Personal Positioninghandout(Spac) Feb 2011

Copyright Paul J. Kostek 1997 (206/915-6645)

Personal Positioning for Engineers

Paul J. Kostek

People|Solutions|Directions


Topics Employment Options

Direct Contract Consulting Self-employment

Career Options Management vs Technical Large Company vs Small Company


How Do You Decide? Where do I want to go in my career?

What are my goals/plans? How will I get there?

Industries/career goals/life goals? Do I have the skills I need?

What skills are the industries/companies I’m interested in looking for?

Do they match my strengths/interests?


Employment Options

Direct Employment Stability Benefits provided Training programs

Contract Employment is project based Can be means to enter a company Benefits and training are typically the

individual’s responsibility


Employment Options Consulting - Offering fee-based expertise

directly to companies, or the public Start now to position yourself:

Requires licensing or registration Take the FE exam now Develop your expertise and take appropriate

PE exam Start building a network and developing your

networking skills


Questions to Ask Yourself

Do I have skills that are needed and companies are willing to pay for?

Do I have the contacts to get business? Do I have/am I willing to develop the

marketing skills required to sell myself? Am I self-motivating? Willing to spend time and money to update

my skills?


Employment Options

Self-Employment - start your own company What’s your Market

Do you have a product or service that you believe there is a market for?

Do the market research and prototype



Do you have a product or service? Have you investigated the market for your

product or service? Do you have the resources (financial) to

support the business and yourself?


Starting Your Own Business

Today opportunities for businesses have been growing

Partner with large firms e.g. The Insitu Group (UAV called Scan Eagle) partners w/Boeing

Funding – SBIRs, Venture Capital, funding from corporate partners, credit cards/home mortgages


Career Options

Management Track vs Technical Track Even with the restructuring and outsourcing by

companies, management opportunities will continue to exist

If remaining technical, skills need to be maintained and a focus selected: generalist or specialist



Management vs Technical Enjoy working with people and helping them to

learn and grow in their careers? Interested in the business side of the industry?

Technical vs Management Like solving technical problems Working with the latest technologies? People issues don’t interest you?


Finding the First Job

Interviews with recruiters @ school job fairs Interview early and often Allows you to grow more comfortable with

interviewing Career Center Follow-on opportunity from internship Contacts from professors, family and

professional societies - IEEE Company websites, social media, specialized

sites, e.g. IEEE


Tools to Use

LinkedIn Be there – list internships, any relevant

employment Areas of interest/focus Join groups and participate/ask questions

Facebook Connect to University and professional groups

Twitter Job search capability

Unselected References

MySpace/Facebook/LinkedIn –What do these say about you?

Photos Links to other pages



Consider Your Options

What if you don’t get your first choice? Grad school Work for a company and gain experience,

even if not in first choice field or location The market is turning around


What You Should be Doing: Internships

Is the differentiator in today’s market Finding an internship will take work Start early, check out company websites Don’t limit yourself to industries/locations

What You Should be Doing

Communications – written and oral Take every opportunity to speak and write IEEE Student Paper Contest

Expose yourself to Project Management Scheduling, staffing, budgeting

Participate in professional groups such as IEEE Develop leadership and organizing skills


Develop a Reading List

Pick a business publication (WSJ, Business

Week, Fortune, Puget Sound Business Journal) and read it.

Follow business trends, you’ll learn more about what’s happening in the industry, and companies, you’re interested in.

You can learn where the opportunities are.



Career Options Large vs Medium vs Small Company Large

Provides greater options in terms of projects, technologies, and management positions. Tend to be bureaucratic

Medium

- Combines large and small company pluses and minuses. Small

Opportunity to learn how all groups within company function. May have limited exposure to new technologies and projects.


Career Options cont

Government Agencies Civil service levels Stability Early retirement

Academe Advanced degree Teaching or Research Tracks Research Area/Focus Funding

Finding sponsor(s) for research



Do you prefer small intimate organizations, with maximum exposure to product development process?

Prefer a larger set of options for projects and technologies?

Looking for a management career path?


Career Options

Start-up vs Established Risk with potential for high return versus stable

environment


Questions to Ask Yourself Start-up

Can you handle risk? Prepared to make financial sacrifices? Do without, or provide own benefits?

Established Are you more comfortable in a structured

environment? Looking for traditional career paths? Need benefit packages?


Recommendations

Take time to consider what it is you want out of your career

Consider how the options we have discussed might work for you

But remember, nothing is permanent in today’s evolving workplace


Additional Questions

What have I learned about myself? Am I a risk taker? Am I conservative? What are my present responsibilities? How open to change am I? How would I react to a sudden change? Do I know the current market conditions? Do I have the skills I need? Do I have a network in place?


Resources

7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Steven Covey The 4 Realities of Success (During and After

College) – Bob Roth Order at: [email protected]

Backpack to Briefcase – Steps to a Successful Career: www.lifeaftergraduation.com

Personal Positioning the e-Book available at: www.ieeeusa.org

Paul Kostek – [email protected]/206-915-6645

Thanks !




Contract vs Direct Are you flexible? A quick learner? Self-motivating? Comfortable not being “part” of an organization? Willing to spend time and money to update your

skills?



Direct vs Contract Do you prefer a sense of stability? I.e. a regular

paycheck. Company provided benefits? Being part of an organization?

Documents

Personal Positioninghandout(Spac) Feb 2011