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[Jun 09]
world bytes: The Trust-based Work Place
 
 
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[Jun 09]
Health and Exercise While Traveling
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.
 
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[Jun 09]
Maximizing Your Employability: Remaining Highly Marketable in Any Economy
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.
 
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[Jun 09]
Can Generation Y Be Your Solution to Growth During This Recession?
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?
 
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[May 09]
world bytes: Reluctance and Willpower
 
 
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[May 09]
Backscatter: The Parts Box
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?
 
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[Apr 09]
world bytes: State of Management
 
 
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[Apr 09]
Rebuilding Your Nest Egg
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.
 
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[Apr 09]
Understanding the Mess: Buffet's Letter to Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders
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.
 
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[Apr 09]
Network Purposefully To Accelerate Your Executive Job Search
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.
 
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[Apr 09]
What Should Be Patentable?
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.
 
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[Apr 09]
Engineering Licensure: Q&A With NCEES President-Elect David Whitman
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.
 
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[Mar 09]
The Technology Paradox: A Digital Economy Without a STEM Workforce?
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.
 
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[Mar 09]
Backscatter: Thinking Inside the Box
The symbolism of engineering has evolved as engineering design has gotten more complex and abstract.
 
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[Mar 09]
Career Outlook for Engineers in Today's Economy
Engineering graduates — and those already in the workforce — face uncertain times in today’s chilling economic climate.
 
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[Mar 09]
How Technology Leaders Can Thrive in Tough Times
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.
 
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[Mar 09]
Managing Young Employees: Recruiting and Retaining Them
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?
 
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[Mar 09]
GOLD Launching Your Career e-Book Series: Lifelong Learning
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.
 
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[Mar 09]
World Bytes: Surviving the Economic Downturn
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.
 
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[Mar 09]
Get Fit for Career Success
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.
 
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[Feb 09]
Companies that Practice Succession Management Reap Rewards
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.
 
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[Feb 09]
Investing in Turbulent Times
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.
 
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[Feb 09]
Transitioning from College to Work
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.
 
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[Feb 09]
The Perils, Pitfalls and Pleasures of Blogging
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?
 
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[Feb 09]
Engineering Career Skills Symposium
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.”
 
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[Feb 09]
GOLD e-Book Series Continues with Practitioners Guide to Leadership
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.
 
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[Feb 09]
Special to Today's Engineer: Geek Girl
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.
 
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[Feb 09]
world bytes: The President and His Information
 
 
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[Feb 09]
Backscatter: Engineering as Art
Can the fruits of engineers’ labors be considered art? What of those of electrical engineers in particular?
 
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[Dec 08 - Jan 09]
Improving Public Understanding of Engineering
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.
 
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[Dec 08 - Jan 09]
Backscatter: The Global Engineer
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?
 
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[Dec 08 - Jan 09]
world bytes: Reflections on Turning 60
 
 
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[Dec 08 - Jan 09]
Outlook for 2009
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.
 
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[Dec 08 - Jan 09]
Getting Back into the Game: It's All About Connections
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.
 
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[Dec 08 - Jan 09]
Sample Exam Books Available for Restructured PE Exam
The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam for electrical and computer engineers is assuming a new structure in the spring of 2009.
 
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[Dec 08 - Jan 09]
Managing Market Volatility
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.
 
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[Dec 08 - Jan 09]
New E-Books Address GOLD Careers and Management of Technology
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.
 
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[Nov 08]
Why Companies Don’t Train Engineers
Businesses stand to lose a great deal when they don’t practice succession management — like management continuity and their best engineering pros.
 
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[Nov 08]
Innovation Management Masters Program Helps Engineers Fuel Value Creation
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.
 
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[Nov 08]
IEEE-USA E-Books: Engineering the Art of Negotiation
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.
 
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[Oct 08]
A Bad Boss Can Send You to an Early Grave
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.
 
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[Oct 08]
Backscatter: Bootlegging
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.
 
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[Oct 08]
Be Part of the Best Team
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?
 
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[Oct 08]
IEEE-USA Volunteer Spotlight: John Twitchell
Meet IEEE-USA's VP of Career and Member Services.
 
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[Oct 08]
world bytes: An Ultra-Moment
 
 
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[Sep 08]
Backscatter: The Changing Engineering Workplace
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.
 
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[Sep 08]
world bytes: Craftsmanship
 
 
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[Sep 08]
Why Should Engineers Be Concerned About Copyright Law?
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.
 
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[Sep 08]
Are You Prepared for a Career Crash?
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.
 
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[Sep 08]
Engineers: Your Oceans Need You!
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.
 
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[Sep 08]
Consulting: The Dawn of a New Era
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.
 
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[Sep 08]
The Experts Never Told You About These Three Retirement Challenges
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.
 
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[Aug 08]
Eight Unusual Ways to Improve Your Soft Skills
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.
 
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[Aug 08]
world bytes: Dare To Dream...
 
 
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[Aug 08]
Retirement is Great... I Didn't Plan it That Way, But You Should
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.
 
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[Aug 08]
Phased Retirement — The Time Has Come
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.
 
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[Aug 08]
Changes for Becoming a Licensed Engineer
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.
 
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[Jul 08]
Innovation — Every Engineer’s Role
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.
 
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[Jul 08]
IEEE PES Works to Meet Power & Energy Engineering Education & Workforce Needs
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?
 
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[Jul 08]
Are You Getting All You Can from Organization Memberships?
There are many reasons for attending industry-related meetings and joining organizations, like the IEEE, or community groups.
 
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[Jul 08]
IEEE WIE Supports Showcasing Diverse Engineering Role Models
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.
 
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[Jul 08]
Women of Color Ace Electrical Engineering
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.
 
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[Jul 08]
Banneker Institute Steers African-American Youngsters Towards STEM Education and Careers
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.
 
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[Jul 08]
world bytes: Noise Pollution
 
 
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[Jul 08]
Lights... Camera... Engineering!
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.
 
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[May 08]
world bytes: International Internships
 
 
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[Apr 08]
Career Advice for Mid-Career Engineers
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.
 
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[Apr 08]
Patents — 10 Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Making Them
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.
 
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[Apr 08]
Backscatter: Early Adopters
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.
 
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[Apr 08]
Who Want$ to Be a Millionaire?
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.
 
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[Apr 08]
Why Employee Retention Strategies Do Not Work
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?
 
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[Apr 08]
A Callout to the Twenty-Something Engineer
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.
 
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[Apr 08]
world bytes: Passion and Enthusiasm in the Job Interview
 
 
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[Mar 08]
Résumé Tips for Engineers Over 40
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.
 
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[Mar 08]
What’s Keeping Women Out of IT?
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.
 
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[Mar 08]
Outlook for 2008
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.
 
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[Mar 08]
College or University? The Choice is Yours
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.
 
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[Mar 08]
Washington Technology Digest
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.
 
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[Feb 08]
The NUMB3RS are In: Science, Engineering and Math Well-Represented on TV
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.
 
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[Feb 08]
world bytes: IEEE Mentors
 
 
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[Feb 08]
Low Defined Contribution Plan Savings May Pose Challenges to Retirement Security
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.
 
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[Feb 08]
Help Wanted: Embedded Engineers
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?
 
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[Feb 08]
Smile — You’re a Presenter! 4 Tips for Better Technical Presentations
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.
 
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[Dec 07 - Jan 08]
Take Control of Your Online Profile
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.
 
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[Dec 07 - Jan 08]
Backscatter: Nerdiness
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?
 
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[Dec 07 - Jan 08]
What Every Engineer Needs to Know About Leadership and Management
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.
 
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[Dec 07 - Jan 08]
Improve Your Writing, Enhance Your Career
One of the best ways to enhance your career and ensure your employability is by improving your writing skills.
 
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[Dec 07 - Jan 08]
world bytes: spotting diversity in an organization
 
 
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[Nov 07]
Five Strategies for Successful Engineering Management
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.
 
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[Nov 07]
Publishing an Academic Book? Don't Forget the "M" Word…
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…
 
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[Oct 07]
Managing Mondays
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.”
 
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[Sep 07]
world bytes: 25 Years of the CD
 
 
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[Sep 07]
WISE: Engineering the Future
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.
 
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[Sep 07]
Competitiveness in a Global Environment
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?
 
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[Sep 07]
Reader Poll: The Future of Work
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.
 
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[Aug 07]
Why Do I Want a Mentor?
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.
 
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[Aug 07]
Washington Technology Digest
Items highlighting new and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology emerging from the federal government in recent months.
 
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[Aug 07]
Backscatter: So What Do You Do?
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.
 
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[Aug 07]
Online Village Offers Resources to Entrepreneurial U.S. Members
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.
 
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[Aug 07]
Pulling Performance Out of Generation Y
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?
 
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[Aug 07]
Unleash Your Inner Innovator
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.
 
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[Aug 07]
Training Doctoral Students for Academic Careers in Engineering
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.
 
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[Aug 07]
Protecting IP Rights in a Global Economy
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.
 
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[Jul 07]
IEEE-USA Launches an Innovation Institute
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.
 
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[Jul 07]
Communicating 101: Keep Your Presentations Simple
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.
 
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[Jul 07]
Teaching Today's Engineering Students To Be Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs
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.
 
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[Jul 07]
The Sandwich Generation
“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.
 
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[Jun 07]
RFID Industry Hungry for 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.
 
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[Jun 07]
IEEE-USA E-Books Offer Valuable References and Resources
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.
 
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[May 07]
News Releases for Engineers
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?
 
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[May 07]
Boost Your Career by Becoming an Expert Source
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.
 
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[May 07]
Mentoring Gen Y
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.
 
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[May 07]
How to Choose a Student Loan
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.
 
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[Apr 07]
New Ways to Leverage Your IP
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.
 
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[Apr 07]
Backscatter: More on Math
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.
 
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[Apr 07]
529 College Savings Plans
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?
 
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[Apr 07]
All Engineers Need Leadership Skills
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.
 
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[Apr 07]
Keeping an Eye on Network Neutrality
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.
 
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[Apr 07]
world bytes: Always Keep Trying
 
 
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[Apr 07]
Opinion: NexThing — The Professional Environment of the Future
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.
 
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[Mar 07]
What IEEE Membership Means to Me
 
 
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[Mar 07]
Student's Voice: Take the Jump
 
 
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[Mar 07]
The Perspiration of Patenthood
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.
 
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[Mar 07]
world bytes: Baden-Powell of Gilwell
 
 
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[Jan-Feb 07]
world bytes: Essential Skills for Success
 
 
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[Jan-Feb 07]
Transitioning Jobs, Managing Your Finances
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.
 
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[Jan-Feb 07]
Counter-Offer Conundrum
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?
 
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[Jan-Feb 07]
Social Networking Sites: Enter at Your Own Risk
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.
 
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[Jan-Feb 07]
Backscatter: Writing Not Badly
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.
 
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[Jan-Feb 07]
Outlook for 2007
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.
 
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[Dec 06]
Backscatter: The Unfathomable Internet
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.
 
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[Dec 06]
world bytes: How do you start your day?
 
 
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[Dec 06]
Book Review: Handbook of Human Performance Technology
Terrance Malkinson reviews this fifty-five chapter resource on the rapidly growing and vibrant field of Human Performance Technology (HPT).
 
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[Dec 06]
Volunteer Spotlight: On Scott Tamashiro
Get to know one of IEEE-USA's key volunteers, Scott Tamashiro.
 
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[Dec 06]
IEEE-USA's 2007 Engineering Public-Awareness Program
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.
 
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[Dec 06]
Negotiations: Handling Difficult Conversations
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.
 
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[Dec 06]
Engineers Make Good Reserve Peace Officers?
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.
 
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[Nov 06]
Debunking Employment Agency Myths
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.
 
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[Nov 06]
Year-End Tax Strategies
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.
 
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[Nov 06]
NCEES Model Law Changes PE Exam Eligibility Requirments
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.
 
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[Nov 06]
What My IEEE Membership Means To Me
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."
 
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[Nov 06]
Future Energy Technologies and Employment Challenges
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.
 
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[Nov 06]
Worldbytes: Should I Go Back to School?
 
 
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[Nov 06]
Engineer, Promote Thyself
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.
 
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[Nov 06]
U.S. Competitiveness and the Profession
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.
 
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[Oct 06]
Backscatter: Math... What Good Is It?
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.
 
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[Oct 06]
An Engineer's Guide to Résumé Writing
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.
 
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[Oct 06]
IEEE Association Medical Plan Caught in U.S. Dilemma (Pt 1 of 2)
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.
 
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[Oct 06]
Pandemic Avian (Bird) Influenza
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 ce