I've started a beginning engineers checklist at
http://techref.massmind.org/begin
and added this to it. I'd love to hear some other sage advice that is
general for survival in this business.

---
James Newton mailto:jamesnewton@geocities.com 1-619-652-0593
http://techref.massmind.org NEW! FINALLY A REAL NAME!
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-----Original Message-----
From: pic microcontroller discussion list
[mailto:PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]On Behalf Of Lance Allen
Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2000 14:24
To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: [OT] Engineer's Creed


Tom Wrote

>    Russ, you forgot the parts dealing with the Full Moon, migration of
> crabs, sex, lies, and video tapes. Actually, that falls under Marketing.
> True Story:
>
>    When I was working for Datricon designing 6809-based STD Bus embedded
> controllers, Marketing actually took prototype boards, stuffed them in a
> box, added some wire bundles, set the box on top of the elevator, took a
> picture, and made a wonderful full-color brochure about our hot new
> product controlling an elevator. Never mind that it didn't exist yet...
>
>    - Tom
>
Been there... had that inflicted on me.

I was at the concept development phase of a multipoint
alarm monitoring system.
The CEO asked me "Is it going to work" I foolishly said
"yes"....... 2 days latter I found I had 3 weeks to deliver
30 finished units complete with PC display graphics of
system status.
Needless to say things turned to custard, but I delivered
2 months later after having worked night and day and
endured endless grilling from the management.
I quit not long after that.

I recall "Scotty from Star Trek" stated he gained a good
reputation as an engineer by quoting that the work would
take twice as long as he really thought, and then
'apparently' delivered in half the time.


_____________________________

Lance Allen
Technical Officer
Uni of Auckland
Psych Dept
New Zealand

www.psych.auckland.ac.nz

_____________________________