managing your professional career dialogue with an experienced engineer frank fong, p.e. retired...

Managing Your Professional Career

Dialogue with an experienced engineerFrank Fong, P.E. Retired

March 11, 2015

Agenda

• Career Paths • Working Engineer Realities• Engineering Professional• Career Habits• Lessons Learned

2Managing Professional Career

Engineering Career Paths

• Industry• Government• Academia• Entrepreneur – product, service• Non-engineering – business, entertainment,

medicine, law, etc.


Paths may change, overlap, or repeat over a career.

Explore paths to grow and find your passion.

Your Engineering Skills

Student Life

• Breaking problems into smaller pieces

• Analysis based on full facts / data

• Tradeoff choices for best solution

• Innovate and explore

Professional Life• Map system requirements

to system architecture and flow down to next levels

• Analysis based on partial information available now

• Tradeoff choices early. Revisit again after having more information later

• Innovate enough to solve problem within constraints

Managing Professional Career 4

Strong problem solving and analysis skills are valuable.

Agenda

• Career Paths• Working Engineer Realities• Engineering Professional• Career Habits• Lessons Learned


Career Ladders in Industry

• Technical specialist– Lead and contribute to critical technical

capabilities• Program / project management– Lead technical and business efforts to meet

customer needs• Organizational management– Lead engineering organizations, major business

units, or corporations


Challenges in Working World

• Competing with engineers globally– Challenge and stretch yourself to adapt and embrace change

• Working with greater diversity among team members– Show flexibility to accept shades of gray and opposing

opinions while working to build team consensus

• Meeting project goals– Handle obstacles like resource constraints, costs, schedule

and changing priorities that will pop up

• Being prepared for performance evaluations, layoffs, and continuing efforts to manage own career


Keys for Successful Career (1 of 3)

• Adaptability– Learn new things and apply knowledge from other fields– Take on new challenges– Embrace changes

• Flexibility– Work well with others to achieve goals (building teams)– Appreciate other perspectives to explore other options– Volunteer for tasks to grow and learn

• Capacity to handle obstacles– Expect changes / challenges / constraints– Work with others to solve problems creatively– Raise problems early and offer possible solutions to managers



• Self-assessment– Honestly evaluate your strengths and weaknesses– Build up strengths, and reduce impact of weaknesses– Work with mentors

• Using your time wisely– Set priorities, not just react to urgent problems / requests– Limit handling personal tasks at work; tame the email demon– Take time to build relationships and networks

• Managing perceptions by bosses and team members– Dress successfully and conduct yourself professionally– Learn the ropes and expectations of your work organization– Avoid negative reactions or attacks; support the team



• Successful career skills– Maintain positive can-do attitude– Keep learning through classes, seminars, meetings or

experimenting on own– Communicate clearly and effectively from audience’s

perspective (not yours)– Treat others with respect even when you may disagree– Save (pay yourself first) early and regularly to let money

grow with time for financial independence and retirement


Communication Skills

• Write status reports, technical memoranda, or detailed recommendations– Organize your thoughts into logical flow– Adapt the message to address your audience’s preference

and concerns

• Present current status, technical review of accomplishments and issues, recommendations

• Negotiate schedules, costs, resources and expectations for tasks


Develop inter-personal and technical communication skills.

Leadership and Management Skills

• J.D. Hokoyama’s 3 Ps of leadership: – Passionate, persistent, people-focused– Can lead even without a formal title

• Leaders inspire others to become better, and managers organize resources to complete tasks on time

• Volunteer to get practical experience with low risks – Employee affinity or technical groups

• Leaders and managers must develop effective teams– Build relationships and trust with others


Mentoring

• Seek mentors throughout your career– Get honest feedback and advice– Gain benefits when mentors introduce your name as

candidates to new opportunities– Seek people you respect and want to imitate

• At least two levels above you to provide broader perspective

• Mentor others throughout your career– Share your knowledge and skills with young and old– Develop others to backfill for you when you move up


Agenda

• Career Paths • Working Engineer Realities• Engineering Professional• Career Habits• Lessons Learned


Engineering Professional

• Apply science, math, economics, and broad experience to solve problems– Satisfaction in seeing own/team design become reality

• Evaluate different solutions to solve problem– Find that one best matching requirements, real

constraints (schedule, cost, risk, etc), and expected performance

• Directly impact general welfare and society– Will not cause harm to the public health or safety


Engineering Professional Traits

• Learn continuously – Develop depth and breath– Expand tool chest of knowledge and experience

• Provide unbiased assessment based on facts• Demonstrate integrity and trustworthiness– Accept responsibility for our tasks and actions

• Communicate clearly to gain support for technical recommendations


Engineering Professional Ethics

• Know your technical society’s code of ethics and consider joining Order of the Engineer (http://www.order-of-the-engineer.org/)– Serve the public good before personal gain– Uphold dignity / honor of the profession– Provide fair efforts to employer / customer

• Conduct myself in consistent manner to earn the trust of the public and the team

• In conflicting situations, act based on principles– fairness, honesty, integrity, duty, etc


Agenda

• Career Paths and Engineering Skills• Working World Realities• Engineering Professional• Career Habits• Lessons Learned


Recommended Career Habits (1 of 2)

• Be patient with others and your expectations– Take the time to build relationships and trust

• Listen first openly and then respond• Learn from past, live in present, prepare for

future• Acknowledge and apologize for own mistakes• Forgive yourself and others without anger


Recommended Career Habits (2 of 2)

• Show respect to others even when they disagree or act unprofessionally

• Use kind words rather than angry /critical comments

• Look for common grounds rather than differences

• Renew yourself physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially


Agenda

• Career Paths and Engineering Skills• Working World Realities• Engineering Professional• Career Habits• Lessons Learned


Lessons from One Further along the Engineering Career Road

• Follow the Golden Rule– Treat your fellow travelers in your life and career

with kindness and respect• Find your destiny / passion• Frustrations, setbacks, and disappointments are

small compared to what is inside you• Be ready to offer thanks and forgiveness freely


Leaving a positive legacy is the final measure of success.

Grateful Thanks

• Kind attentive audience• Dr. Mobasser


managing your professional career dialogue with an experienced engineer frank fong, p.e. retired...

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