My first year in engineering school was really tough as I struggled with the pace and level of the coursework. There were many occasions where I wondered how I ended up in a top tier engineering school. I would look around at my classmates and it seemed like they were breezing through the class with . . . click to continue reading
Getting Back to “Nursery Mode”; Two Simple Tips to Make Engineering Connections, EVEN With Strangers
When We Were Little Kids . . . Little kids are like the ultimate networkers . . . they meet new friends quickly, they begin to laugh & play together immediately, and they adapt to new environments pretty quickly. It’s a shame we lose this mentality as we get older. When my daughter was 4 . . . click to continue reading
Graduated with an engineering degree this month, but don’t have a job? Here are three pieces of advice that may be helpful.
Every year, around May/June, I will get a bunch of emails from younger engineers who found some of my mentoring material and are in a panic. They have recently graduated with their engineering degree, but have yet to secure a full time engineering position. If you find yourself in this position, I hope you find . . . click to continue reading
Dispelling two common misconceptions about a career in engineering
The Misconceptions . . . I often hear these two misconceptions from the engineers I mentor and I’d like to dispel them both: Misconception #1 – Engineers get stuck behind desks all day Misconception #2 – Engineers only need technical skills Both of these are WRONG. Let’s have a look into each one a bit . . . click to continue reading
Will an MS be helpful to your engineering career? Sometimes, but not always
The Issue Graduation is in sight and you need to decide what you are doing next year. Are you going to interview and find a job? Alternatively, perhaps continuing on for an MS is the right move. Many engineers I talk with see this as a guaranteed boost to their career prospects and a no-brainer . . . click to continue reading
Why using non-engineering interests is key to building your engineering network
The Situation . . . The day has ended and you are going out with your work buddies. Are you going to continue to talk about the details of a work project? You might complain about your boss. Or you might complain about office environment in general. You might even talk about the girl in . . . click to continue reading