Thanks Crom. I see your point about the travel advice :p Maybe I should've asked what do the engineers here do for a living and the pros and cons of their work. What type of engineer are you?
I am a Mechanical Engineer, currently working for a large manufacturing company. The group I work in is mainly a tier 2 automotive supplier, but the company as a whole isn't.
Pro's: Large company resources in terms of r&d budgets, testing capabilities, smart people to discuss problems with. Decent benefits. Room to advance if you want to move into management. Some hands on work and lab time, but wish there was more.
Con's: Being focused on supplying automotive related companies there is a lot of paperwork. I mostly feel the amount of paperwork and documentation is good, but it gets tedious. Large companies also seem to want to follow the industry in terms of benefits, especially annoying when they reduce benefits to "remain competitive to comparable employers". FFS don't you want to be an industry leader to attract top talent?
I previously worked for one of the large airlines, which I enjoyed for the most part. Still lots of tedious paperwork, but there were also maintenance issues where you figure out how to fix it asap. Those moments were hands on and engaging.
For me personally, I enjoy engineering jobs where I am fighting fires and working with my hands. So that's what I am focusing on for my next job.