I have know idea why this happens to me, when I am questioned buy a crowd what my ambitions are and I mention the words " I want to be an Electrical Engineer," I feel embarrassed - Is this normal?

 

I was so proud to say the exact same thing, beginning at about 5 years old. I'm 45 now, and wouldn't change a thing.

 

To prevent everyones eye's rolling into the back of their heads, I'll try and avoid the conversation. I end up being the quiet one who has nothing to contribute to the conversation. It is really odd and not something I have noticed before.

 

I mention the words " I want to be an Electrical Engineer," I feel embarrassed - Is this normal?

Normal? It's hard to say. I guess it depends on why you are embarrassed? Do you have any idea why?

I suppose it's possible that you are a doer more than a talker. Perhaps mentioning your goals, without yet proving you can achieve them makes you uncomfortable. Perhaps you know you can do it, but think others may doubt you. Or, maybe you doubt yourself and want to prove it to yourself first. I can understand feelings along those lines, as I had them when I was younger.

I recommend changing your wording when you speak to others. If this is truly your goal, and if you are actively working in that direction in any way (reading books, asking questions here, looking at universities, taking courses etc.), say "I am working towards becoming an electrical engineer". We all have wants, but we feel better about expressing our wants when we can say with confidence that our want is more than a pipe-dream, but is an end-goal that will be achieved.

 

Why not say "I want to be a Rocket Scientist", that will shut them up.

When people ask me what did I major in, I say "Engineering Physics". They say "Wow" and move on to something else.

 

I have know idea why this happens to me, when I am questioned buy a crowd what my ambitions are and I mention the words " I want to be an Electrical Engineer," I feel embarrassed - Is this normal?

how old are you? do you feel embarrassed because you feel that you should already be an electrical engineer at your age? I have wondered about how I am going to feel about it when I go to college. My little brother's firends who are several years younger than I, have already graduated last year and they are electrical engineers. These are kids I used to pick on, and now I'm going to have to say that "I want to be like them".

 

If you are young:

I'm interested in electronics and am in school for engineering in that field.
I'm looking into applied advanced physics.
I'm gonna be an eeekss (EE/CS).

When older:
To guys: "I've always liked electronics, so I'm going back to school to fix that mistake of majoring in Physical Fitness"

To girls: "I'm unemployed" usually keeps the gold diggers away, while giving a false sense of honesty to the rest.

 

My birthday is always the first week back after the summer break, this year I was 21. I think Steveb hit the nail on the head.

Strantor I don't think age is an issue attending a college, there are students who are in their mid-thirty somethings at mine but I think financial difficulties can be a problem, unfortunately I live at home with parents so I am not in your position.

A tutor who had been made redundant told me how the majority of people always have a career change throughout their life and do something totally different that has nothing to do with their previous knowledge , where as me on the other hand can see no purpose behind this, I just ask my self why?

Over here in England with the pension strikes and facts being claimed that we are all living longer and must work until 68, having 50 years under my belt in the industry will be good enough for me.

 

Joey, a proud member from South Florida.

 

One possible reason for embarrassment is that engineering is regarded as a quite low-status occupation in this country, in contrast to Continental Europe and elsewhere. There is also a good deal of public confusion here over what constitutes an engineer.

This comes partly from what might be called "job inflation", where for instance basic maintenance operatives who could not reasonably be described as technicians are called engineers. People have complained about this for years, but it seems to be a losing battle.

When I qualified as an Engineer, I joined a UK organisation called the Institution of Electrical Engineers. Later on, after some mergers with other organisations it became known as the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Some people nowadays seem to style themselves as technologists rather than engineers: perhaps this is a trend for the future.

 

One possible reason for embarrassment is that engineering is regarded as a quite low-status occupation in this country, in contrast to Continental Europe and elsewhere.

What? why? What is considered a high status occupation?

There is also a good deal of public confusion here over what constitutes an engineer.

I'v never been to London, but I have been to a couple of countries where they called me an engineer. Upon arrival, I intoduced myself as a "field service technician" and they printed me off a badge that said "field service engineer". I felt a little silly wearing it.

 

What? why? What is considered a high status occupation?

I'v never been to London, but I have been to a couple of countries where they called me an engineer. Upon arrival, I intoduced myself as a "field service technician" and they printed me off a badge that said "field service engineer". I felt a little silly wearing it.

Financial services have been very much regarded, at least until recently. The official view was that they were going to provide our country with great prosperity, whereas manufacturing and engineering were things of the past. Now we face financial problems, and a compromised balance of trade, it seems that even our government are coming to realise it is not so simple.

I am not surprised about your badge. For instance, people who work at tyre and exhaust fitters here are sometimes called engineers, when in reality they may not be qualified mechanics. The story is that they don't need to be, as they are only doing a simplified job. I wonder about that, as I once narrowly stopped one of those fellows from jacking my vehicle up by the fuel tank!

 

Financial services have been very much regarded, at least until recently. The official view was that they were going to provide our country with great prosperity, whereas manufacturing and engineering were things of the past.

That's pretty stupid. "we're going to grow strong by making money out of money; screw making money out of things. All you who invented & designed the modern world may now feel free to sink into insignificance. We don't need to advance anymore."

 

...
and I mention the words " I want to be an Electrical Engineer," I feel embarrassed - Is this normal?

Well then try saying;

"I looked at becoming a doctor, but that would be a waste of my intellect sitting a room writing prescriptions all day. Then I looked at becoming a physics professor, but likewise a waste of my IQ standing in front of a whiteboard repeating the same stuff to students year after year.

So I chose electrical engineering, where my brain cells can really be put to good use..."

You just need to spin it a bit.