(69a) 25 Years of Process Design + Manufacturing + R&D and Still Don't Know What I Want to Be When I Grow up

The author spent most of his career in the Engineering and Construction industry (E&C) where he worked in process & environmental engineering, technology support, and project & department management.  After 20 years in this industry, he took a leap of faith and joined one of his client companies to manage the manufacturing support functions at a major petrochemical complex.  Two years later, he moved to his present role where he leads a regional Research & Development group within the same company.   The author shares his first-hand experience of working in these numerous roles in three different industries.  In addition, he discusses the value of advanced degrees in engineering and/or business in each of the industries in which he worked.  The author’s main goal for the paper is to provide practical career guidance to young engineers as they consider their options for professional development and advancement.