Engineer, Manager, Which One?

There are two tracts for engineers - technical or managerial. Sure there are gray areas where the two overlap, and for those running their own firms, the lines may not exist.  But for the vast majority, it’s either – or.  So which vector are you on?  Have you thought about it? Doing so is important for determining:

(1) how you prepare yourself and invest your development time;

(2) what your career development timeline and focus looks like.

Preparing Yourself

Developing your engineering proficiency lasts a lifetime.  The same is the case for developing your managerial abilities.  The challenge is that you cannot develop both areas equally, regardless what you might think, read, or be told.  You’re natural inclination towards ‘engineer’ or ‘manager’ will lead to you develop stronger skills in the area in which you feel most in the zone.  Once you know which tract will put you in flow, you can now focus your development time accordingly.  Making the decision on whether to pursue an MBA or an engineering masters becomes simple.  Deciding to take a position as an entry-level supervisory engineer versus a design engineer isn’t difficult. 

Once you know that ‘engineer’ or ‘manager’ is the vector for you, you can build a career development timeline knowing which positions to focus on to get to your end goal.

Climbing a Ladder Versus Building It

Climbing the ladder of success is so ingrained in most of our minds that we automatically accept it as the only means of getting from point A to Z in life.  This is the case if you don't have a career plan to guide you from where you are now, to where you want to be at some point in your horizon. 

While climbing the ladder is one way to approach your horizon, knowing which vector (engineer vs. manager) you’re following will enable you to build your ladder.  You build it by identifying which skills, work and life experiences, and positions you intend to hold.  With these milestones, you develop a timeline from today to some point in your future – I recommend 15 years out minimum.  This timeline becomes the ladder you’ve built, the path you will follow to achieve your goals.

Knowing which vector you intend to take is step #1 – take it.  Knowing that you want to be the best engineer you can or the best manager you can is a valuable decision to make, whether you’ve been practicing for one year or twenty years.

“Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems.”  Scott Adams

Christian Knutson, P.E., PMP is a leader, civil engineer, and author.  He’s an accomplished professional specializing in A/E/C work internationally and author of The Engineer Leader, a recognized blog on leadership and life success for engineers and professionals.