I stink at my job!

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I am a mechanical designer, and am very frustrated lately. Either I am not very bright, or over the last several years, I have been given unusually difficult projects. The last 4 or 5 projects I've worked on have been darn near impossible to do, and I want to bang my friggin' head against the wall. I'm trying to design a seal system for a sliding roof hatch, and for the life of me, I can't seem to get it right. Maybe I should consider a different profession..
 
i learned a long time ago, and am still working on.. walking away for a while, like 30minutes. Do something else or get some air, walk, etc..

the more i stress on something that didn't click, the harder it becomes to get it to click.
 
I remember when you were interviewing for this job just several months ago and we posted interview tips and support!
 
Originally Posted By: tpitcher
I remember when you were interviewing for this job just several months ago and we posted interview tips and support!





The job is good, but my complaints are not specific to this particular job. It's been the last few years. I'm wondering if I'm just not cut out for this line of work.
 
Sometimes, keen knowledge of your shortcomings is just evidence that you know your job well. The more experienced you get, the more you understand your limitations.
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Sometimes, keen knowledge of your shortcomings is just evidence that you know your job well. The more experienced you get, the more you understand your limitations.


I think that's very true.
 
I tend to walk away from a problem and occupy myself somehow. When I return Im a little refreshed and try to look at things in a different light.

I deal with software issues ALL DAY, bugs etc. Take for instance I spent a good 6 hours yesterday trying to track down how a lady made a call to a Dr.(pharma software for product samples). She was visiting Dr. A, but he wasn't available and performed a Call Swap to Dr. B. You basically put a check mark in the call swap box for Dr. B and his info comes up. She makes the call, leaves products and saves it. Only for some reason it bugged out and is listing the call under Dr A instead of Dr. B.

I thought I tried everything, I searched everywhere in the software, MS SQL etc and found the data but didn't know how to go about fixing it until i remember I could force update the Dr. A name out and put Dr. B in without it harming any other information or records.

Confusing yes, but all in all it worked. Think about different designs, or how different things work and try to apply that information to your project.

How do hatches or sliders typically work, how would you incorporate that into your project etc.
 
Wayne,

Flip it around. Very difficult projects make it that more satisfying when completed successfully.

You don't really want to be on welfare do you? Just kidding. I know how you feel in a couple ways. I work with many senior engineers that run circles around me technically. I just keep plugging & chugging though learning all I can along the way.

If you aren't cut out for this work, they'll move you to another position or get rid of you.
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In a somewhat more serious manner, it's Friday & this sounds like a Monday question!
 
Often when I need to make something I look at what other's have done. I am not above taking someone else's design and adding or deleteing from it to make it my design. It is stupid to constantly re-invent the wheel this was somethign that frustrated me when I was working at GM. Due in large part to the young engineer's that where niether car guys or very experinced they often re-invented the wheel and often had problems.

So look at other types of sliding seal designs like on Jet air craft, moon roofs in car's etc...........Kelly Johnson from the Skunk Works aka U2,BlackBird etc....Graduated from a locally Community COllege that I am now attending! We ahve all kinds of stuff he gave to the school on display like the a helmet from Chuck Yaeger and all kinds of other stuff. I have to walk past it on my way to Chemistry each 3 nights a week! Budda once said "You are what you think you are."!If you think you are dim-witted and a failure that is what your mind will work to achieve!We all want to toss down and throgh a pitty party once in a while but just make sure that after a reasonable time frame you dust yourself off stand up and go back to doing!
 
Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
Originally Posted By: tpitcher
I remember when you were interviewing for this job just several months ago and we posted interview tips and support!





The job is good, but my complaints are not specific to this particular job. It's been the last few years. I'm wondering if I'm just not cut out for this line of work.


Your ability to cope with frustration/failure, albeit temporary, is perhaps one essential element of a long term carrier in this type of work. That is, being more important than your skills.
 
You're not the only one. At my job basically all the documents are out of spec, and you cannot trust any source of information without verifying it first. Think about doing engineering and trouble shooting blindfold.

I think when I'll tired of this and switch industry, I'll be a good police investigator.
 
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I look at it on the other side of the coin. I get the hard/difficult tasks at work because I think they want me to quit so they can replace me with someone cheaper.
 
My son is odd (maybe not the right word) about employment. He appears to have an emotional disconnect with it. Very flat ..no emotion to it at all.

Yeah ..they're whipping me
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Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
I am a mechanical designer, and am very frustrated lately. Either I am not very bright, or over the last several years, I have been given unusually difficult projects. The last 4 or 5 projects I've worked on have been darn near impossible to do, and I want to bang my friggin' head against the wall. I'm trying to design a seal system for a sliding roof hatch, and for the life of me, I can't seem to get it right. Maybe I should consider a different profession..


Follow your instincts. You know yourself best. Internet community should be your last resort IMHO.
 
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I would look at it as an opportunity to improve. When everything comes easy you don't really learn anything. Cases like this, when you do solve the problem, take you to the next level of performance.
 
Take up welding for a living. Then after that truck driving. Never mind those hatches.
 
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You should never give up a challenge. Her are some quotes that might help you...
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Quote:

Find a creative way to overcome your problems. Take a walk and clear your mind first. You will be surprised at what you can achieve.


-Unknown


Quote:

If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't you're right!

-Henry Ford


The last one is my favorite!
 
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