Good Communication Skills- An Engineer’s Career Escalator
The boss and I were talking the other day about hiring a young engineer. The person we were considering checked a lot of the boxes we were looking for and they had a decent interview. There was no doubt they would meet all the requirements we had in the engineering skills job description. During […]
5 Big Mistakes Engineers Make on the Job
Engineers are expected to perform at their best, if not all the time, most of it at least. Room for error in this type of career is small of course, as it can have huge negative impact on an individual project or the lives of millions of people. It is essential to learn from our […]
Recognizing the Time for Change in your Engineering Career
How do you know when it’s time to move on from your engineering job? It’s something that most of us have asked ourselves at some point in our careers, or will at some time in the future. Earlier this week, a coaching client asked me what I thought. Honestly, I didn’t have a solid answer right […]
An Engineer that will be remembered for much more than engineering – and some lessons she left for us.
The engineering industry lost a dynamite engineer and person last month. Suzanne Audra (Muzzey) Seminara, 39, passed away June 16, 2017 after a courageous battle with cancer. Suzy was my classmate in undergraduate engineering school, and my wife’s college roommate. The three of us spent a lot of time together in college, mostly doing engineering homework […]
The Importance of Knowing Your “Why”
I’ve worked with thousands of engineers throughout the world, and a common theme has emerged throughout that work: engineers want to see progress in their careers. We want to climb the corporate ladder faster. We want to get more done. We want to be happier and more successful. We want to improve. I think this […]
Engineering Project Success Depends on You
Not every project you undertake as a leader is going to work out, sometimes you may find yourself having to make the decision to pull the plug. You may already have seen this in your engineering career and if not, you will. According to Project Management Institute (PMI), only 62% of projects met their […]
Why Professional Development never Ends for Engineers
I recently presented a half-day leadership seminar to a group of engineers in Mississippi. The seminar covered the basics of the most important business skills engineers should have namely: communications, productivity, leadership, and professional development. Thankfully, the seminar was well received. The feedback I got after the talk was very positive. As is often […]
Four Forms of Accountability for Engineers
Let’s talk about the accountability for engineers. Engineering covers a wide range of disciplines, such as mechanical, structural, environmental, or electrical engineers, to name a few. But all are considered professionals, no matter what their place in the organization. Engineers are responsible for many projects that can impact the public. Thus there is a set […]
Creating a Project Portfolio to Boost Your Engineering Career
If you have that information locked in your long-term memory and can access it at will, you’re set! For the rest of us, however, total recall isn’t a reality. While our long-term memory is nearly limitless, our short-term memory is only capable of managing a handful of items. Also, as time goes by, the validity […]
Why you Need to Sign up with a Recruiter if You are Looking at Transitioning From the Military
Are you looking at transitioning from the military but haven’t signed up with a military placement agency yet? If so let me tell you the top 5 reasons you need to sign up with a recruiter, even if your separation is more than a year away. Plans can change and it never hurts to have […]