How to Get Enough Design Experience in Your Engineering Career

Anthony Fasano posted 2014-08-14

The following is a summary of Session 25 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 help a young engineer who is struggling to get the design experience she feels she needs during the early stages of her career. Some tips provided to her on the show include:

  • If your company is slow, look for other avenues where you can get design experience. For example, volunteer for an organization like Engineers Without Borders, which will not only give you design experience but also bolster your resume.
  • Develop your technical skills on your own whenever possible, even if this means staying late after work and becoming proficient in certain computer modeling programs.
  • Consider pursuing a master’s degree in your engineering field where you will take several technical courses, forcing you to sharpen your skills.
  • If you do not have the time or money for a technical master’s degree, or it isn’t part of your career plan, then consider taking a few graduate technical courses to make up for the lack of technical-skill development you are experiencing.
  • Make sure that if you want to relocate to another country, you understand what is expected of engineers in your field (e.g., a technical master’s degree) and also what you should be doing now to help you get licenses in that country.
  • When deciding whether or not to leave your engineering company, consider how the move will affect your engineering career long term, including your specific goals. If the move will put you in a better position to succeed, then make it; otherwise, be aware of the negative aspects of leaving a company. The one to worry most about is that jumping from one company to another can really have a negative affect on your resume and reputation.

Have you found this post useful? What have you done to compensate for your lack of technical experience in your engineering career?

Anthony Fasano, PE, author of Engineer Your Own Success, 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.