Six Steps to Better Communications with Your Engineering Manager and Colleagues
By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman Knowledge workers spend at least 28 hours each week writing emails, searching for information and collaborating internally, according to a report by McKinsey Global Institute. With so much time spent on communications, it’s easy to see how your career and performance could suffer if you don’t find an effective way to exchange… Read more »
How to Hire an Interim Project Manager
By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman If your management team lacks the bandwidth to tackle one more engineering project, hiring a short-term project manager (PM) is a popular and viable solution. An experienced freelancer is capable of shepherding projects with diverse objectives, duties, technical tools, budgets and deadlines as this post explains. Moreover, a quality contract PM not… Read more »
4 Simple Tips for Networking Success
By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman You never know when a chance encounter will yield exciting new career opportunities. Just ask Rafic Cheboub. The structural engineer, who’s been contracting since 2004, referred his son Omar to Joe Salvucci, after he met the chairman of PEAK Technical Staffing USA at a holiday party. When he was ready to change… Read more »
Red Hot Engineering Jobs for 2015 and Beyond
By: Mike Iandoli Historically, engineering had four major disciplines: mechanical, chemical, civil and electrical. However, in recent years, the number of disciplines, sub-branches and interdisciplinary roles has increased dramatically as the engineering profession tackles new global challenges. Given the burgeoning opportunities in emerging fields such as bioengineering/biomedical, nanotechnology, alternative energy and water, there may never be… Read more »
44% of Complex Technical Projects Fail – 5 Tips for Success
By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman The latest research from the Project Management Institute (PMI) is hard to swallow: 44 percent of technical projects fail. Dominic Lepore, CEO and founder of Terrapin Consulting, has figured out why the failure rate is so high. The former systems engineer studied the results of web initiatives for the Healthcare.gov rollout. He… Read more »
Convince Your Project Manager to Give You More Responsibility
By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman Maybe you’d like to tackle a difficult project, move into testing or work with stakeholders; so, how can you convince your project manager to give you a shot? It probably goes without saying that you need to master your current duties before you even think about asking your project manager for more… Read more »
Aligning Your Line-of-Sight
By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman Line-of-sight refers to employees having a greater visibility on how they are contributing to your organization’s success. Moreover, connecting contract engineers, as well as employees, to a project’s mission and your firm’s business strategy increases engagement and the likelihood of success. In fact, Gallup’s 2013 State of the American Workplace report states… Read more »
How to Engineer a Productive Relationship with a Recruiter
By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman Navigating the market for contract professionals can be tricky, so why go it alone? Adopt a team approach by developing an effective working relationship with an experienced and capable engineering recruiter. Recruiters function as talent search agents for engineering firms and businesses that need a speedy injection of expertise. While they network… Read more »
How to Engineer a Just-in-Time Talent Pool
By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman Imagine having a group of experienced engineers at the ready. A collection of qualified professionals with diverse skills who are willing to start work at a moment’s notice. It’s not a fantasy. Project-oriented organizations across the country are stealing a page from manufacturing’s playbook. Their leaders are thinking outside the box to… Read more »
3 Tips for Following Up after an Engineering Job Interview
By: Leslie Stevens-Huffman Your skills fit the job description to a T and you really hit it off with the engineering manager. But you interviewed a week ago and you haven’t heard a peep. Should you assume that you weren’t selected, or should you follow up? According to Boyer Management, a talent optimization and performance… Read more »