Set career goals

If you don’t know where you want your career to be, you’ll never know if you’re on the right path to get there. Haphazard career planning leaves a lot to random chance. Take the time every few months to reflect on where your career is and where you want it to be. Work backwards and figure out what the intermediate stages look like.

Get an advanced degree

A master’s degree is becoming increasingly essential to advance an engineering career. Technology is advancing, but bachelor’s degree requirements are not, so in order to keep up with updates and new demands, additional education is necessary. Even if a master’s degree might not help you in your specific line of engineering, you should always continue to learn new technical skills to make yourself more marketable and able to hang with the competition when it’s time for promotion. Even the playing field as much as you can!

Develop your soft skills

One of the most important soft skills is communication. Who says engineers only do numbers and not words? If you want to be promoted in the engineering world, you need to be able to express yourself effectively, hear what people are saying and get along with all kinds of people.

Network

Reach out to your peers and find mentors who will help you set goals and advise you in ways to grow your role. Join professional groups that are specific to your career and even more generalized professional or commerce groups. Aside from interacting with as many colleagues as you can, you should attend conferences, seminars and lectures. By developing these relationships and frequenting these events, you can gain advice about growth and learn about opportunities.

Be bold and ask for opportunities!

Stay alert for new projects and responsibilities and don’t be afraid to try something new. Even if your boss denies you, you’re showing him that you’re eager and ambitious and ready for new challenges.

For more tips on how to advance your career and achieve engineering success, contact CulverCareers today.

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To prepare for the interview, have several anecdotes ready to showcase your skills and abilities. Here are some common behavioral questions and strategies to answer them.

STAR technique

The STAR technique is a good way to answer questions about your past experiences.  First, describe the Situation. Next, explain that Task you were asked to complete or issue you were trying to solve. Then, describe the Action you took. And finally, tell the interviewer about the Results of your action. Focus on how your actions benefited the company.

Conflict

Hiring managers want to be sure you won’t be the cause of workplace turmoil, so choose an example when someone else was the instigator. Be specific about your actions and explain how you had the maturity and communication skills to capably resolve the conflict in a way that was successful. A story about a mended relationship that resulted in more effective teamwork and greater productivity would be perfect!

Stress

You want to show you can handle pressure situations and don’t get overwhelmed to the point you can no longer function. Think of a time you successfully met a tight deadline or gave a presentation to a prestigious client. How was your company better because of your diligence and calm composure.

Failure

Employers want to see you can take responsibility for your mistakes and learn from them. Perhaps you unknowingly gave an inaccurate price to a customer. Did you own up to it? Were you able to resolve the discrepancy to everyone’s satisfaction? What have you learned from that mistake?

Problem solving

Prove you’re creative and have critical-thinking skills necessary to handle any challenge that pops up.

Teamwork

You want to demonstrate you work well with others. Tell a story that shows you can collaborate with others, communicate effectively and are willing to share team tasks, credit and blame.

As you prepare for your interview, review the job requirements and target the skills you possess that match those requirements with stories that support them. If you have one story that demonstrates each of the above qualities, you should be well prepared! And make sure all your stories are true! They’ll be relatively easy for a hiring manager to verify as he calls your references. For more tips on how to really shine in a job interview, contact us today.

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Here are six ways to maintain a consistent, nurturing culture in your company so your employees business can thrive.

Develop your purpose

Have a mission and philosophy for your company. Be somewhat vulnerable and don’t act like you have all the answers, Allow for community input because these are the people who will help determine the future of your company.

Individuals should also have a sense of purpose at work. They need to know they make a difference in the bottom line of the company so they can remain engaged, enthusiastic and efficient.

Hire the right people

You can’t transmit a positive company culture unless you have good leaders in place. They need to understand and embrace your vision and values, and you need to make sure they’re clear to everyone you hire as well. Treat those employees well so they don’t want to leave. Provide a comprehensive orientation and ongoing training so they’re confident and prepared and not floundering in unexpected situations.

Lead by example

The leadership in your company needs to demonstrate everything you want your employees to adopt. Even without knowing it, your employees will copy the behaviors they see above them. So, work collaboratively as a team, communicate honestly and proactively, and work diligently.

Communicate with transparency

Not only do you need to spread your goals for your company culture, you also need to be upfront and honest with your employees. Share goals and financial standings regularly and build open relationships with your staff. Keep lines of communication open by inviting opinions, ideas and feedback. Show you respect them and they’ll respect you and feel comfortable being straightforward with you.

Reward your employees

In addition to recognizing achievements and milestones, thank and praise your employees—both publicly and in private—in promoting a positive company culture. Empower them to continue spreading the mission and establishing beneficial traditions. Keep them motivated and productive!

Encourage healthy lifestyles

Help your employees lower stress by encouraging them to live healthy lifestyles, including eating well, sleeping well and exercising. Don’t discourage them from taking a walk outside during the day or a mental health day.

Provide opportunities for social interactions and to rejuvenate during a busy period with a break. There should be space in the office to hang out and connect during challenging times—anything to boost morale and keep your business moving in a positive direction!

For more information on how to manage your company, contact us today.

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Wake up earlier

Put yourself at ease by allowing extra time for your commute and aim to get to work 10 minutes before you need to be there. Supervisors love early birds! Establish a good attendance record. Stay late and don’t call in sick. Don’t take long lunches, especially before you get to know company culture.

Dress professionally

Well-dressed people are perceived as efficient and reliable. You’ll also feel more confident knowing you look good!

Be willing

Eagerly ask questions or ask for help when you need it. It’s better to ask for clarification now than after you’ve wasted time doing something the wrong way. Listen more than talk, take notes, go to orientation and accept any training opportunities offered. As you grow more comfortable, take initiative. Start slowly so you don’t overwhelm yourself, but as you notch some successes, start to ask for more assignments.

Demonstrate that you’re excited to be part of a team! Show you’re loyal to other team members by awarding them credit and sharing recognition when appropriate.

Set up your workspace

Set up your outgoing voicemail message and email signature right away to help establish yourself. Use a calendar or planner to get and stay organized. Make your actual workspace a place where you feel comfortable. Take cues from your new office-mates and follow their lead—do they have a lot of family photos or are there none? Did they fix up their spaces with personal effects, like items from their alma maters or favorite sports teams?

Schedule a lunch

Learn names quickly. Ask a colleague to grab lunch with you. Ask helpful questions about work, but also ask personal, unrelated questions. You’ll feel better once you get to know people better and form some bonds. But avoid office politics and gossip as long as possible!

Be confident

Work on your self-talk, and when things get challenging, give yourself little pep talks to remind yourself that this is all possible. Show your new colleagues you’re reliable and you remain calm under pressure. Remember that you’re going to do a great job, which is why they hired you.

Track your accomplishments!

This will help to boost your own confidence and personal satisfaction as well as increase your chances of receiving a raise or promotion down the road. Early successes are easy to forget when there’s so much else to remember, so keep a list to help you (and your supervisor) remember.

While starting a new job can be stressful, there’s a lot you can do to make yourself stand out from day one! For more tips as you transition to your new job, contact us today.

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You’re a waste of money

The hiring process is expensive. Training is expensive. Some experts estimate that quick job hoppers can cost a company up to $20,000 per employee. So if your resume is peppered with short spurts of work experience, without a longer, more faithful commitment, employers are not likely to take a chance on hiring you.

You haven’t gained valuable skills

It’s hard to pick up any expertise or accomplish anything when you don’t stay in a position long enough to learn. It also shows that you’re restless and that you don’t have the self-discipline to dedicate yourself to something after the initial excitement wears off. Potential employers might view you as immature and not prepared to really succeed in business.

You’re unfulfilled

Maybe you’re just not passionate enough about the field you’ve been working in. Not every job is a dream job, especially at the beginning. And most employers would be pleased that you’re not satisfied, that you’re always pushing yourself for something better. But there’s also value in paying your dues and remaining focused on one thing as you move up in a company.

If you find a company that you can believe in and where you enjoy working, stay loyal to that company’s mission and corporate culture while you seek out the ideal position there. Aiming for better opportunities is a good thing, but too many jumps is a red flag that you’ll never be content anywhere.

You’re short-sighted

Companies have long-term goals for several years down the road, and if you can’t show that you do, too, they might not waste their time hiring you. Focus on the long game and view companies as career incubators instead of time wasters. Concentrate on the valuable skills and experiences you’re picking up and consider the best interests of the company instead of prioritizing your own boredom. Show that you can be an asset to a company by sticking it out in one job for at least two years, so future companies will be more willing to invest in you.

For more information on how to nurture your career and land your dream job at your dream company, check out our website at https://culvercareers.com.

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