The Much-Needed Career Advice Nobody Gave You

Gain Experience Across Disciplines

When you start working as an engineer, as exciting as securing your first job may be, do not commit to one discipline. Keep an open mind, cross-collaborate across projects, and get a feel for new fields and challenges from the outset. Try as many aspects of engineering work as possible to build your experience in all disciplines. Don’t wait for later to seek out a variety of work; start as you mean to go on and as soon as you have a chance, explore structural design, geotechnical engineering, land surveying, or residential and commercial site design. This isn’t to say you should not pursue one area that appeals most to you to specialize and start taking leadership roles. But having across-the-board experience will help you hone your skills, excel in your work, and become highly noticeable.

Find a Mentor

A good mentor will lift you up, but a bad one will bring you down. A mentor is a good listener and a problem-solver. They are not there to hold your hand, but you should be able to ask them open-ended and thoughtful questions. A mentor guides you to think about the bigger picture, prods you to get out of your comfort zone and take up a challenge. They can be your boss, your colleague, or another professional in your field.

Work Smartly and Efficiently

Be efficient in your work and keep up with your deadlines. Do not procrastinate and let your work pile up until the last minute. This also means you should ask for help when needed. Spending hours trying to solve problems on your own will lead to loss of valuable time. Learn to be a team player and reach out without hesitation. Collaboration and delegation are key skills that will translate to more responsibilities and leadership roles in the future. To develop your own skillset, be available to learn on the job and attend workshops to improve and acquire skills to achieve proficiency. Volunteer for company outreach programs for continued networking. Also remember that every job comes with its paperwork; be as savvy as you can with software like Word and Excel, so you are not struggling to keep up.

Become Financially Literate and Responsible

Counter-intuitive as it may seem, begin planning your retirement as soon as your start your first job. Sign up with a benefits plan and save at least 7% in your retirement account. Slowly increase your contributions up to 15% in the following years. And then save, save, save! It can be hard to think about saving money when you are young and only just starting out, but it is essential. Learn to budget and live within your means —this means spending less than you earn!

These strategies will assist in building lifelong foundations for your professional life. They will make you confident in the decisions you make on the daily basis in your career and for the future. If you are looking for exciting opportunities in engineering, environmental or construction work, please contact us.

Michael DeSafey is a leading executive recruiter for professionals in the construction, engineering and environmental industries. He is currently the President of Webuild Staffing www.webuildstaffing.com  . To learn more about Michael or to follow his blog please visit www.michaeldesafey.com