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TECC 011: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Deciding on the Technical or Managerial Career Path as an Engineer

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In this session of The Engineering Career Coach Podcast, I am going to provide some tips to an engineer on how to decide whether to stay on the technical track in his career path or to make a move toward management when the time is right. Even though he is early in his career, he is concerned that if he wants to eventually transition into management, he must start preparing now—and he is right. This is a challenge that too many engineers face.

career path“Your career is like a garden. It can hold an assortment of life’s energy that yields a bounty for you. You do not need to grow just one thing in your garden. You do not need to do just one thing in your career.” – Jennifer Ritchie Payette

The career-changing tip at the end of the show will help you decide which path in your engineering career is best for you.

Our guest for Session 11 is Kevin, a 23-year-old systems engineer.

Listen to this session and learn: [Read more…] about TECC 011: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Deciding on the Technical or Managerial Career Path as an Engineer

TECC 010: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Acing the Engineering Job Interview

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In this session of The Engineering Career Coach Podcast, I am going to provide some tips to an engineer on how to ace the engineering job interview. These are tips I have helped engineers of all experience levels use to land great jobs.

“I am so nervous; I have always been nervous since I was a kid.” – Elvis Presley

engineering job interviewEngineers make some very basic mistakes when going through the job-interview process, one of them being focusing too much on themselves. The other common challenge is being nervous. Many engineers and other professionals are so nervous during job interviews that they don’t really show their true selves and personalities to the prospective employers.

In order to achieve your engineering career goals, you must be able to secure an opportunity when you either need one or want a new one.

The career-changing tip at the end of the show will help you improve the quality of all of your conversations.

Our guest for Session 10 is Sherry, a 25-year-old engineering graduate student.

Listen to this session and learn: [Read more…] about TECC 010: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Acing the Engineering Job Interview

TECC 009: How to Not Mess Up Your Annual Review for Engineers

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Annual Review for Engineers…


In this session of The Engineering Career Coach Podcast, I am going to cover the oh so important annual review for engineers and provide some coaching and guidance on how to prepare for and approach your annual performance review.

In the last few weeks I have received so many questions about this annual review for engineers that most companies perform that I decided not only to do a post on this topic on our blog but also to dedicate an entire podcast to the subject.

As always, I will also provide a career-changing tip at the end of the show. This week’s tip will give you a strategy to help you measure your progress in your career on a regular basis, to ensure that you are not stagnant during the primetime of your engineering career.

 “In the end, you’re measured not by how much you undertake, but by what you finally accomplish.” – Donald Trump

Annual Review for Engineers

Listen to this session and learn about the following topics in relation to the annual review for engineers: [Read more…] about TECC 009: How to Not Mess Up Your Annual Review for Engineers

Wow the Crowd: Anthony Fasano’s Guide to Public Speaking for Engineers

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public speaking

Even though I have been a professional speaker for three years as of the publication of this guide, I still introduce myself as an engineer. People often joke and say, “You can’t be an engineer, engineers don’t speak well in front of an audience.” This is one of the reasons that I wanted to prepare this comprehensive guide on public speaking for engineers.

There is a preconceived notion that public speaking is an art and a skill for communication professionals only and that the place of scientists, engineers, and the like is in the laboratories and workhouses. This kind of mentality has resulted in the stereotype of engineers and scientists as nerds, geeks, introverts, and socially awkward individuals.

While it is true that engineers spend more of their time doing calculations than standing in the limelight, there are certainly instances when they are expected to come out of their comfort zones, face the crowd, and talk. And more often than not, these are momentous events, such as when they are asked to share their newest invention, explain the impacts of a significant project they’re working on to local citizens, or convince donors and supporters of a technology’s larger impact on the community.

These are circumstances wherein no skilled communicator can replace the expert, and as such, the technical specialist like the engineer is forced to take the stage. This is why, despite the general belief that public speaking is outside the scientist’s purview, engineers should learn how to face and wow the crowd. I have also found the ability to do so a game changer in career development.

Why Public Speaking Matters

Science is one of the most dynamic fields, with innovation after innovation coming out every day. Engineering, perhaps next to the field of medicine, has some of the most interesting breakthroughs in structures and systems that impact communities—from buildings and bridges to digital developments and computers. The depth and breadth of technology that comes out make it doubly important for experts like engineers to share their knowledge with the public. Aside from this, there are three other great reasons why
you need to take courage in speaking to the crowd: [Read more…] about Wow the Crowd: Anthony Fasano’s Guide to Public Speaking for Engineers

TECC 008: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Escaping the Cubicle Lifestyle as an Engineer

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Escaping the Cubicle Lifestyle as an Engineer

In this session of The Engineering Career Coach Podcast, I am going to provide some coaching and guidance to an engineer who has a goal of escaping the cubicle lifestyle and building more freedom and flexibility into his career and lifestyle.

Engineering Management InstituteIt is a myth throughout the engineering industry that you must spend the first 10 years of your career, at least, sitting in a cubicle and performing technical calculations. In this show, my guest wants to expose that myth and take a different path, and I give him strategies to help him do just that.

As always, I will also provide a career-changing tip at the end of the show. This week’s tip will provide you with a strategy that will help you think bigger and take more risks in your engineering career.

“For all of the most important things, the timing always sucks. Waiting for a good time to quit your job? The stars will never align and the traffic lights of life will never all be green at the same time. The universe doesn’t conspire against you, but it doesn’t go out of its way to line up the pins either. Conditions are never perfect. ‘Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. Pro and con lists are just as bad. If it’s important to you and you want to do it ‘eventually,’ just do it and correct course along the way.” – Timothy Ferris

In order to achieve your engineering career goals, you have to act on your ideas NOW, not later.

Our guest for Session 8 is Dan, a 26-year-old electrical engineering professional in Washington, DC.

Listen to this session and learn: [Read more…] about TECC 008: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Escaping the Cubicle Lifestyle as an Engineer

TECC 007: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – The Path to Becoming a Partner in an Engineering Firm

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In this session of The Engineering Career Coach Podcast, I am going to provide an engineer who has a goal of becoming a partner, with some strategies he can use to overcome some challenges he is facing.  His challenges include some of the typical daily struggles that all engineers face, trying to be productive yet maintain a high-quality engineering product, and spending his time on things that matter most.

Engineering Management InstituteEffective time management is critical with such a lofty goal of becoming a partner in an engineering company.  During today’s session, I will walk my guest through a process to identify where his time should be spent and then help him prepare a plan to achieve that goal.

As always, I will also provide a career-changing tip at the end of the show. This week’s tip will provide you with a strategy that will help you to move towards your goals every day.

“Every day do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.” – Doug Firebaugh

In order to achieve your engineering career goals you must take small steps each day towards those goals.

Our guest for Session 7 is John, a 34-year-old structural engineering project manager who works for a medium sized company in Texas.

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TECC 006: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Dealing with a Difficult Supervisor and Learning to Delegate

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In this session of The Engineering Career Coach Podcast, I am going to give an engineer some strategies for dealing with a difficult supervisor and some tips to help him delegate more and free up some more time.

Having a supervisor who is focused on the business side of things while neglecting the engineering side of things can be a very stressful situation. It must be addressed before it comes back to hurt the company. We will help a younger engineer tackle this problem in this session.

Engineering Management InstituteAs always, I will also provide a career-changing tip at the end of the show. This week’s tip will help you think about ways you can delegate things in your career and free up your time.

“No person will make a great business who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit.” – Andrew Carnegie

Our guest for Session 6 is Jim from Florida, a 28-year-old structural engineer who works for a small engineering company in the manufacturing field.

Listen to this session and learn: [Read more…] about TECC 006: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Dealing with a Difficult Supervisor and Learning to Delegate

TECC 005: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Finding and Getting the Most Out of a Mentor in Your Engineering Career

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In this session of The Engineering Career Coach Podcast, I am going to outline the steps for finding a mentor in your engineering career who can guide you toward achieving your goals.

Finding the right mentor in your engineering career can rapidly facilitate your development. A mentor can help you avoid mistakes that other engineers have made in the past.

Engineering Management InstituteAs always, I will also provide a career-changing tip at the end of the show. This week’s tip will force you to identify the most important challenge or goal in your engineering career and will give you a strategy to overcome or achieve it.

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” – John Crosby

During the show, I will help an engineer put together a plan for finding the perfect mentor for him. Our guest for Session 5 is Praveen from India, a 27-year-old materials engineer in the automotive industry.

Listen to this session and learn: [Read more…] about TECC 005: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Finding and Getting the Most Out of a Mentor in Your Engineering Career

TECC 004: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Creating Opportunities in Your Engineering Career

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In this session of The Engineering Career Coach Podcast, I am going to help an engineer who is discouraged and not happy with his current job. I am going to help him realize that he has a great opportunity in front of him, but it is up to him to seize it. And just like him, we all have opportunities to seize.

All engineers have opportunities available to them, but many of them don’t realize that they can capitalize on these opportunities or create new ones.

Engineering Management Institute

As always, I will also provide a career-changing tip at the end of the show. This week’s tip will challenge the way you think and give you a very specific strategy for ensuring that you think in a positive way that helps you to always look for opportunities.

“A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.” – Francis Bacon

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle

During the show, we will help an engineer overcome the idea that his success is based on his company’s success. Our guest for Session 4 is Robert from Pennsylvania, a 36-year-old structural engineer.

Listen to this session and learn [Read more…] about TECC 004: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Creating Opportunities in Your Engineering Career

TECC 003: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Overcoming Stagnation in Your Engineering Career

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Overcoming Stagnation in Your Engineering Career

In this session of The Engineering Career Coach Podcast, I am going to help an engineer overcome stagnation and build flexibility into her career. Career stagnation can prolong your journey towards your goals or prevent you from achieving them altogether.

Engineering Management InstituteIt’s not just about rising to the top of the corporate ladder as an engineer—it’s about having an enjoyable career and life, and I will discuss that early on in this show.

As always, I will also provide a career-changing tip at the end of the show. This week’s tip will be a challenge for you in both your engineering career and life to help you break stagnation and bad habits.

“When I was five years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” – John Lennon

During the show, we will help a young engineer overcome stagnation and deal with the issue of not being utilized effectively by her managers. Our guest for Session 3 is Daniela from Virginia, a 32-year-old land surveyor and civil engineer.

Listen to this session and learn: [Read more…] about TECC 003: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – Overcoming Stagnation in Your Engineering Career