SWE - Spring 2008 - (Page 63) CAREER TOOLBOX the requirements of the job, departments can craft a data-based development plan to take that person’s performance to the next level. Although it is a complex and multifaceted area, the following general categories help us to zero in on specific action areas: • Understanding problems • Planning for results • Human awareness and attitude • Interactions and relationships • Intuition and awareness • Organization and focus Ask yourself where your strongest skills lie, and where you could benefit from some improvement. attractive to you, and which you would like to see less of during your workday: • Methodical tasks: the regular and routine • Quick-fix tasks: troubleshooting problems • Long-range tasks: working on a goal far in the future Before you worry that I’m pigeonholing you, take heart. Diversity across these four areas is critically important for successful performance of an engineering team. I’ve seen it with professional engineers, and I’ve seen it with the judging criteria at the international science fair (see “Behavioral Diversity and the Science Fair” — www.groupharmonics.com/070501). A successful team requires a variety of characteristics. Ethnic, gender, age, and, yes, behavioral diversity are extremely important to success in our industry. So what is the key to your own career success? The data show that engineers who are most successful in their careers are those who: • Know and understand these four laws of people physics • Know themselves and where they fit in each of these laws • Know what attributes their current work environments require of them • Make sure that the two middle points are aligned If you follow these steps, you will be better positioned for a happy, successful engineering career. Happy working! I Deborah Fisher, Ph.D., has been a practicing engineer for more than 30 years, both in industry and academia. She is currently a visiting research professor in the school of engineering at the University of New Mexico. She also holds a dual title as VP of research and training at Group Harmonics Inc. in Albuquerque, N.M. Dr. Fisher is a co-author of Four Secrets to Liking Your Work (www.LikeWorkAgain.com). She was the 2005 recipient of the SWE Distinguished Engineering Educator Award. Task Balance. The kind of work we like to do is as important as how we like to do it, and why. Most of us don’t understand our ideal task-type balance, or what types of activities we prefer. By failing to optimize our balance, however, we risk decreased performance and satisfaction. So ask yourself which of the three basic types of tasks look A Career You Can Count On Southern California Edison, California’s largest electric utility, is a place to build on — or begin — a great career. We are proud of our diverse workforce and our standing as the nation’s leader in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and next-generation metering technologies. As our regional needs continue to grow, so do opportunities at SCE. We are strong, stable and eager to add your talent and motivation to our team. Here you’ll realize exciting advancement potential and a chance to contribute your knowledge in an environment of innovation, respect and appreciation. • Nuclear, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil Engineers • Technical Specialists To learn more about our current openings in Coastal, Central and Southern California, or to apply online, visit: www.edisonjobs.com Equal Opportunity Employer SWE SPRING 2008 63 http://www.groupharmonics.com/070501 http://www.LikeWorkAgain.com http://www.edisonjobs.com
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