How long does it usually take for a new engineer to stop feeling useless? After three months, I'm still taking way longer on basic tasks and require guidance. Is being this far behind normal for the first few months, or is it a bad sign?
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Im 22 now and when I left school i was in college doing electrical and mechanical engineering I was there for about 3 months before i got offered an apprenticeship i got told it was pretty much the same thing and got put on a lean manufacturing apprenticeship instead since then ive struggled to find anywhere that will provide training and/or qualifications while keeping a similar salary as i have a child and live with my partner alone so an apprenticeship wage isnt really an option. Any advice?
You’re doing fine. Before you know it you’ll be the guy new hires ask for help and you’ll be very confused how that happened
Yep exactly. No rush
Generally accepted rules of thumb for a new hire being productive are 3-12 months post-hire, and that is not taking into account whether they are new (entry level) or experience (senior level). Entry level contributions can be on the longer end of that timeframe. Despite it's association with being "a science", engineering (incl. design) is still very much driven by experiential learnings and rules of thumb that guide design decisions. I didn't feel "useful" until I had almost 2 years of experience in industry. You also should take into account that most are their own harshest critics, and you are likely more useful in your work environment than you give yourself credit for. Truer measurements of your performance should be a combination of internal (yourself) and external valuation from your peers, clients, managers, etc, assuming they have good perspective of what your role entails and realistic pacing of your workload.
Every role is different as well, long time for some, instant for others. You also don’t always need to actively contribute all the time just assist when asked.
3 months is my rule
Seems quick
3 months to get your bearings but could be up to a year to actually make contributions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or for help from your colleagues.
Really good answer here
It took me around half year to feel like moving forward by myself.
I take this as a reflection on your company to train than your ability to learn.