IEEE Solid-State Circuits Magazine - Fall 2014 - 5

a ssoc iate editor's vie w

Marcel Pelgrom

Gray Engineering

"Here you are, sir!" While I am still
searching for some coins, Henry has
packed my groceries in some paper
bags. In this Silicon Valley supermarket, he is making some money to
supplement his vanishing retirement
pension. His snow-white hair runs in
waves over his head, as if he still was a
1960s rocker. I have called him Henry,
a name that reflects his elegant, royal
appearance. His crisp white shirt with
fashionable tie makes me think he has
seen higher-up places in his career.
Was he once one of the early pioneers that laid the foundation for the
fantastic semiconductor industry? Or
was he a highly respected application engineer, one of the last persons
with knowledge on how to stabilize
the notorious temperature runaway
of a germanium circuit? Somehow his
career took a different turn, and now
he is serving supermarket customers.
Worries of old engineers should not
bother the younger generation. After
the completion of their education,
the sky is their limit. Well educated,
trained in today's tools, energetic,
and without worries about mortgages,
school districts, college tuitions, or the
like, they enter the industries and institutions to quick-start their careers.
After a few years and a few jobs,
engineers typically have discovered
their strong points and a suitable company from where they can enter on a
growth path. Most students envisage
themselves a second Steve Jobs or Bill
Gates; however, most engineers will
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MSSC.2014.2349831
Date of publication: 12 November 2014

stabilize in a middle-management job.
And it's here that the first "Henrys"
are born: engineers repeating their
20-year-old skills, inflexible, reluctant
to learn the zillionth CAD tool.
Some are monopolizing a specific
skill, often connected to a specific
product range. If the product expires,
a bitter retirement tragedy is unavoidable. This phase in a career coincides
with the midlife crisis: signs of mental boredom are accompanied with
physical decline starting with some
gray hair shining through. For the first
time one has to report to a boss who is
younger and higher in rank.
Creating an atmosphere with mutual respect and challenging each
other's qualities and experience is a
formidable task for both. If successful, this is a very productive period
for an engineer: his knowledge is
used to guide the younger staff in the
right direction, his experience is valued as an advisor to the highest ranks
of management.
Unfortunately, this scenario is more
of an exception than the rule. MBAdriven management is unable to value
technical experience and to extract the
relevant observations by experienced
engineers who could influence company strategy. Stubborn gray engineers
are believed to be unable to grasp the
new market constraints, work under
time pressure, or adapt to new tools.
At the first round of cost cutting, their
careers are terminated.
At the age of 60, only very few of
us will be picked up in the morning by
a company car and enter an executive
office where the young subordinates

anxiously await the big boss. Yet that
does not mean there is no role to play.
Most engineers will start early on
planning their career. They project
their professional ambitions on available job opportunities. There is still
time to correct wrong decisions. Often
it does not matter about being uncertain on what you want as long as you
do realize what to avoid.
But at the age of 45-50 years, career
planning becomes a survival necessity!
Switching jobs at a five-year interval, internally or externally, keeps an
engineer curious and, with his/her broadened experience, also sought after. This
is also the age to explore new paths. A
senior engineer can use his knowledge
in adjacent fields, e.g., in recruitment,
technical writing, patent preparation, or teaching. As an independent
technical consultant, there are ample
opportunities to capitalize on relevant
experiences gained in the past. It does
require a bit of preparation and the
willingness to enter fields that, at a
younger age, were not seen as attractive or "where it happens." Getting
involved with HRM processes, assisting
in documenting the company's history,
or volunteering for a teaching role in a
university will allow probing into new
areas. Gray engineers still can play an
important role in society, leveraging on
the experiences once gained and applying their methodological way of working to the benefit of others.
Prepare early for this phase because
otherwise retirement will fall on you
like a brick. In that case, let me ask:
please pack the veggies with care!

IEEE SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS MAGAZINE

FA L L 2 0 14

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