Ways for Engineers to Give Back to the Community
The work that engineers do is essential. It directly affects people and the community as a whole. This is because their work is to create products and structures that are to be used by people, however it is still important for an engineer to find a way to give back to his or her community. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
What Bricklayers can Teach us About our Engineering Careers
I was recently reminded of a parable I had heard many years ago. In the story, there are three bricklayers working on a wall for a church. Someone asks the first bricklayer what he’s doing. He says, “I’m building a wall.” The second bricklayer is asked the same question and replies, “I’m building a church.” […]
Using Negative Feedback For Success
It may be the nature of most people to try and avoid receiving negative feedback. When some people do receive such feedback, they often ignore it, rationalize it or attack the source of it. Very seldom do they see the benefit of improving from it. Negative feedback is an opportunity to reflect and learn. When […]
One Small Trick for Making Big Decisions
Have you ever been in situations where you felt like making big decisions was impossible? Or have you ever gone all-in on a big decision just to find out you made a huge mistake? I’ve done both, and I’m sure I’m in good company. Paralysis by analysis is a terrible state to be in – […]
The Secret to Becoming an Innovative Design Engineer
I was recently listening to an interview with Ben Brenton, the Chief Innovation Officer of Snap-on Tools on the Everyday Innovator Podcast. During the interview, he said something quite profound about the way he spent his time. He said that he spends approximately four days a week on things related to customer interaction. That means […]
What Every Engineer and Project Manager should know about the Scope of Work (SOW) on Engineering Projects
The following is an excerpt from John Lowe’s book entitled A Guide to Managing Engineering and Architectural Design Services Contracts. The post was published with permission from the author and the audiobook will be available through Engineering Management Institute website in November 2016. Click here for a notification when the audiobook is released. The Scope […]
Failure Lessons from Evel Knievel and How they May Apply to Your Engineering Career
Evel Knievel is a ‘60s and ‘70’s era stunt performer and daredevil. He was often seen on ABC’s Wide World of Sports on Sunday afternoons, jumping his motorcycle over cars trucks and buses. A venerable showman, Knievel is most famous for the televised attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in Idaho in a steam […]