r/ChemicalEngineering 3d ago

Career Advice What they don’t tell you in school

You will meet people that have worked at the plant you work at that started off as operators 15+ years ago that are miles and miles ahead of you in experience. They will know the process and have a good understanding of what is happening. They will know their system and won’t need to (but can) trace lines. A degree does not make you smarter but it gives you a deep understanding of the physics and science behind something explaining why. It will put you at about the same level as an operator who has worked there for 10-15 years in terms of pay, but learning never ever stops! In my opinion the experience is so much more valuable to the company, but experience and understanding why is gold!

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u/patrick_notstar28 2d ago

They don’t tell you a lot, like how some of us will never find jobs after graduating.

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u/cololz1 2d ago

yea, I hate how this field is either you make it or dont, theres no in between.