SJ wrote:I agree that this is a good opportunity, but my concern is that I will be pigeonholed into something I really don't want to do. Two years will only go by quickly if you enjoy yourself, and how much would it suck to spend two years doing something you don't like, and then get turned down for jobs you would enjoy because you have this experience.
So, you're stuck with whatever you get in terms of facilities.
But, any experience you get is good experience, even the bad or seemingly unrelated stuff - it will all be valid experience on what you do and don't want to do, how to do things and especially how not to do things (one of the most important types of experience you will get).
I have been a technician for almost 18 years. In 2008 and 2009, I was involved in the planning and execution of a flight test and then I did the test planning for and directed a flight test. I drew very heavily on my previous experience, even though it didn't have anything to directly do with flight test.
As to how well you will like it, you will hear this many times: your life, your job, etc will be what you make them. If you think that you're being pigeonholed, that's exactly what you'll be and you will never get anything useful out of anything in your life as long as you have that attitude.
I spent four years in a job that I wasn't really thrilled with, but what I learned from there was invaluable. I was working as a technician, but we were getting (free) classes (while getting paid) on switching power supply design from one of the graduate engineering students at the college associated with the place I worked.
Wherever you end up, you will have opportunities to go to conferences, classes, network, etc.
Don't worry about what jobs opportunities that you could get, worry about the ones that are presented to you and in the mean time, take advantage of everything offered to you that will increase and broaden your knowledge and experience.
That is what will get you into the jobs you want - showing that you have the personal desire and drive to learn more than you need to and the willingness and ability to work outside your primary speciality. A supervisor doesn't want a turd who's going to sit at his desk all day and do only what is required within his narrowly defined job description. A supervisor wants(needs) people who will contribute to the success of the whole mission even if it means going outside their job description.
[quote="SJ"]I agree that this is a good opportunity, but my concern is that I will be pigeonholed into something I really don't want to do. Two years will only go by quickly if you enjoy yourself, and how much would it suck to spend two years doing something you don't like, and then get turned down for jobs you would enjoy because you have this experience.[/quote]
So, you're stuck with whatever you get in terms of facilities.
But, any experience you get is good experience, even the bad or seemingly unrelated stuff - it will all be valid experience on what you do and don't want to do, how to do things and especially how not to do things (one of the most important types of experience you will get).
I have been a technician for almost 18 years. In 2008 and 2009, I was involved in the planning and execution of a flight test and then I did the test planning for and directed a flight test. I drew very heavily on my previous experience, even though it didn't have anything to directly do with flight test.
As to how well you will like it, you will hear this many times: your life, your job, etc will be what you make them. If you think that you're being pigeonholed, that's exactly what you'll be and you will never get anything useful out of anything in your life as long as you have that attitude.
I spent four years in a job that I wasn't really thrilled with, but what I learned from there was invaluable. I was working as a technician, but we were getting (free) classes (while getting paid) on switching power supply design from one of the graduate engineering students at the college associated with the place I worked.
Wherever you end up, you will have opportunities to go to conferences, classes, network, etc.
Don't worry about what jobs opportunities that you could get, worry about the ones that are presented to you and in the mean time, take advantage of everything offered to you that will increase and broaden your knowledge and experience.
That is what will get you into the jobs you want - showing that you have the personal desire and drive to learn more than you need to and the willingness and ability to work outside your primary speciality. A supervisor doesn't want a turd who's going to sit at his desk all day and do only what is required within his narrowly defined job description. A supervisor wants(needs) people who will contribute to the success of the whole mission even if it means going outside their job description.