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By Design News Staff -- Design News, September 9, 2002
You can't always get what you want
I was reading your editorial titled "It's not about the money," and almost fell over backwards from laughter. I think the people you were talking about are called, uhhhh, oh yeah, monks, nuns, priests... These are the few people that dedicate their life to making a difference without any other reward than knowing that they are working in God's name.
Let's be realistic. I feel that the increase in job dissatisfaction reported in the article is too high. Sounds like a bunch of people that went to college right after high school and overall had a fairly easy time, other than college itself, are complaining. ADVERSITY BUILDS CHARACTER. But to say that people pursue careers to make a difference only is not entirely true.
When I went to school for mechanical engineering it was because I was passionate about mechanical gadgets. I loved to tinker with such items to make it better or just to see how it worked. To make a difference? No. But if I did make a difference, then it as well as money would be a wonderful by-product of my passion.
'It's not about the money' is an ideal thought or concept and I agree it should never be about the money. But at some point it has to be. Supplying food and shelter takes money. And that takes precedence over "contributing to make a difference." Even monks, nuns, and priests have to eat!
I would bet that the unsatisfied population cannot or will not separate needs from wants. There is a song that states it best, "It's not having what you want; it's wanting what you have."
Simon Angelle, Design News reader
Comparison not valid
I couldn't DISAGREE more if I tried. You tell us to 'get over it'; issues about job security, nonexistent raises, and insufficient time to complete tasks. I find your answer over-simplified, wrong, and somewhat insulting to those who engineer with a passion about their work every day.
If it's not about the money, why is your first example about a teacher in Newton, MA who cannot afford a $500,000 home? Do you think an engineer can? Engineering wages are higher than teaching wages because of supply and demand. There are more teachers than engineers, engineering is harder to study, you need a passion for it.
Teacher's pay comes from a GUARANTEED source of funding—taxes, assessments, and lotteries. Teachers have tenure — it means they can't be dismissed, under any circumstances. National teacher competent rating - not in this lifetime.
Engineer's salaries come from business revenue, which also supports the assembly workers, engineers, management, and a new overburdening parasite—shareholder value. Do it right, with shrinking limited resources and foreign competition, with the "best-in-class" products and you get to stay. Do it wrong, you go, and you probably ruined it for several others too.
I don't see how you can make the comparison of engineers to teachers, unless it is extremely biased and shallow. You are about focusing on the money. It is so sad that you missed the real dedication of the engineers.
Art Buglione, Design News reader
Thumbs up
The vehicular accident reconstruction articles by Larry Zirkle (DN Breaktime News) are truly excellent. It is very interesting to read how accident investigations reverse the engineer velocity and probable sequence of events. Please continue!
Nathan Vollrath, FMC Technologies Inc.
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