From where I sit, I see that engineers are faced with two conflicting realities. The first reality is the importance of our daily work to society. Engineering is vital to making the world a safe, productive, efficient place to live. The second reality, however, is that engineering as a profession is not held in sufficient esteem. As a result, that means that individual engineers sometimes feel they are under-appreciated. While well-meaning people -- myself among them from time to time -- debate the reason this is so, a third reality is that engineers and their employers can take steps to correct this situation themselves. Professional development that focuses on good communications skills, sound project management, and enhanced interpersonal relationships is a nice starting point and will reap benefits for the engineers who choose to expand their repertoire of soft skills. I have noticed over the years that young engineers repeatedly encounter the same scenario. Armed with a new degree and a set of hopeful expectations, they go to work for a corporation, an engineering firm, a government agency, or enter academia to begin their careers. You can spot the fortunate ones without too much trouble. Perhaps they grew up in homes where one or both parents knew the value of good communications skills and teamwork and passed that knowledge along to their children. Or perhaps the new engineer is a quick study and is working with more senior colleagues who are good mentors. Some aren’t so fortunate, however. They don’t begin to suspect how their effectiveness will be impaired because their engineering classes haven’t prepared them for bringing a project in on time and budget, managing client relationships, coping with different personalities on their team, or relating well to their management. IEEE-USA's professional development programs can help. Visit our Web page at www.ieeeusa.org/prodevcon to see the kinds of programs offered and what attendees had to say about the last Professional Development conference. In addition, keep yourself apprised of educational opportunities through your Section and Society newsletters. Plan now to budget for professional development. If you’re an employer, consider sending some of your staff – both junior and senior – to develop new skills and refine existing ones. And don’t forget to explore other avenues for professional development. Your community may provide opportunities in a college or community college, or through adult education courses through the Board of Education. Further, many publications include articles that offer insight into career-enhancing behaviors, including The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company and Fortune. A subscription to one of these, or another business publication, can be an effective first step toward managing your own professional development program. Finally, we're planning to launch a quarterly publication, IEEE-USA News & Views, to go to all U.S. members. In addition to featuring professional-related information, it will focus on non-technical subjects to help improve your career possibilities and your worth in the employment marketplace. Make sure you develop the habit of reading it. | Top of Page | Intro to IEEE-USA | President's Column | IEEE-USA | Last Updated:28 August 2000 |
