Operations vs. Design Work in Chemical Engineering
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 มิ.ย. 2024
- What are the pros and cons of working on an actual plant in an operations environment versus being at a place that designs and services those plants? I like to think of these as blue and white collar engineering jobs. I've had a chance to be in both, so here is my take.
00:00 My opinion while studying
01:27 Blue collar pros
05:49 Blue collar cons
12:46 White collar pros
18:44 White collar cons
21:30 Final thoughts
Process with Pat is the place to come for perspective and to ask stupid questions. I want you to leave more knowledgeable, confident, motivated, and most importantly, curious. I also want to invigorate a field that seems tired and uninspiring, at least if you get your perspective from internet forums. These are not lectures. This is a place for you to leave thinking “Oh! That’s why...”
This channel is not only for chemical engineers - anyone who works with processes should be able to find something of value here.
#ProcessEngineering
#ChemicalEngineering
#ProcesswithPat - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Totally agree...
In field, in front of control panels, for 12 hours... stress is the worst 😫... specially at night shifts...
Absolutely! And some problems that cause stress during that shift can’t always be solved in a single night shift. They may require months of investigation and a robust change in the process to address.
Thank you for your experience sir!
I graduated about 2 years ago (UK). Started as a Maintenance Engineer for a chemical manufacturer, now working as a Process Engineer for a food manufacturer. I am divided between design vs operation based roles. But I am excited to learn more and hopefully have a career in something I am passionate about.
Interesting comparison :) I'm definitely enjoying my design EPC process engineering job more than my plant process engineering job, but you're right that I learned on average more working at a plant.
Your video helped me a lot. I was doubting about working in operations because I was afraid of living under that stress, horrible schedules and far away from my family for the rest of my life. But now knowing about the option to move to engineering design I take this as an opportunity to learn the most I can to later apply in engineering design
Hey, can you tell me about engineering design softwares which I can learn as I am pursuing my degree in chemE
Regards.
Excellent video pat, I agree with your points.
I worked in a mineral Processing mill for an year and moved to design working for the last 2.5 yrs.
Nice! How’s it going? Design work is great but I do love getting out into site whenever I can!
@@ProcesswithPat It's good. And yes I do sometime miss visiting the shopfloor. I also miss that feeling we get when we fix an issue with an equipment and it starts running. 😀
wazup man, nice content! thanks for gettin in touch! I already subscribed to check out your content more often!
Thanks man, and you too! It's awesome to hear the perspectives of different people with different journeys... Keep it up!
You inspire me man. I was stuck on Reddit forums for the longest time, thinking I made the wrong choice 😂
Just wow, literally me.
Worked in a complex chemical plant as a "block engineer". Learned a lot, talked with operators, crawled into vessels during shutdown.
Then had to leave, because the small town built around the factory was too far from my "home", only saw my GF on weekends.
Went home, got married, I am a process design engineer now.
Totally agree with the rest too.
Big issue we have faced in green field design people do not have filed experience or never worked as operation and it's reflect on designed
I am a chemical engineer and I had worked in operation then basic design. I am from Iraq.
استاذ ممكن اتواصل وياك
Thanks a lot for such valuable information!
Thank you so much for sharing.. it helps me a lot
And thank you for the comment! Glad to know it’s useful! Best of luck…
7:34 - 9:20 food for thought
maybe..
The last 1:05 was the most cogent thing he said.
Hye there Pat great video very insightful i am curious on something. What your opinion on changing career field?. I just got an offer from a paint manufacturer but i always wanted to go in the petrochemical or the oil and gas field. Is experience in the paint manufacturing can be relevant for others field as well?
I'm working as a maintenance engineer in a blue collar industry as you mentioned. Do you have some knowleadge stories from that time where you were there?
Hi,
pat could u please explain relation between LPG volume , vs temps vs pressure .
Waiting for more quality content! Can you also make a video about which master's degree related to chemical engineering is worth studying? I found your channel through reddit!
Thanks a lot! I discuss masters with a mate of mine - you can check it out here and see if it helps:
th-cam.com/video/QxrT5KYb1yw/w-d-xo.html
@@ProcesswithPat Thank you for this valuable content!
@@ProcesswithPatI have some questions related to Chemical Engineering, can
I ask it through reddit? If you have time, you can answer, no pressure.
Sure, fire away wherever!
@@ProcesswithPat thank you man!
Great work
Glad you like it!
@@ProcesswithPat
Can you make a video about the interview questions please 🙏🏻
Great video!
Am doing chemE 2nd year and i am looking design softwares for our feild would you tell me some softwares which I can learn ?
Thanks! Good information for a 5th year ChemE student :)
No problem! And good luck! Have you found work for when you graduate?
@@ProcesswithPat Thanks, I'm looking forward to my final year, finally on campus. No, not yet, I am looking though.
Good luck and remember to enjoy it… you will miss these days, even if it feels tough!
Yes, I feel it will be like that too. College years are special even if it the studying is hard. :) I think it would be interesting to hear about the things college didn't prepare you for when you started working in the industry.
Awesome idea. Let me give it some thought!
This question is on behalf of graduating chemical engineers, or those considering studying it, who enjoy the notion of design more than than operations:
Would you encourage them to view your career path as a "model career"? I.e. Starting off with practical work on a plant, followed by a move into design work.
One commonly held idea is that one should not pursue chem eng with the desire of entering into white collar straight away. They should enjoy the prospect of being on a plant in some sense; at least for a period of time. Would you agree?
Obviously most careers don't go as planned, but people should have a road map in mind
I think the first thing that needs to be said is that finding a job out of university is not easy. It can be an absolutely soul-crushing process, with poor communication and arbitrary rejections. I have a concern that it is only getting more difficult and young people are put off of going into our industry. So I wouldn’t discourage anyone from taking a less-than-ideal job. The most important thing to do is to start acquiring skills, knowledge, and experience.
Having said that, I do think I am lucky in my career path. There is little doubt in my mind that if someone offered me a job in white collar engineering straight outta university I would have taken it over a plant job, but I think I would have been worse off for it. It’s extremely difficult to convince someone that it’s is worth the “hardship” of plant working the long run.
But again, I doubt there are many people in the lucky position to be able to pick and choose between environments! If you can find passion in the nuts and bolts of chemical engineering, I think that is the way to be fulfilled and open up further opportunities. No opportunity I ever got was due to thorough advanced career planning… only through throwing myself into problems in my work.
@@ProcesswithPat I think there is truth and wisdom in your response Pat. Thanks for that!
I particularly like your point about delving into your work. Trusting your own drive. At risk of going off at a tangent, I feel like it is something that will help a person achieve more in any work environment.
What if you undeserved the customers at the school?
The pressure and stress are equally present in white collar jobs also. Especially close to deadlines. Usually only 10% or less of overall project capital will be allocated for design. Hence, lots of cutting corners with man hours and pay, Offloading work to satellite offices with lesser labor cost and coordination hell.
In oil&gas these days every project is a Fast track project.
Also the pay is generally less than what's given to a blue collar job in a company of similar status.
You're right, there is certainly stress in both environments, and your other comments ring true. Thanks for the additional input AJ.
I think there is problem with the speed of your sound and video. They do not match
2 decimal points. Stop that.