Assistant Engineer, County Council Panel Position

Chemical Byrne

Hi. I'm hoping to draw on peoples knowledge and experience here.

I am a civil engineer, 29 yo, M.Eng, not chartered yet with 2 yrs post grad experience and 1 yr self employed between BEng & BEng Hons. At the moment I am a Graduate Engineer with a multinational civil/structural consultancy.

I've been asked to come to interview for a panel position for Assistant Engineer in a County Council.

Can anyone advise exactly how these panels work? Like if a panel position was offered how long could one expect to have to wait for an actual job to come up?
What exactly is an assistant engineer's role? The job description was almost non-existent.

Could I expect to go in at the bottom of the Assistant Engineer pay scale with this experience/quals or could I go in a up a step or two?

Would taking a council job be damaging career wise, as in would I ever be realistically able to work in the private sector again after spending a few years in the council?

How do council engineer salaries compare with private in the general long term run of things? I am currently on 30k with current employer - am I getting rode? I feel it's poor. Entry level for assistant engineer is 40.3k. Are the increments yearly or what int he council?

Thanks folks.

MODS, can I post/copy this thread into work & jobs too?

godtabh

Dont cross post. It isnt something that is generally done.

Chemical Byrne

Sorry, you can delete this one sure.

Gumbo

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

Hi. I'm hoping to draw on peoples knowledge and experience here.

I am a civil engineer, 29 yo, M.Eng, not chartered yet with 2 yrs post grad experience and 1 yr self employed between BEng & BEng Hons. At the moment I am a Graduate Engineer with a multinational civil/structural consultancy.

I've been asked to come to interview for a panel position for Assistant Engineer in a County Council.

Can anyone advise exactly how these panels work? Like if a panel position was offered how long could one expect to have to wait for an actual job to come up?
What exactly is an assistant engineer's role? The job description was almost non-existent.

Could I expect to go in at the bottom of the Assistant Engineer pay scale with this experience/quals or could I go in a up a step or two?

Would taking a council job be damaging career wise, as in would I ever be realistically able to work in the private sector again after spending a few years in the council?

How do council engineer salaries compare with private in the general long term run of things? I am currently on 30k with current employer - am I getting rode? I feel it's poor. Entry level for assistant engineer is 40.3k. Are the increments yearly or what int he council?

Thanks folks.

MODS, can I post/copy this thread into work & jobs too?

Panels last 12 months unless specifically told otherwise.
If you place 3rd for example, 1st and 2nd get offered the position before you and it will come to you if a 3rd position becomes available or if the people on 1 and 2 decide to say no for some reason.

You will go in at the bottom of the scale unless you are already in a public service position paying more than the bottom point, in which case, you usually go in at the nearest point to your current salary plus one scale point. Quals mean nothing here, once you have the basic qualifications for the position, any extras may mean a better chance of placing, but it won't allow salary amendments.

Career wise : DCC City Engineer Michael Philips was Engineers Ireland chairman for a year iirc, so they are not looked down on as much as people may think. There are a lot of old wives tales about how you go into the council to get ready for retirement but things have changed in the last 10 years in my opinion.

Salary scale on risen incrementally on a yearly basis, from the date you started in that position. Private V Public comparison is hard as the PS salary scale is laid out with all to see and I think the Assit. Position tops out at 57k iirc?

You lose any chance of over time, Xmas bonus, project bonus etc as you get noting extra on top of your salary, not even a free cup of tea a Christmas time

Any further questions, please ask and I can try answer as best as I can.

The Megaphone

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

Could I expect to go in at the bottom of the Assistant Engineer pay scale with this experience/quals or could I go in a up a step or two?

You will go in at the bottom scale.

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

Would taking a council job be damaging career wise, as in would I ever be realistically able to work in the private sector again after spending a few years in the council??

One concern would be that you will be positioned in a department that has nothing to do with your previous experience.

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

How do council engineer salaries compare with private in the general long term run of things? I am currently on 30k with current employer - am I getting rode? I feel it's poor. Entry level for assistant engineer is 40.3k. Are the increments yearly or what int he council?

Based on the minimum entry requirements for Graduate up to Executive Engineer Level the salaries are miles better than what the private sector pay, and yes the increments are yearly.

For your current situation, your age is counting against you, 30k for a graduate/assistant level engineer is good, not many 24 / 25 year olds getting that.

Chemical Byrne

I don't understand what you say about my age being against me. Is it that I am at a low career grade for my age and they'd think I'd be looking for too much for the role considering my age probably being more than some applicants? I took a yr out after school, then worked 2 yrs after b.eng, then 3 yrs between B.eng hons then m.eng. with w ys postgraduate work that brings me to 29. I am 2-3 yrs older than most of my colleagues of the same grade.
If 30k is considered a good salary then its a damning indictment of civil engineering as a career. It's piss poor.
I know one or 2 grad engineers in say late 30s, early 40s who went back for degree after years in trades. How on earth could they expect to have any sort of Life on a grad salary like that, let alone have a house or family.
Tbh, I increasingly feel like civil engineering is a bit of a waste career wise. I like the work but its not worth it. Fcuking Mondeo man lifestyle is the best one can hope for in it.
I don't see myself staying long beyong chartership tbh.

The Megaphone

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

I don't understand what you say about my age being against me. Is it that I am at a low career grade for my age and they'd think I'd be looking for too much for the role considering my age probably being more than some applicants? I took a yr out after school, then worked 2 yrs after b.eng, then 3 yrs between B.eng hons then m.eng. with w ys postgraduate work that brings me to 29. I am 2-3 yrs older than most of my colleagues of the same grade.

The point I am making is that as you are older, you're expectations of what you should get paid are higher, but to your Employer, you are an engineer with only 2 years post graduate experience. This especially hits people when they find out what their friends with similar experience (or less) in other industries get paid.

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

I know one or 2 grad engineers in say late 30s, early 40s who went back for degree after years in trades. How on earth could they expect to have any sort of Life on a grad salary like that, let alone have a house or family.

I think fair play to anyone who has done this, it is a massive commitment but thats like saying anyone with 3 kids and a mortgage should get paid more than a single guy. Again, like with a person's age, it is irrelevant and experience is key.

Chemical Byrne wrote: »

I don't see myself staying long beyong chartership tbh.

And here's the nail in the coffin, once you get your parchment confirming the title of Chartered Engineer has been awarded to you, you have to continue paying your annual subscription to the IEI even if you change careers otherwise you get struck off the registered list of Chartered Engineers and no longer hold the right to call yourself such.

Chemical Byrne

And here's the nail in the coffin, once you get your parchment confirming the title of Chartered Engineer has been awarded to you, you have to continue paying your annual subscription to the IEI even if you change careers otherwise you get struck off the registered list of Chartered Engineers and no longer hold the right to call yourself such.

I get that but I wouldn't intend a complete career change, just bow out of working as an employee. I considering doing some research into getting into a bit of property development if and when the time is right again. I just feel that working as an engineer for someone else is a bit of a dead end job. I see Technical Directors here where I work that are extremely competent & experienced individuals with big responsibilities but will have to work into their 60s just to stay afloat financially.

As for the rest of your reply, that's fairly logical I suppose. I just find it frustrating is all. I enjoy what I do now, but I don't want to be doing the same thing at a higher grade at 50 for a salary that is probably only fractionally greater.

Gumbo

I think you need to sit down and evaluate what your long term priorities are tbh
In this thread - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057490242 you want to take the LA job and do nixers with the LA staff on slow days but I really think you are naive to the inner workings of what you are required to do within the position.