MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
CAREER R&D

There are different types of work autonomy. You should enjoy at least a few of these:

• Project ownership. The more you have a say in the scope of your work and how your daily tasks should be executed, the happier you’ll be.
• Decision-making. No one wants to check with their boss every time there’s a gray area. You should have the information and trust you need to feel confident in forging ahead without constantly having to ask permission.
• Schedule flexibility. Ideally, you have some input in what your hours are, and, depending on the nature of your job, can work from home if you’re sick or your child has to miss a day of school.
• Choosing projects. Ideally, you can follow your interests at least some of the time — especially as you develop seniority. That means doing what you enjoy while bringing value to your company.

Tips on how to achieve the right level of autonomy at work:

• Check yourself. Can you set your own deadlines and meet them? Do you prefer to check in with your boss for every big decision, or do you like to just get feedback on the final product? It’s important to reflect on how much autonomy you can handle.
• Be 100% reliable. If you never miss a deadline and your work is top-notch, you should have a schedule that allows a healthy work/life balance.
• Consider what type of autonomy is most important to you. For some, a flexible schedule takes priority. For others, it’s most important to be able to choose one’s own projects. What trade-offs are you willing to make?
• Seek out opportunities. The best way to achieve autonomy is to take initiative and follow through. If you can prove you can be your own boss, no one’s going to say any different.
• Communicate early and often. Your manager is responsible for your output. The more you proactively update them on your progress, the more autonomy you’ll earn.

Is your current employer clear about what they expect?

• You’ll perform best when you grasp the broader scope and purpose of your work. Do you have a clear sense of how your work impacts the company?
• Deadlines should be reasonable, and it should be clear what will happen if they’re not met. A good manager will be specific about why time-based goals are what they are.
• Setting the parameters of a given project should be a conversation, not a dictation. Is your manager open to feedback when assigning tasks?
• Work expectations should be based on your goals for the future and your past experience. Does your manager take who you are into account when setting expectations?
• Managers inspire by conveying the desired outcome of a project without being too explicit about how to get there. You should have the freedom to reach expected results on your own terms.
• Managers get an employee’s best performance by focusing on their strengths. Are expectations for your work in line with your skills and expertise?

7 ways to boost your engineering salary:

1. Earn a master's degree. It sharpens your technical skills and can help establish you as an expert in a hot field.
2. Earn an MBA. It's ideal for mechanical engineers with an interest in management opportunities.
3. Become a PE. Obtaining a PE license shows you're serious about your profession and are part of an elite group of engineers. Also, an increasing number of government agencies, educational institutions and private-sector clients prefer to work exclusively with licensed professional engineers.
4. Volunteer for stretch assignments. Bring up any extra contribution you made during your next merit review.
5. Look for jobs in a different industry.
6. Relocate. Areas with high demand for your skill will often pay higher wages.
7. Ask for a raise. If you're paid under market rate or are performing beyond expectations, ask for more. Do your salary research for your market so you're prepared to defend your request and keep your expectations realistic.

When negotiating your salary, make sure the hiring manager answers these questions:

1. What do you expect me to accomplish in the first 30 to 90 days?
2. What are the biggest technical or business challenges involved?
3. What needs to be done first? And what resources are available to do it?

Do you see a clear path to career growth at your company? Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• In a recent Quantum workplace study, 81% of people said that professional development is a shared responsibility between manager and employee. Is your current manager invested in your future? Are you also taking ownership?
• The best engineering jobs offer continuing education and on-the-job training. Are you learning and growing in your current position?
• You should be high on the list when an upper-level position becomes available. Does your company promote internally, or is it more likely to hire outsiders for top jobs?
• A career is like a great white shark: Either it constantly moves forward or it dies. Are your responsibilities at work consistently growing more challenging?
• Are you excited about the future at your current company?

Ways to move your career forward:

• Actively seek mentors. Engineers whom you admire have been where you are now. Get their advice about making the most of your career.
• Make a lateral move. Finding a position at a comparable level, but one that requires a different skill set, will broaden your experience and give you opportunities for growth.
• Seek out training on your own. Increasing your education and skills will open your eyes to new opportunities and make you a viable candidate for a wider array of jobs.
• Network. Get in touch with employees at companies where you dream of working. Talk to different people about what opportunities might be out there.
• Try contracting. Mechanical engineering contractors often express that their ability to try new projects and gain skills is the best part of the job.

5 signs your company is open to new ways of thinking:

• The office has a healthy and collaborative environment. Brainstorming sessions are a way to support this type of environment because you’re able to share ideas and learn from co-workers in a positive way.
• Managers value your expertise. This might mean you’ll get asked to volunteer for projects where your input is an asset.
• Managers foster a trustworthy environment. They’ll ask for your opinion on high-stakes decisions.
• Managers give workers responsibility, credit and independence. They don’t micromanage. You should have a sense of ownership over important projects.
• Your colleagues subscribe to one prevailing ideology and/or are open to different points of view.

Communication tips to help you get people to listen to your ideas:

• Be a good listener. Pay attention to what others need and propose innovative solutions to existing problems.
• Ask questions. Before making suggestions to improve something, be sure you understand the existing systems in place. Once you have your bearings, you can present ideas that reflect the complexity of the situation.
• Acknowledge others’ ideas. Even our superiors need to be praised. If you’re enthusiastic about what others have to say, they’ll treat you with the same respect.
• Speak calmly and authoritatively and avoid turning your statements into questions.
• Follow through. Coming up with a good idea is only half the battle. Once you’ve brought some of your ideas to fruition, you’ll get the reputation for being someone who gets thing done. And you’ll get your ideas taken seriously.

How to make a bigger impact at work:

• Educate yourself. The more you understand every aspect of your organization, the easier it will be to identify areas for improvement and suggest solutions.
• Network within the company. Introduce yourself to employees at all levels and in all departments. Knowing everyone will make it easier to get big things done.
• Be positive, kind and generous. By being a friend and a collaborator, you make a big impact, even if you don’t get the credit. Positivity increases productivity.
• Be the face of your company. Become a brand ambassador by recruiting, representing your company at industry conferences, and showing up at other professional events.
• Express interest in the future. Gauge where your company is going and figure out ways to help it get there.

How to find a company where you can make an impact:

• Seek out an employer whose values align with your own.
• If you thrive in environments with innovative thinking, find a company that’s on the cutting-edge of your field. Your expertise will be valued.
• Find a smaller company where you can have a larger role.

Job security: What factors can you control?

• Understand your manager’s goals, objectives and priorities, and determine ways you can help achieve them.
• Meet with your manager and mutually agree on your goals and objectives for the quarter/year as well as all projects for which you’ll be responsible. Keep track of them and provide your manager with progress updates along the way.
• Learn your manager’s communication style and find out the best way to interact with them.
• Complete all your projects and assignments on time (and under budget). If you hit an obstacle, let your boss know right away and ask for help.
• Look for areas where you can put your skills to use and become an expert. Then, volunteer for projects that will allow you to show off these skills.
• Offer to help your co-workers when you have the necessarily skills.
• Keep improving your skills and building new ones.

Are you getting good feedback from your boss? Keep your eye out for these indicators of a substantive performance evaluation:

• Praise and criticism. A good evaluation will tell you what you’re doing right and what needs improvement.
• Goal-setting. Performance evaluations should inspire you to strive for future success.
• Positive energy. Evaluations are all about you and your growth. They should be framed that way.
• Self-assessment. The best feedback sessions inspire you to reflect.
• Mentorship. Your manager should be invested in the future of your career.
• A two-way street. A good manager will ask how they’re doing and what you need from the company to be your best.
• Equal treatment. You should feel you’re receiving the same treatment as your co-workers, free of gender, racial and identity bias.
• Salary growth. Your manager should discuss your current salary and how that will increase if you meet your goals.

3 ways to develop trust at work:

1. Introduce yourself. Yes, it can be that simple. Take the opportunity to get to know people in and out of your department. Ask co-workers about their experience at the company and their expertise.
2. Increase confidence, trust and respect. Trust doesn’t happen overnight. It’s time-consuming to develop and can be easily lost. The most effective way to gain the confidence of your peers and leaders is to be honest, competent and hardworking.
3. Collaborate and communicate. Maybe you and your peers can learn from one another. Maybe both of your performances improve. Collaboration and communication create mutually beneficial outcomes, and relationships built on them prove to be the most valuable at work and in life.

Top areas of skill development for mechanical engineers:

• Technical
• Software
• Domain expertise
• Soft
• Leadership

Soft Skills Matter

Mechanical engineers need talent, technical training and a thorough understanding of industry standards. But, in addition to hard skills, developing exceptional soft skills will make you invaluable to employers.

Top soft skills employers look for in their engineers:

• Problem Solving. Solving problems requires hard skills, but it also requires a strong analytical ability, which is a soft skill.
• Creativity. Conceptualizing, developing and inventing entirely new products all call for creativity.
• Clear communication skills. You’ll need to explain to non-engineers the how, what and why of new products and processes, plus communicate priorities, issues and needs clearly.
• Collaboration. Teams can be very diverse. Top candidates exhibit an ability to collaborate across functions and with diverse sets of people.
• Mathematics. Yes, this isn’t exactly a soft skill, and all engineers need to excel at math. What moves this into a coveted soft skill is a strong mathematical aptitude. You MUST be totally comfortable with math and should enjoy it.

Did you know having a sense of autonomy is one of the top predictors for whether you’re happy at work?

How to tell if a company is stable:

• They’re forward-thinking. A stable company will have a strong track record, but not a stagnant mindset. The most stable companies can stay on top in our rapidly changing world.
• They’re transparent about their operations and financial outlook. Transparency is often synonymous with stability. The most stable companies have a clear online presence that details their business model and fiscal soundness.
• Their employees have positive things to say. Reach out to current and past employees of a company that interests you and ask what they think. If their company is stable, they’ll let you know.
• They have brand recognition. Innovation is important, but the best companies are well-known for demonstrating a consistent set of principles throughout their products and services.

How to make your job more stable:

• Seek work in a growing industry. Take a hard look at the future of your industry before you take a new job.
• Update your skills. All dogs need to learn new tricks, especially as technology disruptions are coming faster.
• Make yourself indispensable. Be proactive about seeing how you can fill gaps and become an asset to your company.

“Transparency” is a corporate buzzword these days, and it’s important to know what it means. When choosing a company to work for, look for these signs of transparency:

• Clear expectations. Clarity on what you’re expected to deliver and how your employer measures success.
• Clarity during the hiring process. When you’re hired, your employer should be open about salary, responsibilities, day-to-day life, company culture, benefits and growth opportunities. If the people interviewing you aren’t open about any of these areas, steer clear.
• Visibility into standards for promotions. The criteria for achieving promotions and raises should be clear. If you don’t know how to advance at your company, or you’re not sure why some people are getting ahead, you might be in the wrong place.
• The company’s financial outlook. You should feel your company leaders are open and honest about the company’s financial health. You should receive updates on how your company is performing.
• Clear online presence. When you’re researching a company, you should be able to learn a lot from its website. Most healthy companies freely share information with employees and with the public.

Benefits for employees who work for a company with high transparency:

• Transparency often equals high performance. According to Forbes, companies that publish clear and updated codes of values perform better than ones that keep employees in the dark.
• Feeling like a family member. It feels good to be trusted and to trust your employer. You don’t want to feel like an outsider at your own job.
• Clear expectations raise employee confidence and reduce anxiety. When your manager communicates clearly and frequently about how you’re performing, you can sleep better at night. Standards for employees should be transparent and reasonable.

How to know if a company aligns with your personal values:

• Research the company’s real culture by checking out how employees rate the company and researching social media channels set up for internal staff.
• Reach out to current employees through your LinkedIn network and other social media connections.
• Research and ask your interviewer about the company’s mission and vision, and how day-to-day operations are executed to reflect those values.
• During your job interview, ask questions relevant to your values.
• Find out which organizations the company supports and what volunteer activities they promote.
• Check out the company’s annual report.
• Ask your recruiter whether the company would be a great fit for you and why.

Here are some ways you might feel recognized at work:

• Public recognition. Lots of companies give informal awards that celebrate their best employees. It feels good to be honored by your employer, even if that doesn’t include a special parking spot.
• Private congratulations. You should be praised when you successfully complete a project. The best managers consistently express gratitude for their employees’ hard work.
• Increased responsibility. When you demonstrate excellence, you should earn a shot at bigger tasks that mean more to your company. One of the best rewards for doing well is the opportunity to grow in your field.
• Financial incentives. While studies show it’s not the most powerful form of recognition, let’s face it: Money talks. The best companies offer bonuses and other rewards for top performers. You should also see your workplace successes reflected in an annual raise.
• Frequent praise from multiple sources. If you’re doing good work, this should mean praise, and it should come from a variety of people. Ideally, your service will be recognized by more than just your direct manager.
• Increased status. Your years of service should be rewarded with increased privileges as well as respect. This means more vacation, a better title, more autonomy, and respect shown to you from your superiors and colleagues.

Signs of a caring and effective manager:

Harvard Business Review reports that 54% of all U.S. employees feel their manager doesn’t care enough about them. Yet, there’s almost no greater predictor of a worker’s happiness and ability to excel than having an effective and invested boss. Here are some signs that you’re in good hands:

• You’re given opportunities to learn and grow at work. An effective manager makes it their business to see that you’re advancing in your profession. That means assigning challenging projects that give you a chance to expand and shine.
• Your manager knows you. A good manager expresses interest in your life, your interests, your development and your goals. Your boss doesn’t have to be your best friend, but they should know what makes you tick.
• They ask about your well-being. An invested manager regularly inquires about how satisfied you are at work. Good managers know: If you’re happy on the job, you’ll perform better.
• An effective manager cares about results. Your boss should care about whether you get your work done, and not give you a hard time if you have to cut out early once in a while to see your kid’s Little League game or run an errand.
• They can get real with you. Effective managers don’t tiptoe around your weaknesses, they’re straight up about the ways you’re underperforming. It takes guts for your boss to be honest and guide you toward your best self. If your manager takes you aside and tells you what you could be doing better, then you know you’re in a good situation.
• A good manager gives you autonomy. They don’t micromanage.
• They should also say “thanks.” A good manager is not only courteous — they can express gratitude. If you’re not feeling appreciated at work, it might be time to move on.