11 Tips for Manufacturing Engineer Career Advice – Get Started
Posted September 6th, 2013
Forging a successful engineering career takes more than a degree and knowledge. Many young engineers believe that as long as they create something brilliant, they will be successful. However, success is only based partly on what you know and what you learned in school.
As you begin your career here are 11 tips to keep in mind:
- Be business oriented. You need a basic understanding of business processes and costs. Work to understand how the total costs to produce your product affects managements’ decision making process and the organization’s bottom line. This does include your own cost.
- Define value – for everyone involved. In the business world, it will not be as important to deliver a brilliant solution to a problem that no cares about. You have to understand your market and solve the problem that the customer truly values.
- Work effectively in teams. Unlike school, you will need to work in multi-disciplinary teams and must resolve the inescapable conflicts that will arise when different people (with different opinions and viewpoints) attempt to collaborate.
- Understand the difference between academe and industry. Unlike a university setting, where academics are free to publish and promote, a firm’s employees must often turn over product development and patent ownership as part of an employment agreement.
- Think creatively – In school, many students are used to being given a question and finding the answer/solution. When working, many times you will have to come up with your own questions.
- Know yourself – Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Are you open to new ideas? Do you fight battles that need to be fought? Do you have a positive attitude? Enhance the strengths and fix the weaknesses.
- Know where you work. Work to fit in with your company’s culture, values and work methodologies. If the fit just is not there, you may need to move on.
- Network – Support your alma mater, actively participate in technical societies, and connect with people of various disciplines. Networking is about relationships and relationships are built slowly. Take your time and enjoy.
- Grow Your Reputation – Write a technical paper and/or organize a technical session at association conferences. Look for opportunities to enhance your experience and your firm’s reputation.
- Chart your own career path – Technology is constantly changing – fast. It’s your job to figure out what you want, where you want to be, and how to get there. Seek diverse assignments, broaden your experience, and make the most of company-paid education benefits, training programs, and professional society technical conferences.
- Have fun: If you aren’t having fun, move on. You should love what you do. Since engineering offers plenty of exciting and challenging opportunities, that shouldn’t be difficult.
If you’re a newly graduated engineer and are looking for work in the San Francisco Bay Area, send your resume to Bayside Solutions. We look forward to hearing from you. If you are looking for northern California recruiters, contact Bayside Solutions today.
