Engineering Management Institute

Job Search/Salary/Relocation

Hiring for Skills Becoming Popular Tactic for Engineering Firms

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This is a guest post by Zane Pucylowski , P.E.

Hiring for Skills

Image by pressfoto on Freepik

Most people think that one of the first things all managers look at when hiring employees is their level of education. This line of thinking is becoming outdated. Employers are often seeking employees who have the skills for the job over education. Having a degree in the field is not the only key factor any longer. An employee with job skills and hands-on training is often more in demand than a person who only has a degree in the field.

Many times, a person having the right set of skills is more beneficial for the business than only having a degree. Teachers and parents have been preaching to students for decades the importance of getting a degree. That way of thinking has shifted in recent years. Well-known CEOs like Elon Musk and Jeff Weiner have gone on record many times saying companies need to pay more attention to skill sets than degrees.

A New Way of Thinking

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Three Guarantees in Life: Death, Taxes, and Job Insecurity

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This is a guest blog by Gina Covarrubias

job securityAccording to careertrend.com, job security is defined as “a sense of assurance that you will remain employed for the foreseeable future – or at the very least, until you decide that you are going to move on. Job security means you are confident that your employer will keep you on board, regardless of the forces that affect the business.” 

Modern Job Insecurity 

Back in the day, long ago, people loyally worked at the same establishment for years at a time. In many industries, climbing the ladder was not required to earn a living wage or a plethora of benefits. Jobs seemed, for the most part, secure. 

It is true many jobs and employers have morphed since then, but some employees have not. There are folks out there who believe in the idea of modern job security. Do you believe the route to elevated job security includes hard work, impactful results, and pleasing your management? 

If this is you, even a little bit, I am thankful you found this article! 

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How Best to Engineer a New Career in 2019

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How Best to Engineer a New Career in 2019 is a guest blog by David Banyard

Best Career

Winter has gone. New Year resolutions may have been broken, but the days are getting longer and spring is in the air. The outlook is rosy. It’s a good time for people to consider their future best career options, whether they are in the right job or to reflect on how they want their jobs to develop in the year ahead.

For engineering professionals, the early part of the year is a great time to secure new work. In the UK, many projects ramp up before the end of the tax year and as a result, an abundance of contract opportunities arise in the early months of the year. But, it’s also a good time to secure a new permanent job, opening up new opportunities for those eager to take on a new challenge.

best career
But of course, with so many people applying for new jobs at this time of year, competition to secure the opportunity you want can be fierce. To help in your new job search, our specialist recruitment consultants have some valuable tips on how to stand out to employers:

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3 Ways to Build Your Courage Muscles for Job Search

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This is a guest blog by Nader Mowlaee

Your job search and networking success depend heavily on how courageous you are. It calls for reaching out to strangers and starting conversations with them without any assurance that they’ll like or even listen to you. Yet, it’s important to have courage because you have to take these job search actions regardless of your fear of rejection. That means you can’t give up just after a few attempts.

That’s why building your courage muscles during the job search phase is crucial and becomes your leading differentiating factor among competing candidates. Here’s how you can get it done: [Read more…] about 3 Ways to Build Your Courage Muscles for Job Search

How to Sell Yourself in a Job Interview to Guarantee a Job Offer

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How to Sell Yourself in a Job Interview to Guarantee a Job Offer is a guest post by Nader Mowlaee

Job Interview

You’ve sent out your resume and cover letter and gotten that job interview you wanted. Are you ready? Because now it’s time to concentrate and do whatever it takes to get the job you’ve always wanted. Begin by learning everything there is about the company you’re interviewing at, the person you’re be meeting, and the position you’ll be interviewing for.

Go to LinkedIn and search for other people with the same job title, who work at the same company. Go to all their profiles and see what information and data you can gather about their work and projects. Write everything down and take it to the interview with you; and feel free to ask questions based on what you found.

From your first attempt to contact a person and throughout the entire interview process, keep the 7-38-55 Rule Of Communication in mind. This is a communication model by Albert Mehrabian, a professor of psychology at UCLA, which suggests that the word we speak and say out loud is only 7% of what is read and understood by the recipient of our full message. 38% of our message comes from the intonation (pitch) and changes in the volume and speed of our voice, while a whopping 55% is from totally non-verbal cues such as body language, facial impressions, and posture.

Make sure that your body language and tone of voice demonstrate your level of enthusiasm for the job you’re interviewing for. Sit up straight, shoulders back, arms in front of you, not crossed, while keeping eye contact in order to show your confidence with your body in addition to your verbal cues.

Follow these tips to ace every stage of your upcoming interviews and get more job offers than ever before.

1st Job Interview: Ask Questions and Identify Problems

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Three Salary Negotiation Tips for a Better Engineering Job Offer

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This is a blog post by Nader Mowlaee

Salary NegotiationRegardless of your job title, or what kind of engineer you are, at some point in your career, you will likely engage in a salary negotiation. Asking for more money or a better job is a daunting prospect. What if your employer says no? What if you lose your job?

Calm down and don’t panic — salary negotiations happen all the time.

Before you ask for a pay increase or talk about your salary expectations in a new job interview, follow these 3 steps. I promise they will significantly boost your chances of success.

1. Timing is Everything

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7 Tips to Engineer Your Job Promotion

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7 Tips to Engineer Your Job Promotion is a blog post by guest author Sreeram Sreenivasan

Job PromotionDid you know that 23% of employees feel they’re overlooked for a promotion? There was a time when hard work and professional conduct were good enough to get engineers promoted. Today, they’ve become the norm. Keeping your head down and slogging hard won’t cut it any more. Engineers need to apply specific tactics to increase their chances of getting a job promotion.

1. Analyze your current situation

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How to become a Resume Genius Fresh Out of College: 7 Tips that Work

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How to become a Resume Genius Fresh Out of College is a guest post by Kevin Nelson

Resume Genius

No doubt, writing a resume when you’re just out of college is a challenging task, especially if you think that most employers prefer candidates with experience. The first word of advice here would be to let go of this misconception — as a matter of fact, a lot of great companies are looking for young talent. This, however, does not mean that you should underestimate the importance of a well-crafted resume — after all, every job opening sees an average of 250 resumes, and only 2% of those candidates land an actual interview. Let’s find out how you can wind up in those lucky two percent and become a resume genius.

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The First Step to a more Stable Engineering Career in 2018

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The First Step to a more Stable Engineering Career in 2018 is a blog post by Nader Mowlaee

Stable Engineering CareerAccording to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in January 2016 the median number of years wage and salary workers had been with their then-current employers was 4.2. This was down from a median number of 4.6 years in 2014.

What does this tell us? The era of working for 20 years at one company is over.

Yet there are still many unhappy employees who continue working for the same employer. They’re sticking to their jobs because of a fake and empty promise of security.

If you’re thinking about establishing a more stable engineering career this year, you’ll need to start setting a few goals and brainstorming a few lists of potential companies.

Goal setting is the first step to finding a more stable job with more growth potential in 2018.

Your Next Step:

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Engineering Leaders, Check Your Bias

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This is a guest blog post by Daniel Hayes, PE, PMP

biasIt was a beautiful fall day, warm but not hot, brilliantly sunny.  I walk into the lobby feeling lean and confident, ready to slay the interview.  The company President comes out to greet me, and we begin the five hour dance.

The day goes well.  I present my engineering credentials and experience.  The interview team discusses company needs and the requirements of the position.  The opportunity would be an interesting challenge if we choose to move forward.

Inconsequential yet important back and forth banter on both sides propels us toward the conclusion of the interview.  As I drive away, I think to myself that this was a positive interview experience.  I feel I have left a good impression on the team, and I am interested in working for the firm.  I leave feeling as if they had envisioned me personally when they wrote the job description.

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