Careers: Why Should I Hire You?

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:00:00 -0500

By Victoria Burt

“Most standard questions get a rehearsed answer and you really don’t learn anything about the engineer, or a blank stare and stutter, which usually means the engineer doesn’t interview frequently.” With that in mind, we asked managers who hire engineers to tell us their favorite interview questions and the thinking behind them.

Stop the boring PowerPoint presentations!

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 02:00:00 -0500

Jeanette Henderson

Previously, presenters had to labor for weeks, even months, partnered with highly skilled, expensive audio-visual departments, to get overhead projections and slides just right. With PowerPoint, the job was reduced to simple point and click word and image-processing programs nearly anyone with a desktop computer can use, no AV department necessary.

Engineers and telecommuting

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 02:00:00 -0500

The ranks of telecommuters rose from 7.6 million in 2004 to 12.4 million in 2006. According to a report by WorldatWork (worldatwork.org) — a Scottsdale, Ariz., nonprofit association helping professionals with compensation, benefits, and work-life issues — the sum total of "teleworkers" (both employed and self-employed) working remotely at least one day per month rose from 26.1 million in 2005 to 28.7 million in 2006.

Top 10 ways to get fired

Thu, 10 May 2007 02:00:00 -0500

High-school physics enrollment hits record high

Thu, 10 May 2007 02:00:00 -0500

"Good physics education is the backbone of a first-class workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics," says Toufiq Hakim, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT)'s Executive Director. "The future of U.S. economic competitiveness hinges on strong science education in our country."

Want to outsourceproof your career? Don't be a commodity.

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 02:00:00 -0500

Want to outsourceproof your career? Don't be a commodity.

The best way to protect your salary is to develop your career.

Contributing Editor

Average salaries by degree

The antiretirement movement — Five ways to create a life portfolio

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 02:00:00 -0600

David Corbett

But a few months or years into retirement, many people find the grass isn't greener on the other side. The AARP reports that 50% of retirees are bored. And the average retiree watches 47 hr of TV a week. The oldest baby boomers are turning 60, meaning nearly 80 million Americans are getting ready to live longer with good health, but without purpose.

What does it take to be a leader?

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 02:00:00 -0600

"I describe it as the skills and abilities that encourage people to commit to a common goal," says Ed Rehkopf, author of Leadership on the Line — A Guide For Front Line Supervisors, Business Owners, and Emerging Leaders. Engineers frequently need to influence decision makers throughout their careers. Whether you're in a meeting with sales, marketing, or financial departments, it's essential to figure out how to communicate technical ideas to people who don't necessarily have a technical background.

Are you hindering productivity at work?

Thu, 14 Dec 2006 02:00:00 -0600

Good middle managers are crucial to successful business operations. Too many middle managers, however, "appear to have a Master's degree in mediocrity," says management consultant and author Mary Elston. "That's because no one ever taught them how to get started as a middle manager, how to take on a management challenge and get the job done right, right from the start."

The art of engineering

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 02:00:00 -0600

Incorporating the works of the masters, the tools of artists, and the perspective of engineers, David Snider has merged the two subjects in an attempt to broaden the perspectives of his students and open their eyes to a world they might otherwise bypass.

More articles by Victoria Reitz

Careers: Why Should I Hire You?

Stop the boring PowerPoint presentations!

Engineers and telecommuting

Top 10 ways to get fired

High-school physics enrollment hits record high

Want to outsourceproof your career? Don't be a commodity.

Want to outsourceproof your career? Don't be a commodity.

The best way to protect your salary is to develop your career.

The antiretirement movement — Five ways to create a life portfolio

What does it take to be a leader?

Are you hindering productivity at work?

The art of engineering