Ten More Career-Related Questions and Answers from The Engineering Career Coach

The following is a summary of Session 24 of my podcast, The Engineering Career Coach (TECC) Podcast with Anthony Fasano, PE. I will summarize the main points in this post; 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.

In this session of the TECC Podcast, I answer 10 more questions from different TECC listeners related to their engineering career development. I answered the 10 original questions in this previous Engineering.com post. The answers I give touch on the following points; listen to the show to hear all of the questions and answers in detail.

1. If you are struggling to decide whether to pursue an advanced degree or obtain a certain credential, let your goals guide your decision. Which path will help you to achieve your goals faster?
2. If you are contemplating leaving your corporate engineering job and starting your own firm, I recommend doing so when the level of risk is acceptable and comfortable given your current situation.
3. If you are an introvert and you struggle with conversing with people, the best way to overcome this fear is to converse with others as often as possible. Strive to continually put yourself in situations that will force you into conversations.
4.  The best way to build a business of any kind is to provide a tremendous amount of value to the people whom you serve. A second key is to learn how to build strong relationships and develop new business for your firm.
5. If you are trying to switch over to another discipline, you must immerse yourself in it. Join professional associations, go to meetings, and meet as many people as possible. Also leverage LinkedIn to make connections in this new industry.
6. If you have been out of work for a long time and are struggling to find an engineering job, consider building a portfolio of your most impressive projects from past jobs to get prospective employers’ attention. Also consider doing freelance work so that you can show current work on your resume.
7. The key to being a successful leader as an engineer is the ability to delegate effectively; otherwise, you’ll be a great engineer with a lot of stress and no personal life.
8. If you are given a title that doesn’t include the word engineer (e.g., Project Manager) and you are upset about it, talk to your supervisor and see if they will modify your title (e.g., Engineering Project Manager).
9. Your career goals should dictate what skill sets to focus on developing; choose the ones that will help you achieve your goals the fastest.
10. If you find that you often get left out of the conversation in the office, be proactive and initiate conversations with colleagues—but don’t overdo it.

Have you found this post useful? Do you have additional questions about your career development?

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.