Armed with Business Acumen

InTech, Jun 2006 by Policastro, Ellen Fussell

Chiles' advice for seasoned engineers looking for advancement is twofold: "First, I would say educate yourself on current business conditions. What are your businesses' current objectives and goals? How are they defining them? What are the long-term goals and short-term milestones to reach those goals? Second, I would say see how your work or contributions fit with accomplishing those goals. How do you need to improve your skills in order to accomplish those goals?"

Inga Faison Cavitt, a DuPont technology team leader in Mobile, Ala., strongly suggests engineering students get a co-op or internship where they can get hands-on experience and apply what they're learning. "In school, they teach us how to think. Much of what we learn in school we may not see at the plant. But we're supposed to apply what we learn in the real world," she said. "Just because you aced a test doesn't mean you'll come in here with everything you need to know about a chemical plant."

When you do come into a job straight out of school, Faison Cavitt said you should ask as many questions as possible. "Don't be intimidated that your question is dumb. It's the only way you're going to learn."

If you're already a seasoned engineer but want to build on your skills, Cavitt said you should "make your interest known to managers and supervisors. I was an engineer for seven years. I've always wanted to be a supervisor. Initially I was going to be a first-line supervisor with hourly employees. But I saw this job open, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to keep my skills up and be a manager and help guide people in their careers," she said. "Now I can help fellow engineers pursue their dreams and goals."

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