Sounds like you're not the only one who got blown... ;)

Hate to break it to the engineering crowd (I'm one too) but something called "personality" can earn far more than any engineering degree. That is not directed at anyone in particular (IROC). Just an observation. My old roommate was a civil engineer and would get really PO when he heard what the sales department folks would make. They (sales staff) go for margarita lunches, golf, performance bonuses, travel perks, etc... while he worked 10 hr days at this desk for 1/3 of their pay. He had no personality to speak of - dry as toast - and was rather boring to talk to.

My 7+ years as a bartender equipped me with the ability to communicate and socialize to many different levels of folks. I credit that as much as my CS degree to my current success. YMMV.

Back OT, those severance numbers seem pretty excessive. Without having researched the news story further it sounds like the loss of jobs there could be a long term devastating blow to the local economy == no other jobs around.

Talking to people?! Boring engineers?! Say it aint so!!!!:)

I spent 5 years in customer service, management, and construction before going back to school to become an engineer. Many of our engineers are about as exciting as watching paint dry, and have the people skills of a notepad. Thank God we never have office parties.....

Oh, I fully agree. I consider myself well paid at this point in my career and I don't make anywhere near what people I went to college with are making with "business" degrees that we all looked down on at the time.

Obviously my point with my anecdotal story was that GM obviously felt that a gofer in the paint shop was a job that was valued quite a bit more than a job that requires an engineering degree. In hindsight, I bet they would like to reconsider the outrageous salaries they've been paying people for decades...

I dated a girl also around this same time (1987). She had previously dated a guy who worked on the assembly line at a local GM plant (Saginaw Steering plant in Decatur, AL). She laughed at me when she found out how much I made. Her previous boyfriend was making $55k a year on the assembly line with a high school education and about 5 years experience.

What a hoot! So I am not alone in my estimation of engineer's egos in regards to worth on the job. I worked for many years in an engineering company as a real estate manager(they needed us for property issues). The impression I have always had is somehow, you are less worthy than they, you lack an engineering degree! It does not matter what your degrees may be in. And they are impervious to any training or socialization efforts to bring them into the mainstream. They really believe they are superior, which leads to some really interesting interactions in public hearings and public contact. The crazy part is much of what they do and know has been reduced to software(ie, structure design), while social skills will never be.

engineering is stable but your not gonna be rich - now blend a good line of crap with a grasp on youngs modulus and you might be looking at a nice 6 fig