The Engineer's Career Guide

Preface xix

Acknowledgments xxiii

About the Author xxv

Part 1 Successful Career Planning

1 Successful Careers Start with You 3

2 Developing a Successful Career Plan 11

3 Career Trategies: What Works and What Doesn’t? 41

4 Successfully Making a Job or Career Change 59

5 Strategies for Getting Your Next Promotion 69

6 Career Discussion Guide for Employees, Managers, and Mentors 75

7 Thementoring Process and Value to Your Career 87

8 Stuck in a Dead-end Job? What to do to Break Out 103

9 My Career Has Plateau, Now What? 107

10 How New Graduates Can Successfully Transition Into Industry 111

11 Phases of Retirement Planning: Beginning with the Young Engineers 119

Part 2 Company Structures, Organizations, and Barriers Impacting Your Career

12 How Company Size Affects Your Career 135

13 The Corporate Ladder: Careers Open To You 143

14 Invisible Company Barriers Stopping Your Career Growth 157

15 Getting Ahead In Product-Oriented Organizations 163

16 Getting Ahead In the Functional-Matrix Organization 167

Part 3 Determining the Criteria By Which You Are Measured and What It Takes to Get Better Performance Ratings as Well As Promoted

17 Determining How the Company Measures Your Performance 173

18 Determining the Informal Criteria By Which You Are Assessed 191

19 The Leading Reasons Engineers Are Not Successful 203

Part 4 Improving Your Performance on the Job and Standing Out From Your Peers

20 The Engineering Process in Your Company: Learning the Business 221

21 Team Skills: Essential for Successful Engineers 253

22 Generating Career Advancing Ideas 263

23 Getting Promoted Whether Your Project Is Successful or Unsuccessful 277

24 How to Ask For A Raise: It Is Easier Than You Think, Even In Bad Times 289

25 How to Get Your Next Promotion 297

26 People Networking: A Vital and Indispensable Career Skill 307

27 Accomplishing More in Less Time and Getting Organized For Success 325

28 Your Internet Image: It Could Be Sabotaging Your Career 345

29 The Importance of Maintaining A Company Calendar 351

30 Join an Engineering Society: Enhance Your Career 357

Part 5 Successfully Dealing With Difficult People at Work (People Skills)

31 Dealing With a Difficult Boss 363

32 Diversity—Endorse It Or Be Left Behind 377

Part 6 Lost Your Job? Looking for a New Job? Strategies to Make You Successful!

33 Time to Change Jobs Or Stay 383

34 Using the Company’s Job Opening System To Your Benefit 387

35 surviving layoffs, corporate takeovers, mergers, shutdowns, and reductions in work force 397

36 Understanding the Job Search Process 415

37 Self-Inventory 421

38 Searching and Finding Jobs 427

39 Creating Resumes That Get You Interviews 437

40 Cover Letters That Will Impress Employers 449

41 Why Portfolios Are Important For Engineers 455

42 Interviewing 461

43 Following Up, Getting an Offer, and Negotiating 475

44 Relocating and Starting the New Job: Tips To Make It Easier 483

Part 7 Further Education and Lifelong Learning

45 How to Get an Education From Your Company 495

46 Getting A Master’s Degree: So Worth It! 505

47 Lifelong Learning: Growing or Decaying 513

Part 8 Financial Planning

48 Basic Financial Management 101 519

Part 9 Fast Track Advancement and Career Accelerators

49 Getting On the Fast Track for Advancement 533

Part 10 Be a Consulting Engineer

50 What Is a Consulting Engineer? Is This the Right Choice For You? 545

51 Setting Up and Building Your Consulting Business 553

Appendix A Career Planning Workbook 571

Appendix B Self-Inventory Workbook 589

Appendix C List of Engineering Societies 595

Appendix D Notes 601

Index 605