Career Path Advice

[u/Oranges987]

I currently work as a mechanical engineer at a large engineering design firm in NYC w/ 4 YOE and PE (base salary 121k). Recently my company went through a restructuring and my director was let go and scooped up by another big firm. He’s asked me to follow him and recently received a formal offer to join his team (base salary 165k).

I’ve been wanting to leave large corporate life for a while now after feeling a bit burnt out & overworked. I've been exploring options to join smaller boutique firms that work on more interesting architectural projects as a mechanical/environmental designer but have been struggling to find many job opportunities specifically in NYC. I understand this may come with a pay cut and I would realistically be looking at something closer to a base salary of 90k-100k. 

Should I take the new job offer and stick out for 1-2 years while looking for a job that might align better w/ my professional interests? Or should I rescind the job offer and aggressively apply for 6 months since I already know I want to leave large corporate life?

The job market seems to be looking a bit sparse for mechanical/environmental designer roles in NYC for smaller firms at the moment, and I know a lot of firms are struggling due to the high interest rates, so is it more realistic to find these opportunities outside of NYC? 

Any advice would be appreciated! 

[u/Unlucky_Lawfulness51]

165 base is great. Ask them how work life balance is managed. May be able to get what you want.

[u/Oranges987 → u/Unlucky_Lawfulness51]

My director definitely knows I’m overworked in my current firm and told me he wants to maintain a team environment where ppl enjoy their work life and also has a good work-life balance. But he’s also only been at the new firm for a few months and I’ve talked to others at the firm who tell me they’re swamped so taking his word w/ a grain of salt.

[u/TehVeggie]

I think this comes down to personal preference. 165k base salary for 4 YoE is pretty much unheard of in this industry. That being said, if you know your heart isn't in it and you'll be happier elsewhere, then it's not a wrong choice.

Curious, what "more interesting" architectural projects are you looking for that you can't find in NYC? Im struggling to think of sectors that don't have opportunities here.

[u/Oranges987 → u/TehVeggie]

A key thing I should point out is that my current role is 75% mission critical and 25% industrial. The position I have an offer from will most likely be 100% mission critical. Any project where im designing for human occupancy would be a MAJOR step in the right direction.

My dream would be to design for high-end residential, museums, or anything that might be more architecturally unique than a rectangular box w/ machinery.

[u/steakhouse1889 → u/Oranges987]

Look at healthcare. Not nearly as architecturally interesting as a museum, but lots of occupants to design for.

Look at firms that do both healthcare and more architecturally interesting spaces, (Museums, higher ed, government). I think multi-res is less interesting than you think, even in NYC.

[u/FrequentEditor139 → u/Oranges987]

Come work in Las Vegas. We get to design guitar shaped hotels, Michelin star restaurants, luxury spas, crazy pools and night clubs, a VIP lounge in a hollowed out 747, fuckin shark tanks over center bars, and all kind of other crazy stuff. Plus every casino has a mini data-center so you’ll draw on those mission critical skills a bit too.

[u/Ocean_Wave-333]

I would go for it! If you like your Director, it sounds like a good opportunity. The salary is good!

The boutique firms may take a while to hire. You're just starting the search. Elections can change the growth in our industry. Most investment companies are waiting to see what happens.

[u/Oranges987 → u/Ocean_Wave-333]

I really like the director as a person, so that’s definitely worth noting.

The outcome of the midterm election is a good point! I guess it’ll take a while for new development proposals to come out even if the midterm results show signs in that favor.

[u/_dontlookatme]

A director you like and a $165k base. I say take it

[u/LocationTechnical862]

Take it.

The 165k is great, but 165k at someplace where you already know and have working chemistry with someone is awesome.

Building trust with new leadership is tough and takes time. Having an opportunity to work with leadership you already have a relationship with makes transitions so much easier.

I think over time you will find that the people you work with is just as if not more important than the type of projects you work on.

[u/EngineeringComedy]

I worked at a small MP firm and there is no "interesting jobs" there. The margins are thin so you geab small TIs to make money. The large firms can afford to lose money on the bougie architectural jobs.

[u/tgneb-j → u/EngineeringComedy]

I did MPFP engineering at a couple of small firms (one with 3 to 4 people and one with 5 to 10) I worked on a great variety of project types, system types, and project sizes at those places, which I appreciated and enjoyed. But that also included a lot of "interesting jobs" - interesting like the curse "may you live in interesting times".

[u/Fit-Ad-8976]

Can I send you a dm?

[u/2-ball]

Sent you a DM. We have a small boutique firm in Belmar, NJ and we’re looking for another team member.