Aren’t you just sick and tired of articles entitled:

• 10 things to make you a better engineering manager
• How to work more efficiently under stress
• Top 3 ways to manage your boss/staff
• How to become a successful engineer

And I could go on and on with self help topics, tips and how to’s on every website you visit until you’re regurgitating them on the floor in

Engineering Career Team

full color print like yesterday’s bad news. Most of us are too busy and many of us have LONG surpassed information overload (especially in this current economic environment) so we basically ignore any further published mental molestation of our maxed out days.

That being said, it’s a tough work environment these days, and you know you aren’t fulfilled at work. You know it was wrong when upper management overlooked your cube mate for that promotion he or she had well earned, to give to a new hire. You know deep down inside, that somehow your job could simply be more exciting.

It’s amazing how some people just seem to always know what they want, straight out of school, and seem to get all the breaks too. I wish I could be like that. I wish I could do that. Psssttt; you CAN

Let’s talk football. Forget the details…trust the process and let’s talk football.

What we need; what YOU need, is a group of players because you can’t even be IN the game if you don’t have players. YOU CAN’T BE IN THE GAME WITHOUT PLAYERS. HELLO!! “But, Suzanne (you say), I don’t have players… and I’m doing fine at work on my own.” Keep thinking that way, and we’ll see where you are in 10 years. Don’t waste 10 years though to find out. Here’s some research and studies that say so here and here, decide for yourself and get back to me.

So, when I say players, I am referring to an exclusive group of players that share your “brand” (basically similar morals, ethics and business strategies). Young fresh engineering graduates, PAY close attention here! Doing this one thing can save you many horrors, like the ones I endured early on in my career. Often times, we call these players’ mentors, coaches, heroes, lifesavers, and friends. With you as the quarterback, your team only serves to help you achieve goals and win, right? They are also invested in your success, because at the end, everyone on the team gets super bowl rings. And the BIGGEST thing is THEY CAN’T FIRE YOU!!!

But Suzanne, “How do I get players? What do I say to them? I don’t have TIME to “find” players. Do I just start asking random people at my work?” The last place to search is your workplace, because that is your testing ground. Work is the place you are going to APPLY your game plans. While some minuscule number of engineering companies may have a culture that will support your career, the harder truth is if they exist to make money (you are getting paid right?) then there is a conflict of interest for advancing your career. Because, sometimes the best action to advance your career will often NOT be to the benefit of the company’s bottom line. Heard this one before? “As soon as we get a big enough project that has enough money (read: profit to burn) that will be the best time for you to learn that new software program.” Hmmmm, then the project never shows up.

Here are some of the places I found players when I built my engineering career development team:

• Professional organizations (in your field or in a related field)
• Church, other community groups, or similar hobbies (I have many mentors from my karate group)
• Friends and family (only the ones that talk positively)

Select a wide variety of players on your team, so you can draw upon their different talents, including but not limited to: senior level seasoned folks, female perspective (this is essential for BOTH male and females), young and energetic, visionaries, technology Gurus, and players with key industry connections. Often times one player can cover several of these areas, but you should have at least 5 and 10 is not too many, so that you don’t over tax any one player.

That’s it! Play ball! Simple. Well, maybe not so simple…but now you have ideas for building a powerful career team to help guide and support your engineering career. More importantly what you will actually have is a discreet group of people to help you discover WHO you are, so that you can begin to find the work that fits YOU, inspires and motivates you. Get BUSY, because this can take time. Don’t rush it, and often times all you need to do is open your eyes as your future team members are right in front of you.

Suzanne Pylant is an entrepreneur, engineering consultant, and holistic problem solver in a multitude of industries. She has served the civil engineering community for over 12 years, and brings a fresh unique eye to getting things done in difficult environments. Learn more and connect with Suzanne at http://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannepylant or follow her on twitter at @spylantweet

Our founder Anthony Fasano, P.E., author of Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career sends out free daily career inspiration to engineers through his popular Daily Boosts, you can read about the Daily Boosts or simply sign up below.

Source: Develop YOUR Own Winning Team to Boost Your Engineering Career on Powerful Purpose Associates -

It’s a great question and one that many engineers ask.  In my career travels as a design engineer, and the last few years as an engineering career coach, I have worked with, coached, and spoken to many engineers about this topic specifically and in this post I want to offer some engineering career advice based on my experiences.

In talking with many successful engineers that have made the transition from design engineer to manager, here are some guidelines that may be helpful in your transition:

From Engineer to Manager

Learn How to Delegate

What do I mean by learn how to delegate?  Well I could have just said, start delegating, but many successful engineers will tell you that it’s not that easy.  As engineers we get so wrapped up in day to day technical aspects of projects that when it’s time to go take on a managerial role, we either don’t want to give up the technical tasks to someone else or we are so involved in our projects, it is hard to take a more “hands-off” role.

Many engineers have the mentality of,  “I want to do it to ensure it gets done correctly.  That’s understandable being that you are a competent project manager, however to make a transition from engineer to manager, you are going to have to let other people help you.  You are going to have to take the time to teach them how to do it, in order to free up your time for other things.  The best way to do this is to start by giving small tasks to your team members to let them gain your trust.  Once they build up your trust, you will feel more comfortable giving them larger tasks until you can remove yourself from the “trenches” and take on more of a managerial role.

Learn How to Talk to People in a Positive Way

I always tell engineers that the way you say something to people is more important than what you say.  As an engineering manager you will have to delegate to your team members and have regular conversations with them about what tasks you would like them to accomplish.

Many engineering managers think only about the success of their project and not the success of their people.  When you delegate tasks to your team members, explain to them why you want them to do something, how it’s going to help the project and also how it is going to help their engineering career development.  I have coached so many engineers that don’t understand why they are not getting the most out of their staff and when I review their e-mails to discuss their conversations, it’s easy to see that their tone and choice of words is anything but inspiring.

No one has time to read a book these days, but to help improve your people skills I recommend listening to the audio version of Dale Carnegie’s bestselling book, How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Become a Great Presenter

One of the biggest misnomers amongst recent engineering graduates and younger engineers is that you don’t have to be good at writing or presenting.  That is 150% false!  In fact, successful engineers are typically very good writers and/or presenters.

To make a successful transition from engineer to manager, you must be able to present your ideas clearly to a group of people whether it is a group of 2 or 200.  You may have to present at a Town Board meeting in seeking project approvals, make a sales call to a prospective client, or speak in front of one of the local professional engineering societies.  In all of these cases, your ability to present will have a profound impact on your success as an engineering manager.

The good news is that public speaking is not a talent that you are born with or without; it’s a skill that can be learned.  I urge you to develop this skill as early on in your engineering career as possible.  To improve your speaking skills, I recommend joining a local Toastmaster chapter and listening to the audio version of the book entitled Speak to Win by Brian Tracy.

So in response to the question of how to become an engineering manager, I would say: learn how to delegate to others, learn how to talk to people in a positive way always thinking about their success, and last but not least become a great presenter! Please share any advice that you have found to be helpful in your transition from engineer to manager.

Anthony Fasano, P.E., author of Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career sends out free daily career inspiration to engineers through his popular Daily Boosts, you can read about the Daily Boosts or simply sign up below.

Source: From Design Engineer to Manager in 2012 – You Can Do It! on Powerful Purpose Associates -

Featured Guest Blogger: Gavin Redelman of RedStarResume

Congratulations on securing your job. You have been selected above and beyond the other job applicants because of all the wonderful factors that made you the best fit for the job. Now that you have the job there are many tips to keeping your position and maintaining a professional image.

Understand Your Role and Expectations

You may feel as though you are doing a fantastic job, but if your expectations differ from those of your manager or boss, there is going to be conflict. Be sure to always have a good understanding of what is expected of you. If you feel that the expectations are unrealistic, then you should approach your boss and explain the situation. One of the most important aspects of maintaining a professional image is being a good team player and contributing fairly to the team objectives. No one likes a colleague who does not do his or her fair share of the work.

Expand Your Role and Keep on Learning

Be a team player and look to get involved in more areas of the business. Be willing to share your expertise, but also be willing to learn new skills. If your company offers training courses, put your hand up to get involved. If your company doesn’t offer training courses, you can still take the initiative and invest in your own growth and knowledge by paying for these courses yourself.  After all, it is your career!

Develop Positive Relationships

We all spend so much time at work, that it is important to develop positive relationships with all of our co-workers, managers and bosses. Good relationships are based on trust. Keep commitments. If you promise something, make sure you deliver on time. However, if you find yourself in a situation where something has changed and you cannot keep that commitment, be honest and communicate. Honest communication is the key to building a long-lasting relationship.

Be Visible

Leaving early every day and not attending social gatherings is definitely not the right way to maintain a professional image. Being visible is all part of being a good team player. This does not mean you have to be best friends with every person you work with, but there is no need to isolate yourself either.

Ask for Feedback and Learn From Your Boss

Do not be afraid to ask for feedback. In order to grow and improve ourselves, we need feedback on how we are performing in our jobs. Positive feedback is always fantastic, however don’t let negative feedback get you down and certainly do not hold grudges. Learn from your mistakes and strive to do better going forward.

We spend so many hours at work that we need to enjoy what we are doing. Maintaining a professional image will help you not only build a reputation of someone who is a great team player and can be counted on to add value to the business, but will also make your work life a far greater experience. When the time comes for a promotion or a pay rise, you are far more likely to be considered because of your professional image and positive attitude.

Gavin Redelman is a resume writer for RedStartResume. During the last decade, RedStarResume has successfully written hundreds of professional resumes for engineers and other professionals across the globe. From the student or entry-level position to the CEO, their unique, custom-made resumes are written specifically to match the goals and desires of their clients and to help them land jobs.

If you require a Professional Resume Service, contact one of the senior Resume Writers today! http://www.redstarresume.com/

Source: Maintaining a Professional Image Throughout Your Career on Powerful Purpose Associates -

Are you interested in getting a degree in engineering but can’t go to a traditional college? Perhaps you don’t think you can afford the costs of college, or maybe you have other responsibilities, such as children or a day job, that would prevent you from being able to take college classes. You might even have a college degree, but would like to further your education in order to advance in your career.

For many people, earning a college degree online is a great alternative. You have the flexibility to take classes at a time that works for you and learn at your own pace. Contrary to popular belief, accredited online colleges provide courses at the same level as traditional colleges and offer many of the same services, such as financial aid and student support. Students even have the chance to interact in online discussion forums or contact their instructor with concerns at any time.

Individuals who succeed in online degree programs are often self-disciplined, assertive, organized, and passionate about earning their degree. If you think you have what it takes, here are some details about online engineering programs.

Programs

There are number of different online degree engineering programs available in engineering. The type of degree you should consider depends on the type of career you are pursuing. An associate’s degree takes about 2 years and can lead to a job as an engineering technician. Most engineering jobs require a bachelor’s degree in a specific field of engineering, which takes four years to complete. Advanced positions in management and research generally require master’s or doctoral degrees.  Some examples include: Mechanical engineering, which involves the design and manufacturing of machines. Electrical and Electronics engineering which involves electrical equipment and technology such as computers and telecommunications systems. Aerospace engineering focuses on building planes, satellites, and other aircraft.

Classes

The type of classes you can take depends on the engineering specialization that interests you, but most classes will involve physics and mathematics. While some classes will involve theoretical concepts, some will offer practical applications, which are important as well. As a result, you should strongly consider an online program that includes hands-on labs at a local campus. Many online degree programs have campuses all over the country, so it’s likely that there is one near you. As with a normal college class, you will be expected to complete reading and assignments as well as quizzes and tests.

Graduate Degrees

A Masters of Engineering (M. Eng.) degree is a professional degree with more in-depth courses for a specific field of engineering. These degrees might appeal to those who wish to become highly specialized in a specific area of engineering such as civil, chemical, mechanical, or electrical engineering.

A Masters of Science (M.S.) degree is generally more focused on academic research and often includes a thesis requirement. M.S. programs are frequently harder to get into and complete compared to M. Eng. programs. Those who are considering getting a Ph.D. and/or remaining in the academic field tend to choose an M.S.

A Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree would greatly benefit engineers who would like to have more of a background in business. Those who aspire to management or consulting positions or who are considering starting their own business should definitely consider pursuing an MBA.  There is also a new degree that combines engineering and business called Masters in Engineering Management (MEM).

Before You Decide

Before you make the decision to pursue and online degree in engineering, you should be absolutely sure that the program you choose is accredited, so that your degree can be recognized. You may also want to research the specific degree programs you’re interested in and consider your career goals and how the selected program will help you to achieve those goals.

Dawn Lovett has worked in electronic and computer engineering for over 20 years. She also owns the site Online Engineering Degrees, which it makes it easier for students interested in getting an online degree in engineering to find the right program for their career and lifestyle.

Source: When Looking to Purse an Engineering Undergraduate or Master’s Degree Consider Online Programs on Powerful Purpose Associates -

Students at Work

Over the past week I have had the pleasure of delivering my Engineer Your Own Success (EYOS) seminar to engineers in both Pennsylvania and North Carolina. I started by traveling to the Lehigh Valley area in Pennsylvania on Thursday December 8^th.  I stopped off at my Alma mater, Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where I visited some former professors of mine. I also had the opportunity to spend time with my cousin who is currently a senior mechanical engineering student.  He gave me a tour of the laboratory and showed me his senior project, which is a Formula One racing car that he and 12 of his classmates designed and built. This car will be raced in a national contest in the spring against other college team’s vehicles. It’s great to see engineering students engaging in hands on activities as part of their education.

Next I was off to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. I had the pleasure of speaking at an event that was held at the

Bethlehem, PA

Hotel Bethlehem, which is a wonderful placed located in beautiful downtown Bethlehem.  The annual American Society of Civil Engineers – Lehigh Valley Section holiday banquet is a very special event as the chapter invites back all of the past-presidents and honors them during the evening festivities. It was a fairly large audience, which consisted of a wide variety of experience levels from the attending engineering students and retired engineers. It was great to see so many students present at this professional function. As I stated in my presentation, you are never too young to begin networking and building relationships.

Due to the varied experience levels, I discussed a wide variety of topics. I started off discussing resumes and the interviewing process for the students. I also gave some recommendations for obtaining a professional engineering license including application preparation tips and recommendations on what to bring to the exam. I then discussed strategies for improving communication, networking, and leadership skills applicable to many of the experienced engineers in attendance. Special emphasis was placed on the importance that public speaking can play in creating a successful engineering career. This point was confirmed by several of the experienced engineers in the audience. In fact, one them approached me and told me how a public speaking course in college had a huge impact on his career. I firmly believe that we engineers must have excellent communication and speaking skills to embrace today’s global economy.

A few days later I had the pleasure of being the keynote speaker at the Professional Engineers of North Carolina annual conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. The event was held at the McKimmon Conference Center on the North Carolina State University campus. The audience consisted mostly of more experienced engineers, so I focused on discussing how they could help their project teams and staff to be successful.

Holiday Banquet

There was a lot of discussion about the importance of the way we communicate with the people that work with and for us. Specifically, the way we say things can have a huge impact on other’s feelings towards us, the project, and the company.  I also spoke about LinkedIn and how important it is in helping to bring in business to your engineering firm. Many of the attendees confirmed that they use LinkedIn daily in an attempt to build relationships in the industry.  I highly recommended that everyone in the room join LinkedIn and complete their profile as soon as possible.

It was a fun week and I enjoyed the opportunity to speak to engineers in these two organizations. I’m now looking forward to my next stop on the tour – Nashville in January!

You can get a FREE chapter of my book Engineer Your Own Success on our facebook fanpage at http://facebook.com/EngineerYourOwnSuccess

To Your Success,
Anthony Fasano, P.E., LEED AP, ACC

Source: The Engineer Your Own Success Tour Visits Bethlehem and Raleigh – December 2011 on Powerful Purpose Associates -

Hello everyone this is Anthony Fasano, founder of Powerful Purpose Associates and Author of Engineer Your Own Success.

I wanted to take few minutes to wish you and your family a happy, healthy holiday season!  I know this can be a very crazy time of the year for many of us between shopping, cooking and working.  Please try to take some time to rest and relax, rejuvenate and re-energize.  Take some downtime, whether it’s by yourself or with your family.  Reflect on the year you’ve had which I hope has been extremely positive and then start thinking about your goals for 2012.

I want to thank all of you for your support over this year, as it’s been amazing year for Powerful Purpose Associates and myself with the launch of my book Engineer Your Own Success.  With your help and support, I’ve been able to get a very positive powerful message out to professionals all over the world and I seriously could not have done it without you and for that I thank you.

It is my goal for this upcoming year to not only continue to inspire you, but to inspire you to take action in your career!  I have received Thank You’s from many of you for my Daily Boosts, Monday Morning Motivators and my Engineer Your Own Success radio show, and while I appreciate that, it is my goal going forward to not only inspire you through reading an e-mail, I want to inspire you to take action.  It’s one thing to read an inspirational message or listen to a radio show but to make a change in your career you must do more than that.  Without action, there will be no forward motion in your career!  It is my goal to put you into motion in 2012.

I will be creating some new and exciting products and services to make that happen and they will be offered at very affordable prices – because that’s what you have been asking for!  For engineering professionals we are creating a membership club to help you advance your engineering career in an affordable way.  The club will give you access to myself and other industry experts at very low pricing.

For business owners we are creating some group coaching/mastermind programs to help you not only get business building advice from me, but to also leverage business building knowledge that other business owners have been utilizing successfully.

Last but not least, for those professionals currently in transition, we are creating support groups where you will have access to me for resume and cover letter questions.  This support group will also include LinkedIn training to help you find a new opportunity quickly!

If you fall into one of these categories, I want to hear from you!  How can I inspire you towards action in 2012? E-mail me at afasano@powerfulpurpose.com or simply leave a comment on this blog post.

Once again I wish you and your family a happy, healthy, holiday season and I look forward to helping you take your career wherever you want to take it in 2012!

Please leaver your comments/requests below for this upcoming year.

Source: Happy Holidays – Without Action in Your Career There is No Forward Motion on Powerful Purpose Associates -

Tim was homeschooled and a change in the law when he was a young teenager permitted homeschooled children in Florida to play high school sports, which they previously weren’t allowed to do.  People told him because of his size and skill level he would never be a good football player.  Tim went on to become one of the best Florida high school football players ever.  He then attended the University of Florida where the experts again questioned his talents.  As quarterback at Florida, he went on to win a national championship, the Heisman Trophy, and became one of the best collegiate quarterbacks ever to play the game.  Tim was then told he would never be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft, and guess what happened.  The Denver Broncos selected Tim in the first round of the 2010 draft.  Tim didn’t play much during his first season, however this year, earlier on in the season the Broncos starting quarterback struggled and the fans were calling for Tebow.  Contrary to what all of the experts advised, the Broncos coaching staff promoted Tim to starting quarterback.  Since that time, the Broncos have won 6 of their 7 games and many of the games ended with Tim leading the team down field to victory in the last few minutes of the game.  Tim has energized the team, the organization and an entire city!  Feel free to watch this video with Tim’s story or read about it on Wikipedia.

When Tim was initially installed as the starting quarterback two months ago, many of the experts had been saying that Tim Tebow won’t last as a quarterback in the NFL or at least as a successful one, yet as I mentioned above, in his first seven games this year the team is 6 and 1 and they are in first place in their division.  Now, all of the experts are calling him a winner, but many of them are still saying that he won’t last.  They are repeatedly referring to him as a winner though, and they keep saying he just knows how to win.  For those of you non-football fans out there, the reason the experts say Tebow won’t last is because he plays a very unorthodox style of quarterback.  Rather than being able to throw the ball well like most professional quarterbacks, Tim runs extremely well and fits into an offense that you would typically see in college football not at the professional level.

While people keep calling him a winner, I think there’s a lot more to him than that.  In my eyes what makes Tim Tebow special is that he has always believed in himself and those around him, in this case his teammates.  He believes in his skills and he continuously tries to improve them.  Rather than trying to play a style of football that isn’t in alignment with his strengths, he continues to do what he does best.  What’s even more impressive is that his coach has now adapted the entire offense around him.

Tim is also a devout Christian and often expresses his religious beliefs both through verbal and physical actions on the field, which has also subjected Tim to a lot of negative criticism.  That doesn’t bother Tim though; in fact nothing seems to bother this man.  He knows what his priorities and goals are in his life. He believes in himself and those around him and he uses the gifts that he has to succeed.  We can all learn from Tim in our engineering career.  You may not be the best technical engineer, so maybe you go the management route early on in your career like I did.  Even though a larger company may pay a higher salary, you might take a position with a smaller firm, because you think the role will better fit your personality and be more aligned with your goals.  Maybe you convince one of your staff members to use their creative talent, which they are suffocating because they are afraid it won’t be accepted in the analytical engineering world.

Many people told me when I decided to transition from a design engineer to career coaching for engineers that I shouldn’t give up my engineering career.  They said you have a family and your engineering career would allow you to support them.  Some people even said it was selfish.  Thankfully, like Tim Tebow, I believed in myself and I now through my daily boosts, coaching and speaking, I impact the careers of engineers all over the world on a daily basis and I am having a blast doing it and I will continue to draw inspiration from people like my wife, my engineering and coaching colleagues and Tim Tebow who inspire me daily.

My point with this post is very simple: people aren’t always going to support you in your engineering career or in life for one reason or the other, but that doesn’t mean you should listen to them and compromise your dreams and goals.  If you do something a little different than most people, consider yourself unique and stay true to yourself and I believe that you will create an extraordinary engineering career and life.

I would love to hear your take on Tim Tebow or on how you have stayed true to yourself on your career path when others were pushing you in a different direction.

To Your Success,

Anthony Fasano, P.E., LEED AP, ACC
Author of Engineer Your Own Success

Source: Tim Tebow Inspired Me In My Engineering Career and He Can Do the Same For You on Powerful Purpose Associates -

Featured Guest Blogger: Erich Lagasse of Career Confessions

Summary: “Adapt or die” has been the most prevalent theme in my career, and I feel that flexibility as a way of life has been the single greatest factor in my success as an engineer.

Currently, I hold the position of Engineering Manager for a multinational aerospace company that specializes in precision bearings. I have been with this company for seven years, ever since they purchased my prior employer. I have worked in the industry for a total of 22 years, in a number of different positions, ranging from R&D to marketing.

I always knew I wanted to be an engineer. I took the expected classes in high school, like physics and calculus, but I also had a penchant for puzzle-solving, which had a beneficial effect on my ability to think creatively. Creativity, flexibility, and the ability to think “outside the box” are, in my opinion, the most important traits an engineer can possess.

Upon graduation, I attended the University of Bridgeport, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The decision to do so was based upon two factors. First, I needed a school that was close to home, so that I could commute. Secondly, and of real importance, I wanted an engineering program that offered internship training.

I alternated semesters, taking classes one semester, and then working as an intern at a nearby bearing company for the other semester. I was able to pay for my schooling from the money I earned as an intern. What really mattered, however, was that I graduated with far more on-the-job experience than fellow students who did not enter into internship programs. Above all else, I feel this was the best career decision I have made. It allowed me to be far more marketable than my fellow graduates, in addition to paying for my student expenses. Upon graduation, I was instantly offered a job in Research and Development by the first company I applied to, and the one that I most wanted to work for.

After several years, my company offered me a paid sabbatical in order to pursue my MBA. One year into the program, my company was purchased by a German competitor, and the decision was made by the new management to cut funding to my degree program. I was offered the choice: come back to work full time and abandon my MBA, or find a new company to work for.

Because I knew I was highly marketable in a field that had a great deal of demand, I took the second option, and interviewed with a large corporation whose Research and Development operations were based out of Atlanta, Georgia. The company I had worked for was a small bearing firm that had a “family business” air to it. This new company was wholly different. Because they were a multinational corporation with various subsidiaries spread across the globe, they were on an entirely different level from what I was used to.

The company flew me to Atlanta for my interview, which lasted for two days. It was grueling. I met with the vice president, various department heads, and HR managers. Along with the typical questions, much of the interview was based around Schrodinger-like “thought experiments,” hypothetical problems that they would then ask for my expertise and knowledge in solving. My background in puzzle-solving was integral to the success I had in answering their questions.

Within a week, I had a job offer from the company to work in a Research and Development capacity, complete with a relocation package and the promise to pay for my MBA degree program at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Naturally, I accepted. They were, in fact, the only firm I had applied to, and the initial offer to interview was a result of some opportune headhunting by one of their HR managers, right when my position with my former company was changing.

After several years with this firm, I heard that a position within the company as Global Marketing Director was opening up overseas. I have always felt that flexibility and adaptability were the best qualities an engineer can possess. I decided to apply for the position, even though I had no experience whatsoever in the field. I quickly ran out and bought a copy of “Marketing for Dummies” and read it in two days. That, and prior experience with the company, was all the preparation I had for the interview. It seems laughably meager in retrospect, but it worked.

I was offered the position, and moved my family to England, to begin this new phase of my career. I conducted trade shows, wrote ad campaigns, and met with company heads from a wide range of customers both in England and in mainland Europe. Even though I had no background in marketing, I had an intimate knowledge of our products from an engineering standpoint, and I understood what our buyers needed, which helped me to market our products effectively to them.

At the end of three years, our company, a subsidiary of a much larger firm, was bought in a semi-hostile takeover by a competitor. Under new management, I was told that my position in England as Global Marketing Director was no longer valid, and was offered instead to take a position with the company back in the States, or to find new employment elsewhere. I accepted a position within the company as Engineering Manager, the position I currently hold.

If you enjoyed this article, feel free to listen to some of our past online radio show programs for engineers on the Engineer Your Own Success archives page.

Source: On-the-Job Experience during College Was the Best Career Decision for an Engineering Manager on Powerful Purpose Associates -

Anaheim Convention Center

The last leg of the October 2011 Engineer Your Own Success (EYOS) Book Tour brought me to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) annual conference in sunny Anaheim, California.  I have attended several SHPE events in New York City and their members are full of passion and energy which was displayed at this annual conference.  There were 5,000 attendees, 3,500 of who were engineering students.

I arrived on Thursday morning and attended some very interesting sessions including a great one by Joe Beery of Life Technologies, entitled Lessons from a CIO: The Three Pillars of Success.  Joe’s 3 pillars are: 1 – What you do; 2 – Where you do it (geographically); and 3 – Who you work for.  Joe shared his inspirational journey with us and it was very motivational! I also attended a great seminar entitled Lessons in Leadership: Going Beyond Technical Brilliance, by Roger Pineiro of AMD. Roger listed 6 important components in leading a team which are:

Disney Halloween

1.          Nurture your relationship with your boss,
2.          Develop solid relationships with your teammates,
3.          Demand that your team members develop their career (and help them),
4.          Give recognition when due,
5.          Believe in the company you work for,
6.          Provide fair compensation to your team.

Thursday evening I headed to Downtown Disney at Disneyland and enjoyed a great dinner at the Catal Restaurant. The food was excellent! While I was there I watched game 6 of the 2011 Major League Baseball playoffs where the St. Louis Cardinals pulled off one of the most amazing wins in the history of American baseball. Down to their last out twice, even their last strike, they came back and won game 6 and then the World Series the following night.  We can all learn a career lesson from them, namely when you are down and out, keep believing and taking action and you will achieve your goal!

SHPE Career Fair

I gave my EYOS workshop Friday afternoon to a crowd of almost 200 engineers and engineering students at the SHPE conference. The atmosphere in the room was electric, and the audience was on fire, asking question after question about how they can create their own futures.  I stressed the need for proper resume preparation and the interview process for the college students present. I also discussed the importance of networking and communication in your engineering career. I gave examples of how to improve your relationships simply by the way you say things to people, something engineers often don’t pay much attention to. Everyone present received a copy of my book Engineer Your Own Success and I have been invited back to give my workshop again at the SHPE conference in Fort Worth, Texas next year!  Saturday, SHPE held a career fair at the conference, which was attended by many of the top engineering companies and colleges.  It was great to see so many engineers and students meeting future employees and taking advantage of the opportunity afforded to them by SHPE!

Overall it was an amazing month for me, being able to meet so many engineers and help them in developing their own engineering career.  While it was a full, exhausting, and exciting month, my work has only just begun  as I know there are so many more engineers out there that I can share my expertise and learning with and hopefully inspire them to create amazing careers!

If you know of an organization that would be interested in the Engineer Your Own Success workshop, please contact me at afasano@powerfulpurpose.com.  Always remember, it’s up to YOU to engineer your own success as nobody else will!

Source: Boosting Engineering Careers Across the Country in October 2011 – Part 3 on Powerful Purpose Associates -

While at the conference, I attended a very interesting session entitled Local Engineering Culture: How Locals Make Something Out of Nothing presented by Steve Daniels.    Steve was involved with EWB when he attended Brown University and is now a research analyst for IBM.  Steve recently created a free magazine entitled Makeshift which is a quarterly publication and multimedia website about creativity in unlikely places, from the favelas of Rio to the alleys of Delhi. These are environments where resources may be scarce, but where ingenuity is used incessantly for survival, enterprise, and a self-expression. Makeshift is about people, the things they make, and the context they make them in.  Steve walked us through the first edition of the magazine showing us some really amazing accomplishments from people all over the world including these two:

A Liter of Light – A gentleman by the name of Isang Litrong Liwanag was able to bring light to thousands of homes in his native Philippines by simply using a recycled soda bottle, water and some bleach.  You have to see this video below:

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind – A young boy named William Kamkwamba from a small village in Africa dropped out of school, read some books on the use of energy, and then built a windmill that provided electricity to his previously dark home.  That was only the beginning.  He has since given 2 Technology Entertainment and Design (TED) talks and written a book entitled The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.  You can hear about his story from him in his latest TED talk below:

So let’s truly be grateful this week (and always) for everything we have from the lights in our house to the people we love.  I hope Isang and William can teach all of us not to take the simple things for granted.

I wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Source: Engineers Be Grateful for What You Have but Always Know You Can Create What You Don’t – These Extraordinary People Did on Powerful Purpose Associates -