sign you had a functioning brain,you became something like "An Enemy of the State"!
If they could have afforded a "Gulag" they would have had one!
They sacked me because I dared to think,& then asked me to stay on for a while.
Like an idiot,I did---well,jobs for Old Farts were a bit thinly spread.
After a while,they made me permanent!
I struggled on for a year or so,but I'd "had a gutfull" & finally left!