Engineering Management Institute

soft skills

Stomp Out the ANTs With Your Self-Confidence

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This is a guest blog by Pamela A. Scott

your self-confidenceBuilding self-confidence, in my opinion, is like a tug of war in your head. One part of you is saying, “I can do this,” while the other part of you is saying, “No you can’t. You’re a disaster.”

“Don’t believe everything you hear — even in your own head.” That advice comes from Dr. Daniel Amen, who coined the term ANTs—Automatic Negative Thoughts. Just like real ants that ruin your picnic, ANTs can ruin your day.

your self-confidence

Your goal is to stomp out those ANTs. Kill those negative thoughts. Don’t listen to them when they pop into your brain. Remember, you are in charge, not the ANTs. Dr. Amen has some suggestions on how to do that here.

People See What You Project

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TCEP 186: The Secret to Building a Not So Average Civil Engineering Firm

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civil engineering firm

In this episode of The Civil Engineering Podcast, I talk to Ryan Getz, P.E, Managing Partner at WGA Consulting Engineers, about how he grew his civil engineering firm from seven to 50 people, and the role that your staff plays in building a business. Ryan also gets into the importance of reinventing yourself and how it affects the success of your firm.

Engineering Quotes:


Here Are Some of the Questions I Ask Ryan:

  • What motivated you and your partner to start WGA?
  • How are you building WGA that sets it apart from other companies in the industry?
  • How do you develop the soft skills needed to run an effective business?
  • What are some of the biggest changes you have seen in the industry throughout your career?
  • What does it take to scale a company as opposed to just keeping it small?

Here Are Some Key Points Discussed in This Episode About Building a Not So Average Civil Engineering Firm:

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Three Guarantees in Life: Death, Taxes, and Job Insecurity

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This is a guest blog by Gina Covarrubias

job securityAccording to careertrend.com, job security is defined as “a sense of assurance that you will remain employed for the foreseeable future – or at the very least, until you decide that you are going to move on. Job security means you are confident that your employer will keep you on board, regardless of the forces that affect the business.” 

Modern Job Insecurity 

Back in the day, long ago, people loyally worked at the same establishment for years at a time. In many industries, climbing the ladder was not required to earn a living wage or a plethora of benefits. Jobs seemed, for the most part, secure. 

It is true many jobs and employers have morphed since then, but some employees have not. There are folks out there who believe in the idea of modern job security. Do you believe the route to elevated job security includes hard work, impactful results, and pleasing your management? 

If this is you, even a little bit, I am thankful you found this article! 

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TGEP 10: Ground Improvement Techniques for Geotechnical Engineering Professionals

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ground improvement

In this episode, we talk to John R. Grillo, P.E., a Project Executive at Keller about ground improvement techniques, deep foundation design, and the latest drilling techniques they have been using. He also provides some great advice for geotechnical engineers who are looking at moving into a leadership role.

Engineering Quotes:

Ground Improvement Techniques

Ground Improvement Techniques

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask John R. Grillo, P.E.:

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TECC 233: Developing Soft Skills for a Successful Career in Engineering

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In this episode, our new host, Jeff Perry, MBA talks to Dennis Doran, a leading expert in the construction industry with more than 30 years of experience, and the author of the highly praised book, Soft as Steel,  about the importance of valuing and developing soft skills to build relationships and succeed in business and life.

Engineering Quotes:

Developing Soft Skills

Developing Soft Skills

Here Are the Key Points Discussed on the Power of Passion for Your Profession:

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TECC 215: The Life Cycle of a Great Engineering Manager

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In this episode of The Engineering Career Coach, I discuss the life cycle of a great engineering manager and how engineering organizations can avoid stunting this cycle. I will provide 5 strategies that organizations can use to ensure they are setting up their engineering professionals to become the best engineering managers they can be.

Engineering Quotes:

Great Engineering Manager

Here Are 5 Actions Organizations can Take to Help Engineering Professionals Become Great Managers and Powerful Leaders:

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3 Uncommon Engineering Skills That Engineers Should Develop for Extraordinary Success

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This is a guest post by Nader Mowlaee

Uncommon Engineering Skills There comes a time in every engineer’s career where they’ll want to take their roles to the next level by managing others, overseeing projects, and even running their own engineering startups. It’s a given that to catapult your engineering career, you have to do what’s necessary to be successful in outshining the rest, and sometimes that calls for identifying and fine-tuning the skills companies need. Research shows that companies desire soft skills, such as complex problem-solving, people management, creativity, and critical thinking—four essential soft skills that are projected to be the top desired soft skills by 2020. While these skills are essential for being successful in your engineering career, they often overshadow the uncommon engineering skills that engineers need to achieve exceptional success the way Apple’s Tim Cook or Tesla’s Elon Musk did. 

Yet, everyone can’t transform into Elon Musk overnight. If you want to accomplish extraordinary success, you have to look beyond the ordinary. You won’t achieve far-reaching goals by simply working harder or longer hours than everyone else on the job. Instead, shift your focus to developing the unconventional skills that engineers often neglect. Here are three uncommon skills every engineer needs to achieve next-level success: 

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TSEC 06: The Emotional Side of Structural Engineering

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In episode 06 of The Structural Engineering Channel podcast, we talk to Zohaib Alvi, P.E. who is a civil, structural, and forensic engineer and principal of za/engineering. We talk about sustainability in structural engineering and more specifically about the emotional side of structural engineering and how important it is to embrace and understand it as an engineer.

Engineering Quotes:

Emotional Side of Structural Engineering

Here Are Some of the Questions We Ask Zohaib in This Episode:

  • Where did your interest in sustainability come from?
  • In terms of policies, guidelines and regulations – has it been reflected in codes and guidelines in the recent history?
  • Can you give us an example of how resiliency needs to start with us?
  • How does smart technology play into all these trending issues?

Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About the Emotional Side of Structural Engineering

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Why Technical Skills Alone Won’t Get You That Engineering Job

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Why Technical Skills Alone Won’t Get You That Engineering Job is a guest blog by Andrei Kurtuy

Technical SkillsTechnical skills are the tools of the trade for engineers. But don’t think for a second that the key to landing a great engineering job comes down to how your technical skills stack up against the competition.

Whether you’re a future or recent engineering graduate, or you’re well along in your career, looking for a new job is a situation you’re likely to face. Of course, you’ll want that job to be fulfilling and relevant to all that valuable training you’ve undertaken.

Well if you want to find your perfect job, you can’t let your technical background do all the talking. In today’s hyper-competitive work environment, recruiters are likely to receive hundreds of applications from people who (probably) have similar or better credentials than you.

So, what can you do to make your resume and cover letter grab an employer’s attention and land you a job interview? Redirect your attention. [Read more…] about Why Technical Skills Alone Won’t Get You That Engineering Job

How Engineers Can Develop Necessary Soft Skills to Excel in Their Careers

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How Engineers Can Develop Necessary Soft Skills to Excel in Their Careers is a guest post by Tiffany Rowe

Soft SkillsThe five years of an engineer’s bachelor’s degree program are filled with complex math and science. Indeed, almost all of an engineer’s training pertains to the hard skills they will directly apply to problems in their field during the course of their career. Yet, what most new engineering grads discover as they enter the workforce is that they are woefully under prepared to function in the workplace because they have failed to develop their soft skills.

Hiring managers are always looking for well-developed soft skills, even in engineers. The ability to communicate, to work in teams, to think creatively and adapt swiftly to new situations are mandatory in the modern workplace, and it is unlikely that an engineer will find success without cultivating such skills. Fortunately, it isn’t difficult to enhance one’s soft skills, both inside and outside an educational environment. Here are a few ways engineers can build the skills they need to excel in their careers.

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