Engineering Management Institute

UPCOMING TRAINING

personal development

3 Actions Engineering Professionals Can Take to Build Their Personal Brands

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This is a guest blog by Nader Mowlaee

Personal BrandsLike all other career professionals, engineers should constantly be evolving in order to move forward in their careers and reach the ultimate goals they are pursuing. There are however some aspects of career advancement that typically happen outside of normal working hours, and the standard education and training path, such as personal development efforts focused on personal brands. This might include picking up a new book to read, taking an online 3D design course, or starting a coding Bootcamp.

Personal brands related actions are different because they enable you to communicate and promote who you are and what you’re destined to do. Such actions allow you to build an online presence, showcase your engineering design portfolio, or even influence other professionals in your field to follow your lead.

Most engineers feel uncomfortable when attempting to build their personal brands. So in this article, I’ll share three simple but important personal branding actions that you can take to enhance your short-term job search results and long-term career aspirations. These three steps will help you in both finding engineering jobs and ultimately finding yourself in a career that matches both your unique skill set and your personality.

Here are three actions related to personal brands that may be helpful in your engineering job search or career journey overall. [Read more…] about 3 Actions Engineering Professionals Can Take to Build Their Personal Brands

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

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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

Mastering Tough Conversations with your Boss – Engineering Career TV Ep. 11

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Q: How do I have tough conversations with my boss about over commitment?

Welcome to Episode #10 of Engineering Career TV. The topic for this episode is Mastering Tough Conversations with your Boss.

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, Mastering Tough Conversations with your Boss, which is based on a question from Stan, who asks the following: [Read more…] about Mastering Tough Conversations with your Boss – Engineering Career TV Ep. 11

Engineering Leaders, Check Your Bias

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This is a guest blog post by Daniel Hayes, PE, PMP

biasIt was a beautiful fall day, warm but not hot, brilliantly sunny.  I walk into the lobby feeling lean and confident, ready to slay the interview.  The company President comes out to greet me, and we begin the five hour dance.

The day goes well.  I present my engineering credentials and experience.  The interview team discusses company needs and the requirements of the position.  The opportunity would be an interesting challenge if we choose to move forward.

Inconsequential yet important back and forth banter on both sides propels us toward the conclusion of the interview.  As I drive away, I think to myself that this was a positive interview experience.  I feel I have left a good impression on the team, and I am interested in working for the firm.  I leave feeling as if they had envisioned me personally when they wrote the job description.

[Read more…] about Engineering Leaders, Check Your Bias

When Accountability Is Not The Best Strategy To Achieve Your Goals

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This is a guest blog post by Daniel Hayes, PE, PMP

goals

Accountability is all the rage.  Goal setting literature is full of articles, features and columns, touting the benefits of finding an accountabilibuddy, one whose job it is to keep you on track, moving forward on your goals, performing what you planned and promised.  While I agree that having someone hold me accountable makes perfect sense, the idea has never worked well for me.  I have always struggled being on the hook to someone else; so much that resistance to accountability often pushes me off course.  I find myself pushing back on accountability because of this.


I’ve always wondered if there was something wrong with me.  Why do I push back on those trying to support me?  Why does my work suffer when I am held externally accountable?  Does this inclination and behavior of mine have to sabotage my career and personal development?

[Read more…] about When Accountability Is Not The Best Strategy To Achieve Your Goals

TECC 024: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – 10 More Answers for 10 More Questions from 10 More Engineers

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Engineering Management InstituteIn this session of The Engineering Career Coach Podcast, I answer 10 more questions related to career and personal development, submitted by The Engineering Career Coach Podcast listeners.

If you missed Session 23, click here to listen to the first 10 questions I answered.

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint, and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

Engineering Management InstituteThe career-changing tip at the end of the show will provide you with a simple action that you can take to try to overcome any challenge or solve any problem in your career.

Below are the 10 questions that I answer on this show, each followed by a one-sentence snippet of the answer: [Read more…] about TECC 024: The Engineering Career Coach Podcast – 10 More Answers for 10 More Questions from 10 More Engineers

Are You Too Focused on the Wrong Thing in Your Engineering Career?

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Staying Afloat in Your Engineering Career

The following post is based on a true story of a walk my son and I took one evening a few weeks ago. It is meant to inspire you to focus more on the things that matter most to you in your career and your life.

Not Your Average Walk 

My five-year-old son has a lot of energy, so every so often after dinner, he and I will take a long walk along a path that we have dubbed “the Secret Passageway.” A few weeks ago, while out for our walk, we saw something that was both scary and eye-opening. [Read more…] about Are You Too Focused on the Wrong Thing in Your Engineering Career?