ADUK Archive

I'm toying with the idea of career change from engineering into something more closely related to driving or road safety. Suggestions?

Engineering is a big field. What sort and how qualified?

Slink_Pink wrote:I'm toying with the idea of career change from engineering into something more closely related to driving or road safety. Suggestions?

Electronic/Electrical - CEng. Most of the road design type of jobs are, understandably, looking for civil engineering background. I have considered becoming an ADI, but I don't know if it's for me.

Slink_Pink wrote:

Slink_Pink wrote:I'm toying with the idea of career change from engineering into something more closely related to driving or road safety. Suggestions?

Electronic/Electrical - CEng. Most of the road design type of jobs are, understandably, looking for civil engineering background. I have considered becoming an ADI, but I don't know if it's for me.

Most people can learn to drive, many to do it quite well.

Being a trainer, though, is a bit of a niche

I worked in electronics engineering (PCB design, then software & hardware test) for 32 years, was made redundant and now work in road safety research! What got me through the door was contacts, what got me chance of a job (I was zero hours contract to start) was background knowledge and a weird, challenging, interview, what got me the full time job was working hard.

Much of the skill set I use is time management, team leadership, planning, etc., little specifically to do with 'safety' or 'training' (in which I had almost 30 years experience, and qualifications).

Slink_Pink wrote:

Slink_Pink wrote:I'm toying with the idea of career change from engineering into something more closely related to driving or road safety. Suggestions?

Electronic/Electrical - CEng. Most of the road design type of jobs are, understandably, looking for civil engineering background. I have considered becoming an ADI, but I don't know if it's for me.

A simple search around the 'Net will provide much information about the world of the ADI.
It isn't, from what I've read, an occupation that provides, for most practitioners, a very high income.
What's led you, with a very good qualification, to think this?

On the one hand, I've thought along similar lines to you, being a software engineer, as I have a few times before with other hobbies. At the end of the day, honestly, the conclusion I come to is that being a software engineer is a creative and interesting role that pays reasonably well for doing something I enjoy.

I don't know about the road safety context, but if I take for instance photography, maybe I could technically become a professional, hard as that may be, but ultimately it seems like a fine way to sour a good hobby by trying to wring a living out of it.

On the other hand, if you had a proper plan, why not do something you're interested in. Have you thought about applying your skills to product-oriented engineering, e.g. telematics or vehicle systems with a safety bent?

Thanks all for input. Events at work have started me looking for an alternative employer, as such, I was just looking at the bigger picture and see if I can somehow draw my interests together. My feeling is that across the boards here are a huge range of professions of which a portion are related to the common enjoyment of driving - broadly speaking, I think the ADUK community includes of professionals from the following general categories - feel free to add any I've missed

Insurance
Accident investigation
Roads/traffic design
Emergency services drivers/trainers
ADIs
Professional LGV drivers
Chauffeurs?

My other reason for the post was to create a list of possible career routes for those wishing to pursue a career related to the driving enthusiasm which brought them here.

Slink_Pink wrote:Thanks all for input. Events at work have started me looking for an alternative employer, as such, I was just looking at the bigger picture and see if I can somehow draw my interests together. My feeling is that across the boards here are a huge range of professions of which a portion are related to the common enjoyment of driving - broadly speaking, I think the ADUK community includes of professionals from the following general categories - feel free to add any I've missed

Insurance
Accident investigation
Roads/traffic design
Emergency services drivers/trainers
ADIs
Professional LGV drivers
Chauffeurs?

My other reason for the post was to create a list of possible career routes for those wishing to pursue a career related to the driving enthusiasm which brought them here.

Why the question mark alongside chauffeurs I wonder.

sussex2 wrote:Why the question mark alongside chauffeurs I wonder.

Well as I have only ever met one other participant of the forum in the flesh, the list is entirely made up from what I recall reading in posts were people have either mentioned or described their professions. I recall one post of someone having chauffeuring experience but don't recall reading about anyone who has stated that as their job.

sussex2 wrote:Why the question mark alongside chauffeurs I wonder.

Indeed...christopherwk here is a chauffeur.

Don't forget:
Motorcycle Instructors (typically teaching beginners, CBT and DAS)
Advanced Motorcycle Instructors

Neither pays particularly well though.

Hearse driver... Quality car often....Steady work with no arguments from the back...

Use your engineering skills in the auto industry. You get to drive new models , prototypes and the like, dependent on your role. Dire shortage of suitably qualified engineers in the UK.

Chartered Engineers are at the moment like hen's teeth. I am a retired CEng, but keep on getting very attractive enquiries. You will probably find that you can make a better living Engineering and keeping driving as a fun hobby ...

StressedDave wrote:My experience is that the desirability of CEngs is inverse proportion to the amount of experience they have. As a retired one, with many years of experience taught at a time when degrees weren't given out free with cornflakes ( (C) Daily Mail ), you are infinitely more attractive than a recently qualified CEng (and it varies from discipline to discipline) who can't do anything other than the job they're doing now.

I'm happy with the day job designing big things with the driver training, vehicle dynamics engineering and driving as sidelines/hobby.

Darn right!