What is now clear is that jobs are available and employers now have a wider pool of candidates to choose from. Given these new set of circumstances, the question then becomes; how does one compete and reclaim their career in a seemingly more challenging and complex job search environment.  For this exercise, we will analyze an engineer who lost his/her job at the onset of the recession in late 2008, and switched to a different career, say teaching.

If you have been out or work for an extended amount of time, the major challenge becomes reacquainting yourself with the job market,; recognizing the emerging opportunities; and proving to employers that you have what if takes despite the lengthy ‘break’.  Once you have the job, then you will have to assure your employers that you will quickly transition back properly into the workforce.

The following tips will be helpful in helping you with your career change phase which encompasses, shining your credentials; how to implements a successful job search strategy; and recognizing the rapidly changing world of technology.

Reinforce your job search strategy

• Review your previous engineering experience and highlight what is relevant and recent.  It is also a good idea to custom tailor your job search to each specific position that you apply to. See other jobs search tips.
• Use language that sells on resume and focus on performance and results. Quantify results whenever possible and provide some context for accomplishments. This is especially true if you are transition from a different career back into engineering. It might be safer to highlight the results from the latest career instead of trying to correlate two contrasting experiences.
• Do not be afraid to contact old co-workers and ask for help in determining how to approach job search.
• Join a local chapter of a relevant engineering association such as, ASCE or IEEE.
• Become an active participant on social media sites, read blogs written by industry leaders and actively participate in discussions.
• Make networking and relationship building a bigger priority by getting active in associations, going to conferences, and building relationships online. See more tips on successful networking.
• Target emerging sectors such as clean energy companies and build connection with idustry insiders.

Next – Interviewing and convincing employers that you have what it takes

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Most design engineers are creative and it is important to provide them with enough flexibility to allow them to unleash the creativity in them. A good manager realizes the potential in each of the engineers and maximizes their input in any given project. Since most projects are time-specific requiring input from a diverse group of engineers and support staff, how do you effectively manage all involved in a design process and maximize your output through reduced overhead and constructive use of billable hours? This guide points out some tips that you should look into while managing an engineering design team.

1. Personnel » 2. Roles » 3. Motivation » 4. Communication » 5. Progress Monitoring » 6. Feedback

1. Choosing the right people

You need to be proactive and plan for resources with the right mix of skills. In any project, there will be multidisciplinary activities and you will need people with different skill sets. The hiring process is crucial, and it is a good idea to involve the entire team during the hiring process to allow everyone in the team to have insights into who will be joining the team.

2. Describe roles clearly

The importance of defining roles and responsibilities need not be over-emphasized. The role of each person has to be very clearly laid down, preferably on a project guide and made available to everyone on the team. The relationship each team member will have with others will also have to be defined. Each member had to assigned roles to match their skill sets and capabilities. If there is an overlap in the activities or roles, it is important to assign responsibility to one person rather than leave it to them to decide.

3. Motivation

Not all team members will be from the same background. Each of them will be knowledgeable in their own domain and also possess different skill sets. To ensure smooth functioning of the team, it is important to keep all of them motivated at all times. Treat all the members with respect and encourage them to work freely within their boundaries. The most successful teams benefit from the cross disciplinary knowledge that each one brings to the table.

3. Open Communication

As the project progresses, it is very likely that the time and cost pressures will be on the rise. It is vital to keep the communication within the team open and positive. Conflicts will arise along the way and rapid conflict management is required to set the team back on to the track. It is important to keep relationships at a very professional level and not let personal conflicts affect the team performance. As a team leader, you must ensure that all team members get frequent feedback so that they have time to correct their actions. Also, you should be open to criticisms from the team. It is also a good idea to have a central location when all records pertaining to the project are store. This eliminates the likely event of crucial data disappearing.

5. Progress Monitoring

You must establish a system of progress monitoring. All design projects have progress reporting to the client or senior management but apart from that you must have a monitoring system within the team. This can be done on a daily or weekly basis depending on the severity of the deliverable. Make the progress known to all members and help them evaluate their positions.

It is important to remember that you are dealing with people and it is required to satisfy the emotional needs. Give compliments and thank yous to deserving employees. This goes a long way in helping your employees realize that their work is appreciated.

Other rewards such as sponsored get-together and personalized messages during the course of the project can help a long way in effectively managing a team.

6. Provide constructive Feedback

At the end of the project is close out the project by giving constructive feedback to all members to help them perform better in their future projects.

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1. The fifth number plus the third number equals fourteen;
2. The fourth number is one more than the second number;
3. The first number is one less than twice the second number;
4. The second number plus the third number equals ten; and
5. The sum of all five numbers is 30.

What were the five numbers and in what order?

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6. Make a graceful exit

Networking at social events

There is usually an undisclosed time limit when it comes to networking, especially if you are in a networking event. General rule of thumb is, if you start running out of content, it is a good idea to give others a chance to interact as well. However, if you feel that you have something productive to contribute, or you feel that you need to get to know someone better, stick around as long as you are not making the other party uncomfortable. Otherwise, close off by telling the person that you enjoyed meeting. At this point you should have already exchanged contacts.

7. Follow through

This is by far the most crucial part of any networking encounter. It does not make sense to go to a networking event, establish a contact and then never follow through afterwards. The initial follow through should NEVER be an immediate request for a favor. Nothing breaks apart a potential networking relationship than only calling when you need something. Remember, networking is all about cultivating beneficial relationships. Thus said, you have to act fast, before you disappear from memory and build up on the initial meeting. Realize that even at this point you still have to maintain a high level of professionalism, so do this in a proper and professional manner.

A good follow through conversation should basically reiterate key points from earlier discussions and leave an open ticket for future correspondence. Ideally, you should seek a face-to-face meeting, but please do this tactfully.

8. Personal Touch

Since networking is, at its most basic level, the building of mutually beneficial relationships, it is important to nurture those relationships beyond business. This could initially be in the form of subtle communications such as Christmas cards, gift certificates etc.  As the relationship progresses, you can move on to bigger and better things.

9. Harvest the networking benefits

You should never be afraid to utilize your networking contact on anything within the realm of their abilities. Such connections might be in the form of job referrals, introductions or help in furthering a particular business agenda.

When you have established that the individual is the proper resource for the type of connection you are seeking, approach them and articulate your request. If you have nurtured a good relationship, then the rest should be easy.

The most adept networkers know how to convey appreciation for networking favors. If someone has been helpful to you, let them know that you appreciate it.  A simple thank-you card should be sent to the person as quickly as possible.

10. Become a resource for others

When you are known as a strong resource, people remember to turn to you for suggestions. In the continuing nurture of the networking relationship make sure you make your contacts aware of your strong points and how you can help them. Whenever favors are requested of you, act on them quickly.

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The very definition of networking dictates that a network is “a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest.”  Supportive in the sense that networking is all about building mutually beneficial relationships, from which all parties can derive positive benefit. A classic “scratch-my-back-and-I’ll-scratch-yours” type of an engagement.

So, how you approach networking matters, since it provides the basis of how you might interact with people in your professional life.  The following list provides 10 often ignored tips which provide crucial insights into networking by building sustainable and productive relationships.

1. Never make assumptions

Always approach every networking opportunity with an open mind. In other words, never make assumptions about anyone you meet. The worst thing you can do is to assume that a particular individual is not worth networking with because he/she lacks the characteristics you might be looking for, say a VP of an engineering company.

One of my favorite books, The Tipping Point, provides an interesting analysis of the type of people the author terms as “connectors.”  Connectors, according to the author are those “people with a special gift for bringing the world together.”  So, the casually dressed gentleman you meet at the airport lobby might be a connector with access to several VPs of engineering companies. Share your bagel with him.

2. Relax

Networking is like golf, if you try to hard it shows and you end up playing badly.  If you remember one simple fact, that networking is primarily social and secondarily business, you will be able to network more effectively.  At the end of it all, the more comfortable you are, the more comfortable the person you are talking to will be with you.

3. Listen more than you talk

This goes back to the earlier point about networking being a mutually-beneficial relationship. From the initial meeting, both parties involved should be able to derive meaningful purpose from interacting with each other. So, if you find that you are the one doing most of the talking, and constantly shifting your focus from on candidate to the next, then you are wasting your time.

4. Find a common interest

The goes back to the very definition of networking. In order to cultivate the most beneficial relationship with anyone, it is a good idea to establish early on that you and the other person have common interests or common goals.  If you cannot find any, don’t create them but at least look for commonalities by exploring activities and interests that might have been mentioned in the course of the conversation.

It is usually easy to find a common ground with fellow engineers, be it career, school or the passionate dislike of Biology. However, if after ten minutes you still cannot find a connection, move on.

5. Be impressive

Always make sure you have your business cards

Have you ever had a conversation with someone and realized that at the end of the conversation, you were still did not know anything about the person. This happens because most people’s idea of networking usually involves reciting their skills and objectives to as many people as possible. This type of exercise is not only counterproductive but also negates the desire for anyone to interact with you in the future.

So, how do you capture someone’s attention and leave a positive impact? Simply be yourself and stick to what you know. Networking is all about cultivating potentially beneficial relationships, so rely on your best attributes to impress whoever you are interacting with. Never, under any circumstance, try to bring up topics you are not familiar with in the name being impressive. If you fail at this all-too-common networking tactic, you end up appearing disingenuous and vague.
Next – 6. Make a graceful exit » 7. Follow through » 8. Personal Touch » 9. Harvest » 10. Become a resource

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4. Group attack

The basic idea behind this mode is that several employees will interview you simultaneously and then collectively make a decision following the interview.  These individuals might be part of the same team or different departments depending on the type of job you are interviewing for.   In this type of interview, the interviewers are looking at how well you can manage stress and accommodate different lines of questioning.

Success Keys: Keep in mind that this type of interview allows those who favor you to outvote those who do not, and vice-versa. Therefore, you must attempt to win over everyone. In most cases, one individual will dominate the questioning, but you should still respond to everyone. Remember to make direct eye contact with everyone present. It will also serve you well to memorize names and job titles of all present so that you can target your questions directly to the person your question applies to.

5. Group Interview: Survival for the fittest

Another interesting twist on team interviewing is where one interviewer or a team of interviewers will interview several candidates simultaneously. Questions are posed to the entire group and every one is given a few minutes to respond.

Success Keys: In most cases, companies applying this mode are looking for an employee who is a take-charge leader and one who is also able to work with a team. A leader will always communicate in a manner that includes others and brings out the best in everyone they interact with. During this type of interview your goal is to actively participate with your own ideas and integrate the ideas of others in the group as well.

During your research: During your research, determine the company’s culture and how the company uses teams, and emulate that model during the interview.

Why you should worry: If you are a timid, all-people-pleaser type of person then you might have a challenging time at this type of interview. Most employers chose this type of format because it might imitate the actual job. Remember that if you are not the dominant responder and the smartest one in the group, then someone else is and they will certainly exploit your self-imposed submission. Just ask this engineer.

6. The Real World

This is a popular interview method used by Fortune 500 firms on their MBA-types interviewees.  During the interview, you are given a real-world case-a set of circumstances surrounding a particular work problem and asked to analyze it. For example, in an engineering interview you might be provided with details of a project’s constraints and asked to discuss how you would address such constraints. You may be given anywhere from just a few minutes to overnight to prepare your response. After you respond, the interviewer will usually ask you questions to assess your ability to quickly comprehend relevant materials and communicate them effectively.

Success Keys: The real-world type of questions are meant to be complex and difficult to penetrate, therefore, you are not required to know every answer to a problem. The interviewer is simply attempting to assess whether you can quickly process information and apply some of the concepts you have learned during your education to the workplace. Always cite relevant sources and standards from your past classes, jobs or extracurricular experiences.

7. Presentation: Power Points

This type of interviewing is not popular for engineering jobs but it is still used by some companies nonetheless. In this interviewing style, you are typically requested to prepare a 10-20 minute presentation and deliver it to a team of interviewers. A company will usually ask you to give this talk based on one of three scenarios:

1. in the first scenario you are assigned an issue to discuss;
2. the second scenario you are allowed to choose your own topic; or
3. the third scenario is one which requires you to discuss your job qualifications-in effect, to market yourself.

Whichever the scenario, your approach should be creative and informative clearly highlighting your potential worth to the company.

Success Keys: If a topic is assigned ahead of time, you will have an opportunity to research and prepare. Make sure your presentation has plenty of concrete points and back them up with examples based on your research.

If you are simply asked to present your job qualifications, try to summarize your education, relevant work experience and match your background and future goals with the company and the position.

If you’re assigned a topic on the spot, the focus will usually be something general. Always use a standard presentation format which includes; an introduction, two or three key points and a conclusion. Keep in mind that the company might judge your presentation skills partly by how well you manage the related technology. Make sure you can use an overhead, computer software and computer hardware competently. For a presentation assigned ahead of time, remember to come prepared with backup transparencies just in case a computer hardware problem occurs.

Next – » 8. Behavioral » 9. Situational » 10. Multiple Levels

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1. Screening

Screening interviews are usually the rarest type of interview you will ever encounter. These types of interviews are usually short, in-person interviews, and mainly take place at a college or a career fair. This interviewing technique is mainly used to dispose unqualified candidates and to find applicants worthy of proceeding to a more detailed interview.

How to be successful: Screeners usually have to make a quick decision to either shred your resume or to ask you for an on-site interview. So, your primary goal should be to immediately impress the interviewer and prompt them to put your resume in the “good” pile. In these kinds of interviews you usually don’t have much time to sell yourself or ask specific questions about the position, so it is imperative that you answer the questions asked in a focused and impressive manner. Make sure your responses highlight your qualifications and what you have to offer the company. It goes without saying that you should have a professional resume ready and be able to answer any questions that might be derived from it.

2. Just the two of us

The famous one-on-one interviewing style is another typical screening process where a human resource representative or a recruiter conducts the interview. Typically such an interview lasts about 20-30 minutes and starts with a broad range of questions and then progresses to questions that are specific to the position in question.

How to prepare: Before this type of interview, you have to make sure that you understand what the job requirements are and how your skills and experience match those requirements. If a human resource representative is conducting this interview you can be assured that they are just trying to separate the wheat from the chuff.  In some cases they could be going through a list of preset qualifications and matching them against potential candidates.

How to prepare: The person interviewing you is the byway to getting to the real decision makers. It is a good idea to show interest in the company and have general questions that imply interest and keenness for details. This is also the type of place you would get the all-too-common “tell me about yourself” question, so be prepared to give a relevant response which also integrates your potential value to the company. Remember that this is your opportunity to find out more about the position and the company, so do not be afraid to ask the interviewer questions.

3. Employer Team

This style of interviewing has been gaining popularity over the years. It is employed by most engineering companies and it is intended to test you on how you interact with other people. Basically, in this format you are interviewed by a number of people at different times. These individuals might be prospective team-members or managers in different departments. You usually spend a few minutes with each interviewer. They might ask you questions from a list of preset questions, but in most cases they ask questions at their discretion. At the end of the day, all interviewers will get together and assess your candidacy.

Success Keys: Just like the “group attack” type of interview, your success at this type of interview is hinged on having a majority of interviewers on your side. All of them is ideal, but we all know you cannot please everybody. So, while you are interviewing, make sure you strike a sort of subtle professional friendship with each interviewer. This should obviously be done tactfully so that it doesn’t come out as unprofessional.  One of the easiest ways to do this is to imply an interest in your interviewer’s past projects or their professional life.

Make sure: Make sure you know who is who and what role they play in the organization. Such crucial insights will help you tailor your responses accordingly, aware of the interviewer’s viewpoint. For example, if an engineer (who you have determined would be your coworker) asks you about your past work experience, they might be trying to figure out what kind of a co-worker you are and how well they will be able to work with you.

Next – 4. Group Attack » 5. Group Interview » 6. The Real World» 7. Presentation

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For example, If you have lost your job, perhaps it is time to reconsider the direction of your career. Maybe you should pursue self employment.  A post-job loss assessment is a good way to rethink everything about your life and figure out which trajectory you want your life and your career to follow onwards.  Besides, you now have the time you always said you didn’t have.

This article will by no means provide you with a solution but rather attempts to point out certain points worth considering.

Opportunities

Every immigrant who comes to America comes believing that in America there exist many opportunities. Many have followed this idea and became millionaires, Nobel laureates etc.  Many accomplished this by taking advantage of the ever-arising opportunities.  Look around and you and figure out what are the changing trends and figure out how you can take advantage of such opportunities.  Once you have figured that out, align yourself accordingly.

Which industry sectors are growing

If you are to take advantage of new opportunities, you also need to understand which industries are growing.  Not all industries and sectors have been affected severely by the economic slowdown. Some of the sectors are still doing well and are creating new opportunities.  If you determine that a certain sector is worth pursuing, then figure out what you need to do to make it happen.  For example, if you are a civil engineer working in the transportation industry and you see opportunities arising in the sustainable building design, then its time you looked into LEED certification.

Plan for long term

Just like anything else that worth having, it is always better to plan you career for the long term.  Certain industries and sectors are there to stay and will report growth in the next few decades. Some areas are also better than others in creating job opportunities. Relatively younger regions would not have reached the peak of the growth curve and hence will have more opportunities than others. Most of the developing countries are reporting substantial growth in their economies despite the slowdown.

Education

Once you have identified the sector and region that you want to focus on, you can take advantage of the new opportunities by honing the skills that you already have. You can acquire new skills and knowledge through continuing education.  Today there are many online schools that offer degrees on different disciplines. You can take advantage of the Internet revolution and add to your knowledge base.

This may also be a good time to consider shift in careers to take advantage of new opportunities arising in other fields. As an engineer you may not have pondered on a career on finance though finance interests you. You may want to take up new opportunities in financial sector, which also requires an engineering background.

In these tumultuous times, it is worthwhile to remember that you need to shift your focus from what you are doing to what you can do. Greater flexibility is required to take advantage of the new opportunities created and quicker you are to adapt, faster you will succeed. Opportunities will not come knocking out at your door, you need to go all out and sniff out those new opportunities and seize them to ensure a lasting growth in your career.

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Under the agreement and on the basis of mutually agreed terms and conditions, KBR will provide a full range of engineering services that will vary in scope depending on Sasol`s needs. The framework agreement is designed to allow Sasol and KBR to quickly engage on conceptual studies, feasibility studies and FEED packages. Also, as a Level 5 Contributor and Value-Adding Supplier of the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) in South Africa, KBR will add significant value and support to this agreement as its status will allow Sasol to claim 100% of its procurement spend against its own BBBEE scorecard.

“KBR is honored to have been selected for this important Framework Agreement with Sasol,” said John Quinn, President, KBR Downstream. “This agreement underscores and further solidifies our strong relationship with Sasol, and I am confident KBR will deliver top-grade services to our client.”  KBR is a global engineering, construction and services company supporting the energy, hydrocarbon, government services, minerals, civil infrastructure, power
and industrial markets. For more information, visit www.kbr.com.

KBR
Director, Communications
Heather Browne, 713-753-3775
heather.browne@kbr.com
or
Director, Investor Relations
Rob Kukla, Jr., 713-753-5082
investors@kbr.com

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1. When it comes to the transportation sector, has the stimulus made good on its promise or fallen short?
2. What is the most appropriate way to measure its success or failure?
3. How much time should we give it?

Similarly, how would you answer the same questions?

It has been six months since

Congress enacted a $787 billion stimulus package with the promise that it would boost the sagging economy, save and create jobs, and in the case of the $48 billion in transportation funding, jump-start the construction of “shovel-ready,” worthwhile projects. To date, the Department of Transportation says it has made more than $22 billion available to the states and approved more than 6,600 projects, with more than 3,200 of those projects already begun.

If you work in the transportation sector, we would love to hear your views on the subject.

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The Persian Empire was one of the most mysterious civilizations in the ancient world. Persia became an empire under the Cyrus the Great, who created a policy of religious and cultural tolerance that became the  hallmark of Persian rule. Engineering feats include an innovative system of water management; a cross-continent paved roadway stretching 1500 miles; a canal linking the Nile to the Red Sea; and the creation of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Mausoleum of Maussollos.

The rivalry between Persia and Athens led to a 30-year war known as the Persian Wars, the outcome of which helped create the world we live in today.

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Before the Interview

If you are interviewing for an engineering job it is very likely that you will be interviewed by a number of people, one of which will be the hiring manager. Realize that while the final decision will be made by the hiring manager, each an every one of the individuals present at the interview will have some input in the final selection process. If it is at all possible, make an attempt to find out who will be at the interview and their respective departments. This will allow you to anticipate the kinds of questions they might ask and will also help you prepare for the type of questions you should ask.
Every job is different, so you should prepare for the interview based on the expected outcome. The list below gives some suggestions on the items you should work on for the interview.

1. Thoroughly research the company’s website and any other information you can find on the company
2. Come up with several well thought out questions for the interviewers.
3. Find out about the company’s history, major projects, lawsuits etc.
4. Study your resume and be ready to intelligently answer any questions derived from it
5. Make enough copies of your resume
6. Make sure you have several professionally-done business cards

Prepare for questions that you might be asked

It is almost impossible to know exactly what questions are going to be asked at the interview but you can expect that there are certain areas that are likely to be explored.

1. So brief yourself on the skills required to do the job that you are interviewing for in relation to the experience and skills you have to do that job.
2. Think about questions that may arise from the answers you have given on your application.
3. Consider any questions that may arise about your resume as previously mentioned.

Remember the better prepared you are, the more professionally and accurately you will be able to answer each question and this will put both you and the interviewer at ease.

How will the interview be structured?

Most interviews follow a fairly similar simple format. Usually you will be invited into the interview room, offered a drink of tea, coffee or water and then sometimes a few minutes of casual chat such as “how was your journey?” – you get the idea! Next your interviewer will ask some general questions, such as “Tell me about yourself” or “Do you work well in teams?” They may then ask you questions about your resume such as “I see you managed, the I-95 overpass project, tell us about that”.

While the above interviewing format is typical of many engineering companies, not all follow that format. It is a good idea to research on on the internet to check if someone has shared their interviewing experience online. You do not want to be in a bad interview situation like this guy.

Convincing your interviewers and offering them reassurance

It is very important at the interview stage that the interviewer feels happy about all of the areas they have covered. There are few ways in which you can figure out how the interview is going and therefore adjust how you are selling yourself if necessary. Here are some example and tips,

1. If they keep going back to specific questions, it is possible that they don’t feel that you have addressed the topic completely – this is often a good sign as it means they are taking your candidacy seriously and they may just want reassurance in one or two areas. If you can put their mind at rest it will make you a far stronger contender.
2. If you haven’t been asked any questions about a particular topic, you have either done a fantastic job at clarifying all of their concerns and queries or you are unlikely to have gotten the job. So try and be as open as you can be and lead the interview on to your strong points.
3. If you are well prepared before the interview and you think there is an area of your career history that might make your interviewer a little wary, you should have a sensible answer ready and avoid feeling left speechless when the interviewer says – “Why is there an 18 month gap in your employment history”.

Before the end of the interview

Make sure you collect all the business cards from all your interviewers.

Always send a Thank-You note

You should always send a thank-you note by the very next day to everyone present at the interview. Ideally, you should send an email immediately, followed by a printed mailed copy. The message on the cards should be simple and to the point. For example, “I wanted to thank you for talking with me yesterday. It was very helpful to me. I much appreciated you taking time out of your busy schedule to dot this. Best wishes to you”.

Wait and follow up

Depending on your perceived outcome of the interview, you should have an idea if you will be getting the job or not. Most companies will give a courtesy call regardless of the outcome. However, if you do not hear from them after the agreed time-frame has passed, call the lead interviewer and find out if you got the job. If negative, do not worry. Look at it this way, its their loss for not realizing your potential and the value you would have added to the company. Relax and keep looking for other opportunities.

Best job search websites for engineers | Back – Next | Assessing Job Offers and Negotiating Better Terms

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