Q: How do I move up within my Engineering Firm?
Welcome to Episode #15 of Engineering Career TV. The topic for this episode is Moving Up Within Your Engineering Firm.
I will spend most of the Engineering Career TV episodes answering questions that have been submitted from engineers around the world on how to rapidly advance their careers and live the lives they want to live.
You can submit questions for the show by clicking here.
Let’s jump into today’s topic, Moving Up Within Your Engineering Firm, which is based on a question from Simone, who asks the following:
Q: Hello, my name is Simone, I’m an engineering technician with 20 years work experience based in Liverpool, United Kingdom, and my question is how come since I took my higher national certificate in engineering in 2011, I can’t succeed in getting a career promotion inside my company.
I have applied for several internal jobs, which seem to be perfect for my skills and experience but all turned out a fail. The feedback I got from those interviews vary but seems to be pretty much always on the same line that is, I was a strong candidate but they found a better suited one. I fulfilled acting roles along the route to try to boost my chances, but at the moment I am working as a CAD Technician which is the same job I had 20 years ago. Please advise, many thanks.
A: The full answer can be seen in the video above, but here are a few of the main points:
- Make it extremely clear to your engineering supervisor and anyone else that you want this specific position and that you are going to work hard day in and day out until you get there.
- Spend time building up your leverage, so that when you get into a position where you want something, you can ask for it or demand it, and get it because you’ve got value.
- You must understand that at the end of the day, they can say no, and they can terminate you.
Resources mentioned in today’s Engineering Career TV:
Ask a Question
The Engineering Mastermind
I hope you found this episode of Engineering Career TV helpful.
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What questions do you have about moving up within your engineering firm?
To your success,
Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success
