The following is a summary of Session 12 of my podcast, The Engineering Career Coach (TECC) Podcast with Anthony Fasano, PE. I will summarize the main points in this post here; however, you can also listen to the show through the player below or by subscribing on iTunes. I offer a career-changing tip at the end of each podcast session.
I constantly get questions from engineers such as “How do I become the best engineer in my field?” or “How do I become a great project manager?”
The five steps that I outline in this session includes:
- It is imperative that you become technically sound in your field as early on as possible. Even if you plan to become an engineering manager at a young age, it is still important that you understand the technical aspect of your field to best be able to manage staff and speak with prospective and current clients. It is also important that you establish a process for staying up to date on technical trends, whether it is a magazine subscription or attending engineering conferences.
- If you want to become the best engineer in your field, find the current best engineer in the field and learn from him or her. This could be achieved through a formal mentoring relationship or simply an e-mail or phone call. If you want to be the best, imitate the best.
- Obtain the credentials that will help you rise to the top in your field or at least give you the level of expertise and reputation to be able to do so. You can find out which credentials those might be by asking successful engineers in your field.
- Join and become active in professional associations in your field and speak at as many public events as possible through these organizations. Doing this will help you build a strong network in your field, boost your confidence, and improve your communication skills.
- Constantly improve yourself both personally and professionally through training, coaching, reading, etc.
Please leave a comment below and let me know if you have taken any of these five steps or if you would like to share other steps or strategies that you have found helpful in your engineering career.
This is a guest post by Anthony Fasano, PE, author of Engineer Your Own Success. Anthony found success as an engineer at a very early age and now writes and podcasts to help other engineers do the same. Visit Anthony’s website at EngineeringCareerCoach.com for free engineering career advice and other resources.