3 replies to this topic

[frank213]

Hi


I have completed my BTECH in Chemical Engineering in 2008 and am considering studying a National Diploma: Management (3 year course) part-time. I was told that these two courses works well together. My concern however is that I don't have any job experience and i am afraid of becoming over-qualified. Is it thus advisable to study the Management course?

Thanks!

[kkala]

"Although human relations is seldom formally taught, it is no less important to the chemical engineer than is his background in the physical sciences and economics. Fortunate indeed is the young engineer whose education has been broad enough to impress upon him the importance of all three aspects of the triad of engineering: physical science, economics, and human relations".
Foust, Wenzel, Clump, Maus, Andersen, "Principles of Unit Operations" (Wiley, 1960).

Management improves knowledge on Economics and Human Relations (also a bit on legislation). It is an asset for European conditions, and I would say not only for them according to the above extract. A graduating engineer is hard to be considered overqualified, in my opinion. Management skills will most probably stay inert during first job years, but later you can more easily proceed to administrative positions of the company.

The question is whether you like this perspective, whether you feel an inclination for management, e.g. to be realistic with targets and inspire people of the team for a satisfactory result. Even if you may not be an important director in the company, it is quite probable that you will become some day leader of some office, team, Department, then managerial skill will be useful. However this is also a matter of character, but studies can have a contribution.

Some of my classmates happened to become managers, and to my opinion they would have acted better if they had assimilated healthy management principles. Character plays an important role, since every weak point of the manager is enlarged. A manager should serve principles, not interests; should bear responsibility for whole team, should decide on time, should have personality inspiring others (Confucius: only the humble is capable of command). If these are considered as challenges rather than "chores", then there is a way.

I say it because in 1990's there was locally (and not only) a fashion for managers. As a result well paid managers were "installed", having almost no ability of any work! This is another reason to support creation of real managers. If chemical engineers, they had to get good technical knowledge too.

Edited by kkala, 05 December 2009 - 11:50 AM.

[djack77494]

I don't think you would be overqualified if you got advanced degrees in both your field of engineering as well as management. Depending on the type of work you wind up doing, you could easily move from an engineering job into a managerial job. For example, in the Engineering Contracting business, it is common for a process or a systems engineer to eventually become a project engineer or a project manager. (Terms are confusing and vary from place to place.)  By the way, you didn't indicate your location, and that could have an important bearing on your decision. Good luck in whatever path you choose.

Edited by djack77494, 07 December 2009 - 02:44 PM.

[Padmakar Katre]

Dear kkala,
Nice comments.