Engineering Management Institute

UPCOMING WEBINAR

How to Use the PSI Framework to Sell Yourself in a Job Interview

By

How to Use the PSI Framework is a guest post by Nader Mowlaee
PSI

PSI stands for more than just “pounds per square inch” when inflating tires. It also stands for a meaningful way to enhance your value to a potential new or existing employer, especially during job interviews.

The PSI framework is also a great method you can use on the job to sell a project, product or idea to just about anyone. It’s an amazing tool to convince engineering leaders and managers that there is a problem needing to be addressed and that your solution is the best way to fix the issue.

P – Problem

[Read more…]

Have You Heard of the S.O.A.R Method?

By

Have You Heard of the S.O.A.R Method is a guest blog by Thomas Anderson, P.E.

S.O.A.R

How do you prepare for an interview? Do you read typical questions that the employer might ask? Do you practice artful responses? The S.O.A.R. Answer Method is helpful for preparing for interview questions and it keeps you focused on the discussion while you are answering.

This answer method works well on interview questions 11 and 15 on an article called Top 20 Interview Questions and How to Answer

The S.O.A.R. Method Explained:

[Read more…]

TCEP 096: A Specific Recipe for Building Seller-Doer Skills

By

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Seller-Doer SkillsIn episode 096 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I speak with Jim Rogers, author of Win More Work, and Co-Founder of the Seller-Doer Academy. Jim and I will be giving you a strategy for building your seller-doer skills which consists of three specific learning approaches.

Engineering Quotes:

Seller-Doer Skills

Seller-Doer Skills

Here are some key points discussed in this episode on building seller-doer skills:

[Read more…]

How Engineers Can Develop Necessary Soft Skills to Excel in Their Careers

By

How Engineers Can Develop Necessary Soft Skills to Excel in Their Careers is a guest post by Tiffany Rowe

Soft SkillsThe five years of an engineer’s bachelor’s degree program are filled with complex math and science. Indeed, almost all of an engineer’s training pertains to the hard skills they will directly apply to problems in their field during the course of their career. Yet, what most new engineering grads discover as they enter the workforce is that they are woefully under prepared to function in the workplace because they have failed to develop their soft skills.

Hiring managers are always looking for well-developed soft skills, even in engineers. The ability to communicate, to work in teams, to think creatively and adapt swiftly to new situations are mandatory in the modern workplace, and it is unlikely that an engineer will find success without cultivating such skills. Fortunately, it isn’t difficult to enhance one’s soft skills, both inside and outside an educational environment. Here are a few ways engineers can build the skills they need to excel in their careers.

[Read more…]

5 Laws for Engineer Career Success

By

5 Laws for Engineer Career Success is a blog post by Tom Jager

Career Success

“Engineering is the closest thing to magic that exists in the world.”

This quote comes from Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk and beautifully describes what each engineer wants to do and should do to achieve career success: create, innovate, and improve everything around them.

Becoming a successful “wizard,” or engineer, has never been easy because the profession requires complex skills and even more complex responsibilities. To enter such a career, one has to develop the courage and personality traits needed to endure all the challenges one will face in this profession.

Despite a popular opinion, knowledge alone is insufficient to succeed as an engineering professional. You have to have that desire to design the things that millions are only dreaming about. That’s what drives people working on such amazing projects such as an autonomous car and an upcoming flight to Mars.

What else distinguishes these brilliant engineers?

The ability to follow the unwritten laws of the profession that keep them focused and moving forward.

In this article I’d like to focus on these laws in hopes that they can help you to become a successful or more successful engineer.

Law #1: Do Good Work

[Read more…]

3 Things You Need to Know to Engineer Resolution

By

Engineer ResolutionOne thing that is certain to happen in your engineering career is conflict.  This isn’t because the engineering profession is more prone to conflict than accounting or that engineers tend to be a contentious lot.  It’s because, as in any profession, you’ll find people.  Wherever there are people you will find conflict.  Because of this, it’s important to develop a basic understanding of the three things you need to know to engineer resolution.

[Read more…]

What Engineers Should Look for When Choosing Career Mentors

By

This is a guest post by Carol Evenson
Career Mentors

If you are one of almost 2 million engineers in the United States looking for a mentor, then you have made a smart career decision. Studies show receiving mentoring from the right career mentor can make a measurable difference. So, what should you look for in career mentors? Here’s some suggestions.

[Read more…]

You Are an Expert, and It’s Time to Own It

By

You Are an Expert, and It’s Time to Own It is a blog post by guest author Patrick Sweet, P.Eng., MBA

Expert

In the world of knowledge work, expertise is everything. Gone are the days of the master builder who knew every trade and could do it all. Employers look for people with more and more experience in smaller and smaller niches. Experts are linchpins in their organizations in every industry.

Needless to say, being able to lay claim to any kind of specialty is very valuable in one’s career. It’s something every engineer should be pursuing in one form or another.

Luckily, developing expertise isn’t anywhere near as difficult as most people think. In fact, when you stop and think about it, it can be very easy to develop real expertise quickly and to reap the benefits in your career, even if you’re just getting started. The only trick is to re-frame the way you think of expertise.

Don’t ask permission

The first mistake people make with respect to expertise is that they think they need others to validate them as an expert. That’s nonsense. If you know more about a given subject than 80% of people, you’re an expert. You don’t need to be in the top 1%. You don’t need a PhD. All you need is to know your stuff better than most people.

[Read more…]

Managing Individual and Firm Licensure for Engineering Firms

By

This is a guest post by Jerri-Lynn Wier of Harbor Compliance

Firm LicensureEach state has a unique regulatory landscape that individual engineers and engineering firms must navigate before offering services. At each milestone in the firm’s development, new requirements apply, further complicating the task of staying on course and maintaining good standing. Firms can reduce their paperwork, speed the application process, and reduce their risk of unlicensed practice by taking a proactive, comprehensive approach to firm licensure. Such an approach must pay equal attention to all three sides of the professional licensing triangle: entity management, firm licensing, and the licenses of individual engineers.Firm Licensure

Entity Management: Qualifying to Do Business in a New State

[Read more…]

How to Get Your Resume Noticed: Tips for College Students

By

How to Get Your Resume Noticed: Tips for College Students is a guest post by Kevin Nelson

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 fact is especially true for engineering job openings — everyone would rather hire an experienced pro for such a responsible and challenging position. At the same time, a lot of great companies are looking for young talent as it (let’s be frank) allows them to downsize on the payment. All of 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 get your resume noticed.

Start a career objective

[Read more…]