A Nuclear Engineer Gone HVAC
October 13, 2019
By: Lisandro Vazquez, PE
I’m a Nuclear Engineer gone HVAC… yes, it was a surprise to me too. Awhile back I was probably in similar, if not the same, shoes as many engineering minded high school students (maybe like you reading right now) who honestly didn’t have a clue what it meant to be an engineer. Not only did I not have a clue, but I actually thought that I did have a clue.
My dad was a licensed Mechanical Engineer with his own firm; so somehow I figured that this experience magically transferred to me through the ether and that I didn’t really need to do much research on what engineering was all about, how to become an engineer, or even if I’d actually like it. I just “knew” it was meant for me. Needless to say… that wasn’t exactly the best way to start.
During my senior year of High School I applied for ONE school, ONE scholarship, and selected Chemical Engineering as my Major because that’s what my dad’s bachelor’s degree was in. Wow… I didn’t even like Chemistry. But, hey… I “knew” what I was doing. I thought about applying to CalTech, and then started my application to MIT before scuttling that effort once I realized how long the application was, before finally deciding that Georgia Tech was pretty awesome and finding it had a satisfactorily short application process.
You see the common thread here… short applications, short attention span—short on information. Thankfully, I got into Georgia Tech and was awarded the scholarship; but there was a twist… the person who presented my scholarship was a Nuclear Engineer. I hadn’t considered Nuclear Engineering… hmmmm… well… I figured I’d sound like a freaking genius if I were to be a Nuclear Engineer. So, as soon as I got to Tech, I switched my major to Nuclear & Radiological Engineering… no research… no questions… sign… me… up.
I’ll spare you the suspense… calamity was avoided; success has been had. After college I joined the Navy’s submarine fleet, operated nuclear power plants, got to teach classes at a private school, entered the civilian engineering HVAC and plumbing industry, earned my Professional Engineer’s license and I look to tomorrow with optimism.
But I’ll be honest with you… it wasn’t easy. Not only was it not easy, but I felt like many times I couldn’t find realistic, or unbiased, or even trustworthy answers to my questions, especially online. In the Navy this wasn’t really an issue. There is such a well-established system of hierarchy, formal education, and professional mentorship that it’s virtually impossible to NOT receive advice.
When I entered the private engineering industry, on the other hand, it felt like being set adrift without a rudder, chancing a course amidst a chaotic soup of everything. There were so many choices, so many different types of engineering, so many different companies, policies, salaries, fields, certifications etc. They all seemed to conflict with each other. I didn’t know what—or who—to believe.
So, I started my mechanical engineering career without feeling confident what salary I could command, what job(s) I wanted to perform, and what it would truly be like.
Over the years, I have learned much to mitigate the concerns and answer many of the burning questions I had at the beginning; but even now, there are questions for which I cannot find answers that seem reasonable, or even applicable, to my new set of circumstances. Worse, I have seen so many sites and articles offering “advice” to current or future engineers which sometimes seem grossly one-sided and many times offer information that is so generic that it could have been written by somebody who’s never actually been an engineer.
That’s why I’ve launched this site. I want to build a resource that offers examples, advice, and tools from people who have lived–or are currently living–the engineering life so that others can be armed with the information they need to better their career moves in whatever direction that may lead.
I’m glad you’re here and I am thankful to have the opportunity to share with you.
Welcome!
Lisandro Vazquez, PE
That’s why I’ve launched this site. I want to build a resource that offers examples, advice, and tools from people who have lived–or are currently living–the engineering life so that others can be armed with the information they need to better their career moves in whatever direction that may lead.
I’m glad you’re here and I am thankful to have the opportunity to share with you.
Welcome!
Lisandro Vazquez, PE
