Career change, General Engineering Technology.

Hi all,

I finished this degree at the University of Delaware.
Think of it as a liberal arts major, but for engineering, which basically means I am not good at anything in particular, just have a broad vague base.

After graduating I worked as a freelancer illustrator/drafter for about nine years. However I am seriously pondering of a career change. I don't feel it is healthy to just do one thing in one's whole life.

1. Does anyone here have a similar degree (or knows someone that does) ? What kind of entry level positions are accessible with it ? What type of keywords would you be searching for ?

2. Do you advise it at all, or should I just stay put ? (My goal is to see if I can get into the renewable energy industry somewhere ... just don't know where I would fit in there)

3. What is the best way to get the foot in the door these days (once you have been out of school for a while so that internship is not an option) ? ... do you volunteer ? ... or some other way ?

4. Do companies offer on-the job training for entry level hires these days, or they just throw you to the wolves and start you on 3rd gear from a full stop ? Is it big companies or smaller companies that are more nurturing to new people ?

5. Being a freelancer my schedule has been very erratic (usually it is a whole day flexible thing, you get to wake up whatever time you want, do errands whenever you want, but then keep working till you fall asleep and keep going like this for years). Basically you are looking at 85-90 hour 7-day weeks.

So, how are things going on these days out there in the real world ? Do you guys also work like indebted servants from dusk to dawn ? Has the 8 hour day gone out of fashion ? ... is it still in ? ... or ?

Too many questions, I know. Sorry :-)