President's Column
April 2003

The 40-year, high-tech career with one company is a fading vision of yesteryear. Young engineers may see as many as seven job changes during their careers. The sluggish economy has forced layoffs, and sometimes early and unwanted retirements. Although many factors are beyond our control, we can take steps to ensure professional employability.

To remain current in a world of rapidly changing technology, engineers must commit to lifelong learning. If you are an undergraduate, consider staying in school an extra year or two to earn your master’s degree. If you are an IEEE GOLD (Graduates of the last Decade) member (http://www.ieee.org/organizations/rab/gold/contents.html) consider attending evening graduate school. If you are in mid-career, continuing education is very important. IEEE-USA’s publication, “Engineer’s Guide to Lifelong Employability” could be helpful.

Most IEEE technical conferences offer technical tutorials and training credit in the form of Continuing Education Units (CEU). One CEU requires 10 classroom hours of instruction. Many employers will fund these tutorials, and most look favorably on the CEU accumulation. The IEEE now offers Web-based tutorials. Combined with your IEEE membership in a technical society, these online tutorials can also help you maintain technical competence.

Many engineers begin their careers by taking the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and become Engineers-In-Training (EIT). If you are an EIT, pursue your P.E. license by taking the Principles and Practice exam as soon as you have accumulated the required years of work experience. If you need to prepare for this, contact IEEE-USA for our P.E. exam video. Once you become a P.E., many states require about 30 Professional Development Hours (PDH) for renewal. One PDH equals one nominal contact hour of instruction or presentation.

State registration boards say that the licensee should maintain, improve or expand skills and knowledge for continued professional competency. The 30 PDH requirement helps the P.E. to develop skills and knowledge relevant to the practice of professional engineering. If a P.E. license is not required for your present position, maintain it anyway. You never know when you may wish to become a consultant or transfer to a position that requires a P.E. license.

And, don’t forget to take advantage of your company’s internal training. Many companies offer courses at little or no cost; some schedule training during business hours. The more skills you acquire, the greater your competitive advantage.

Now that we have discussed the means to remain employable and the need to manage your career, how do you keep track of your conglomeration of PDHs, CEUs, graduate credit hours and company training? It’s easy with the Career Asset Manager Index (CAMindex) of IEEE-USA’s Career Asset Manager (CAM). This valuable resource helps you record all of your professional, educational and personal activities and can be useful in quickly putting together a resume or job application.

When I entered the workforce 40-plus years ago, I knew that if I conformed to company policy, I could expect lifelong employment. Not anymore! Today, many employers say they cannot guarantee your job, but if you continue to build your skills, you can help yourself remain employable.

It’s your career, manage it.

Note to Editors: Please feel free to adapt this IEEE-USA President's Column for use in your local IEEE print and electronic publications. For more information, please contact Chris McManes at c.mcmanes@ieee.org.