Personal Development and Professionalism

Growth and Empowerment Through Community

August 30, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Fernando A. Ceballos, P.E.

I’m often asked, “Why do you volunteer so much, aren’t you worried that it’s going to affect your career development?” The answer to that is “NO, why would I be worried — it’s likely going to help my growth.” However, it is a problem if I allow my involvement to distract me from my job and impact my performance. Here are a few things for you to think about.

Find Your Tribe

It is pretty typical for people to mention that it is harder to make friends after college. You either get lucky with good co-workers you enjoy spending time with outside of work or you join some type of social club. I’ve found the easiest way to find people I “click” with is through community organizations that have a cause behind them. That cause unites us and provides the initial filter of knowing that the people you are meeting have something in common with you.

I can attest to this! My wife and closest friends were all relationships that I made after joining an organization focused on a mission larger than myself.

Know the End Goal

Paying It Forward: Engineers Can Make an Impact

August 23, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Tiffani Teachey

You might be thinking, “What does this have to do with engineering?” I’ll tell you. One of the most valuable traits that an engineer can possess is empathy, which is the ability to understand and share in another person’s emotions. What better way to exercise this trait than by helping others? Whether it is donating food, clothes, or time, engineers can make an impact by finding ways to give back!

“Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living here on Earth” ~ Shirley Chisholm

Here Are Three Ways That Engineers Can Pay It Forward:

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5 Reasons to Say YES to Volunteering

August 9, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest post by Lindsay A. O’Leary, P.E., CAE, LEED AP, M.ASCE

Volunteering allows you to bring positive, measurable changes to your community and professional family. You’ve probably thought about saying YES to a volunteer opportunity. But how? When? Does it work with your schedule? You are busy, and what will you get out of it?

My advice is simple: Say YES and say it NOW. And the more you put in, the more you’ll get out of it.

Here Are Five Reasons Why Community Involvement and Volunteerism Will Improve Your Life:

Should My LinkedIn Profile and My Resume Have a Motherhood Section?

July 26, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by author Rae Taylor, one of EMI’s Civil Engineering Collective Content Contributors

It’s always been known that having kids can be detrimental to a woman’s career. There is more research that can be cited here that women pay a price for having a family, whether it be reduced promotional prospects or a complete loss of career.

Maybe this is why I’ve always been told not to talk about having or wanting kids. I’ve even been advised to not mention being married and of childbearing age. One charming man once told me he wasn’t going to teach me anything because I would get myself pregnant and then have to leave, so what was the point? Side note here: I taught him Excel, Word, and some other software, but I guess being months from retirement, which he talked about constantly, he wasn’t going to go get himself pregnant, so I was safe in the knowledge that my efforts wouldn’t be wasted.

In the interest of never talking about having kids, let’s talk about motherhood instead, and if that should be on resumes. I haven’t been thinking about this at all while applying for jobs. I’ve been thinking about selling myself in the best possible light to all possible employers. But then the BBC asked me if motherhood belongs on a resume. I said “Yes, it does!’’ But I said it in the way you do when what you mean it, “Someone else should do that and break that glass ceiling for all the mothers out there, but not me, because I actually want a job.”

Avoid Conflict by Focusing on These 3 Areas

July 19, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

“This is what I NEED them to do,” a client said during our call recently. I had to squash the groan that was trying to escape my mouth.

The words and the tone of voice this client used were enough to ensure that “they” were not at all likely to do what she wanted them to do. “They” were her peers. She was asserting authority that she didn’t have.

Here are steps you can take to have successful conversations that don’t turn into unnecessary conflict.

Look At the Words You Use

“I need,” “I want,” and “you should” are good ways to send a conversation downhill before you’ve really gotten started.

When you use those expressions, you come across as a dictator. The persons you’re talking at — not with — can feel belittled, bullied, run over, and more. They’ll possibly end up thinking you’re a jerk.

What to Learn and When in Your Engineering Career?

June 28, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Fernando A. Ceballos, P.E.

What does getting ready for graduation, starting a new job, preparing to take your FE/PE, or picking a new hobby have in common? They all require some type of game plan to make progress and include direction of where you want things to go.

If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there, and sometimes that road ends up in a place you don’t want to be at.

What Is Relevant Right Now?

Don’t get lost in wanting to learn everything there is to know about everything in your career. Focus on becoming proficient at what you do now, then, as you find time, learn the next skill. There is a balance that must be found between getting ready for the next promotion and not failing to do a good job at your current role.

As an engineer, you may want to eventually take management path and therefore lose focus on the design aspect of your current role. You might fall into the trap of wanting to work on your business development skills, budget/schedule management, etc., and forget that you must learn the design fundamentals of the work you will one day manage. You might fail to realize that without a solid technical foundation, you will struggle to train your future staff.

Developing Your Game Plan

Developing a Personal Brand as the Jack of All Trades

June 7, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest post by Nader Mowlaee

At some point in your career or during your job search, you must have been asked the famous interview question, “Tell me about yourself.” If you often respond to such questions with “I’m great at solving problems” or “I’m a good leader who others can depend on in all situations,” this article will help you better understand and developing your personal brand so that you can send the right message to those who are considering you for a job or make a strong impression on those who are meeting you for the first time.

Being the “Jack or Jill of all trades” does not automatically make you “master of none,” although in most cases, it’s unlikely that you’re an expert in one particular area. But that’s what makes you unique, and you can be among the most valuable members of your team or company. And this begins with you taking full ownership of your unique position, and clearly brand yourself as one who is approachable and resourceful.

5 Ways to Establish Yourself as an Expert in Your Field

May 31, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Patrick Sweet, P.Eng., MBA, PMP, CSEP

No matter what your particular engineering discipline or industry, there is immense value in establishing yourself as an expert. In both Seth Godin’s “Linchpin” and Cal Newport’s “So Good They Can’t Ignore You,” very compelling cases are made for why someone should strive to become an expert in their field. To be the go-to person for a given subject is not only incredibly gratifying, it also provides excellent job security and flexibility.

While it may be clear that becoming an expert is extremely valuable, it’s less clear how to go about becoming an expert.

In this post, I’ll offer five concrete strategies you can use to establish yourself as an expert in your field.

What Makes You YOU?

May 17, 2021 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

What do you want to be known for as a professional? Call it personal branding if that phrase means something to you. What do you want your peers, bosses, clients, and professional associates to say about you?

How can you stand out from the crowd? What differentiates you from your professional associates?

For seven years, I did the kickoff session for a future leaders program for the Georgia chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies. Participants were young engineers with a few years on the job. We could have anywhere from 25 to 50 in the room.

I always asked them to tell me about their company. Every one of them said something along the lines of “we’re the best . . .” Basically, they all said the same thing — engineering and technical skills.

Then I’d ask what differentiates their firm from others in the room. Silence.

Let’s take that to the individual level. What makes you YOU? What do you want people to remember about you?

Here are some ideas to get you thinking about yourself.

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Find Your Genius Zone: The Ultimate Personal Brand

May 10, 2021 By EMI

This is a blog by Jeff Perry, MBA

Personal branding is getting more and more attention as a piece of building our careers, yet many people ignore it or do not even know what it is. Whether you do it intentionally or not, you are putting off a personal brand — but is it the one that you want to have?

Let us dive deeper into how you can take charge and help others perceive you in the way you want to be known.

What Is a Personal Brand?

Put simply, a personal brand is how you promote yourself. It’s the amount of “who you are” that you allow the world to see. It’s your opportunity to tell your story and differentiate yourself from others.

An easy way to think about a personal brand is to imagine a simple Venn diagram. In one circle are all of the attributes, skills, personality traits, interests, and experiences that you have. In the other circle are all of the ways you show that to other people — online, in a resume, on LinkedIn, personal websites, and more. The intersection of the two circles is your personal brand — how much people actually see of who you truly are.