Dear Bob,

I am just writing to let you know that yours is the most comprehensive answer I have heard ever. I am curious about this same issue because I am in my BSEE senior year. I have looked into the question before and in a nutshell I knew that the Engineer is trained to design while the technician is trained to put things together that have already been designed. Please feel free to give me any advice regarding careers as I am at the point where I need to decide my next course of action after graduation i.e whether to go on to graduate school for EE or for an MBA or whether to go into the job market for some time etc. A also trying to decide if I should do an internship before my graduation. Nice meeting you and thanks.

Donald

----- Original Message -----

From: Robert M. McClure <rmm@UNIDOT.COM>

To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>

Sent: Thursday, July 15, 1999 09:32 AM

Subject: Re: [OT] [Way-OT] Technicians versus Engineers

> At 12:04 AM 7/15/99 -0400, you wrote:
> >
> >What would most of you say the difference between a Technician and an
> >Engineer is, in the areas of training, skills/knowledge, job function, and
> >any other relevant areas? I would also be interested in answers which tell
> >the difference,if any,between what is "supposed to be" to the
> >difference,and what really is,etc.
> >
> > <stuff cut>
> The major difference is the focus, which in the case of technicians is the
> practicalities of building, testing, etc rather than in the case of the
> engineer of the theory of that which is to be built. Most four and five
> year colleges and universities offering an engineering degree concentrate
> very heavily of the underlying theoretical principles. They provide a
> great deal of knowledge in physics, chemistry, mathematics, electronics
> (including Maxwell's equations, for example) and provide the basis wherein
> one can analyze that which one has not seen before.
>
> Most technician training on the other hand teaches a great deal about,
> for example, resistor color codes, soldering techniques, electronic
> instruments and their proper use.
>
> It an ideal world, technicians would get more theory and engineers would
> get more practice, but alas, there is simply too much to learn.
>
> If you get satisfaction out of actually building things and making them
> work, you might be happier as a technician (but would probably not make
> as much money). If you get satisfaction out of analyzing why things
> work and designing new things that have never been designed before, then
> the proper course is the traditional engineering route.
>
> The most fantastic individual who ever worked for me had spent several
> years as a technician (after receiving his training in the Navy) before
> deciding to go back to engineering school. Regrettably, he was killed
> by lightning while hiking at the age of 34.
>
> Does this answer your question?
>
> Bob McClure
> (engineer and amateur technician)
>