So wow, it looks like my post came off pretty badly. I don't want to get into an huge argument on here but here are some more of my thoughts. Keep the comments coming if I what I'm saying is just totally off the wall, I'd rather have the blatant truth then some BS answer that you get sometimes.
It looks like I was coming off as just "thinking about myself" but I was looking at it as knowing where I want to go and having some goals and using the experience to help the country by being able to develop better systems.
You are experiencing heavy seas because although you stated noble intentions, but then say you don't want to go to sea to garner what you need to become a SME in your chosen field and prefer the good life in Europe. Why not ask a few of the retired SMEs in your company what it took and where they served to accumulate their expertise? If you had left off the wanting to serve in Europe and not INCONSUS or at sea, you would be in relatively calm seas. You came across like Goldie Hawn in
Private Benjamin thinking she would get a condo and lifestyle she wanted when she signed up in the Army.
1) I'm helping to develop systems for the Navy that I have no personal experience with and will more then likely never get to a chance see how the systems get used in a tactical environment. I kind of see a big problem with this which is why I'm trying to position myself to help out on the first boat install.
That must be years away then because I seriously doubt you have time to join Navy and serve your commitment and get back in time to influence anything realted to that first install.
2) I'm also a big believer in you should enjoy what you do and as soon as you see it as hard work you are in the wrong field of work and will be unhappy the more you do it. That is where I was coming from with the comment on enjoying life.
Did you watch the recent PBS special on life aboard an Aircraft Carrier? Nobody in Navy gets by without Hard Work and other hardships that come with life in the Navy and at sea.
- Your job should be challenging you everyday and when you have to put in that extra effort I don't think it should be work to you, just a fun challenge that needs to be accomplished. When you take a job you take the good and the bad of the job.
- Before someone jumps all over this one I see the meaning of "work" as something you do but won't enjoy as a whole.
If you really think this way, Navy is not for you as you will get many challenges that do not appear "fun" at all.
So when I go into my current job I see it as a fun challenge and enjoy doing it, but think I'm going about it the wrong way and not getting the experience I need to do it the best I can.
If you are in your first year of being a Systems Engineer, you aren't expected to have all the answers or do it all by yourself. Your company hires those SMEs for good reason and you should be tapping them for all they know. I have been working in Systems Engineering for 14 years now and met many bright Systems Engineers without a day in the military, but they knew how to listen and identify warfighter requirements. Some of the most useful capabilities of AIM-9X, JHMCS and F-14 LANTIRN were due to Systems Engineers working side-by-side with SMEs to solve vexing issues. I worked on all three from start to fielding and through follow-on upgrades. I saw bright Systems Engineers cut their teeth on challenges. Only one wanted to learn more about warfighter as you do and he enlisted in the reserves and has made two OIF deployments (I respect that a lot and he's become one of my close friends).
Joe you made a good point my comments on being a SME was kind of contradicting lol.
Maybe this post helped some or maybe you guys are thinking wow this guy is a jack*** I don't know but would like some more of your opinions on the matter especially with my #1 comment above and what your thoughts are on that.
Thanks
You asked for feedback so here it is^^^
