Quality Engineering Long Term Career Advice

[JoH92]

Is anyone a long time quality engineer, say 15+ years, that can chime in on the positives and negatives of their decision to stay in quality?

I'm approaching 8 years in my engineering career as a quality engineer, a mix of software and hardware. I'm struggling with my next career move as I no longer possess design engineering fundamentals, and would have to relearn programming for SW.

It seems like quality engineering is easy to get into but harder to get out of. I'm seeking words from the wise on their experiences as a seasoned quality engineer; difficulties, struggles, perceived value added, etc.

 

[John Predmore]

I have been a Quality professional for 40+ years. According to your definition, that is a long-time. But it still feels fresh and new, because every day is new challenges. There is job-security in problem-solving. You can never make a process completely fool-proof. I guess they keep making better fools. And just when you get ppm to 1000, they move the goal posts to 500 ppm or 100 ppm.

I think Quality Engineering employs a different mindset than what design engineers and manufacturing engineers use. I wrote the post below years ago, but I think it still rings true. Every engineer will tell you they are a problem-solver. There are some Engineers who excel at problem-solving. No matter where your company begins, if you excel at continuous improvement, someday you will be among the best. There is real value to your employer, for you to excel at making systems work better.

JOKE: There once was a cardiologist who took an auto-mechanic class because he was bored with medicine. The doctor received the highest grade on the practical exam. The other students asked why the doctor deserved the highest score when they all diagnosed the problem and fixed the engine. The instructor explained the doctor fixed the engine while it still running, and performed all the repairs through the tailpipe!!


I had a problem-solving coach who explained there are 3 types of engineering jobs in the manufacturing world: engineers who design stuff, engineers who build stuff, and engineers who fix stuff.

Design engineers have to know a lot about materials and forces and tolerances.

Manufacturing engineers have to know almost as much as Design Engineers about materials and forces and tolerances, but they also have to know how stuff is put together, plus fixtures and tooling and measurement and controls.

Engineers who fix stuff have to know all of the above, but they also have to understand wear and variation and reliability and be able to predict the future from a sample. The guys who fix stuff have specialized tools to take stuff apart without ruining it even when it is not designed or made to be taken apart, and specialized knowledge to discover knowledge the other engineers were not able to see, and even be able to find the cause and fix stuff while the assembly or the factory is still running!

Clearly, engineers who fix stuff is the highest calling.

 

[Mike S.]

I was a QE for a lotta years. I actually prefer it in many ways to being a QM.

If you can do software QE you can command a high premium and never be without work.

Get with a company that values quality more than the average company, otherwise a QE will be treated like a second-class citizen.

It helps to have an ASQ cert and/or a BS in Engineering as many companies care deeply about the paper.

There are a lot of hacks in quality. There are hacks in every profession but IMO maybe more than average in quality. Try to be one of the non-hacks, develop a good reputation among your customers, internal and external, as it may be them who save your bacon on many occasions.

 

[Ron Rompen]

I've been in Quality (automotive only) for about 30 years. There are times I wish I had chosen ANY other career, but there are also times when I am completely happy and satisfied with what I do. A lot depends on who you work with (and for).

And I agree......once you're 'in' quality, its difficult (if not impossible) to get out.

 

[Tidge]

Is anyone a long time quality engineer, say 15+ years, that can chime in on the positives and negatives of their decision to stay in quality?

I had a variety of problem-solving roles prior to my current (Quality) position. Sometimes the problems had an implemented solution (requiring maintenance/repair) sometimes the problems required implementation. My personal background prior to being this sort of professional was that I had a peculiarly solid background in "problem solving theory", but the primary skill I had was the evaluation of effectiveness of my solutions/fixes. Whatever technical experience I have was acquired through the activities that would best be described as "apprentice-like". There are a small number of skills that were developed through "hobbies". That is to say... if I was a applying for specific technical positions, I wouldn't be able to point to a program where a learned skills, instead I would have certifications (of competency, I suppose) and results!

There are times I miss working with physical solutions, yet I found that results are improved when I have leveraged my position to get TWO (or more) people to do the same job I would have done myself! Simple quality principles (e.g. DMAIC) don't come naturally to many folks, some folks don't even recognize the value such basic principles can bring to a job! I find personal reward in getting more things done, without unnecessary effort.. and this is what I bring in my role as a quality engineer.

Not everyone in a quality org has this freedom: I encourage my direct reports (and peers, but they report to someone else!) to spend a fraction of their billable hours considering "problems" outside of those that we are directly responsible for. This could be as simple as helping a colleague work on some sort of issue, or it could be wool-gathering (and research, I hope!) on subjects that interest them. Writing only for myself: I have learned things in areas outside my "work responsibility" that have been applicable to my "assigned work". I don't think this is unique to Quality Engineers, but I do think that a trained QE should have the framework to leverage this sort of additional information and learning.

 

[Steve Prevette]

Fundamentally, senior management rarely values quality, let alone quality engineering. I did have a good run of it, but with some recent business downturns and COVID came cost-cutting and the easiest thing to cut is quality. Also, most of the senior managers that I had supported (and therefore supported me) had retired out. The company did not promote from within, instead raided competitors for "talent" and the new wave of senior management had not idea what I did. When I explained to one new senior manager (at their request) what I did - he said - seems like you are a 'free-lancer'. I took that at the time as a compliment (finding projects that needed help and helping them) but I learned later that translated to - you are not a team player.
Fortunately it was a very good run financially so I retired from QE and am passing my time teaching college online. There was no "career growth" or "career path". I did ask to be "mentored" once and got told by a senior manager afterwards they figured I'd be mentoring him.

I did all my work in Excel and Access as that was what the company (and government) used - but most "data science" these days is in Python and R. I am now teaching Python which is a bit of an irony. About the only career advice I got was about seven years before I was cut - if you don't do what we think a Quality Engineer should be doing - you have no career with XXXXX. I was doing lots of metrics and statistical process control - but the company viewed QE's as inspectors. I did last seven more years but in the end it caught up with me.

Lessons - Sock away money in your 401k - Do go where projects and people value you - and keep up on the latest technologies even if your current employer isn't pushing you or even "allowing" you to.

 

[Ed Panek]

QE - Plusses - People don't like to talk to you
Minuses - People don't like to talk to you

The real good thing is headhunters will always have consulting jobs for you to come in and repair a company QMS that was just audited and had several findings.