There are times over the course of an engineer’s career where it can feel like the rate of moving forward comes to a slow crawl or worse a stand still. This period of slow career growth can strike at any time whether the engineer is green and entry level or a seasoned senior professional. There are many different causes for a stagnating career ranging from being stuck on report duty, working at a company with limited upward mobility or even faltering motivation. When the doldrums of an engineer’s career arrive there are ten things they can do to take stock and accelerate or jump start their career growth. (Access the companion video blog at the following link: http://youtu.be/XmNc6pQR0vg).
Tip #1 – Take time to plan your career
Engineers are logical and meticulous people who let few technical details slip through the cracks. This is why it is surprising to learn how few engineers take the time to plan out their careers. Most career planning comes as a second thought to the bosses inquiry at the annual review of “Where do you see yourself in five years?”. This haphazard career planning leaves an engineer’s advancement to random chance and the luck of the draw.
A critical step to any engineering career is to set time aside at least twice a year if not once per quarter to reflect and pander where you want your career to go. What is the end target that results in a successful career? Armed with an understanding of the destination then enables defining the stops along the way! It is impossible to plan and hit targets if the destination is unknown or to tell if you’ve taken a wrong turn! Don’t forget to ask the who, what, when, where and why! Taking just a few hours each quarter to revisit these questions and plan out the path can help identify what needs to be done and how to get there.
Tip #2 – Build a resume that shines
With a career plan in hand the odds today that an engineer will stay at a single company for their entire career is relatively slim. Periodically changing jobs is a quick way to move up the ladder (and pay scale) to reach career goals sooner. In order to make these jumps it is critical to build a resume that shines and gets the attention of employers. There are a number of tips for a good resume that one can and should follow. “10 Tips for a Successful Engineering Resume” located at http://bit.ly/1vUa4aG , has a number of useful tips, examples and recommendations on how to build a resume that shines! In order to help jump start building a resume, an engineering resume template can also be downloaded for use at http://bit.ly/1uHuZCY. One of the most important things to remember is to show what you are capable of and not just list it!
Tip #3 – Master the tools of the trade
No matter which area of engineering one might be involved in, a sure way to accelerate a career is to master the tools of the trade. At the highest level, this could include learning the relevant specifications that are used by the industry. It also could include a deep understanding of hardware tools such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, debuggers or software such as IDE’s, simulators and so on. Mastery comes from continual reading of industry literature such as books, articles and specifications. The most important point to mastering the tools though is through use and experimentation. Only then can an engineer truly understand the pitfalls and the best practices of the industry.
Tip #4 – Step up to the plate
One of the simplest ways to start accelerating a career is to step up to the plate and do the things that others refuse to do. When the boss asks for someone to volunteer to do something step up and agree to do the work. Doing what others refuse to do or say is outside of their job description helps set an individual apart from the crowd. What is even more important is that it helps make the engineer the “go to” when something critical needs to be done. When it comes time for promotions and pay raises who is most likely to standout, the volunteer ready to do what needs to be done for the company or those that wait to be forced to do it?
Tip #5 – Never feel satisfied
No matter how much you learn or become the subject matter expert, there is always more to learn! The mastery of every new skill always reveals another which is lacking. Gaining expertise in that skill then reveals yet another skill that needs to be learned. An engineer needs to stay hungry for knowledge and remain humble that where he/she is currently at is just yet another step in the whole of a career. The field of engineering is changing so fast with new tools, concepts and capabilities being available every year. Staying up to date and continually learning ensures that skills don’t go stale and keep us at the top of our game.
Tip #6 – Experiment outside the office
There are few employers who don’t get excited when they see a candidate who not only goes to work and gets the job done but someone who then goes home and continues to experiment and learn. When walking into a job interview an individual can’t bring material from their current employer to show what they have done and are capable of doing; however, a project done at home on their time can be brought in and shown off!
Designing a circuit board, developing software, or creating a widget that can be brought into an interview is a sure way to stand apart. It also allows the interviewee to walk a potential employer though the design process, point out issues and how they were resolved and even what they would do differently the next time! It provides a great conversation piece and allows an engineer to show off what they can really do.
Tip #7 – Learn to control the conversation
An easy way to help accelerate a career is to learn to control and direct conversation. In an interview process or even just standard meetings there will undoubtedly be questions or inquiry which an engineer would probably prefer not to answer. Learning to deflect the answer to a question and then talking about something that the individual wants them to know is great way to help guide the conversation.
Tip #8 – Pursue a certification or higher education
Pursuing a certification or higher education degree is another way to show expertise and help elevate an engineer above their peers. These can gain range from traditional university degrees such as a Masters or Phd or even licenses such as the Professional Engineer (PE). Depending on the area of engineering there may even be industry specific certifications; for example, IEEE provides an examination for Certified Software Development Professionals (CSDP).
Tip #9 – Find a Mentor
Finding a mentor or a coach is a great way to manage a career. A mentor can help answer questions based on their own experiences and help guide and direct a career path. Mentors are usually more willing to ask the hard questions and push an individual harder than they would normally push themselves. They can provide a fresh perspective as a third party which can help an engineer begin to look at their career or a problem in a whole new light. The result of which is hopefully to help motivate and change the way in which the individual thinks making them more successful in the long run.
Tip #10 – Use social media to share your expertise
The last tip to help accelerate an engineering career is to have a good online social media presence. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the engineer needs to be a thought leader in their field although that does help. What it means is that by using social media such as linkedin, facebook, etc, the engineer is able to show off their professionalism and understanding such that it is easy for others to find and interact with them. Social media helps round off and fill the gaps that a resume may not be able to show. Remember, being visible and standing out might just be what changes your career.
Jacob Beningo is an embedded systems consultant and lecturer who specializes in the design of resource constrained and low energy devices. He works with companies to decrease costs and time to market while maintaining a quality and robust product. He is an avid tweeter (Jacob_Beningo), a tip and trick guru, a homebrew connoisseur and a fan of pineapple! Feel free to contact him at jacob@beningo.com or at his website Beningo.com. You can also sign-up for his embedded newsletter with monthly articles, tips and tricks at www.beningo.com