FOCUS PHOTONICS WEST
‘I see this conflict in my day-to-day life... where [a company] has really smart people who do not want to report to a manager, but do not want to take up managerial positions themselves, because they want to continue with their [technical] development,’ Mohan added.
‘I think everyone will face this dilemma at some point in their careers; it’s a very hard balance to make,’ he continued. ‘If people are not suited to management, or do not want to manage, then they should not be pushed into it... there should be proper platforms for these people to move up.’ Both Willis and Mohan expressed a desire to stay, at least on some level, within the technical side of the companies they’re currently working for. ‘I do not have the ambition to be just a manager. I am at the point of my career where I want to do more work in the lab to build up my technical skills,’ Willis commented. ‘I like to have one foot on each side,’ Mohan commented. ‘I have been on the technical/ R&D side and have enjoyed it, and since moving into a more business and management role I have been able to see different sides of the business. But I wouldn’t be happy doing 100 per cent marketing and business without any technical input.’ Some companies have started creating what is known as a ‘technical ladder’ – a structure that allows scientists and engineers to move
up and lead from the technical/research side of a company, rather than the business side. Boeing is one such company that has created technical career paths through its Technical Fellowship Programme.
‘ I am at the point of my career where I want to do more work in the lab’
These types of technical lead positions are less common, and therefore highly sought after. Before joining Wasatch Photonics, Mohan worked for a firm that had these types of career paths, and ‘there was only one person in the history of the company who was able to reach this, so it was a prize position to be in,’ he said. ‘But, as companies realise how important it is to let technical people stay in the company and move up, we will see more of these positions come up,’ Mohan added.
Although technical career
pathways are currently hard to come by, Weinroth also stressed that progressing within a company
doesn’t necessarily have to mean ‘technical or managerial’; it is often possible for engineers to craft their position according to their preferences. ‘You can take on managerial responsibilities from the technical side, and there are ways you can make technical contributions on the business side. Just because you are not in the lab doesn’t mean you are not making technical contributions to your organisation,’ Weinroth said. ‘So, what aspects you enjoy in your job and what responsibilities you want to take on is not always [a] black and white... decision.’
Results from the SPIE Optics and Photonics Global Salary Report
l From 6,793 responses, 70 per cent were full-time employees, three per cent worked part time, and 27 per cent were students.
l The mean salary for full-time employees was $62,444, down slightly from last year’s figure of $64,000.
l Workers in the United States, Switzerland, and Israel enjoy the highest median salaries, of $112,000, $110,000, and $86,000 respectively.
l The median earnings of German survey participants is $70,659, versus the average for the general population at $48,479.
l The People’s Republic of China and Japan had the heaviest workloads, with 17 per cent of respondents working 55 hours or more per week.
l Median salaries were shown to be 38 per cent higher overall for men that for women.
l Women make up 17 per cent of the respondents of the survey, roughly mirroring their representation in SPIE membership and meetings.
l Overall, 96 per cent of respondents enjoy their work, 95 per cent find their work meaningful, and 93 per cent feel their work is respected by their peers.
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www.edinst.com www.electrooptics.com | @electrooptics MARCH 2016 l ELECTRO OPTICS 7
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