Career Goals and Challenges

Revisiting Your 2020 Resolutions: 3-Month Check

March 9, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Manny De La Cruz

If you take the time to look at the calendar, you will notice that it is already March. At the time of this writing, several significant events had already occurred in 2020. The mere mention of the following words will conjure up the high-pitched, almost childlike delivery of the phrase “Oh, yeah!” Australia, Mr. Peanut, Kobe, Coronavirus, and Megxit — just to name a few. Was I right?

Unfortunately, another significant event is occurring in 2020. That’s right — the general abandonment of New Year’s resolutions. In December 2019, I did a latinXfactor series webinar for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, where I highlighted that 46% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions and only 8% of that population will see them realized. In that webinar, I proposed that students pursuing STEM degrees should not only commit to personal resolutions but also to resolutions that would aid their professional development. This same concept should also be applied to professionals in STEM. 

Be Wary of the Echo Chamber

February 24, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Tim Austin, PE

A few years ago, I attended a conference sponsored by the Florida Engineering Society. The keynote speaker was retired astronaut Story Musgrave. Story is a powerful speaker, and I tremendously enjoyed the many tales of his unparalleled career. One particular story that he shared struck a chord.

Story was the astronaut who worked on the Hubble Telescope during Servicing Mission 1 to fit the corrective lens. He shared that, in his preparations, he consulted with the world-renowned figure skater, Dorothy Hamill. Many wondered why an astronaut would consult with a figure skater regarding the repairs to the telescope.

Take Action Despite Uncertainty

February 10, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Jeff Perry

“Treat mistakes as learning, not failure” ~ Dan Sullivan

“Test fast, fail fast, adjust fast” ~ Tom Peters

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ~ Thomas Edison

“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” ~ Winston Churchill

These quotes, and others like them, seem to be preached more and more, all of the time. Viewing failure in this way is actually quite important; it allows us to move through uncertainty, even though that uncertainty can be a source of great fear. But believing in the principle doesn’t mean it’s automatically easy to actually do it. So how do we deal with fear, move through uncertainty, and take action anyway? Here are four ideas:

Goal Setting: Think Big, Be Mindful

January 20, 2020 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Michael Burns, PE, PgMP, DBIA

What a cool topic for my first EMI Blog—Goal Setting—as publishing and mentoring have been on my list of career objectives for many years. Writing my first draft, I realized it was January 4th, my father’s birthday and the time of year where resolutions and goal setting run rampant. My parents, school teachers who raised me in Boulder, Colorado, often limited their advice to philosophical statements like, “We are who we are becoming.” As a kid, this lack of concrete guidance frustrated me, as I sought clear direction for a successful life. Thirty years into my civil engineering career, as a parent, mentor, mentee and friend, I hold dearly to my parents’ guidance, accepting that we are who we are becoming is step one in balancing our desires against life’s events.

The Key Roles of AI Engineers

October 28, 2019 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Jim Hughes

AI engineering is a relatively new field that is becoming more and more important in various industries, especially in the industrial and manufacturing contexts. It has even found its way into the stock market. Some of the most interesting and meaningful applications of AI are in the field of engineering and that is why more and more people are becoming AI Engineers.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Engineering

Does Work-Life Balance Exist? A Myth or a Reality?

August 19, 2019 By EMI

Does Work-Life Balance Exist? A Myth or a Reality is a guest blog by Jacob Dillon

Work-life balance is a renowned concept that refers to the situation when a person has a regular and sustainable source of income, while at the same time, is able to take out enough time to relax with his or her loved ones or to do stuff that they find entertaining, in order to regularly rejuvenate themselves and avoid experiencing burnouts. [Read more…] about Does Work-Life Balance Exist? A Myth or a Reality?

How to Handle Tough Interview Questions for Engineers

July 22, 2019 By EMI

***How to Handle Tough Interview Questions for Engineers* *is a guest blog by Nader Mowlaee***

Preparing for an interview is crucial for moving you forward in starting your engineering career. If you get the chance to get to the interview round, luck is already on your side. That’s because research shows that only two percent of applicants get called back for an interview. But it’s important not to throw caution to the wind by being unprepared for your interview.

One of the best ways to get ready for your interview is by tackling the tough questions with a strategy. Luckily, you can take a strategic approach to handle tough interview questions. When it comes to interviewing, practice makes perfect. Here’s how to handle some of the top three common job interview questions that can be difficult to answer: [Read more…] about How to Handle Tough Interview Questions for Engineers

The Four Types of Problems Engineers Must Solve

June 24, 2019 By EMI

The Four Types of Problems Engineers Must Solve is a guest blog by Kyle K. Cheerangie, P.E.

In Your Engineering Work, Problems Will Arise Under Four Basic Categories, Namely:

What Engineers of the Future Need to Know to Succeed

April 29, 2019 By EMI

What Engineers of the Future Need to Know is a blog post by Matthew K. Loos, PE, LEED AP

The following is an excerpt from The Business of Engineering: A New Mindset for the Engineer of the Future available only through this Kickstarter Campaign.

Engineers of the future will need to possess skills not commonly taught in engineering schools today. However, we can see that the curricula for a majority of engineering schools are beginning to change. Many schools are starting to adopt alternative learning strategies to engage more and more brighter students who may not have previously chosen engineering as a career path. The engineering schools have started to realize that technology is moving at such a rapid rate that they must prepare students differently than they have in the past.

Tips to Advance Your Career as a Mechanical Engineer

March 25, 2019 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Carol Evenson

Being a successful mechanical engineer goes beyond just being a pro at science and math. Whether an individual has several years of experience as a mechanical engineer or has graduated recently, there are strategies and engineering career tips to take their profession to the next level. These tips can help any professional in the field of mechanical engineering advance their career. [Read more…] about Tips to Advance Your Career as a Mechanical Engineer