March 11, 2010
I recently spoke on the topic of career development in front of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ASCE chapter in Albany New, York. This chapter is very active and they have about two meetings per month with members. It was a very enjoyable experience as they were all very attentive and asked great questions.
I try to speak on career development in front of as many societies and organizations as possible including both college and professional chapters. Why? A large part of advancing your career is having the tools, knowledge and awareness to do so. Unfortunately there is no career advancement course in college. It’s not only college students, the same goes for practicing engineers of all ages. Many engineers are so busy “engineering” they forget about advancing!
Yes working hard and focusing on our job is 100% critical to your career advancement; however you have to do more than that. Here are the six points that I speak about as part of my Career-Biz Booster Program and I recommend you develop these points as you progress your career: Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments | 
Uncategorized | 
Permalink
Posted by Anthony Fasano
March 8, 2010
Featured Guest Blogger: Robert Mote
Motagg’s Blog by Robert Mote
Let’s connect on LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/robertmote
In my last post, I demonstrated how calculations are prepared using MS Word 2003. I get many engineers saying they would prefer to learn with Word 2007 or claim it is a better product. I am astounded to hear that they believe this but I also understand why they think that. I have gone through the process of learning to achieve the same result with Word 2007 and I would never claim Word 2007 is a better product. It is more problematic with graphic handling, the defaults are worse and there is more clicking action of the mouse button. Do not believe the hype.
Anyone who has gone through the computer age from the mid-1990’s is aware of the endless cycle of MS Office upgrading. It is looking stale now. We can expect a future of it too. The constant revision of MS Office products has strained credibility. Succeeding generations of engineers have given up on MS Word with each upgrade. “Upgrade” is not equal to “improved” or “better”. Upgrading to 2007 is fundamentally different to anything you have used before. Do you think you will get training from your company? I doubt it. Do you think it will be intuitive enough to learn on your own? Good luck!
Let’s rewind the clock and consider the selfish perspective of an engineering user, stuck in a time warp. Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments | Calculations | Tagged: computeracy, engineer's calculations, structural engineer, upgrade, Word 2007 | Permalink
Posted by motagg
March 4, 2010
Leadership is a very popular conversation topic these days, especially in the corporate world. What is a leader? Through research and experience I have found one of the best definitions of a leader as defined by Bruce D Schneider in his book Energy Leadership.
Bruce defines leadership as how you interact with everyone, including yourself. Leaders are quite visible within small and large businesses. We tend to think of them as business owners, CEO’s, and managers at all levels. Traditionally, leadership also extends into politics and other global affairs. However, parents, therapists and health care providers, solopreneurs, sports coaches, consultants, mentors, partners in relationship, teachers, authors, and others who interact with people on a regular basis are all leaders. Everyone is a leader either by choice or by default. If you don’t think of yourself as a leader, then you’re limited in your thinking. Leading is the way we help people into action, including ourselves. The question is not whether you are a leader, but how well you lead. Read the rest of this entry »
6 Comments | Career Development, Leadership, Uncategorized | Tagged: Leadership | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Fasano
March 2, 2010
I recently read an inspirational article entitled, “Are You a Mentor? An Open Letter to All Engineers” by Ben Matthews. Ben defines a mentor as “someone who takes personal responsibility for the success of someone else.” Ben challenges engineers to not only help younger engineers but also better themselves through the mentoring process. He also makes some recommendations to younger engineers, one being learn how to write, whether you like it or not!
In the spirit of this article I have decided to ask college students studying engineering to write a brief article for this blog describing their college engineering experience and posing some questions that they have about engineering careers. Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments | Career Development, Training, Uncategorized | Tagged: mentor | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Fasano
February 25, 2010
BZZZZZ, BZZZZZ, BZZZZZ…….the alarm clock goes off. It’s that time again! You shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, maybe walk the dog and then off to work. For some people, they jump out of bed and hit the floor running. They can’t wait to start their day and seize all of the opportunities. For others, every thought, every move, every conversation is a struggle. They hope to just make it through the day so they can make it home and enjoy a few hours of television before they do it all again. What causes this difference in people? Why are some people so much more inspired than others?
Is it money, family, the type of job you have or the people you work with? What inspires you each day to get up and go through your day? What inspires you to be the absolute best you can be at work and advance your career as rapidly as you can?
Please don’t answer “I have to.” That’s the easy answer. Sure we all have bills we have to pay and we have to survive, but why do some people “survive and thrive” and others “survive to get by?”
Please comment on how you continue to inspire yourself each day, especially with some of the challenges this economy has brought to our companies and our careers?
Anthony Fasano, P.E., LEED AP, CPESC, CPSWQ, CPC
www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyjfasano
www.facebook.com/anthony.j.fasano
www.twitter.com/anthonyjfasano
Join my Linkedin Engineering Career Development Group
Leave a Comment » | Career Development, Uncategorized | Tagged: inspiration, motivation | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Fasano
February 21, 2010
Featured Guest Blogger: William Merunka
Follow me on my journey to become a great engineer.
Let’s connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/williammerunka
Throughout life, we encounter situations that are challenging and unavoidable. When in this situation we have two options, fight or flight. While our ego may tell us to fight and work through it, we usually take the path of least resistance and run away from the situation. One of the most common times for this to occur is when looking to find a new job or changing the direction of your career. With the economic recession playing a major role on the employment field over the past year, it has been easy to choose flight and make excuses for why we have not achieved the career goals that we set for ourselves or found that new job after being laid off.
Oftentimes I hear people saying that it’s not about what you know, but who you know. Personally, I don’t believe in this mindset. In my opinion it’s about what you do that will help make, break, or stall your career. Yes, it helps to know people in positions of authority amongst the company or field that you are trying to get into. However, just having a neighbor or 3rd degree friend who’s the lead engineer for the civil engineering department is not going to get you the job.
You need to impress in that person’s mind that you are worthy of their time and that you could be a valuable asset to their team and their company in general. While you have the advantage of knowing the person, you still need to go in and seal the deal. Your career is not going to come to you, you need to find that passion within yourself and pursue your career. What makes you special and better than Mr. Smith who submitted their resume through the company’s website last week? Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Career Development, Career Goals | Tagged: career advancement, Career Goals, job interview | Permalink
Posted by youngmotivatedengineer
February 18, 2010
I have said in the past that it is extremely important to have career goals, which act as a destination for where you are taking your career. It is important when setting your goals, to take the time to figure out exactly what you want, nothing more, and nothing less.
Clearly defining your goal is extremely important. Use an analogy of driving to a destination. Is it easier to get somewhere if you only know the city or state or if you know the exact street address? Your goals act as that street address that constantly tells you where you are going.
In setting these clearly defined goals, you really need to figure out what you want. Many people will water down their goals during this process because they believe they are too lofty. By doing this, you are giving up on your goal before you even attempt to achieve it. Why? You have the ability to achieve absolutely anything you want to in your career. When you are setting your goals, just think about your current situation as scenario “A” and the goal you are seeking as scenario “B” AND DO NOT TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET FROM A TO B AT THIS POINT. When people think about the route they will have to take, that is when they often start the “watering-down” process. You can worry about action plans and steps you may take later, but when you are setting your goals focus on your desires, regardless of how unattainable you may think they are. Read the rest of this entry »
3 Comments | Career Development, Career Goals | Tagged: Career Goals, limiting beliefs | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Fasano
February 16, 2010
Featured Guest Blogger: Babette Burdick
Sales Aerobics for Engineers
Internet Business Development Strategies for Manufacturers, Distributors and Service Companies
Connect With Babette On Linkedin 
Read The Sales Aerobics For Engineers Blog
We are in the midst of economic recalibration. No surprises there. For engineers who remain employed by the same companies they worked for in 2009, congratulations. For those engineers displaced in 2009, many of you have started your own consulting practices or are seeking a new position. And while I wish you all the best of luck, there is more than luck involved, regardless of whether your workplace is your employer’s office or your home office.
What does it take to survive in the 2010 engineering workplace? There are many how-to business books and engineering blogs, including this one, that consider this important question. Engineering schools are pondering just what engineering education looks like in 2010 and onward. Professional development is a function of what you learned in school combined with implementing self-realization after you graduate.
In other words, what do you need to know to be effective within the CONTEXT in which you practice engineering? Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Fasano
February 11, 2010
I have seen quite a few discussions on this topic as of late in the social media arenas, so I figured I would give my input, being that I have always been very involved in professional societies.
I am a firm believer that your career advancement is strongly related to the relationships you build in your industry. I have built many solid business and personal relationships through professional societies. Not only has this helped advance my career, but it has made my career very enjoyable. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Career Development, Professional Development | Tagged: career advancement, networking, professional societies | Permalink
Posted by Anthony Fasano
February 8, 2010
Featured Guest Blogger: Robert Mote
Motagg’s Blog by Robert Mote
Let’s connect on LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/robertmote
The engineering analysis is always a hot topic, in any drawing office, on any project. Applying national standards, to the letter, and increasing levels of sophistication into the analysis to prove the design is adequate, is often revisited and debated throughout the project life. However, the process of preparing the engineering calculations is an unspoken subject almost anywhere in the world. Proving your design, on paper, to the same degree as the analysis, is often in the way and a matter of faith. The engineer is only concerned with proving to themselves, rather than the reader, that the design is fit-for-purpose.
Engineers doing conventional calculations, often have to number the pages themselves, add titles, collect and arrange different software outputs. These reports are often long on quantity, time-consuming to handle and short on quality. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Calculations | Tagged: engineer's calculations | Permalink
Posted by motagg
I recently spoke on the topic of career development in front of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ASCE chapter in Albany New, York. This chapter is very active and they have about two meetings per month with members. It was a very enjoyable experience as they were all very attentive and asked great questions.
Facebook
linkedin
Twitter