Professional and Career Topics

Navigating your career path is a huge challenge. What type of advice do you seek the most? In what aspects of your career do you feel like you need a guide? Here are some examples, but please add to the list. 

• Negotiating a raise
• Earning a promotion
• Building a resume
• Pursuing licensure/continuing education
• Passing the PE
• Applying for a job
• Starting your own firm
• Adjusting to retirement.
• Balancing work & life responsibilities
• Transitioning jobs
• Developing time management
• Developing leadership skills
• Utilizing technology

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Tirza Austin Aff.M.ASCE
Collaborate Coordinator
ASCE
Reston VA
(703)791-2794 EXT 1
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[Reza] [Mokarramaydenlou] Ph.D., P.E., C.Eng, S.E., M.ASCE
[Structural Engineering and Seismic rehabilitation Consultant ]
[Mokarramandpartners LLC]

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I like Reza's brief but concise career advice.  I especially like "Demonstrate your commitment to the job position, show employers."
During my 49-year career I have observed the engineers that get the promotions are the ones who show commitment by asking for and demonstrating competence in work at the higher level job.

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Bevin Beaudet P.E., M.ASCE
President/Owner
Bevin A. Beaudet, P.E., LLC.
West Palm Beach FL
(561)225-1214
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-26-2018 04:06
From: Reza Mokarram Aydenloo
Subject: What Career Advice is Most Valuable?

• Provide your passion and interest to your employer with the full potential of the job opportunity.
• Choose a job, which you have a long-term plan to develop.
• Demonstrate your commitment to the job position, show employers.
• Writing resumes appropriate to the job position

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[Reza] [Mokarramaydenlou] Ph.D., P.E., C.Eng, S.E., M.ASCE
[Structural Engineering and Seismic rehabilitation Consultant ]
[Mokarramandpartners LLC]

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Push yourself and place yourself in uncomfortable situations, forcing learning and growth.  Look forward to sharing information as teaching can be rewarding.  Ask questions, but do your own homework first.

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Timothy Austin P.E., M.ASCE
Airport Engineer

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I have learned that one can capture our professional career resources into four categories,
PEOPLE, PROCESS, TECHNOLOGY AND LEADERSHIP.

For most of us, Technology has been the prime focus in engineering.

I strongly encourage you to formally and  personally plan and begin your journey now to methodically address a more studied understanding of
the other three categories by learning Social Psychology, the work of Kurt Lewin, Force Field Analysis, and Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP).

It will help you see familiar subjects and situations from different perspectives, and enrich the rest of your life and those closest to you.
Cheers,
Bill

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William M. Hayden Jr., Ph.D., P.E., CMQ/OE, F.ASCE
Buffalo, N.Y.

"It is never too late to be what you might have been." -- George Eliot 1819 - 1880
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-29-2018 09:23
From: Timothy Austin
Subject: What Career Advice is Most Valuable?

Push yourself and place yourself in uncomfortable situations, forcing learning and growth.  Look forward to sharing information as teaching can be rewarding.  Ask questions, but do your own homework first.

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Timothy Austin P.E., M.ASCE
Airport Engineer

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Your family comes first!  You have to keep that in mind while working your career path, you don't have a family so you can work. You work to support your family.

Do 3 things every evening when you leave work:

1. When the door to your office closes, it closes your work problems inside.  They may be there tomorrow, but you don't have to take them home.  If you have work to do, do it at the office.

2. When the door closes ask yourself, did I have fun today? (Yes physics is fun).  If the answer is yes, do it again tomorrow. If the answer is no and you seem to be saying that a lot, go somewhere else.

3. As soon as you start a new job, also start looking for the next one. A more exciting opportunity may be out there and you won't get stale where you are.

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Daniel Chase M.ASCE
Camarillo CA
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Best advice I ever got was from my undergraduate soils professor: You will get out into the world and meet many people with 30 years of experience. Most of them will really have one year of experience 30 times, but some of them will really have 30 years of experience. Those are the people you want to hitch your wagon to.

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Jeffery Raines P.E.,M.ASCE
Terraphase
Oakland CA
(510)645-1853
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I once had a Berkeley professor tell me the only reason for an advanced degree is if you want one.  He got his to please his mother in law.

I have a BS.  I attended a lot of seminars for the rest of my education.  I had a great and diversified career.

if you want to focus in one area, but don't mind moving around, find a large company who has a group of people that do that kind of work. If you want diversity of projects but stay in one place, stay with smaller local firms.  I did both and never regretted it.

i think the best advice I ever got, though, is engage your family in your work. Talk science with them, let them see your enthusiasm.  They are in it with you.  But remember, your family always comes first.

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Daniel Chase M.ASCE
Camarillo CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-24-2019 12:25
From: Jeffery Raines
Subject: What Career Advice is Most Valuable?

Best advice I ever got was from my undergraduate soils professor: You will get out into the world and meet many people with 30 years of experience. Most of them will really have one year of experience 30 times, but some of them will really have 30 years of experience. Those are the people you want to hitch your wagon to.

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Jeffery Raines P.E.,M.ASCE
Terraphase
Oakland CA
(510)645-1853
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Based on 60 years of experience I would add the following;

-- Take advantage of Seminars or short term training opportunities that will broaden your general engineering skills and background
-- Continue to focus on improving your writing and speaking skills
-- Change your job if you are bored or unhappy; working "for fun" will make you a better engineer and family member at home
-- Consider an overseas assignment as this will greatly expand your engineering and social prospective 


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Frederick Zobrist P.E.,F.ASCE
CONSULTANT
Tetra Tech, Inc. (Retired)
Tucson AZ
(520) 546-5799
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