Engineer Your Own Success

Anthony Fasano P.E., is the founder of Powerful Purpose Associates and is known in the engineering industry as the engineering career coach because he has helped countless engineers create extraordinary careers. After a successful engineering career, Anthony transitioned his career from designing to inspiring engineers. The techie turned talker has been referred to by many of his seminar attendees as "the Tony Robbins of the engineering industry" and has been profiled in newspapers and magazines from the Wall Street Journal to the Bergen Record to the New York Professional Engineer, as well as being featured on Boston's Civil Engineering Today television show.

• A Note From The Series Editor xiiiAcknowledgments xvForeword xviiPreface xixIntroduction: Use This Book Strategically 1PART I YOUR GUIDE TO ENGINEERING A SUCCESSFUL JOB SEARCH 31 Building a Winning Résumé 51.1 Building a Winning Résumé (Online and Offline) 51.2 There Is One Key Factor to a Great Résumé 61.3 The Importance of Customizing Your Résumé 61.4 There Is a Formula to Building a Winning Résumé 71.5 Determining the Proper Length of a Résumé 81.6 Effectively Show Non-engineering Experience on Your Résumé 121.7 The Importance of Honesty During the Interview Process 131.8 Seven Steps to Creating a LinkedIn Profile That Can Land a Job 141.9 Your LinkedIn Profile and Your Résumé Should Be Perfect Professional Snapshots 161.10 Key Points to Remember 182 Landing and Acing an Engineering Job Interview 192.1 Leverage LinkedIn Groups to Land a Job Interview 192.2 Understanding Prospective Employers and Their Needs 202.3 Interview Research and Preparation 222.4 Interview Etiquette and Attire 232.5 Performing During the Actual Interview 242.6 The Follow-Up to the Interview 252.7 Jobs Can Affect Your PE License 262.8 Key Points to Remember 26Part II THE 7 KEY ELEMENTS TO AN EXTRAORDINARY ENGINEERING CAREER 293 Career Goals Act as Your Destination 313.1 Career Goals Act as Your Destination 313.2 Start by Defining “Success” 323.3 Define Your Values 333.4 Ask Yourself Where Why What How and Who 343.5 More on Why 353.6 Think Big and Then Think BIGGER! 363.7 Formulate and Prioritize Your Goals 373.8 Be SMART and Use Small Steps for Big Results 373.9 Let Your Definition of Success Guide You 403.10 Motivate Yourself to Pursue Your Goals 413.11 Time to Celebrate! 423.12 Key Points to Remember 424 Obtain Credentials That Will Help You to Reach Your Goals 454.1 Credentials Bring You Credibility 454.2 Set Yourself Apart from Others 464.3 Recognizing the Difference between Patience and Procrastination 474.4 Exam Preparation: Start With the End in Mind 484.5 Tips for Approaching the PE Exam 494.5.1 Take the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam as Soon as Possible 494.5.2 Start the PE Exam Application Process as Early as Possible 504.5.3 Submit the Application as Soon as Possible 514.5.4 Don’t Take the Exam Just to See What It Contains 514.5.5 Take a Review Course Whether You Want to or Not 524.5.6 Ask Others What Worked for Them 524.5.7 Bring the Right Materials to the Exam 534.5.8 The Day of the Exam 544.5.9 The Day After the Exam 554.5.10 Credentialing Processes around the World 554.6 If You Fall Off the Horse Get Right Back On 554.7 Master’s in Engineering or Business Administration? 564.8 Awards Are Underrated 584.9 Take Advantage of Company Benefits 584.10 Key Points to Remember 595 Find and Become a Mentor 615.1 The Many Faces of a Mentor 615.2 Finding a Mentoring Program and Selecting the Right Mentor 625.2.1 Try to Select Someone from Your Specific Discipline 635.2.2 Consider Your Level of Comfort 645.2.3 Don’t Settle on the First One That Comes Along 645.3 The Mentoring Relationship for Protégés 645.3.1 Establish Levels of Confidentiality 655.3.2 Set Expectations for Mutual Accountability 655.4 The Importance of Accountability 665.5 Getting the Most from Your Mentor 675.6 Become a Mentor 675.7 Selecting the Right Protégé 685.8 Being the Best Mentor You Can Be 695.9 How to Graciously End a Mentoring Relationship 705.10 Actions to Avoid for Mentors and Protégés 715.11 Key Points to Remember 716 Become a Great Communicator 736.1 In Today’s World Communication Is a Whole Different Ball Game 736.2 Project/Team Communication Starts In House 746.3 Communicate Early and Often 756.4 How to (Almost) Explain Rocket Science to a Nontechnical Person 766.5 Honesty Really Is the Best Policy 776.6 How You Say Something Is Just as Important as What You Say 796.7 Public Speaking: The Ultimate Differentiator 806.8 How to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills 826.9 Confidence Encourages Communication 846.10 Sometimes Listening Is the Most Powerful Form of Communication 856.11 Responsiveness Impacts Reputation 866.12 Key Points to Remember 877 The Ability to Network 897.1 What Is Networking and Why Is It Important? 897.2 Secrets to Building Lasting Relationships 907.2.1 Their Interests Should Interest You 917.2.2 Listen to Others 917.2.3 Relationship Value Is a Two-Way Street 927.3 Network in Your Industry through Professional Societies and Organizations 927.4 Finding and Developing Project Leads Gets You Noticed 947.5 Opportunities Have No Limits 967.6 You Are Never Too Young (or Old!) to Network 977.7 Overcoming Low Confidence and Language Barriers 987.8 How to Deal with a Boss or Supervisor Who Is Holding You Back 997.9 Interoffice Politics and Workplace Relationships 1017.10 Monitoring and Controlling Your Professional Image in Social Networking 1027.10.1 Controlling Your Facebook Twitter and Google+ Messaging 1027.10.2 Maximizing LinkedIn 1037.11 Key Points to Remember 1048 Stay Focused Organized Productive and Stress-Free 1078.1 The Three Rules to Time Management and Work–Family Balance 1078.2 Rule #1: Be Organized in All of Your Efforts 1088.2.1 Deploy a Minimalist Mind-Set 1098.2.2 Use the Old (and New) Trusty Notepad 1108.2.3 Manage the Never-Ending Pile of Business Cards 1128.2.4 Remember That Missed Appointments Equal Missed Opportunities 1148.2.4.1 Use Your Calendar Religiously 1148.2.4.2 Fill in All Pertinent Information 1148.2.4.3 Confirm All Meetings 1158.2.5 Avoid the “I Am Not Sure What Color My Desk Is” Syndrome 1158.2.6 Prepare for Your Annual Performance Review 1168.3 Rule #2: Stay Focused and Productive 1188.3.1 Create Consistency through Routines 1188.3.2 Establish Your Most Important Tasks Early Each Day 1198.3.3 Complete or Assign Your MITs First Thing Each Day 1208.3.4 Control Your Own Schedule by Breaking Bad E-Mail Habits 1218.3.5 Slow Things Down through Meditation 1238.3.6 Focus Intently on What You Are Doing 1238.4 Rule #3: Avoid Stress and Worry at All Costs 1248.4.1 Simplification through Elimination 1258.4.2 Empty Your E-Mail Inbox Twice per Day 1258.4.3 A Good To-Do List Can Work Wonders 1268.4.4 Keep Your Body (and Mind) in Shape 1288.4.5 Eat and Sleep Well 1298.5 Work–Family Balance Is Achievable 1308.5.1 Define Work–Family Balance 1308.5.2 Build Flexibility into Your Career 1318.5.3 Be Present in the Moment 1328.6 Key Points to Remember 1339 Be a Leader Every Day 1359.1 You Are a Leader 1359.2 The Power of Positivity 1369.3 Great Leaders See Only Opportunity 1379.4 Understanding Your Role 1399.5 Delegate Delegate and Then Delegate Some More 1409.6 Earn the Trust and Respect of Your Team 1429.7 There Is No “I” in Team 1439.8 Key Points to Remember 14410 The Time Is Now: Take Action 14710.1 The Time Is Now 14710.2 Do Not Settle for Less 14810.3 You Must Make Time for Your Own Development 14810.4 Think Like an Entrepreneur in Your Career 14910.5 Take Action 15010.6 Key Points to Remember 15011 Tools and Templates for Setting and Achieving Your Career Goals 15311.1 Template for a Winning Résumé 15411.2 Action Exercise Worksheet—Define Your Values 15511.3A Action Exercise Worksheet—Define Your End Results in One Year 15511.3B Action Exercise Worksheet—Define Your End Results in Two Years 15611.3C Action Exercise Worksheet—Define Your End Results in Five Years 15711.4 Action Exercise Worksheet—Formulate and Prioritize Goals 15811.5 Action Exercise Worksheet—SMART Process to Achieve Goal #1 15811.5 Action Exercise Worksheet—SMART Process to Achieve Goal #2 15911.5 Action Exercise Worksheet—SMART Process to Achieve Goal #3 16011.6 Action Exercise Worksheet 16111.7 Action Exercise Worksheet 16211.8 Action Exercise Worksheet 16312 Engineering Your Own Success Stories from Practicing Engineers 16512.1 Planning to Be an Extraordinary Engineer 16512.2 Realizing a Dream of Becoming a Structural Engineer 16612.3 A Big Step Forward for an Aspiring World-Class Engineer 16712.4 A Boost of Confidence to Spur Maximum Potential 16812.5 The Push Needed to Take Action 16912.6 I Decided to Start Planning for Me in My Career 17013 The Best of the Blog 17113.1 What Is Your Ultimate Career Goal? (September 10 2010) 17113.2 From Design Engineer to Manager in 2012: You Can Do It! (January 4 2012) 17213.3 Twelve Rules of Zen Monks That May Help You Reduce Stress and Improve Quality in Your Engineering Career (June 5 2012) 17413.4 It’s My Birthday! Who I Am Away from Work and Important Lessons That I Have Learned (August 26 2012) 17613.5 What to Do in Your Engineering Career When You Don’t Know What to Do (May 30 2013) 17813.6 Preparation Is Key to Engineering Balance in Your Career and Life (July 25 2013) 17913.7 Six Ways to Reinvigorate Your Engineering Career Development (July 31 2013) 18113.8 The Only Stability You Have in Your Engineering Career Is You (September 24 2013) 18213.9 Be Cautious Even When You Find One of the Highest-Paying Engineering Jobs (August 15 2013) 18413.10 If You Set Lofty Goals You Will Engineer Their Reality (October 22 2013) 18513.11 Seven Keys to Success for Engineers and Alaskan Sled Dogs (November 14 2013) 18713.12 Do All Engineers Need to Check Things Off to Feel Productive? (December 11 2013) 18813.13 How to Not Mess Up Your Annual Review for Engineers (December 24 2013) 18913.14 Three Steps to Becoming a Partner in an Engineering Firm Directly from an Engineering Partner (February 5 2014) 191Appendix: Recommended Reading 193About the Author 199Index 201