Episode Transcript
One thing you’re never lacking in your career is challenge. Your engineering work is always providing you with challenges.
You’re in it for the challenge. For the problem solving. For the puzzles.
For new ways to look at old questions.
It’s what you love about being an engineer.
Does Your Engineering Career Still Hold Passion and Curiosity for You?
Does your career still hold that passion and curiosity for you? Do you still love it?
Lately it seems like you’re on a flat part of the trail. You’re in automatic mode. Your day-to-day work is kinda routine.
It’s easy for you to think this is just the way your career is. This is the kind of work you do. This is what you’ve come to expect.
The good news is your job is not that hard. You’re good at it. And everything’s familiar.
The bad news is you’re going in circles instead of moving forward. You’ll be bored soon, if you’re not already.
You haven’t found your place yet. You haven’t made your mark.
You haven’t yet aligned your strengths with opportunities that allow you to make innovative contributions to the world.
And if you don’t do these things, you’ll not achieve what you want to achieve in your career. You won’t reach your potential.
And you’ll come to regret that.
But you can get more from your career. You can take it up a notch – and remember what you love about being an engineer.
It’s not as hard as you think.
You can experience your engineering career as bright, impassioning and effervescent.
You can close your eyes. Take a breath. Relax.
Then open your eyes and decide to see things differently.
All the Women Engineers Who’ve Come Before are Cheering for You
All the women who’ve come before you in this field are cheering for you. Including me.
I want you to challenge yourself. Take advantage of the opportunities in front of you. And learn from others.
I want you to find where you want to be and get the most out of it. I want you to find your edge and apply it with spirit and punch.
I want you to be confident and brave. To believe in yourself and your brilliance.
I want you to see more clearly what ideas and innovations you can bring to the world. I want you to persevere and succeed.
So I’ll give you some more specific ways to take things up a notch.
5 Ways to Disrupt Your Engineering Career for More Passion and Wonder
Here are 5 ways to disrupt your engineering career so you can render it more impassioning and wonderous:
- Self-invest. This can mean going back to school. Taking a technical course or leadership training.
It can mean working with a mentor or a coach. It can mean switching jobs or technology areas or fields.
Something that enables you to finally do what you’ve always wanted to do. Learn more about investing in yourself in Episode 83.
- Do something different. Look around and find a new perspective. Think about broadening your experience and learning new skills by doing something different.
Work with another group. Take on a temporary position. Or volunteer to lead a committee.
Learn more about broadening experiences in Episode 40. And interim positions in Episode 75.
- Make a step-function change in your career path. For your next career move, think about taking a leap.
Stretch yourself into a more challenging role.
Apply for a position that is beyond an incremental move. Even – and especially – if you don’t meet all the criteria.
Learn more about career leaps in Episode 72.
- Find your unique engineering self. Continue to define your energetic center. And hone your career vision.
Not just a goal, but your big vision. Your telescopic, microscopic, stereoscopic, kaleidoscopic vision.
Discover your expertise and build on that.
Learn about your energetic center in Episode 22. Creating your vision in Episode 90. And discovering your expertise in Episode 65.
- Want what you want and get what you need. Think big. Make the career decisions that are in your favor.
Want what you want for your engineering dream career. Then get out of your own way.
Speak up and ask for what you need.
Learn about key career decisions in Episode 103. Getting to your dream career in Episode 100. Unblocking your leadership success in Episode 109. And self-advocacy in Episode 78.
I encourage you to take a quick time out to inspire breakthroughs in your career.
Stop and take a look at where you are. And see how you can spark some new challenge and energy for yourself.
Try some of the approaches we’ve talked about today to reawaken your zest. To bump up your action or your velocity. To find the marvel and novelty in the work you do.
And book a strategy session with me if you want to dive deeper into these approaches and make some lasting change in your engineering career.
Together, you and your engineering career are a powerful duo.
See how you can leverage that to show your originality, advance the art, or otherwise make your contribution.
And to be the engineer and leader you’ve always wanted to be.
Next time on Her Engineering Career Podcast I’m going to grant you some wishes. What you might wish for a more fulfilling, impactful and easeful engineering career.
Be sure to join me for Episode 125.