In today’s tightly contested job market, personal recommendations can play a critical role in determining who gets the job offers. What do you do if asked to provide one?

When contemplating professional licensure, the central question for many electrical, computer and software engineers is: How will licensure benefit me?

Two female engineering professors often find that people do a double take when they tell them what they do.

“Don’t follow in my footsteps.” These days, seemingly every conversation about the future of engineering includes an apocryphal story about an engineer who advises his children to find another line of work because engineering has no future. Yet until a recent set of surveys and analyses, we knew little about who stays in engineering, why people leave the field, and what happens to them after they leave.

Still waiting by the phone, hoping a recruiter will call? Don't bother; your job search will be better served by taking and active approach — and staying on top of both your job leads, and the people who are helping you to find them.

As in past years, this annual survey examines the outlook in eight areas of significant import to the U.S. endeavor: technology, energy, climate change, work force, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economy.

It's five o'clock and you're wondering: where did the day go? Today's Engineer's Abby Vogel looks at ten of the biggest time traps that can pass the time... but not always productively.

A new series of e-books, Doing Innovation: Creating Economic Value, offers advice on how to be an innovative thinker, how to inspire innovation within an organization, understanding the process of innovation, and more.

Traditionally, the holiday season is the most active networking time of year with lots of social gatherings, printed greetings and gift exchanges. The explosion of social media has dramatically impacted how we network year-round. Take the opportunity now to expand your connections using the variety of social networking platforms that enable you to keep up with your existing contacts and establish new relationships on a continuous basis.

Whatever the reason, you’ve decided to start your own company and be an entrepreneur. How do you get started, and what does it take to be successful?

An NAE study initiated in 2006 concluded that “offshoring appears to have contributed to the competitive advantage of U-S.-based firms in a variety of industries, and the negative impacts of offshoring on U.S. engineering appear to have been relatively modest to date.” However, the study did note severe impacts in some industry sectors and for some jobs.

Due to high unemployment and hundreds of e-mails daily for an open position, hiring managers and recruiters are going online to investigate possible candidates — before the interview process even begins.

Today's Engineer's Students Voice Editor Sarah Rovito shares some of her favorite sites.

Developing a Workable Innovation Process is the second in a series of e-books by Gerard “Gus” Gaynor, a retired 3M Director of Engineering, on Doing Innovation: Creating Economic Value.

When Wendy Hansen first began her Mass Media Fellowship at the Los Angeles Times, she wondered what she had gotten herself into. Ten short weeks later, she had found here calling.

Mechanical engineering student Samantha Caldwell says that winning the IEEE-USA 2008-09 student video competition was one of her most rewarding and exciting experiences.

Manel Martinez started programming early in life — at age seven — when he received his first computer as a Christmas present. Little did he know then that that same Amstrad CPC would be instrumental in his team winning the 2006 IEEEXtreme 24 Hour Programming Challenge.

Executive talent agents and headhunters may appear to produce the same outcome, but there is an unmistakable distinction — the two professions are paid by, loyal to and represent parties that may have disparate priorities and contrary interests related to the same recruiting transaction.

The high unemployment rate has created a false confidence among company hiring managers — from small business owners to Fortune 500 companies — because large pools of applicants are available. Rather than be fearful of making a hiring mistake, here are some ways to ensure you make a good, profitable hire the first time.

Because disability coverage is medically underwritten, your application must be approved by the insurance company before benefits can be put in force. Here are a few things you can do to help the underwriter review process run as smoothly as possible.

You've been offered a promotion. Should you accept it or turn it down? It's easy to say “yes”; knowing the right way to say “no” can be just as important to your career.

What makes the difference between those engineers who succeed and those who fall short of their potential? The answer lies in the “soft skills” that make individuals stand apart from the pack.

When most people talk about having “enough” insurance, they’re usually referring to life insurance. But if your family relies on your paycheck to make ends meet, your loved ones could find themselves in a worse financial situation if you become disabled than if you were to die.

Today's ECE students might equate the term “digital systems” only to modern electronic digital systems based on binary integrated circuits. (So might many veteran engineers!) Historically, of course, digital systems in the broadest sense included a variety of items having information represented in discrete states.

When you’re unemployed, you can feel trapped in an endless cycle of hopping online, looking for jobs, applying electronically… and repeating the process day in and day out (all while hoping for a speedy end to the entire ordeal). So how do you break the cycle?

NCEES recently approved development of a PE exam for software engineering. IEEE-USA will serve as the lead technical society sponsoring the examination with cooperative agreements from other organizations, including the IEEE Computer Society and NSPE.

For your reading pleasure, and to serve as proof that there is intelligent life out there on the Internet, Today's Engineer is profiling interesting and useful Web sites for your edification. What's in your bookmark list?

Congress missed a 30 July deadline for reauthorizing the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) loan program and the similar Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, but agreed to continue the programs until at least 30 September.

Defenders of proper English are concerned about the effects of communicating via the Internet. Some decry the attempts to “squeeze a short novel” into 140 characters through the use of mashed grammar, creative misspelling, and a plethora of awkward abbreviations. But a glance into history yields some interesting precursors to the tweeting phenomenon.

Today’s job market remains extremely tight. Executive talent agent Debra Feldman offers practical advice to job seekers looking for new career opportunities that will be satisfying and hold promise for future growth and advancement. For those looking for a new career challenge today, it's not just what you know or even who you know, but who knows what you know.

Whether your career is on hold, hurtling along full steam ahead, or just creeping along at a snail's pace, now is a good time to step back and think seriously about what it is you want from that large portion of your life that you invest in work.

With challenges posed by today's travel demands, it is more important than ever to be prepared and to be physically fit prior to and maintain your exercise regime while traveling. With effective planning and some creativity, exercise can easily be incorporated into your travel routine.

Knowledge has been described as the only source of sustainable competitive advantage in an information economy. Since knowledge is the primary product of knowledge workers, it is also the primary source of their employability.

You might think Generation Y (GenY) professionals would be the least equipped to weather a recession, let alone be the solution to a company’s survival during a recession. But are you underestimating their potential?

Creative inspiration comes in many forms. For Don Christiansen, ideas often spring forth from his "parts box" of clippings, articles and partially written columns. Do you have a parts box? And what do you keep in it?

Today’s Engineer recently sat down for a Q&A with IEEE member and IEEE-USA Licensure & Registration Committee member David Whitman, Ph.D, P.E., who was recently elected to be next year’s president of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) – the organization that develops, scores and administers the U.S. engineering licensure examinations.

After the economic freefall of 2008, when the Standard & Poor’s 500 index fund plummeted 39.8 percent, and American family wealth fell by 18 percent, many professionals are looking to rebuild their 401(k) plans and IRAs, perhaps also altering their retirement plans.

Job hunting has become a contact sport. Be prepared for some rough and tumble times. This job market is all about relationships. Your network, and not just what you know, is the key to finding a new opportunity — the more people who know what you know, the faster the path to a new job.

It seems like that question is answered by the patent statute, which since 1793 has indicated that “statutory subject matter” — what can be patented — is “any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof.” But when it comes to new technology patents, things aren't always so simple.

Excerpts from a compelling commentary from Warren Buffett's letter to shareholders in the 2008 Berkshire Hathaway annual report. Buffett's letter not only describes the performance of Berkshire Hathaway affiliated companies, but includes the author's commentary on what went wrong and why in U.S. and global financial markets between 1998 and 2008.

Engineering graduates — and those already in the workforce — face uncertain times in today’s chilling economic climate.

In today’s challenging economic environment, job eliminations and hiring freezes are commonplace. Human resource decisions are made that are beyond our control. However, you can control your preparations for an economic downturn — and your response, should you experience a layoff.

As anxiety and uneasiness continue into the second quarter of 2009, companies are looking for ways to trim spending and improve their bottom line. Even though technology often encompasses a small percentage of a company’s cost expenditures, executives inevitably turn their attention to technology budgets. But cutting back on technology may not be the answer to today's economic woes.

The symbolism of engineering has evolved as engineering design has gotten more complex and abstract.

The talent pool of STEM workers across the United States is insufficient to properly support the American economy through the next decade, according to a new book, Winning the Global Talent Showdown: How Businesses and Communities Can Partner to Rebuild the Jobs Pipeline.

With the growing understanding of the benefits of wellness, lengthening life span, and the increasing cost of health care, the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle is transforming the lives of many citizens.

There are at least 70 million Millennials in the United States, and they constitute 21 percent of our work force — 32 million workers. How should management approach working with today's young engineers?

John Meredith’s e-Book, the fourth in the GOLD Series, entitled Launching Your Career: Lifelong Learning — Your Key to An Enjoyable and Rewarding Career, is a guide for engineering students who are preparing to start their career, as well as engineers who are in the early phases of their careers.

Margaux is a typical nine-year-old girl, and proud to be a Geek Girl. She shares her refreshing perspective as a youngster who loves, of all things, math and science.

Why did the leaders of the IEEE Engineering Technology Student Chapter at Texas A&M University decide not to attend a host of classes one day last October? Did they suddenly become slackers? Not at all. They skipped classes to attend a 23 October symposium, “Engineering Career Skills for the Future: Energy in Transition.”

Succession management has been bandied about as a topic of interest in companies and technology departments for years. Recently, succession management has enjoyed increased interest, as the need for skilled talent becomes more critical.

Does blogging on your own time put you in any risk from your day job? Can it damage your career, or could it help? And if you decide to blog, what steps should you take to protect yourself?

Can the fruits of engineers’ labors be considered art? What of those of electrical engineers in particular?

Each year, an average of 1.5 million young adults will leave the relative comfort of college and enter the uncertainty of a new job. If you are one of these recent graduates, these tips can help ease your transition.

Considering the devastating impact the current economy is having on U.S. workers, the current economic climate could certainly be considered the worst of times, or it could be viewed more optimistically as the best of times, if you are able to take advantage of some of the once-in-a-lifetime “bargains” that are likely available in the stock market.

Launching Your Career: A Practitioners Guide to Leadership is the third e-Book in the IEEE-USA GOLD series. This leadership guide is a thought-provoking, inspiring self-reflection, and provides practical examples of how to move forward as a leader in the workplace, your volunteer organization, and even at home.

Market volatility is often referred to as a normal market occurrence. However, when it involves your money, it takes on a new perspective. There is no guaranteed solution to managing market volatility and the stock market, but the following tips can help.

IEEE-USA editor for technology policy George McClure looks at the prospects for technology, energy, climate change, work force, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economy in the new year.

The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam for electrical and computer engineers is assuming a new structure in the spring of 2009.

IEEE-USA has released three new career-related e-books. Two of the books kick off the "Launching Your Career" GOLD e-book series, which is dedicated to helping graduating students, recent graduates and young engineers on important career topics. The third e-book provides an overview of the Management of Technology (MOT) discipline.

Can the United States continue to lead the world in innovation, asks the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). NAE suggests the answer may depend on how well the public understands engineering.

n theory, globalization is supposed to equalize global wages and raise the global standard of living. Everyone is supposed to benefit. So, what's the problem?

To be competitive, senior level executives returning to the job market have some unique challenges, not the least of which is the gap in their employment history.

At Carnegie Mellon University, the new interdisciplinary Masters program in Engineering and Technology Innovation Management (E&TIM) is designed for engineers who are passionate about creating value from technological innovation.

John G. Shulman, President and CEO of the negotiation consulting and training firm, Alignor, has written two informative e-books on Engineering the Art of Negotiation.

Businesses stand to lose a great deal when they don’t practice succession management — like management continuity and their best engineering pros.

To the average citizen, bootlegging conjures up visions of Prohibition-era Chicago, hidden stills in the mountains of Tennessee, and fast boats delivering illicit spirits at dusk to numerous ports on the North Shore of Long Island. More recently, bootlegging refers to the practice of selling someone else’s intellectual property without permission or compensation.

Most everyone has been there at one time or another, working under a tyrant who somehow manages to survive in this world without people skills. If you haven’t had a boss like this, you should consider buying a lottery ticket — and soon. You are that lucky.

An organization's ability to be competitive at what is does rests on acquiring the right talent, deploying it properly, and continually evolving to meet changing needs and situations. In today's rapidly changing world, how can you be part of the best team?

Meet IEEE-USA's VP of Career and Member Services.

Intellectual property is rarely on the minds of today’s young engineers — but it should be. Some may be familiar with patents, which grant an exclusive monopoly to the patent holder for a period of 20 years, but fewer are familiar with copyrights.

When a person loses a job, he or she experiences shock, anger, disappointment, fear and the feeling of loss. We eventually dust ourselves off and begin to rebuild by searching for another job. Through networking, submitting résumés, interviewing and selling ourselves to perspective employers, we eventually land a new job.

Are you looking for a "green" job in an environmental field? How about a job where you put your skills to work doing some good for the world? Or maybe you're just looking for a job that will challenge you. In any of these cases, a career in oceanic engineering could offer exactly what you are looking for.

In recent years, the engineering profession’s employment landscape has been dramatically reshaped as a result of growing job dissatisfaction, downsizing, outsourcing, layoffs, and early retirements, to name but a few of the contributing factors. Many engineers have moved from salaried positions to independent consulting practices.

When it comes to retirement, it’s not just what you have that matters, but how you re-invent yourself so that you retire with a sense of meaningfulness and significance. Continuous learning is one of three key ways to do that, according to the research findings tracking retiree and retirement trends since 1993.

The engineer’s work environment is not what it used to be. Many who began their careers in the mid-20th century did not work from a cubicle and none had a computer workstation. If they had a desk, it was often shared. In the case of U.S. engineers, they had little or no contact with the vendors, customers or other engineers outside the United States.

A Perfect Storm described the confluence of three storm systems in the north Atlantic. In demographics and retirement security, we have another perfect storm, with the third element being greater longevity in retirement.

Electrical engineers, computer scientists and other technology professionals need years of education to qualify for jobs in their fields. And yet, even with all of this training, many of these same people working in high-tech fields find themselves held back in the workplace because they lack business-critical interpersonal, writing and presentation skills.

We don’t all retire the same. We each have our own interests, needs and aspirations. Some of us make an easy transition to retirement, while others find retirement unaffordable, unexciting, unfulfilling, and maybe even lonely. By planning early in and continuously throughout your life and career, you may be able to enjoy a comfortable and fulfilling retirement.

Today’s Engineer sits down for a Q&A with Richard Schwarz, P.E., chair of IEEE-USA's Licensure & Registration Committee, to talk about recent changes to the requirements for becoming a licensed engineer.

The Banneker Institute serves as a catalyst in the pursuit of increased African-American participation in STEM careers. In 2007, it declared “The Decade of Blacks in Science,” a national effort to promote STEM outreach activities at the local level.

Are there the makings of a "perfect storm" scenario for meeting future workforce needs in the electric power and energy industries? Many people, both casual observers and passionate participants alike, have strongly answered “yes” to this question. Why?

There are many reasons for attending industry-related meetings and joining organizations, like the IEEE, or community groups.

IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) is at the forefront of diversity issues. Although the primary goal of WIE is to build a community of women and men supporting the advancement of women at all stages of their careers, WIE has become the diversity arm of IEEE.

Many are rising in their versatile specialty, others have moved into related technical fields. At last count, women made up only 8 percent of the EE work force. Women of color account for just a fraction of those, but it’s a vibrant fraction.

Because it is so important to continuing business success, and because opportunities for innovation are everywhere, innovation can be a vital ingredient for career success for every engineer.

Students, warm up your video cameras! It's almost time to enter IEEE-USA's second annual "How Engineers Make a World of Difference" online video competition for the chance to win thousands of dollars in college scholarships.

Because recruiting is expensive and time-consuming, and the pool of available talent is shrinking instead of growing, employee retention is fast becoming the most cost-effective strategy for keeping up with business needs. Experts suggest that you can buy employee loyalty with salary, bonuses, perks, patting them on the back and even letting them bring their pets to work. Yet employees still leave. What is an employer to do?

Osceola McCarty, a washer woman from Mississippi, donated $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi in 1995 for student scholarships. Her secret? Hard work, diligent saving, frugality and living within her means. If Ms. McCarty can accumulate this amount of money, surely an engineering graduate should be able to do at least as well.

Some members of Gen Y are wondering why they don’t seem to fit in with their colleagues, and yet they remain hopeful they will find the right job and situation that will take full advantage of their talents and aspirations.

Early adopters are valuable to those who introduce innovative high-tech products. These early customers may be either individuals or corporations. It is estimated that perhaps 10 to15 percent of the individual purchasers of a product fall into the early-adopter category.

Intellectual property is usually a company’s most valuable asset. While trademarks and copyrights are generally understood, patents are generally misunderstood, resulting in the loss of millions of dollars to companies every year. Learn how to avoid the 10 most common mistakes made regarding patents.

A fulfilling technical career path generally requires some form of growth to be rewarding. In addition, if you’re expecting to prepare for increased responsibilities, you’ll be looking to increase engineering, professional and business skills.

In study after study, more and more engineers over age forty are reporting age bias in their job search, and engineers are increasingly wondering what they have to do to get a job in the second half of their careers.

The dearth of women in IT and programming, and declining numbers of women enrolling in undergraduate computer science majors in the United States has many causal factors, and has been studied extensively since the 1980s. Yet the underlying causes are so intertwined that it is difficult to separate them. Some sociologists suggest that many of these causes may reflect the pervasive effect of the gender system. Confounding the issue are technological and cultural changes.

In the short term, forecasting is hard to do, matching a development with a timeline. That said, IEEE-USA's government relations editor George McClure provides an overview of changes and trends in eight categories that are likely to affect all of us, in one way or another, in 2008: technology, energy, climate change, workforce, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economy.

Post-secondary education is expensive and choosing your educational provider is a decision requiring careful thought. A decade ago, the decision was much easier. Today, the choice of an educational provider is complex; a wrong decision has huge financial and time implications.

The following is a recap of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government in January-early February 2008.

Some IEEE members believe that all we need to improve public appreciation of engineering is a prime-time TV series featuring engineers. That could very well be true, but quicker than you can calculate pi to 39 decimal places, mathematicians are already in prime time.

Defined contribution plans provide greater portability of benefits than “traditional” defined benefit plans, but shift the responsibility of saving for retirement from employers to employees. Whether employees are saving enough to secure their retirements is question of some concern. Based on a November 2007 GAO report.

Most people can relate to the anxiety associated with being asked to give a presentation to a group of colleagues. Susan de la Vergne offers a few suggestions for improving your technical presentation abilities and effectiveness.

With all of the cellular phones, MP3/PMP devices, GPS units, set-top boxes, DVRs, automobile telematics systems and digital televisions out there, we are surrounded by embedded systems composed of custom hardware and software designs. But, is the United States losing its edge in producing engineers who can make these critical systems work?

OK, so engineers don’t glad-hand as many strangers as would a politician. And at technical meetings, we're likely to seek out colleagues in our own fields and neglect others. But does that make us nerds?

You know that your potential employers are going to Google you. Here's what you can do to present your online self in the best possible light.

One of the best ways to enhance your career and ensure your employability is by improving your writing skills.

After graduating from college, Eric’s first week on the job as an engineer was full of leadership and management challenges — but he didn’t realize it at the time. He was just getting the work done that he was told to do. Just ordinary work for an entry-level engineer...or so he thought.

Good engineering managers are well paid because they have a very difficult job that not many people with engineering backgrounds want — and even fewer are highly qualified for the role. Here are five simple ways for executives to help their engineering managers succeed.

How can you — the potential academic author — help to ensure your book's success? It pays to think about the marketing before you even write your first word…

For some, the statement “Thank goodness it’s Friday” leads quickly to anxiety over having to return to work on Monday. With some simple strategies, you can enjoy an attitude reversal that may even have you saying, “Thank goodness it’s Monday.”

Ranked by The Princeton Review as one of the top internships in the country, the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) gives IEEE student members a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Globalization now has 3 billion eager participants in competition with the United States. Is our history unfolding like Queen Victoria’s era? Great Britain was on top of the world and no one thought that they would be replaced by another superpower. Is history repeating itself with U.S. dominance?

The nature of work has changed considerably and change will continue. Even if you feel that you are in a secure career position today, there is no guarantee that you will be in the same secure position tomorrow.

Nearly 500,000 new small businesses are created every year; yet many fail because new business owners don’t have the information necessary to get a good start in their businesses. The IEEE’s interest in entrepreneurs is logical; afterall, the success of the U.S. economy is based on innovative technology.

Intellectual property — original creations whether in hardware design, software engineering, or art (literary works, musical compositions, trademarks, or performance art) — is a key to national competitiveness. However, respect for intellectual property rights, and their duration, varies around the world.

It’s a jungle out there. How many times have you heard that? How many potential entrepreneurs has this statement run off? Having a mentor is like having a GPS and a protective force field in that jungle.

Items highlighting new and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government in recent months.

For managers, pulling performance from employees is a daily challenge. And to complicate this task, this is the first time in American history that managers have had to motivate a workforce comprised of three generations. In today's workplace, you might see 50-year-olds sitting next to (or even reporting to) 20-somethings. Managers are familiar with Baby Boomers and Generation X, and know how to get more out of them, but what about Generation Y?

Think you don't have what it takes to come up with something new and innovative? Think again. Sometimes all it takes to come up with a new idea is putting yourself in the right frame of mind.

In the Fall of 2006, the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering launched its Future Faculty Program (FFP). The FFP seeks to increase the number of Ph.D. graduates who obtain academic positions, and to improve the preparation of students for academic careers so that they can better succeed once they obtain such a position.

Oh, for the good old days when your neighbor knew exactly what you did when you told him you were an electrical engineer! The mid-century EE was either a power engineer or a communications (electronics) engineer. No matter. You could be either, and your neighbor was confident you would fix his TV when it acted up.

TE sat down with G. Kemble Bennett, Ph.D., P.E., vice chancellor of engineering for The Texas A&M University System and dean of the Dwight Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M University, where he leads one of the largest and highest ranked engineering programs in the nation. Dr. Bennett shared with TE insights on the importance of entrepreneurship, and what Texas A&M is doing to make it part of its engineering curriculum.

“Sandwich Generation” does not refer to people who like the commingling of gourmet breads and cheeses; it is a term that refers mostly to middle-aged caregivers who juggle the care of their own children with that of other family members, often an elderly parent. The caregiver is “sandwiched” between responsibilities for two or more generations of individuals important to them. Here are some strategies for easing the burden on sandwich generation caregivers.

Your boss recently stopped by your office to tell you: "Congratulations, next week you will present Project X to senior staff." After the initial wave of anxiety has passed, it's time to get down to planning. Here are some useful tips for a successful presentation.

To help IEEE members learn to innovate, IEEE-USA is launching a new Innovation Institute geared at training current and future business, academic and government employees responsible for the innovation of new products and services.

IEEE-USA's e-book IEEE-USA envisions offering IEEE members quality original and compilation e-books at great prices that would both assist them in their career guidance and development, and help educate and inform IEEE members on tech policy topics of interest to engineers.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an emerging technology that is providing excellent career prospects for electrical engineering students, as well as experienced engineers looking for new opportunities.

looking to take your career to the next level, an effective way to achieve that goal is to establish yourself as an expert in your field and make yourself available to the media as an expert source.

For the first time in American history, four generations are working side by side in the workplace. Never before has there been so much confusion, so many misconceptions and communication misfires. However, if we can find a way to cooperate and learn from each other, we'll all be better off in the long run.

How many times have you opened a trade paper or journal, read a glowing blurb about someone’s job promotion or new product, and said: Wait a second, why aren’t I in here? How can you put news releases to work for you?

Many students’ financial aid packages include loans, all of which must be repaid with interest. Some loans, such as Stafford and PLUS loans, are supported by the federal government, which sets maximum interest rates for those loans. Choosing one can be daunting, but if you understand a few basics, you can usually find a loan — or loans — right for you.

Engineers are trained to innovate, but some haven't honed the skills necessary to influence others and to develop ideas that increase profits. Managers are often trained to elicit creativity, but they can’t always get into engineers' minds to harvest their ideas.

Don Christiansen addresses some of the numerous responses we received to his column “Math . . . What Good Is It?,” in which he noted the difficulty in interesting U.S. K-12 students in mathematics.

You don't need to be a huge company to take advantage of the benefits of intellectual property ownership. IP such as copyrights, trademarks and patents may not be hard goods that you can sell, but they are investments. With the right planning and development, small businesses, sole-proprietorships, and even individuals can earn money for years based on their initial investments of time, creativity and expertise.

With the average cost of four years at a private college (tuition, room, board and other expenses) climbing to $118,597 ($48,937 for a public university), it's no wonder that many families are concerned about college savings. How can a 529 college savings plan help you provide for your children's higher education?

NexThing is a hypothetical construct which is technically feasible and likely to emerge before 2010 either "from scratch" or as the evolution or merger of existing companies. The concept here captures the shape of things to come as far as how professionals will interact in the future.

The FCC and Congress have signaled a willingness to step into the breach on the network neutrality issue. Legislation was tabled in 2006, but new bills are already making the rounds on Capitol Hill.

Marconi and Tesla’s bitter race to own the patent for radio seems almost quaint compared with the blatant exploitation on today’s IP landscape.

Social networking Web sites can be a great tools for engineers trying to build their careers, but recent headlines should serve as a warning: inexperienced, careless or irresponsible users can get into a world of trouble if they're not vigilant.

IEEE-USA's Technology Policy Editor George McClure dons his prognosticator's hat to provide a look at the year ahead. He shares insights on eight topics that may affect your career in 2007: technology, energy, climate change, workforce, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economic outlook.

You recently started exploring the job market, just to see what's out there. Low and behold, you stumbled across a position with a company that is everything you’ve ever wanted — more pay, good management, a challenging product line. You decide to take the offer, but your current boss surprises you with a counter offer. Now what do you do?

In addition to the normal stresses of finding, accepting and starting a new job, you may also feel the strain of emotional and financial pressures. Whatever your circumstances, a positive attitude is vital to your job search and your ultimate success. The IEEE Financial Advantage Program offers practical advice for staying afloat until you secure your next job.

Engineers don’t write well, we are told. O.K., so maybe the first step is not writing badly. Writing well may follow. Don Christiansen looks at some positively dreadful writing (not from engineers, mind you) and some compelling passages (from science and engineering writers), and wonders if engineers really deserve the criticism.

As part of its ongoing effort to enhance the image of engineers in the United States, IEEE-USA's volunteer leaders have endorsed an ambitious public-awareness program that reaches out to youngsters, adults and the public at large.

Get to know one of IEEE-USA's key volunteers, Scott Tamashiro.

Read about how one engineer discovered that he was ideally suited for a role as a reserve peace officer in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, and how you might be, too.

Part of the success of the Internet is its largely unfettered access and its adaptability to many modes of information transfer. But most information technology gurus agree that it is this unrestrained accessibility that leads to questionable content and decreases the efficiency of online research by scientists, academicians, and other serious users.

Successful negotiation involves business skills as well as interpersonal skills. Often, engineers look at the negotiating conversation as unpleasant, because it implies conflict and anger. Learning how to negotiate from a non-emotional point will greatly increase the chance that the outcomes will be positive for both parties.

Terrance Malkinson reviews this fifty-five chapter resource on the rapidly growing and vibrant field of Human Performance Technology (HPT).

The National Council of Examiners in Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) recently approved an amendment to the NCEES Model Law that will require engineers with bachelor’s degrees to earn an additional 30 credits of acceptable undergraduate or graduate-level coursework from approved course providers before they can take the Principles and Practices of Engineering (PE) examination.

Self-promotion doesn’t come easily to everyone. It may even seem incompatible with the straight-arrow engineering profession. But engineers — as professionals who change society for the better — are entitled to speak up about their entrepreneurship, their innovations, their awards and new contracts, the impact of engineering on our everyday lives, and so much more.

As we approach the end of 2006, we have a lot on our minds. There will be holidays, parties and family gatherings. Probably the last thing on your mind is financial planning. However, this is the time of year when financial planning should be done.

Many engineers align themselves with an employment agency so that they don’t have to go through the trouble of finding another contract. And more often than not, they do not have a positive, or professional experience with a headhunter. Often, they walk away confused, frustrated and jaded, wondering what on earth went wrong.

How do you motivate people who have little time and disposable income to become active in a professional society, like the IEEE? While contemplating ways to encourage his son to join and become active in a professional society, IEEE member Vern Johnson looked back on the experiences that led him to conclude that his IEEE membership has been a "marvelous investment."

A secure, affordable, sustainable energy supply, with limited environmental impact, is critical to ensuring enduring prosperity in the United States. The nation faces major challenges in meeting projected energy demand in an increasingly energy-hungry world and in developing the necessary next-generation workforce to support energy delivery.

As globalization advances, it has become commonplace (possibly even fashionable) to voice concern over the steady erosion of U.S. prominence in science and engineering. The concern is particularly centered in the physical, computer, and engineering sciences.

In May, the Bush Administration released the 233-page U.S. National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan. Although the outbreak or timing of a pandemic is in no way certain, it is important that an effective plan be created and that citizens are familiar with it, so that the nation will be prepared and united in action in the event that this pandemic or other epidemic should emerge.

The 2005 IEEE member satisfaction survey showed that although 80.5 percent of members were “highly satisfied” or “satisfied” with the IEEE as a whole, they were least satisfied with the healthcare insurance program. Association plans have become virtually extinct. In 1990, IEEE was one of 142 nonprofit associations that offered health insurance to their members (as opposed to their employees). Of those, today only three large associations remain — with the IEEE being the largest.

A Google search for "résumé writing" will return thousands of links to articles on how to construct a résumé, each promising a fulfilling and rewarding new job. In fact, the Web holds so many articles about résumé writing it’s hard not to become overwhelmed by the sheer volume. The purpose of this article is to help a technical person construct a résumé with a marketing slant.

This seems to be the question that many elementary school kids are asking. A teaching system that cannot answer them is often blamed for losing future engineers and scientists who, at this youthful stage, may be mathematically adept but uninterested in pursuing math studies because they cannot imagine any useful way to apply what they might learn.

Engineers Week (EWeek) organizers are hoping that a new engineering-based reality TV show and a slew of other youth-oriented activities will pique the interest of "tweens" — that elusive nine to 12 year old demographic — in 2007.

Every engineer is familiar with the feelings that can creep in during the few moments before you are called into a job interview. But instead of being overly concerned with the notion that the employer would want your skill set, why not try something different and interview your prospective next boss?

“Forensic” is nearly a household word today, thanks to a nightly splatter of courtroom, crime lab and police shows on TV. Despite being synonymous with gruesome investigations, forensics — derived from the word forum — actually refers to any juncture where specialized professional knowledge is brought to bear in a legal setting. How do engineers figure into the process?

According to a recent Harris Interactive Poll, Americans count engineers among the top 10 most admired professionals. Not bad, considering all of the professions out there. But in his latest column, IEEE-USA President Ralph Wyndrum explains why it would be even better if more people remembered that the doctors, nurses, scientists and military officers who garnered the most admiration would be hard-pressed without the instruments engineers conceived and designed.

Last fall, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) launched a program to identify best practices for improving the retention and success of freshman and sophomore EE students. More than 40 schools applied for program grants, five of which were awarded $20,000 grants each to fund their programs. More than 400 students were affected, with all of the schools are reporting positive results.

Becoming a guru in all things lean can definitely boost your standing with the boss. But here’s something pivotal to keep in mind as you read about lean, or participate in formal lean training: lean success does not come just from what you know. Rather, it’s what you do with that knowledge that is of value to you and your employer.

IEEE member Reece Lumsden thinks engineers and attorneys have more in common that one might think. Find out how his engineering background gave him the upper hand in a recent small claims court experience.

Some IEEE members deal directly with security on the job, but most deal only incidentally with it because their employers demand that their inventions be kept secret, especially from competitors prior to new product releases. But, there’s much more to security than some people being careful about some situations some of the time.

"Nearly all recent surveys of science and mathematics curricula in our secondary schools paint a picture of gloom and doom. A cross section of high school curricula and faculty taken across the United States reveals a lack of consistency in both the number and quality of courses." That was written 20 years ago and is still pertinent today.

The job hunting process has changed dramatically since the dot-com days of the late 1990s. In those heady days, whatever you had on paper in terms of a resume or cover letter got you the job. In today’s job market, marketing yourself and your skills to prospective employers requires a different approach.

All too often, people revisit their networking contacts when they need an introduction to power a job search campaign. Contrary to popular practice, the best time for leveraging connections is not when you are about to enter the job market, but rather on a continuous basis — always keeping in touch, sharing information, initiating ideas, reaching out and being generous to an increasingly larger circle of colleagues and associates.

Mary Lou Jepsen's humanitarian mission to develop and mass produce a $100 laptop to be used by the world's children is nearing fruition. The ambitious project's CTO describes how a 10-minute interview with MIT Media Labs' Nicholas Negroponte for a faculty position turned into a three-hour discussion about the need for a low-cost computer and the sort of organization that could make it happen. Jepsen shares a progress report on the organization and the computer that promises to transform education around the globe.

Most of us have, at one time or another, been mentored and taught on-the-job. Some of us have also been “mentored” back in high school, middle school, or even grade school — an experience akin to that “aha” moment when you realized that this is what you enjoy and want to do when you grow up. Help share that “aha” moment with children so that they, too, can become engineers or scientists.

After years of saving and planning for retirement, you may be relieved and excited to realize that you can finally afford to stop working. The period of transitioning from the workforce to retirement will itself present a whole series of financial issues to address. Careful planning in the months leading up to retirement can ensure a smooth transition from employee to retiree. TE offers some guidelines for working with your investment professional to make the transition run as smoothly as possible.

Steven F. Barrett, Ph.D., P.E., recalls arriving at the decision to become a registered professional engineer. Today, he sits on a committee that helps develop and vet the questions used for the examination. It was the right decision for him. Is licensure right for you and your career?

A topic of interest to many within the IEEE is how best to build relationships with the organizations that employ our members. Before the IEEE-USA Career and workforce Policy Committee (CWPC) met in Portland, Ore., in March, committee members spent a Friday in a series of meetings with industry and academia reps. The meetings were coordinated through the Oregon Section and members of the Section attended the meetings.

Now that the national unemployment rate is down to 4.7 percent, and in some areas of the country, 3 percent, the pendulum is swinging from concerns over where currently displaced engineers and computer scientists can find work to how we will meet the future demands for talent. A continuing concern of IEEE-USA's Career and workforce Policy Committee is that predicting future demand is a precarious task. A look at the Department of Labor's latest forecasts for workforce demand through 2014.

Ever wonder why you didn’t land a job, even though you possessed all of the required technical skills? Unfortunately, even the best engineers experience rejection. Remember: companies need your talent to create and build their products. Without your brainpower, companies wouldn't exist. So, how do you convey that to the hiring manager during the interview?

Congress is embroiled in a major debate over immigration reform, with a spate of bills currently under consideration. Central to this debate is Sen. Arlen Specter's (R-Pa.) bill (S. 2454). Because Sen. Specter is Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over immigration issues, his bill is currently the most likely to be acted upon.

Proper technique and good manners can turn interactions with corporate gatekeepers from frustrating to fruitful. Learn how to increase the odds that gatekeepers will grant you access to important decision-makers. Start with the premise that gatekeepers aren't enemies; like you, they are professionals trying their best to fulfill their assignments, keep the boss happy, and get rewarded for a job well done.

"Innovation" and "competitiveness" aren't just empty buzzwords in Washington these days — they've garnered very real bipartisan support from both chambers of Congress and the White House, and have yielded a number of promising legislative initiatives. In Part II, this article examines the National Academies Report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm.

Most experienced engineers agree that having a good boss is one of the most important aspects of one’s job. Your boss can serve not only as a professional colleague, mentor and leader, but often as a shield from the whims of an oppressive bureaucracy. But, how do you find a good one?

Conducting a successful networking campaign demands that you stretch beyond your established circles to new, well-connected individuals.

Time is short; the Internet is long. Find out what Web site visitors really want. For IEEE members who maintain a personal Web site, or who are considering building one, usability is a critical design factor to consider. A few simple details can make all the difference in whether a visitor stays or leaves a site.

In 2005, the national savings rate was -0.5 percent, the worst on record since 1933 and the Great Depression. If savings practices don't change, we could be headed for another dark period in U.S. history. However, it's not too late to make changes to avert another economic catastrophe.

An invitation to become a member of an organization's board of directors is a recognition of personal and business excellence. Before accepting, however, it is important to have a full understanding of the role and its responsibilities.

Most families — especially professional families like those of IEEE members — already have some form of life insurance, but many probably need more. What is term life insurance, and why do we need it?

A disconnect seems to exists between the arcane and esoteric realm of basic research — conducted in secretive labs by cloistered engineers and scientists — and the familiar and ubiquitous technologies we take for granted today. But the fact is, many of the technologies we utilize daily were born in those very same labs.

Establishing a connection inside a company to obtain an appointment may require clever, innovative persistence. Here are a few tips to help you launch a more effective targeted campaign.

"Innovation" and "competitiveness" aren't just empty buzzwords in Washington these days — they've garnered very real support from Congress and the White House, and have yielded a number of promising legislative initiatives. This two-part article examines two reports that crystallized this movement, beginning with the Council on Competitiveness report Innovate America.

Get to know a little bit more about 2006 IEEE-USA President Ralph Wyndrum.

Responding to a troubling National Academies report and a broad industry initiative, President Bush and Congress have recently proposed competitiveness initiatives that are designed to help the United States maintain its leading edge in science and technology.

When it comes to specialized parts for products designed and developed in house, some firms opt to make their own. Many, however, choose to outsource the job — which increasingly means sending manufacturing and even engineering jobs overseas.

Career building is a continuous activity that requires awareness, and making adjustments to take advantage of rapid changes in local, national and international conditions.

Just thinking about cold calls is enough to put most people off their lunch. So why would anyone bother going through the agony? Simple answer: it works.

Downsizing, layoffs and second jobs are terms we're all familiar with and, sometimes, must deal with. In addition to the normal stresses of finding, accepting and starting a new job, you may also feel the strain of emotional and financial pressures. Whatever your circumstances, a positive attitude is vital to your job search and your ultimate success. The IEEE Financial Advantage Program offers practical advice for staying afloat until you secure your next job.

There is a commodity-like value to engineers who are hired simply for what they can do today, rather than what benefits their knowledge and skills might bring tomorrow.

Now that we're four years past the end of the last recession, what lies ahead in 2006? TE examines changes and trends in eight categories that are likely to affect all of us in one way or another in the new year: technology, energy, climate change, workforce, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economic outlook.

Self-promotion can be a huge challenge for many otherwise savvy, capable executives. Here’s how to simplify the job search process, accelerate campaign progress, and find your next career challenge swiftly.

In November 2005, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a study detailing an investigation of the issues surrounding offshoring of services, including those specifically associated with high-tech jobs.

Sometimes we develop a nostalgic fondness for a building we used to work in, a ship we used to sail on, or some other place where we spent a good deal of time. Perhaps it's a fascination with the history of technology, industrial archaeology and the preservation of artifacts that brings our attention back to it... or perhaps it's something more.

Washington State legislator Rep. Toby Nixon is an IEEE member and a project manager at Microsoft. He recently sat down with IEEE-USA's Russ Harrison to discuss how engineering and politics intersect.

Partnerships, cooperation and sharing lessons learned were key watchwords during a two-day government-industry workshop bringing together dozens of representatives from regional, state and local initiatives across the United States that aim to help promote and support the development of nanotechnology.

IEEE-USA's vice president of member activities is the ECE department chair at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He also loves barbeque and thinks he may be overusing the expression "cool." Read on about one of IEEE-USA's key volunteers.

As a consultant or "moonlighting" engineer, you can do everything right, and still be sued if something goes wrong on a project. Do you have the personal professional liability coverage to protect yourself?

The Board governs on behalf of the organization's owners or members; it is accountable for an organization's performance and integrity. How does it affect you?

If a senior level executives or professionals are out of work for an extended period, they need new techniques to increase job leads. Here are some strategies to help you identify your next career challenge.

Too frequently reports of high-tech worker shortages come without key specifics, such as what types of engineers and skill sets are in demand. In keeping with its mission to educate and recruit a highly skilled workforce for the future, the Semiconductor Industry Association's (SIA) workforce Committee compiles a list of "Hard-to-Find Skills" in the U.S. chip-making industry — an $80-billion-a-year economic driver.

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) is lending support to two important initiatives aimed at reversing slipping EE enrollments and increasing retention among students already enrolled in EE majors.

The National Inventors Hall of Fame, in Akron, Ohio, keeps alive the stories of the nation's inventors, inventions and innovations.

Get to know this year's recipient of the Robert S. Walleigh Award for Distinguished Contributions to Engineering Professionalism Award.

Patricia Wallace's book looks at how netcentric technologies are changing the workplace and the world we live in.

U.S. IEEE members believe social security needs to be reformed. But how?

Productivity improvements have contributed to the trend to move engineers from the commodity category to the “skilled artist” category. But there are many jobs where engineers are interchangeable, and those are the jobs in the greatest danger of being outsourced.

Put the sine qua non of job search success — networking — to work for you.

How can U.S. engineers makeover their careers to remain global leaders?

The standard line goes like this: Engineers are interested only in furthering technical capabilities and improving the performance of our designs. We don’t have much concern for how our resultant systems will be used in the real world. Or whether our efforts will contribute to the betterment of society, as compared to merely bringing more dollars to the bottom line. But we have traditionally countered with the argument that once a technical development is successful, its applications cannot be limited — for better or worse — by its creators.

IEEE-USA Today's Engineer asked two electric power engineers experienced in storm damage and service restoration for their thoughts on the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, and what power engineers are doing, and will need to do, to restore electric service in affected areas, returning Gulf Coast residents to some semblance of normalcy.

Whether it’s characterized as globalization, offshoring, trade in services, competitiveness or Thomas Friedman’s "world flattening," U.S. engineers are facing unsettling new challenges and asking what needs to be done not only to preserve their own career vitality, but also to maintain a strong U.S. engineering workforce and keep engineering an attractive career path for future generations.

Job search expert Debra Feldman offers tips and advice for job hunters.

How one IEEE member bounced back from her protracted unemployment spell.

Olin College is on the cutting edge of engineering education.

Troubling trend: falling unemployment coincides with falling employment among EEs.

Shane Carruth discusses the ethics involved in his film, Primer, with an IEEE panel.

Nearly 20 years after the Hudson Institute's workforce 2000 report called for the creation of one million new high-tech jobs for people in low-income neighborhoods, the nation is mired in a jobless recovery. For far too many Americans, the dream of economic prosperity that comes with growing numbers of high-skilled, high-wage jobs has been postponed or abandoned. The African-American community has been particularly hard hit.

Making the transition from student to the working world can be a shock to the system. Former WISE intern Brent Rowe explains how IEEE membership and his experience in Washington helped ease the transition.

U.S. IEEE members often list creating a public understanding and appreciation of engineering as one of their major goals. IEEE-USA has been actively promoting public awareness of engineers and engineering for almost 25 years. So, what have we done for you lately?

Notwithstanding a generally good reputation, business schools are coming under criticism, not only from employers of their graduates, but also from some of the business school leaders themselves.

The Supreme Court handed down its much-anticipated decision in the MGM vs. Grokster file-sharing case on 27 June. The decision will affect the public's access to the Internet and the development of future technologies, as well as determine how Americans receive their entertainment, according to IEEE-USA experts.

Networking isn't just about finding a new career opportunity that isn’t advertised. And it's more than the hidden job market. Being an active, engaged professional is smart executive career planning. Here are 10 New Commandments for executives and professionals to follow to find career success.

It's often said that "the best things in life are free." That's generally true, although care and maintenance can cost a bundle. But it's particularly true when talking about BEST (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology).

Some of the very early formulators of electrical science, like Volta and Ampere, were given what is perhaps the highest individual accolade — having electrical units named for them. Today, however, with the proliferation of teams and work done in parallel, assigning credit to one individual for a particular technical development is harder than it used to be.

Chances are, you've heard about blogs and blogging. Blogs on almost any topic abound, but what are they? And how can you get up to speed on this intriguing new mode of communication?

Are you happy in your job? Or just feel ho-hum? Satisfied with your career? Or just settling because it’s comfortable? Take your career a step further — and become fully engaged with what you do at work.

Engineers often labor in the shadows, getting attention too often when design flaws cause problems. But a handful of U.S. IEEE members have won national recognition for their creations, which span a broad gamut of technology and society.

Adults of every age are self-directed as workers, parents and more, but when they need to learn something new they put on their dunce caps of educational dependency and say, “teach me.” Professionals must take charge of their own intellectual maturation to progress from dependency to increasing self-directedness in their careers.

Can we find both success and fulfillment in our careers? Peggy Hutcheson, a session speaker at IEEE-USA’s 2005 Leadership Conference, told attendees that achieving both is one of the leading career challenges of the 21st century.

While the payroll tax for Social Security is bringing in more money than is being paid out now, by 2018 that situation is expected to reverse as fewer workers contribute and more retirees draw benefits. Everyone's talking about it... but what's getting done?

The United Nation’s millennium development goals (MDGs) are an ambitious set of goals (see Table 1) aimed at reducing poverty and improving the lives of people living in the world's least developed countries. What role can engineers expect to play in accomplishing these goals?

Leadership happens at every level of life and is a process of lifelong learning. And most leaders equate mistakes with growth, learning, and making progress, according to Erna Grasz, keynote speaker at IEEE-USA’s Annual Leadership Workshop in Tucson, Ariz., 11-13 March.

In the early 1990s, there was growing optimism that the burgeoning European Union (EU) would become a driver of productivity growth around the globe. Today, however, the outlook is less optimistic.

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing, Grokster, Kazaa and copyright inducement have been in the news the past year. What's it all about, and how does it affect you?

Why is it that engineers and marketing people so often discount the advantages of talking to one another? Sometimes the relationship between engineering and marketing becomes downright adversarial and, no surprise, counterproductive. Social scientists have earned Ph.D.s studying the phenomenon.

2005 IEEE-USA President Gerry Alphonse is an IEEE Fellow, an accomplished engineer and a highly respected leader in technical and professional communities. He recently sat down with Today's Engineer to share some of the more personal defining moments in his remarkable life.

Technical professionals are very good with tasks. But when it comes to successful teaming, tasks are only half the equation — the other half is about fostering relationships. Find out how to select team members and assess your team's development to maximize productivity.

Long-term comparisons of the household savings rates of Europe, Japan and the United States reveal that, although all three have been trending downward, the Japanese are saving twice the amount — Europeans four times — as the United States. Given the questions swirling around the future of Social Security, and facing a declining number of traditional employer-maintained defined benefit pension plans, are we saving enough for retirement?

Whatever you call it — downsized, laid off or fired — the emotional journey that accompanies losing a job can be a rocky one. But it can also be a period for personal and professional growth. Read about how one IT consultant dealt with his unceremonious layoff, and how he bounced back to find an even better employment situation.

An engineering career can provide excitement and even drama. But how can we convince young people who might be considering a degree in engineering that the profession is every bit as interesting and exciting as we believe it to be?

Engineering is a global competition, with the winners getting the most money and the most challenging projects to work on. If you are a student, the time to join the competition is now — to equip yourself with the tools you need to succeed in the global talent pool.

Engineers Week (EWeek) takes place later this month, 20-26 February, and the IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Committee is fervently supporting some of EWeek's most ambitious programs, including Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.

In October, several experts outlined and discussed the myriad factors involved in this new era of energy distribution at an IEEE-USA-cosponsored seminar at Notre Dame University on "Ethics and the Changing Energy Markets." Though early attempts to let open markets define the industry bordered on disastrous, many believe that things can settle down and run smoothly.

In a small-team setting, unresolved conflict can hamper productivity and deflate morale. By recognizing the drivers of conflict and learning how to communicate concerns, team members can work toward resolution and getting their project back on track.

When new graduates begin seeking career opportunities, it's often their IEEE student membership that gives them a leg up on other candidates.

At various stages of your career, you will almost certainly find yourself on the bottom of one learning curve or another, challenged to climb it quickly. The good news is that as problem solvers, engineers — probably more than any other professionals — are ideal candidates to deal with change.

Just as you get regular checkups from your physician, you should revisit your retirement planning before the end of every year. What can you to now to maximize your savings both now and down the road?

Engineering is everywhere, but rarely is it the central premise of mainstream television programs or major motion pictures. Sure, there have been a few exceptions, but most of the efforts, as IEEE Spectrum noted several years ago, have ranged from comical to “good try.” So, why isn’t there a television show about engineers?

When you were in school, you had teachers to guide your learning. Even after graduation, we must consider pursuing learning for the rest of our professional lives. Now, though, we must be both teacher and student. Here's how.

Unless we have the latest version of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) program, we're considered technically disadvantaged..."My iPod can do more than yours" is an acceptable boast...As agents of change, engineers lay the foundations for disenchantment with the old, while helping popularize the new...

Many employers and business managers today expect their engineers, designers and scientists to be sources of innovation that can be protected as a valuable asset. As an engineer, how can you obtain and maintain intellectual property rights?

More and more, companies hoping to improve their bottom lines are taking advantage of lower labor costs offshore. In fact, high-tech job outsourcing has become a staple in today’s corporate environment. How much do employers really gain, and what effect is this trend having on engineers and other high-tech professionals?

Being aware of, understanding and adhering to IEEE’s Code of Ethics is more important now than ever in today’s workplace. Ethics is an essential component of our continuing development as engineering professionals. It is a life-long process that must be melded into our daily routines.

ERISA established the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to pay benefits to defined-benefit pension plan participants when their employers cannot. While PBGC has sufficient assets to pay benefits for several years, the organization’s deficit continues to grow as it pays out larger and larger claims. We should make fundamental changes to the defined benefit system now, before PBGC’s deficit reaches a crisis point.

Deciding which technologies will be successful — and how and when they will be incorporated into commercially viable products — is a daunting challenge for corporations. They often call upon technology forecasting to help them “pick a winner.” Just how accurate are such forecasts?

The U.S. House of Representatives recently approved an appropriations bill that earmarks $2 million for an independent study on the effects of offshore outsourcing. IEEE-USA Career and workforce Policy Committee Chair Ron Hira had met earlier with Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) to discuss offshoring and high-tech employment, prompting Wolf to add a provision to the FY 2005 Commerce, State and Justice Departments appropriations bill for an offshoring study.

The IEEE’s Code of Ethics has retained the fundamental principles detailed in the Code first adopted by the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) in 1912. Meanwhile, business practices have changed, society’s needs have changed, and engineers’ roles in business have changed. In light of the world in which we live and work today, could it be time to consider modifications?

When creating a presentation, you need to focus first on developing your message and key points, paying special attention to your listeners’ needs. Then you need to fit that message into a structure that will prompt the response you want. One simple, universal structure works well for all presentations, whether technical or non-technical, informative or persuasive.

Many professionals nearing retirement age are opting to continue working by taking advantage of one of several phased retirement options. These alternative work arrangements are becoming more and more popular in the American workplace, as they benefit employers and employees alike.

Many modern-day technological advances are remarkable, to be sure, but modest innovations get introduced to the marketplace everyday. Whether simple or complex, several general rules of thumb apply to all innovations.