Engineers who ski?

[BasinDaddy]

If your passionate enough about skiing you'll find a way to get your days in. There are jobs out there that will allow you to have the felxibility to ski. I got lucky enough to get hired by a resort design company in PC. It's written in our employee handbook that employees are encouraged to get out and ski. My office also happens to be at the base of a ski resort and they make a sizable contribution to a season pass. I work a lot of late nights, but it's worth it on 12" plus days. You'll have to sacrfice for the first few years until you get some seniority. Having a PE definitely gets you more privledges. Good Luck!

[Kellie]

I stopped reading at page 2, but thought I'd comment . . .

I am a chemical engineer - gave up jsome ski time during school, took 9 months off to ski, worked in the bay area for 2 years doing the weekend Tahoe commute, and now live in Alaska. I work 2 weeks on - 2 weeks off and ski 100+ days/year. I live in Girdwood 1 mile away from Alyeska Ski Resort and 20 minutes from Turnagain Pass. I commute to the Anchorage airport when it's time to fly to work for my 2 weeks.

I am at the point now where I really enjoy my job and find it interesting. It's taken awhile to build up to this point as it takes time to get enough practical knowledge to get involved in a bunch of interesting things. I now really value the balance I have and am glad I'm not just 100% ski bum. I feel like my ski life is growing and my professional life is growing and am super grateful for both.

Get the degree, get a job, pay a few dues, and get creative. There are many jobs out there where you can work remotely. I'd suggest a MechEng degree or something like it where you can work in a multitude of industries, add some civil emphasis so you could work in a municipality, and provide yourself a lot of options. Until you find your niche (whcih I would argue doesn't happen in school), I'd suggest diversifying so you're likely to be able to capitalize on random but great opportunities.

Feel free to PM me for more discussion/input if you want.

Kellie

[pow mine]

Like many others have said I don't believe being an engineering degree is as stringent as it used to be. There are so many options you will learn about throughout your degree.

I have one more year to do in mining engineering at UBC and have got about 30 days for the last three winters, about 20 of those at whistler. Granted other departments seem to be busier than mining...but you should be able to get a decent amount of skiing in.

Being in mining there are ton of jobs around on fly in/fly out schedules, usually two weeks at a time. These sort of jobs offer great opportunity for the ski bum alter-ego, although im guessing they get tiring after awhile. In my experience they seem to be a good fit for young people with few commitments.

If you feel you are passionate about getting a degree and interested in the subject matter you should go for it. Just cause you have the degree or have invested a year in it, doesn't mean you can't change your mind in the future.

[Buzzworthy]

I stopped reading at page 2, but thought I'd comment . . .

I am a chemical engineer - gave up jsome ski time during school, took 9 months off to ski, worked in the bay area for 2 years doing the weekend Tahoe commute, and now live in Alaska. I work 2 weeks on - 2 weeks off and ski 100+ days/year. I live in Girdwood 1 mile away from Alyeska Ski Resort and 20 minutes from Turnagain Pass. I commute to the Anchorage airport when it's time to fly to work for my 2 weeks.

I am at the point now where I really enjoy my job and find it interesting. It's taken awhile to build up to this point as it takes time to get enough practical knowledge to get involved in a bunch of interesting things. I now really value the balance I have and am glad I'm not just 100% ski bum. I feel like my ski life is growing and my professional life is growing and am super grateful for both.

Get the degree, get a job, pay a few dues, and get creative. There are many jobs out there where you can work remotely. I'd suggest a MechEng degree or something like it where you can work in a multitude of industries, add some civil emphasis so you could work in a municipality, and provide yourself a lot of options. Until you find your niche (whcih I would argue doesn't happen in school), I'd suggest diversifying so you're likely to be able to capitalize on random but great opportunities.

Feel free to PM me for more discussion/input if you want.

Kellie

She is really:

[mitch_cumstein]

Just remember not to let yourself turn into a huge douchebag when you get your PE and try to show some respect for the LA's because we have all the good ideas.

[g_man80]

Just thought I'd chime in because Bridger got 15" and I'm at work . I'm an engineer in Bozeman and we don't have flex time, so it's 8hrs/day M-F between 8am and 5pm. If you put in 40hrs by Thurs night you still have to use vacation time to take off Fri . I know not every firm operates like this, but ask ahead of time if it's something that will be a deal breaker.

[This End Up]

5 pages of engineer talk. Where is OGRE when you need him?

[maine-man]

I'm an engineer in Bozeman and we don't have flex time, so it's 8hrs/day M-F between 8am and 5pm. If you put in 40hrs by Thurs night you still have to use vacation time to take off Fri .

That sucks!

and try to show some respect for the LA's because we have all the good ideas.

That's funny!

She is really:

That's HAWT!

[hemas]

I'm an engineer in Bozeman and we don't have flex time, so it's 8hrs/day M-F between 8am and 5pm. If you put in 40hrs by Thurs night you still have to use vacation time to take off Fri .

Your contract sucks. Flexible time and timebank, so don't need to show up for work for a week. And nice 6 weeks paid vacation annually.

Sadly not that great skiing around, but a few hours on a plane and I'm in the Alps or a night of driving and Artic Scandiland is at my fingertips.


Signed, M.Sc. (Chem. Eng.)

[powski3]

Just thought I'd chime in because Bridger got 15" and I'm at work . I'm an engineer in Bozeman and we don't have flex time, so it's 8hrs/day M-F between 8am and 5pm. If you put in 40hrs by Thurs night you still have to use vacation time to take off Fri . I know not every firm operates like this, but ask ahead of time if it's something that will be a deal breaker.

I'm not an engineer but I'm working M-F 8-7, Hood got 5 feet in 5 days, and it's not close enough for a dawn patrol. Get out there before 8, or in a couple of weeks it will be light until 7. I would LOVE 8-5 M-F in Bozeman. Someday...

[mogul5480]

I have a buddy (who's actuallly bouncing around this forum somewhere...not sure if he's already replied) who's a civil engineer and lives in Tahoe. Definitely a nice situation. I took a different tactic: Get into a sales job. The money is amazing and, once you've paid your dues and proved your commitment, you can always make your schedule flexible and get your ski on. It takes a while to get that kind of respect, but you can do it. W/ an engineering degree, you can get into some kind of technical sales and be in business.

[Hugh Conway]

Found On Craigslist:

I Need a New Fucking Job
Date: 2004-03-24, 4:38PM CST


I came to this company a couple of years ago, all eager to be a part
of the "team", got a nice kick up from my last job and a cool office
with a view of the river. Yeah, that was a good day, came into work
with my picutres and shit, degrees, put them on the wall, called my
secretary and....yup, she was hot. I was pumped. Not yet thirty,
making bank and real people asking me my opinion about professional
shit.

It's hard to mark the moment when this turned into a living hell. It
was pretty gradual, though I would have to say last labor day was a
turning point. I worked the whole weekend, putting shit together on a
deal that had gone south but was being hopelessly backrigged to pass
for done in hopes of saving a massive account that some management
asshole had buggered beyond repair. I was on a conference call, with
1. A guy in the parking lot of a big ten stadium for a ball game, 2. a
woman in colorado in a chalet taking a break from the slopes, 3. a guy
on a sailboat going under the golden gate. I was the only one at work.
And, big point here, I was not the one who fucked up the deal. He was
in Bermuda, and couldn't be on the call because he was probably being
rubbed down by cabana boys on the fucking company dime.

Since then, it's been "trending down". Instead of interesting, funny
and brilliant team players, I see my coworkers as a pack of fuck-eyed
ass monkeys trolling for bagels and a 90 minute lunch. They duck work
like the Republican Guard around here. Instead of an inspired
leadership, I see the managers as a boatload of cackling seagulls who
smell of shit and are typically way too far above head to do anything
useful, except maybe write a scathing memo once in a while. My office
is the fucking Death Star. I can feel the life being sucked out of me,
honestly. I think this is called burnout, but I can't be sure. I'm
working too many hours to spend time researching what that means. If I
start thinking about buying a gun, I'll look it up. In the meantime,
somebody has to update the client while the ass monkeys all go to Nick
and Tony's for the third time this week. My secretary likes me, but
that's just bad. I desperately want to fuck her silly, but can't for
more reasons than I can possibly think of. Top 2 - her boyfriend is
LARGE, and my girlfriend is great. Every time she comes in my office
to "talk", I fain total concentration on something else and tell her
I'm busy.

I'm contemplating my escape. Frankly, I'd like to repel down the side
of the building, hop into a speedboat and make-off with the bearer
bonds like bruce fucking willis, but it's not likely. I could shop
around, but really, the market is not right to get caught with your
zipper down. I could be unemployed, which, well, would be bad.

So I have a few resolutions, we'll call them Sanity Savers, in the
spirit of every dumbass HR presentation I ever had to sit through:

1. 40 hour weeks, starting now. Which means I got friday off, motherfuckers.

2. Casual attire. I'm sick of getting dressed for you fuckwads. I've
got jeans too, you know. They're dirty, and I'll be wearing them
tomorrow. That way, I can be the one who ducks the client every
tuesday. Ha.

3. Long lunches. Next time the little flock off assholes heads off to
Nick and Tony's, I'll be there already, tying one on at the bar. Oh
yeah, lunch drinking is back!

4. Progress Reports. I'm going to start issuing less and less, until,
eventually, nobody knows where the fuck anything is at. I'm also going
to start writing really pointless, lengthy memos that I compose while
shitfaced. You can anticipate lots of expletives.

5. Closed Door Policy. I'm sick of people poking their heads in my
office "to say hi", so I'm closing the door permanently. I will then
be much more able to look at porn, read CL and Friendster my ass into
a whole new exsistence right here at my desk. Praise Jebus.

That's a start. Any and all recommendations welcome.

[Drupp]

I am a senior in ME at MSU in Bozeman, and will be done in december 09. I have had ever winter out here with 60+ a year. Last winter I took off for a semester so that was a little unfair, but I was pushing 130 last year. The course work takes the effort and time, but you gotta make some time to get the hell out of town and into the mtns.
As for getting a job, it seems to be where and what you wanna work on. I'm hoping to find something in the snow sports industry, but who knows. if nothing else I'll be a highly educated ski bum.

[alberta_hoser]

Update:
I just finished first year in Engineering at the University of Calgary. Worked my way onto the Dean's list and used it to get into Civil with a specialization in Energy and the Environment. The Civil department has an Avalanche graduate program Thanks for all the help everyone

[KC_Deane]

Luke Jacobson is an engineer, he is the VP engineer of Moment skis. And Logan Imlach is an engineer..almost and he skis alot in the winter in AK

[nord]

As an aerospace engineer, I don't make great money, I can do my job in maybe 8 towns in the US (unlikely near skiing),

Ever hear of a Company called BOEING
Hint: They make airplanes in a town called Seattle

[Black]

Update:
I just finished first year in Engineering at the University of Calgary. Worked my way onto the Dean's list and used it to get into Civil with a specialization in Energy and the Environment. The Civil department has an Avalanche graduate program Thanks for all the help everyone

AB Hoser.. Not sure where you're at, but if you're serious about the Avy Graduate program, then seriously consider joining a local ski patrol as a volley with an AC crew (www.cspslouise.ca). The practical experience and contacts will be invaluable to your degree..

[runlikewereawesome]

I'm a structural engineer living in New York City and I ski in Vermont. The commute on the weekends is a bit of a bitch, but totally worth it!

I don't have a car so I usually bum rides off of other NYers and I've been in a share house or season apt rental with friends the last several seasons in SoVT.

Engineering is a great profession with LOTS of different directions you can take. I sort of recommend starting with Mechanical because you can always switch from that into one of the others, but it's harder to go the other way.

I did Architectural Engineering and it has done me quite well. I'm very happy with my career/play balance. Sure... I dream of living on a mountain for a season (or lifetime), but it's also fun to play in the City.

Best of luck to you!

[Honey]

I think a really important question, and one you might be able to answer now and might not is what do you enjoy. First off, if you start in engineering there's a bunch of different ways you go and if you don't like it you can always bail, but it's a lot tougher to get into the further you go. Also, even with an engineering degree there's nothing preventing you from being a ski bum and it gives you a leg up in what to me are some of the best ski bum jobs (ski tuning, boot repairs, generally things where you start at around 3pm which is unequivocally the best time to have to go to work). I'd recommend seeing what you like and going from there as being excited to get up in the morning is the most important thing. If you like math and physics check out applied math, if you like design and lab work civil + mechanical might be your area. If you playing with materials and trying to make good things better with new materials matsci is probably your ticket. See what you like, do it, and then find a way to bend it around skiing, there's plenty of jobs in skibumville.

The other thing is, with a shortage of engineers you have some leverage that other fields don't. For example, my company wanted to send me to a different office for a year because there was more work there, but my direct boss had 20hrs a week for me, so I gave up my benefits and telecommuted from Vail 20hrs a week, and outside of the occasional meeting/phone call I had to be online/present for. I had more time on the hill and more beer money than any ski bum in there 20s (trustafarians excluded)

[butterscotch]

How many engineers does it take to realize this dead thread got bumped for no reason?

[counterfeitfake]

Ever hear of a Company called BOEING
Hint: They make airplanes in a town called Seattle

Sweet zing to the past. What alerted you to some guy being clueless in 2009?

[runlikewereawesome]

How many engineers does it take to realize this dead thread got bumped for no reason?

Ha! I totally noticed that right after I had posted.... apparently it takes a few!

[whyturn]

SLC has some good ENG jobs and if you can get 4 10's or 9-80 you can ski 50-75 days a year maybe 100 if you work at it

[Dave Marshack]

grow pot. ski every day.

[Hugh Conway]

How many engineers does it take to realize this dead thread got bumped for no reason?

the failed zings at the failed zing are well worth it