Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (archive)

Career Advice: Part 3

How to Advance in Your Career

After you’ve landed your dream job, you’ll surely want to advance to the next level at some point. Computer engineering alumnus Chris Bloomquist (BSCpE ’01), a technical recruiter at Robert Half Technology, and Roger Bentley, an Engineering Career Services manager, give their tips on positioning yourself for advancement.

Advice from Chris
1. Always have your resume current. You never know what can change in your company. Your manager might leave or layoffs could occur, so never stop looking.

2. Keep an eye on job boards. Even if you’re not actively looking to change jobs, it doesn’t hurt to look. Trends change outside your company, but your job may not change. Looking at what positions companies are hiring for helps you keep track of trends going on outside your company. For example, Silverlite developers have recently been in high demand, but you wouldn’t know that if you didn’t keep an eye on other positions that are out there.

3. Consider looking outside your current company. You may need to look outside your company for advancement. It’s not uncommon to look at possible new positions every three to five years. You may find something you like better, or you may discover you really like where you are.  

Advice from Roger
1. Focus on continual learning. You can best position yourself professionally by always seeking learning activities: Become active in your professional organization, get further education, and seek advice from more experienced engineers. Constantly take what you learn and apply it in new and practical situations. Through trial and error and taking risks in learning you will continue to grow professionally and be a resource for yourself and your company. 

2. Build and sustain professional networks. With the fabric of workforce talent set to retire in the next 10 to 15 years, one of the subtle yet crucial pieces that will be lost is the professional networks that have been built up over the years. As a young professional, you must effectively build internal and external connections for company business and your own knowledge expansion. Within your company, you must constantly practice building strategic relationships: Develop others’ and your own ideas, set personal goals, and facilitate agreement for the betterment of the project, customer needs, or product life cycle.

3. Take on challenging projects. Project management skills are the most highly sought after experiences desired by companies looking to hire or promote employees. Professionals who can effectively prioritize goals, leverage resources, delegate responsibility, stay focused on timelines and budgets, and work continually in a framework of integrity and customer service are the premium talents that companies cherish.     

See other parts of the Career Advice Series: