Tell us a little about yourself and your experience.
Im a microwave engineer for a major defense company and Ive been at it for over 20 years.
What drove you to choose your career path?
I was always interested in electronics and went to a local engineering school in the Midwest.
By graduation, I wanted out of the snow and got a job offer in sunny Los Angeles.
I was chief engineer at the college radio station, and had briefly been a HAM.
Plus I loved math and had been laughed out of a pep rally for winning a math track meet.
How did you go about getting your job?
What kind of education and experience did you need?
So I had good technical experience and could talk about those experiences.
Obviously no criminal stuff.
Vacations to Europe and the like are not an issue.
If you work in the commercial zone, nationality is much less of an issue.
What kinds of things do you do beyond what most people see?
What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?
People have a hard time visualizing radio frequency.
You ultimate rely on a lot of math.
Ive also gotten involved in many subcontracting situations.
I travel a lot these days.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
Its not like Tony Stark.
It IS a lot like Dilbert.
I have three separate motions sensors controlled lights stories.
Also there are VERY few women in the RF / microwave business.
What are your average work hours?
I work a straight 40 hours, not counting travel, but I travel a lot.
But some of my coworkers are 60 hour men.
They will let you work as long as you want.
Young people start at three weeks vacation.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
Ultimately, this is ALL you have.
This is true of engineering in general.
you gotta get out and plug yourself.
Learning to make professional presentations is half the job.
Take an improv class.
Your employer is never your friend, so save money for the inevitable out of work periods.
Keep up a professional connection.
Do more than is asked, and take credit for it.
Take risks, especially if you are positive you are right.
And if youre not, fess up.
What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?
What do they do instead?
They do real work: analysis, design, and test, generate documents.
I see potential, I see opportunist, I see risk, and I fix subtle problems.
Often my job is to ask simple questions and give people permission to do their job.
They need to spend another $2m and take another six months.
Someones bonus or job is on the line.
I come from away and essentially tell that to the big boss.
It is a VERY weird feeling.
Whats the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?
Certifications, training, time keeping, schedules, budgets management meddling.
I advise you to read your corporate policies.
Whats the most enjoyable part of the job?
Fixing big problems and saving tottering projects.
Telling people exciting things like how radio works.
Watching the news and saying: hey, I worked on that!
Do you have any advice for people who need to enlist your services?
Tell me what you want to happen.
Tell me the resources you have.
Dont tell me how to fix the problem.
What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?
Fixed pensions are gone.
How do you move up in your field?
What do your customers under/over value?
My customers are government agencies.
They value delivering what you promised on time and schedule.
You MUST be the buffer between this immovable object and the opposing force.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
Make your grades, love math, despise authority, and stay skeptical.
stash your money, learn how to invest, get involved in things outside work.
Set limits on how much abuse you will take at work.
Stay current on software.
File patents, present papers, mentor young people.
This is an obscure field and difficult to master.
Mastering it puts you in a strong position career-wise.
Plan on being laid off every 20 years.
If youd like to share your career, email us at[email protected].
Photo byManamana(Shutterstock).
