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Starting an Engineering Firm: A Total Guide

November 11, 2019 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Jim Hughes

There are many reasons why a lot of engineers choose to start up their own firm. Basically, you get to be the boss, you get to decide which projects to take, and you get to pursue your engineering passions. And if you nail the right strategy, there are no limits to your income potential. However, starting an engineering firm is not easy. In fact, 90% of startups fail.

Becoming your own boss entails a lot of responsibilities. You have to take care of everything—from raising funds to hiring people and promoting your firm. And if you don’t deliver as intended, you’ll lose clients.

There’s a lot at stake the moment you quit your 9-to-5 job and decide to start up your own firm. To increase your chances of success, follow these guidelines:

Three Salary Negotiation Tips for a Better Engineering Job Offer

June 13, 2018 By EMI

This is a blog post by Nader Mowlaee

Regardless of your job title, or what kind of engineer you are, at some point in your career, you will likely engage in a salary negotiation. Asking for more money or a better job is a daunting prospect. What if your employer says no? What if you lose your job?

Calm down and don’t panic — salary negotiations happen all the time.

Before you ask for a pay increase or talk about your salary expectations in a new job interview, follow these 3 steps. I promise they will significantly boost your chances of success.

1. Timing is Everything

TCEP 080: Is Civil Engineering Becoming a Commodity?

March 28, 2018 By EMI

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In episode 080 of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk with Shane Sheldon, a civil engineer and listener from Oregon, about whether or not civil engineering is becoming a commodity. We also talk about the question that several civil engineers might be asking themselves today, which is: “Can civil engineers really be successful?”

Shane emailed me a few weeks ago, bringing up some of these points, which I felt were valid, but often overlooked, so I felt it important that he come on the show to discuss them.

Engineering Quotes:

Here are some key points discussed on whether or not civil engineering is becoming a commodity:

Is Going Back to School at a Later Age in your Career a Good Idea?

October 23, 2017 By EMI

Going back to school at a later age in your career…is it a good thing to do?

Q: Is going back to school at a later age in your career a good thing to do?

Welcome to episode #32 of Engineering Career TV. The theme for today’s episode is: Is going back to school at a later age in your career a good idea?

I spend almost all of the Engineering Career TV episodes answering questions that have been submitted from engineers around the world. The questions are typically focused on professional development for engineering professionals, especially relevant to practicing engineers.

You can submit questions for the show by clicking here.

Let’s jump into today’s topic: Is going back to school at a later age in your career a good idea? This topic is based on a question from Jay, who asks the following:
[Read more…] about Is Going Back to School at a Later Age in your Career a Good Idea?

Engineering Consulting Firm – Should you start one or work for one?

October 2, 2017 By EMI

To start an engineering consulting firm or not…that is the question.

Q: Starting an engineering consulting firm vs. working for an engineering consulting firm, which is best?

Welcome to episode #29 of Engineering Career TV. The topic for this episode is starting an engineering consulting firm vs. working for an engineering consulting firm.

You can submit questions for the show by clicking here.

Let’s jump into today’s topic: starting an engineering firm vs. working for an engineering consulting firm. This topic is based on a question from Sebastien, who asks the following:
[Read more…] about Engineering Consulting Firm – Should you start one or work for one?

How to Get an Engineering Internship as a Student – Engineering Career TV Ep. 27

September 18, 2017 By EMI

Q: How can I get an engineering internship as a student?

Welcome to episode #27 of Engineering Career TV. The topic for this episode is how to get an engineering internship as a student.

I 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: how to get an engineering internship as a student, which is based on a question from Ishan, who asks the following:
[Read more…] about How to Get an Engineering Internship as a Student – Engineering Career TV Ep. 27

Requesting Financial Assistance for Training – Engineering Career TV Ep. 21

July 31, 2017 By EMI

Q: How can I request financial assistance for training from my engineering company?

Welcome to Episode #21 of Engineering Career TV. The topic for this episode is requesting financial assistance for training.

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: Requesting financial assistance for training, which is based on a question from Kyle, who asks the following: [Read more…] about Requesting Financial Assistance for Training – Engineering Career TV Ep. 21

TECC 154: How to Become a Sales Engineer

July 25, 2017 By EMI

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

In this episode, I talk to Ian Balina, a serial entrepreneur and former freelancer about how he became a sales engineer and how you can brand yourself as an expert.

Engineering Quotes:

Here are the key points discussed on becoming a Sales Engineer:

Asking for a Raise at Work with Confidence – Engineering Career TV Ep. 1

February 27, 2017 By EMI

Welcome to Episode #1 of Engineering Career TV. The topic for this episode is Asking for a Raise at Work with Confidence.

I will spend most of the episodes answering questions that have been submitted from engineers around the world on how to rapidly advance their careers and lives the life they want to live.

You can submit questions for the show by clicking here.

Let’s jump into today’s topic which is Asking for a Raise at Work with Confidence?

The topic is based on a question from Kevin, a recent graduate and asks the following: [Read more…] about Asking for a Raise at Work with Confidence – Engineering Career TV Ep. 1

What are Your Leverage Points in Your Engineering Career?

September 6, 2016 By EMI

leverage

There are several definitions in the dictionary for the word leverage, but the one I like the most is: use (something) to maximum advantage.

Because your most limited resource is time, I would recommend that in your engineering career and life, you leverage your time. In other words, you use your time to gain maximum advantage.

I recently was coaching a senior engineer, and he was telling me about a huge challenge that he had with his team, around predicting future workload. After talking to him for 15 minutes, I realized that his challenge wasn’t this problem, it was the fact that he didn’t have enough time to solve the problem. He was spending his time on other things, that were in my opinion, not as critical.

In this article, I want to give you three items to consider when thinking about how to spend your time. Think about a lever that you can pull. The longer the lever, the stronger the force. In this situation, the length of the lever is directly related to the importance of what you decide to work on, and the impact that task can have…