Career Focus: Non-Engineering Careers for Engineers

Not everyone who gets an engineering degree or who starts their career as an engineer spends their whole life working as an engineer. But while those who move on may leave behind their hands-on daily exposure to semiconductors or energy systems or software, the education and experience these people received often remains valuable to them through the rest of their careers.

Backscatter: Toys for Budding Engineers

Do today's kids miss out on fun and learning that could propel them to engineering careers as they remain glued to iPads and computer games?

Effective Job Search: Don’t Apply, Get Recommended

Internal sourcing and word-of-mouth referrals dominate how today's jobs are filled, meaning that job seekers can no longer rely solely on resume submissions to find a new job. Candidates who come recommended are more likely to become a new hire.

Congress Delivers Holiday Present for Small Businesses

In mid-December, after more than three years of haggling, legislators agreed to a six-year extension of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, removing long-term uncertainty about the future of these programs.

Policy in the Cloud: Part III — Congress Looks at Legislation

Issues ranging from privacy, security, law enforcement powers, intellectual property and global competition are prodding Congress to enact legislation to clear the way for new legal and regulatory approaches.

Immigration Reform Poised to Move in 2012

After a busy 2011, Congress may be ready to move a significant immigration reform bill early this year. A number of pieces have fallen into place over the last few months which, if bundled together, could easily result in bipartisan legislation becoming law.

Digital Darwinism: FutureMedia Report IDs Six Areas of Growth

According to Georgia Tech's FutureMedia Outlook 2012, the coming years will bring increased personalization, innovation and flexibility in the media landscape. The report identifies six megatrends that will have a pervasive impact on how content is created, distributed and consumed.

IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference

In late October, participants from all over the world gathered at the inaugural IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference to present and discuss solutions for present and future humanitarian needs. George McClure recaps some of the conference highlights.

Protecting Brand Reputation with Software Copyrights

When companies create software, they create copyrighted works. Copyright law immediately protects is the innovative or creative expressions written in Python, C++, ASP, or any other coding language. But copyright protections can go much further: copyrights can also protect a company’s reputation.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Spotlight: On James Howard, 2012 IEEE-USA President

James Howard has been an active IEEE volunteer for almost 25 years. Get to know a little bit more about the personal side of your 2012 IEEE-USA President.

Your Engineering Heritage: 2012 — A "Milestone"Year

2012 looks like a banner year for anniversaries. Some we may have an opportunity to feature in this section over the course of the next 12 months, but others we may not, so let's start off the year with an overview.

World Bytes: Good Jobs: A National Imperative

If you thought that you were on a fast-moving roller-coaster in 2011; tighten up your seatbelt as all indications are that change, uncertainty and unpredictable events will continue through 2012 and well beyond.

Career Focus: App Development

Apps apps apps — that seems to be all that anyone is talking about these days. But while many of the most talked about apps may be simple or flashy games or programs for mobile devices, the real growth in the field is in serious business productivity or marketing applications. Meanwhile, the need for good app developers is growing at a record pace.

Top 10 Ways To Screw-Up Your Engineering Career

Anyone can give you helpful career advice, so Jim Anderson invites you to do something completely different — would you like to know how to screw-up your engineering career?

Is Your Resume Marketing You as an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet or Gourmet Dining?

Comparing a resume with a holiday meal might seem far fetched. From a marketing perspective, there are fascinating parallels.

Policy in the Cloud: Part II — Issues Engaging Policy-Makers

Cloud Computing represents a revolutionary technological leap forward for policy-makers, who must grapple with new issues related to security, privacy, law enforcement and more. The second installment of this three-part series looks at the issues policy-makers face on this complex issue.

Backscatter: How to Invent

How does one answer when confronted with the question "How do you invent?" Don Christiansen offers the wisdom of Wilson Greenbatch, inventor of the implantable pacemaker, as a good place to start.

What Does it Take to be an IEEE-USA Government Fellow?

IEEE-USA annually sponsors three government fellowships, which afford U.S. IEEE members opportunities to spend a year in Washington, DC, serving as technical advisors to either the U.S. Congress or to key U.S. Department of State decision-makers.

Do NOT Publish That Article (if you care about U.S. patent rights)

The America Invents Act changed our patent system from "first to invent" to "first to file." But what does that really mean?

The Future of U.S. Manufacturing

If machines and artificial intelligence are increasingly replacing humans in the workforce, how will engineers fare in the transition?

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Engineering Hall of Fame: Henry Ford, Electrical Engineer

Henry Ford did more than any other individual to establish the modern automobile industry and, by perfecting mass production, he transformed the American and, ultimately, the world economy. But how many people realize that Henry Ford was “one of ours?”

World Bytes: Another Year

Another year is drawing to a close. It would be easy to complain, blame others for the challenges that we face daily, and look to the future with despair. Every generation has its difficulties, and yet, when you stand back and look at the big picture, humanity continues to move forward in a positive way.

Career Focus: Systems Engineering

Are you an engineer who likes to think outside of the box, possesses leadership and communication skills, and thrives at improving the connections between greater parts of a whole? Then systems engineering might be a good next step for your career.

Cover Letters: Too Much "I" Doesn't Leave Room for Me

Cover letters don't need to be tricky. Keep the tone about being of service, and you'll get the audience's attention.

How to Land a New Job Faster: Be Your Own Talent Agent

When competing in today's tight job market, job seekers must do their own planning, packaging, promoting, pricing and selling.

Twenty Years of Pension "Improvements"

The traditional defined benefit pension served as the gold standard for retirement security, where the employer took the risk in delivering the promised benefit. But over the past two decades, many firms have turned the risk over to the employees.

Software Risk Management

This article discusses how vulnerabilities, threats, weakness, defects and exploits greatly reduce the ability to ensure acceptable system behavior.

Policy in the Cloud: Congress Looks at the Fed's Role in Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing represents a revolutionary technological leap forward for policy-makers, who must grapple with new issues related to security, privacy, law enforcement and more.

NCEES Seeks Volunteers for FE Exam Review

NCEES is seeking engineering professionals to participate in a content review for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam to help update the exam's test specifications.

Report Addresses Entrepreneurship, Promises 10K New Engineers a Year

The United States must invest in infrastructure, accelerate entrepreneurship, increase competitiveness and focus on developing the professionals the economy will need in five to 10 years, says a new report from the President's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.

STEM Education Bill Introduced in Congress

On 5 October, Rep. Raul Labrador introduced a bill to change the process international students use to become U.S. citizens. The bill would dramatically reduce the time between students earning advanced degrees and getting a green card.

IP Seminar: The New Patent Law and What it Means to You

On 22 October, IEEE-USA hosted a seminar to help those interested in the patent process better understand the America Invents Act and its potential impact. Video from the seminar is now available online.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: Fiber Optics

World Bytes: Steve Jobs

Is Your Salary Competitive? Find Out with the Latest IEEE-USA Salary Survey and Calculator

We all have questions about our salaries and benefits: Are we getting paid what we're worth? If we switch jobs or move to a new city, what should we expect to earn? Or if you're getting ready to hire an employee, how do you know if you're offering a competitive salary?

Backscatter: Computer-Driven Publishing

The editor of traditional print media has clearly defined responsibilities. But the traditional methods of meeting these responsibilities are under stress, and are changing due largely to computer automation.

IP Engineering Consulting and Professional Licensure

The production and protection of intellectual property (IP) in the electrical and computer engineering discipline is an area that often requires detailed experience and specialized expertise. Here is an overview of typical tasks and considerations that IP consulting engineers face in their practice.

How to Land a New Executive Position in Today's Engineering Job Market

In the past, job searching best practices included preparing and submitting a strong, meticulously edited resume and waiting patiently to be called for an interview. All that has changed, and if you are still relying solely on your resume to open doors to new opportunities, you could get left behind. Here are a few pointers to help you be a more enlightened (and permanent) candidate.

Risk Management and Lean Six Sigma

We live in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA), which is increasing the dimensions of risk that organizations face in today’s competitive environment. However, when we respond rather than react to VUCA, we can capitalize on innovation opportunities that VUCA fosters.

Effective Leadership Traits

Since the great recession of 2008, the rule with an iron fist approach is no longer effective. Employees aren’t motivated to stay at jobs where they feel little connection or value, so if you are team leader, you must find ways to lead effectively and retain your most valuable asset — your employees.

Patent System Reform: Costs Expected To Increase on Small Businesses

The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act makes major changes to the U.S. patent system. Among the changes, the United States will now award patent rights to the first entity to file for a patent — just one of the changes that will likely burden small businesses and individual inventors.

Key Federal Research and Development Appropriations Take Shape for '12

With Fiscal Year 2012 beginning on 1 October, both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have completed work on proposed FY 2012 budgets for NASA, NSF and NIST. The result has overall funding levels declining at all three Science and Technology agencies, although there is an effort to minimize the impact on the research and development components of the agency budgets.

Comparison of FY 2012 Appropriations for Defense Science and Technology Programs

As of 26 September, the House of Representatives and the Senate Appropriations Committee had completed work on FY 2012 appropriations for the Department of Defense and its science and technology programs. Both chambers are looking at similar Science and Technology cuts of over 4 percent, but with funds shifting to provide increases for basic research.

IEEE at Forefront of Efforts to Revitalize Power and Energy Engineering Careers

There has perhaps never been a better time to be a power engineer in the United States. Salaries are strong, interest in renewable fuels is high and Smart Grid efforts promise to modernize the U.S. electric power system.

The Green Button Challenge: Making Smart Grid Consumer Friendly

In 15 Sept. remarks to more than 1,000 Smart Grid leaders gathered in Washington for GridWeek 2011, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra challenged the Smart Grid community to innovate a “Green Button” that would empower consumers to better manage their energy usage.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Your Engineering Heritage: Degaussing Warships, Library Books, and Hard Drives

The “clunk” you hear when you turn on a large CRT television or a computer monitor, and the electrical surge you can sometimes feel and hear near the screen, are modern reminders of an important World War II electrical technology which saved many lives. The sound is made by the degaussing coil, which — in television sets — is used to prevent the discoloration of the display which can occur if the beams of electrons triggering the different colored phosphorus cells are not correctly aimed by the magnetic field.

World Bytes: Hyperspecialization

This concept of "hyperspecialization" is particularly relevant for today's knowledge worker. Projects and tasks previously done by one person will be divided into highly specialized small pieces, each completed by a highly skilled specialist; not necessarily a full-time employee of the company, but may be outsourced locally, nationally or internationally.

Career Focus: Engineering Management

Taking those first steps into management can be difficult, and there are many questions you might ask before moving forward. Is going into management the right career path for you? Are you right for management? Do you need extra training or skills to become an effective manager? What if it doesn't work out for you? Are the best paths for career growth with your current employer, or must you switch companies before you can advance?

Risk Management: Integrated ERM and Cyber Security

Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, publicly traded corporations must apply appropriate methods to ensure controls over the organization, one of which is enterprise risk management (ERM). Integrated ERM is a new concept, but without its adoption, other risk management types are either less likely to deliver maximum value or will fail to be sustained.

Seven Easy Steps that Guarantee Faster Executive Job Search Results

Having the right networking connections before you need job lead referrals shortens the duration of a job search and alleviates some of the stress associated with landing a new career challenge — especially in these recessionary times.

IEEE-USA Position Statements — What are They, Why do we Need Them and What do They do for Me?

Many people know that IEEE-USA takes positions on important engineering, technical and career-related aspects of public policy that impact U.S. IEEE members. But maybe you’re also among the many people who don’t really know much about IEEE-USA’s positions and what they’re meant to do.

Region 3's Jobs Board: Fighting Engineering Unemployment

Unemployment in the United States is at its highest levels since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking it in 1948. To aid unemployed IEEE members in finding jobs, Region 3 has set up a Jobs Board — a network of Employment Assistance Coordinators (EAC) — with the goal of establishing EACs in each of the Region’s 41 Sections.

Assessment Exam for Electrical/Electronics Engineering Technology Programs Now Available

Wondering if your 2- or 4-year university program is actually developing the desired knowledge, skills and abilities in graduates? If yours is an electrical or electronics engineering technology (or related) program, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology Departments Heads Association has a tool that can help you.

Zero Robotics Lets High School Students Program Robot Satellites in Space

A new national robotics competition from MIT, NASA and DARPA is letting high school students experience computing and engineering first hand by programming small space satellites to perform challenging tasks.

NCEES Methodology for Scoring PE Exams, plus Recap of April 2011 Electrical and Computer PE Exam Results

A brief overview of how NCEES scores the PE exam, as well as a recap of the April 2011 Electrical and Computer PE exam results.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Engineering and Pop Culture: Spaceflight in Silent Film

World Bytes: Social Responsibility, Business and the Economy

Career Focus: Cyber Security

Cyber crime is on the rise, threatening individuals' privacy, corporate coffers, government secrets, the security of financial institutions, the operation of national infrastructures, and much, much more. But with the rise of these threats also comes opportunities, as new careers are opening up for people to protect us from hackers, cyber criminals, organized crime, and even terrorists.

The Restructured Engineer: How I Re-invented Myself and Kept Going

The need to reinvent one’s career is not new. In more than 50 years, this engineer has embarked on five or more careers. How he did it may be instructive to younger members.

A Brief History of the U.S. Federal Government and Innovation (Part III: 1945 and Beyond)

In this third installment of a series of articles on the long, broad and deep history of the federal government's role in technological innovation, IEEE History Center staff look at the period beginning with the conclusion of World War II through the 1987.

Have You Adopted the Email Charter?

In June, Chris Anderson and Jane Wulf of TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), a non-profit organization devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading,” declared in a blog post that email was getting out of hand for many people and issued a call for an Email Charter.

(More) Easy Ways to Find Networking Contacts at Target Companies

Here are more easy ways to access the right insiders at target employers to learn about potential new career opportunities before they are advertised so that you are one of the first to put your name forward for a position and participate in the hidden job market.

Risk-Based Decision Making

Recent events have highlighted the importance of risk-based decision making. Modern systems are becoming more complex and the economic, safety and other consequences of a system failure more serious. Ignoring risks because they are improbable and not worth analysis has proven to be highly risky in itself. Managing the risks of disruptive events is becoming a critical focus for business and society.

Backscatter: Making Stuff

Many veteran engineers say that taking things apart when they were young helped lead them to successful engineering careers. Do today’s kids have the same opportunities to experiment?

Opinion: The Patent Swamp

With engineers being drawn into unethical acts, shell companies with fake addresses being formed to behave much like the Mafia, IEEE Life Senior Member Marlin Ristenbatt believes we have entered a “swamp.”

Policy 101: Watching Washington

Thanks to the internet, Americans now have much better access to information about Congress, pending legislation and their elected officials than ever before. You just need to know where to look.

How to Review for the PE Exam

A look at some of the options available to help you complete a successful review so that you will improve your chances of passing the PE exam.

National Strategy for Stewardship of Electronics Waste Announced

According to the EPA, Americans generate almost 2.5 million tons of used electronics every year, which are made from valuable resources such as precious metals and rare earth materials, as well as plastic and glass. At a 20 July event held at a certified electronics recycling center in Austin, Texas, representatives from EPA, GSA and the White House Council on Environmental Quality joined with senior executives from Dell, Spring, and Sony Electronics to unveil a new “National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship.”

How Safe Are We in Air Travel?

Two recent hearings by the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Defense and Foreign Operations explored the current state of air travel safety. The first hearing, held on 16 March, entitled, "TSA Oversight Part 1: Whole Body Imaging" examined issues associated with the use of imaging technology, including effectiveness, privacy concerns, and health risks. The second hearing, “Airport Perimeter Security,” on 13 July, investigated the security of U.S. airports’ physical boundaries.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

USDA’s MyPlate Program

Easy Ways to Find Contacts to Network into Your Target Employers — Part One

Today's passive, active and future job seekers must be self-reliant and manage both their connections and the steps required for their careers to move forward. Individuals must cultivate appropriate experiences and opportunities to increase their knowledge and value within the job market. But how do you find the right people at the right employers?

Advice for Engineers Who Hate Networking

Many people share a common dislike for networking. However, you don't have to be a master at networking or have a "Type A" personality to succeed. All it takes is a little planning and some strategy, and after all, isn't that what engineers do best?

A Brief History of the U.S. Federal Government and Innovation (Part II: 1917-1945)

In this second installment of a series of articles on the long, broad and deep history of the federal government's role in technological innovation, IEEE History Center staff look at the period beginning with World War I through World War II (1917-1945).

Book Review: This Time Is Different — Eight Centuries of Financial Folly

Recessions may differ in depth and length, but a recent book by Carmen N. Reinhart and Kenneth S. Rogoff finds no significant difference in eight centuries of financial folly. In each case, however, those engaged were able to convince themselves that their situation was unique.

IEEE-USA Teams Up with Industry to Promote High-Tech Immigration and Job Creation

Some of world’s top international students earn their advanced high-tech college degrees in the United States, and many would like to remain here. But with an immigration system that makes them wait as long as 10 years for a chance to become permanent residents, many choose to return home or move to a country more welcoming.

IEEE Innovator Recognized for 250th Patent

IEEE director Dr. William Tonti was recently honored for a milestone few inventors ever achieve — his 250th patent. His parents, Aldo and Catherine, made the day even more special by joining him for the ceremony at the IEEE Operations Center in Piscataway, N.J.

EcoCAR Competition Prepares Engineering Students to Tackle Tomorrow’s Engineering Challenges

The 200 some engineering students from 16 colleges across North America who have been working diligently over the past three years to compete in the prestigious EcoCAR Challenge will have a leg up on the competition when they enter the job market.

Impasse Over Yucca Mountain

To reduce its dependence on foreign fossil fuel, the United States is considering applications for more nuclear power plants, but has not come up with a permanent solution for storage of spent nuclear fuel. And now, DOE has announced plans to scrap the Yucca Mountain disposal site, which had been slated to open for storage in 2020.

Biofuel — A Viable Solution Engineered from Algae

With gasoline prices continuing to increase, finding alternatives to petroleum-based fuel is urgent. Engineers and scientists are creating renewable and sustainable solutions from algae to meet this challenge.

Application of Risk Management During Project Definition

Today, more and more companies are looking at enterprise-level risk. For most engineers, the application of risk management will be at the project level. In two of the most regulated markets — aerospace and medical — the FAA and FDA are levying requirements for the performance and documentation of risk management, including allocating risk down to the subcontractor/supplier level.

Opinion: When Do Software Systems Need to be Engineered?

Until very recently, no state required licensure of software engineers. But licensure for software engineers will become a practical reality within two years in 10 states, and it's likely that eventually all U.S. states and jurisdictions will adopt some form of professional licensure for software engineers in order to protect the public. But which software systems should this change affect?

Policy 101: Meeting with Legislators

There are many ways to share your views on important policy matters with Members of Congress. But the best way to influence an elected official, by far, is to meet with him or her directly.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

World Bytes: The American Cowboy

Career Focus: Power Engineering

Is power engineering a career in crisis, an industry on hold, or a field ripe for opportunity? Yes to all three. According to experts, the power engineering field is about to undergo a major 1-2-3 punch that will shake it up more than at any other point in its history.

Power Engineer Profile: Jay Caspary

Meet Jay Caspary, a working power engineer.

Getting a Job in a New Industry or Being Hired for a Different Role

Company closings, staffing cutbacks, mergers, consolidations and other circumstances have decreased the number of jobs in certain industries, forcing individuals to seek employment in new industries, while other professionals must switch roles and emphasize different skills to find new positions in the same or different fields.

Backscatter: Euterpe and the Engineer

Do engineers and the muse of music share a special affinity? Put more prosaically, are the aptitudes and skills required by engineers similar to those of performers and composers of music?

Engineers Need Exceptional Growth Plans

When it comes to improving on technical competencies, engineers generally know where to go to hone their skills. But there are other subject areas engineers must also be good at, abilities that are equally (sometimes more) important, that aren’t always as easy for engineers to figure out on their own.

Taking Responsibility for Technology

IEEE Senior Member Don Shafer discusses some of the most infamous engineering disasters in modern history and the responsibilities of the engineers who build, deliver and use technology.

A Brief History of the U.S. Federal Government and Innovation (Part I: 1787-1917)

In this first installment of a series of articles on the long, broad and deep history of the federal government's role in technological innovation, IEEE History Center staff look at the period beginning with the nation's independence up to World War I (1787-1917).

Book Review: The New Cool by Neal Bascomb

In his new book, The New Cool, Neal Bascomb provides an inspiring account of Dos Pueblos High School’s FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics team and their quest to win the 2009 FIRST competition.

Opinion: Raising Priority for Cyber Security in the Electric Utility Sector’s C-Suite

Cyber security receives plenty of attention in the industry through mandatory Critical Infrastructure Protection standards, says Dan Skaar, CEO of the Midwest Reliability Organization. But he wonders if it is getting the attention of all top utility executives.

Third IEEE Green Technologies Conference Underscores IEEE's Commitment to Clean Tech

The 2011 IEEE Green Technologies Conference was conceived on the pressing need to address one of the nation’s most complicated challenges: securing green and clean energy sources for the 21st century.

Policy 101: Inside the Minds of Congressional Staff

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) helps Members of Congress run their offices more efficiently. However, CMF also provides us with useful insights into how Congressional staff thinks.

U.S. Support for Academic R&D Lagging Behind Other Nations

According to a recent report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, U.S. university research funding is falling behind that of other industrialized nations.

Improving the Nation's K-12 STEM Education: One School’s Program for Educating Future Teachers

The T.J. Smull College of Engineering at Ohio Northern University has created one of the country’s first Bachelor of Science degrees in Engineering Education in an effort to educate teachers who can accurately introduce K-12 students to engineering and encourage them to enter the field.

Former IEEE-USA President Discovers Ancestor is Aviation Pioneer

Jim Leonard set out to find if he had Native American ancestry, but the former IEEE-USA president found out something entirely different — a link to early U.S. aviation history.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

World Bytes: The Last First World War Combat Veteran Dies

Claude Stanley Choules, considered to be the last known verified combat veteran of the First World War (1914-1918) died in Perth, Western Australia on 5 May 2011 at the age of 110.

Career Focus: Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering is poised to be the fastest growing job of the decade. Does that mean there's a job for you in the field?

Restoring Balance to Your Work and Life

If you're one of those fortunate people whose life is in balance, you may wonder just what is the ‘big issue’ about work-life balance. If you're not one of those people, chances are you believe achieving this balance may not be possible. In either case, you should step back from time to time and evaluate your situation.

Don't Let Doubts About Age Sabotage Your Career

In our consumer culture, we too often value packaging over substance. In response to questions about age, career coach Elizabeth Lions always tell her clients: what you think about, you bring about.

Finding a Job in the Hidden Job Market

The majority of today’s new hires find their jobs through personal connections rather than more traditional routes, but most job seekers continue to expend their energy on those old, familiar, less productive search methods — resulting in lengthy, stressful job search campaigns.

Diversity and Inclusion Fuels Innovation in STEM

A quick look at the demographics of the U.S. population (above) compared to the distribution in science and engineering occupations reveals that the science and engineering labor force is not representative of the U.S. population at all.

Stemming the Tide: New Study Examines Why Women Leave Engineering

Conventional wisdom tells us that many women engineers leave their careers to devote time to their families. But a new study finds the engineering culture is more to blame.

World Engineering Convention Seeks an Engineering Approach to Addressing Global Energy Challenges

The World Engineering Convention (WEC), 4-8 Sept. 2011, will bring together engineers, policy-makers, researchers and industry leaders from around the globe to endorse a statement on behalf of the global engineering community to help inform national and international policy-making on energy and climate change.

Path to Licensure: A BSSE or BSCS?

A looks at the impact of selecting the Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering (BSSE) or the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) for students who might eventually want to be licensed as a Professional Engineer (P.E.).

Exemption to PE Licensure Under Review

A recent series of disasters and product safety issues involving the failure of engineered systems has prompted several engineering organizations to ask whether engineering licensure laws should be strengthened to better protect the public health and safety.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Tech News Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Engineering & Pop Culture: Communication Technologies and Liberation Movements

The recent events in Egypt and the Middle East have intensified the debate over whether information and communication technologies — often referred to as ‘liberation technologies’ — assist popular movements, or are used even more effectively as a means of surveillance, monitoring, and controlling of dissident movements.

World Bytes: 50th Anniversary of the First Man in Space: Yuri Gagarin

In 1961, Yuri Gagarin, a Russian (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) became the first person leave the Earth and venture into space. The Vostok rocket, with Gagarin in a tiny capsule at the top, blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Career Focus: Technology Entrepreneurship

Apple. Microsoft. Google. The list of huge companies that began as tiny entrepreneurial startups is legendary, long and varied. But are the same opportunities available for today's engineers? Is it a good time to hang out your shingle, or to work for a startup?

Entrepreneurs' Network Celebrates 20 Years of Entrepreneurship Education

For 20 years, greater Boston and eastern New England tech entrepreneurs have had a local resource to turn to for training, ideas on how to run a lean, effective startup business, access to top VCs, and, most importantly, a sounding board of other startup founders.

White House and Industry Leaders Partner to Promote Entrepreneurship

In January, the President announced "Startup America," a public-private partnership to celebrate, inspire and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship in the United States.

Retaining Talent: How Do Your Employees Really Feel about Working for You?

Many employers are feeling the double-edged sword of economic recovery — the exhilaration that the recession may be ending tempered by the stress of depleted inventories and resources, and the constant challenge of revenue growth. The changing landscape is prompting many bosses to examine their relationships with their employees.

Backscatter: In Praise of a Job Well Done

Former Spectrum editor Donald Christiansen muses on the role and value of the craftsman in the engineering workplace. To him, the craftsman once was, and hopefully remains, an important adjunct to the engineer.

The Quiet War on Innovation

Tucked away from the front pages and politicians' speeches, a legal battle of sorts is being waged against innovation, however unintended it may be.

Urgent Retirement Planning for Boomers

The financial press is reporting that consumer debt is down, based in part on Baby Boomers who have realized that they need to step up savings as retirement looms. The first wave of Baby Boomers reach age 65 this year. Over the next 18 years, 78 million of them will reach that age. The last wave still has time to tweak their retirement plans.

House Introduces Patent Reform Bill

On 30 March, Rep. Smith introduced the House version of the America Invents Act (H.R. 1249), followed by a full committee hearing on the bill held on 31 March.

Which PE Exam Should You Take?

Electrical and computer engineers have choices when it comes to the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam. They can either take the computer engineering or the electrical and electronics engineering exam. But which one should you take?

Tech Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

IEEE-USA Toolkit: April

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Engineering & Pop Culture: Electronic & Computer Music

Computers play an integral part in today's music industry. From recording and production to composition, many of today's popular artists use computers in their work. While it may evoke images of high-tech and sophisticated machinery, computer music and electronic music are not recent phenomena; electronic music has been produced for over a century, and music has been made using computers since before the era of rock and roll. While the widespread use of computers in recording and production may have only gained favor within the mainstream industry in the past 30 years, the genre has a very rich and deep history.

World Bytes: On Giving Job Instructions

Supervisors who do not take the time to train their subordinates are frequently kept busy solving problems that would not have occurred had effective job instruction been delivered at the start.

Career Focus: Software Engineering

Software engineering was recently dubbed the best job of 2011 by career site Career Cast, and magazines like Forbes and Fortune have also extolled the virtues and importance of the field. Heck, even toy company Mattel recently introduced Computer Engineer Barbie to help inspire young girls into the profession.

Six E-mail Mistakes That Can Cook Your Career

While a convenient tool, careless use of e-mail can wreak havoc in the workplace. The more e-mails we send, the easier it is to become overly confident in our mastery of the tool... and to make mistakes. Here are six common e-mail blunders that could cook your career.

Federal S&T Budget at a Crossroads

With pressure building to bring the spiraling federal budget deficit under control and a change in political leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives, Federal R&D spending has become a prime target for congressional budget-cutters.

High-Speed Rail — Have We Missed the Train?

In February, Vice President Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the President's plan to invest $53 billion in high-speed, intercity rail service over the next six years. The Administration calls the investment vital to U.S. competitiveness, but will a cost-conscious Congress think it's worth the price?

2011's Patent Reform Legislation

After six years, Congress is once again considering patent reform legislation in the form of the America Invents Act (S. 23). At the heart of the bill is a shift from a first-to-invent to first-inventor-to-file system. But there are many other issues that should also be of concern to technology professionals. What does this bill mean to all of us non-lawyers?

NCEES Update: October 2010 PE Exam Results & New Engineering Education Standard

With four administrations of the restructured PE exam for electrical and computer engineers completed, NCEES has made available early results from the October exam. And in January, NCEES also began using a new standard for its education credentials evaluations for engineering licensure candidates.

White House and Industry Leaders Partner to Promote Entrepreneurship

On 31 January, President Obama announced the “Start-up America” campaign, a public-private partnership to celebrate, inspire and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship through the United States.

The 100-Year Starship

Sending humans on an Interstellar flight to colonize far-away planets was a concept relegated to the realm of science fiction until DARPA and the NASA Ames Research Center announced that they were planning the first step in the next era of space exploration — the “100-Year Starship” — needed for a journey between the stars.

IEEE-USA Announces Dates for Energy and Career Fly-Ins

IEEE-USA has announced the dates for its Energy Fly-In and Career Fly-In this spring. These events give U.S. IEEE members structured opportunities to meet the new 112th Congress.

Book Review: The Next Decade The Next Decade

The just-published book, The Next Decade: Where We’ve Been…and Where We’re Going (2011), posits that the United States has evolved from a republic to an empire, not intentionally but through circumstances.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

The Changing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce

In remarks delivered to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, NSF Director Dr. Subra Suresh discusses the National Science Foundation's role in helping to revitalize the nation's STEM pipeline.

Engineers Week: So?

Former IEEE president Charles Eldon reflects on EWeek, President Obama's comments on engineers and working together on the "Race to the Top" in education.

Tech Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: Electrical Technology Comes to the Laboratory

Scientific laboratories were radically transformed in the early decades of the 20th century by the coming of electrical and electronic technologies.

Register to Attend Congressional Visits Day

U.S. IEEE members have the opportunity to meet the new 112th Congress on 6-7 April during Congressional Visits Day. During this event focused on federally funded R&D, a coalition of 30 science and engineering groups team up to remind Congress of the importance of basic research.

World Bytes: The World's Population

The United Nations Population Division predicts that in late 2011 — specifically on 26 August — the world’s population will reach seven billion people. Why should that concern us?

Employment Networks Can Enhance Your Job Search

Employment Networks (also known as job clubs or job networks) are small groups of individuals who come together in face-to-face meetings or electronically to help each other’s employment search.

Backscatter: Usability to the Rescue

Is it beyond our expectations that computer-based products could be so reliable and user friendly that the tech support function would no longer be needed? Displaced tech support personnel might then find more creative employment as usability professionals.

Seven Tips for Building Your Online Network

The proliferation and popularity of social and professional networking sites are driving changes in the traditional résumé, from a single-page print or pdf document to a variety of new media incarnations. How can you spruce up your online image?

Surviving the Unexpected Job Interview

You just found out that the company you work for has been acquired. The steps you take following that news can have a significant impact on whether or not the forthcoming changes provide you with favorable opportunities.

State of the Union Highlights S&T Themes

President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address to the 112th Congress outlined his Administration’s plans and priorities for the nation over the coming two years, and featured several science, technology, engineering and math themes.

Engineering for Reparability: Designing for the Greater Good?

Should product engineers strive to design their devices to be reparable? Is it always even possible? What benefits come from designing a product that can be fixed — or from building one that can't?

IEEE-USA Wants You to Welcome the New Congress

Congress welcomes 110 new members this year, most of whom do not have backgrounds in engineering or the sciences. IEEE-USA is looking for volunteers to visit your new Legislator’s local office to discuss IEEE and engineering.

A Look at the New House Science, Space and Technology Committee

The House Science and Technology Committee starts 2011 with a new chair, a new name, a long list of new members, and a new focus on oversight, government efficiency and the space program.

Changing the Conversation: About Engineering

Late last year, representatives of industry, government, academia and professional societies (including the IEEE) met to galvanize support for a coordinated, national messaging campaign about engineering — incorporating the National Academy of Engineering’s core public-outreach messages.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Tech Digest

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: Electrical Technology Comes to the Laboratory

World Bytes: The Peace Corps, JFK, and Sargent Shriver

Outlook for 2011

As in past years, this annual survey will examine the outlook in eight areas of significant importance to the U.S. endeavor in 2011: technology, energy, climate change, workforce, employment benefits, immigration, infrastructure and the economy.

A Decade in Review: 2001-2010

The decade beginning in 2001 was marked by a string of events that changed our lives and continue to shape our future. From the televised tragedy of 9/11, to the election of America's first African-American President — it was a remarkable ten years, with engineers playing an important role in many of the events.

Lame Duck Congress Passes Key S&T Legislation

Just before adjourning its post-election "lame duck" session, Congress reauthorized the America COMPETES Act, expiring legislation that aims to bolster U.S. economic and scientific leadership by supporting basic research, improving science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, and fostering innovation.

First Study of Its Kind Examines Innovation by U.S. Businesses

Just how innovative are American companies? Until recently, it was impossible to answer that question quantitatively. But now, for the first time, a new study illustrates the innovation that exists throughout the U.S. economy, how many companies are innovating, and which industries are the most innovative.

IEEE-USA and IEEE Computer Society Cooperate in New Professional Software Engineering Licensure Initiative

In most parts of the country, software engineers aren't required to be licensed — despite the fact that they may be working on software embedded in systems that could pose a physical or financial risk to the public. However, that is likely to change soon, and IEEE-USA and the IEEE Computer Society are working together to make sure a path to licensure is available to software engineers who wish to pursue it.

Federal Government 101: The IEEE-USA Congressional and State Department Fellowships

IEEE-USA's 2010 Engineering & Diplomacy Fellow, Norman Lerner, P.E., recaps his year at the U.S. State Department, and answers some questions about the program — including why a successful professional in the private sector would even consider participating.

Hidden Job Market Secrets: The Right Strategy Makes Looking for a New Job Easy

Candidates are rarely job-hunting experts. Even if you have the qualifications for the job you want, you must use the best strategy for success in today's highly competitive job market. Networking purposefully accelerates campaign progress.

Ten things You may not know about Social Networking & Social Networking Sites

With social networks becoming more and more pervasive in our daily lives, Wole Akpose hopes to help make informed and savvy users out of readers by alerting them to potential threats, while also highlighting some of the opportunities that have eluded many users.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Tech Digest: January

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

Your Engineering Heritage: IEEE & MIT

World Bytes: Movies Can Teach Values

How to Build a Network in Twelve Days (before Christmas)

The holiday season is ideal for reconnecting, making new contacts and strengthening relationships. The “right contacts” are relationships with hiring decision makers and good connectors. In just 12 days, start building your career nest egg.

Three Threatened Tech Treasures

Recently, Don Christiansen's preservation instincts were aroused when he learned of threats to three endangered electrical engineering- and technology-related sites.

Six Things Recruiters Will Never Tell You

When recruiters and job seekers aren’t communicating openly and honestly, the relationship is already at a disadvantage. In the spirit of openness, a former recruiter hopes to clear up some of the misconceptions about recruiters that stem from a lack of open communication.

A History of Six Sigma

IEEE member and Six Sigma-certified IT security specialist Wole Akpose provides a look at the history of the sometimes controversial business management strategy developed by Motorola in the 1980s.

Management Books Offer Tips for Engineers

Two books by author Jeffrey Pfeffer provide useful tips on management and career growth. The advice is wide-ranging, from traits that will help you climb the ladder of success to social interaction and posture.

Biofuel Review Part 6: Job Creation and Government Spending

To create jobs, should nations shift their energy workforce to biofuel industries, given the substantial growth potential and that biofuels require about 100 times more workers than fossil fuels to produce the same amount of energy?

New Study Reveals Opportunities for Engineering Education

Are American engineering students prepared for the workplace? Not always, according to a new report that says that U.S. schools are still producing top-notch engineers, but identifies several areas where we can improve how we get students ready for professional practice.

E-mail 101: Tips to Consider Before You Hit Send…

Love it or hate it, e-mail is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. It has been called the killer app of the Internet for good reason: it is the most widely used Internet application. Are you using e-mail effectively, or are your missives getting lost in the shuffle?

Addressing the Looming Shortage of Power Engineers

A recent industry survey by the Center for Energy Workforce Development found that 51 percent of engineers engaged in power generation or delivery for electric, natural gas and nuclear utilities could leave their jobs by 2015, owing to retirements and other attrition. So where will the next generation of power engineers come from?

Harnessing the Cloud To Serve Individuals With Disabilities

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced a national Accessibility and Innovation Initiative during remarks at the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Tech Digest: December

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

The IEEE Foundation and You – Making a Difference

Find out more about the IEEE-USA Fund and how you can help IEEE-USA fulfill its mission.

World Bytes: The Royal Engagement

Engineering Hall of Fame: Franklin Leonard Pope

Consulting 101

Have you ever thought about performing consulting work or thought about starting your own consulting company? As an electrical engineer, you possess skills that individuals and companies want, but there are several things you should consider before taking steps toward becoming a consultant.

Forensic Engineering: Is it for you?

You've probably heard the term forensic used in many contexts — especially with the number of TV programs featuring high-tech forensic methods to solve crimes. You may even know someone who has been involved in forensic engineering, and wondered what it would take to get into that line of work.

IEEE Members Give "Thumbs Up" to IEEE Member Group Insurance Program

Find out how members feel, what they're saying and other feedback compiled from a recent survey conducted on current life and health insurance participants. Plus, learn about new improvements and service features designed to improve the program.

Outlook for Key S&T Competitiveness Legislation Uncertain

Congress' early election recess and the time constraints on the anticipated post-election "lame-duck" session raise serious doubts about the prospects for reauthorization of the landmark 2007 America COMPETES Act.

Do Taxes Affect Innovation and Jobs?

Taxes are in the news, with the presidential panel on debt reduction expected to issue its report in less than a month.

Ten Secrets of Successful Tech Support

Good support is that gem of technical trivia that hits the bull's eye on the first shot—a precision-launched silver bullet that notches a perfect score and in slap-down style declares match over, what next.

Smart Grid Needs More Broadband Spectrum, Researchers Contend

For the Smart Grid to work as touted, a constant stream of online communications is necessary between customers' electric appliances and electric utilities. To increase the flow of information, more broadband spectrum will have to be allocated to the utilities.

Biofuel Review Part 5: Impact on Water and Biodiversity

Biofuels account for 1 to 2 percent of global transportation fuel and their share is projected to continue rising to about 5 or 6 percent by 2020. The growth of biofuel production has already had serious consequences for water resources and biodiversity. This article, the fifth in the series, provides a discussion on the impact of biofuel development on water usage and biodiversity.

NIST Realigns Labs to Improve Decision Making, Strengthen Interdisciplinary Research

After 20 years with its research components organized largely by scientific disciplines, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is realigning its laboratories according to a mission-based structure.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

Tech Digest: November

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

World Bytes: Tourism and World Peace

Tourism, Progress and Peace, edited by Omar Moufakkir and Ian Kelly, promotes the notion that tourism can be used as a strategy to contribute to world peace

Your Engineering Heritage: From Gaining Weeks to Milliseconds — The Transatlantic Cable

Lest one think that the obsession with speed is only an Internet-era phenomenon, consider the great amount of effort and money spent in the19th century to move vital data across the Atlantic Ocean.

Backscatter: Who Wrote This Stuff?

That’s the question we often ask when roaming across and delving into the Internet. But now we must be aware that even textbooks that are ostensibly the work of one author may have been amended and rewritten by several others without the knowledge of the original author.

2010 Salary Survey Reveals Positive Changes Along with Reductions and Gaps

How does your salary compare to others in your industry? Are you making enough, or too little, or maybe bringing home a bit more bacon than your peers? What about other compensation? How do your benefits stand up compared to the rest of the industry? And what about your technical field — is it offering you all of the compensation that you deserve? You can find the answers to these questions — and many more — in the 2010 IEEE-USA Salary & Fringe Benefits Survey.

The Right Career Strategy Prevents Job Searching Tragedy

Most people know someone who is or was recently in the job market. Today’s recruiting practices have veered 180 degrees from where they were just five short years ago. Social media have revolutionized the way candidate pools are selected and refined, and internet job boards are no longer the only game in town. The mediums have changed, but the basics remain the same: having a purposeful network is the smart way to prepare in advance for a faster, more effective job search campaign.

Lower Home Ownership Foreseen

For many years home ownership was seen as a sign of stability. Owners tended to stay in their homes longer than renters did, had an incentive for home improvements, and developed community networks. In the past decade, the “Ownership Society” was touted as a goal for the United States.

K-12 STEM Initiatives on the Fall Agenda

With the start of the new school year, there was a concerned effort in mid-September to focus national attention on the challenges and opportunities for enhancing K-12 science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States.

A Coast-to-Coast Festival Infused with Innovation

What happens when you combine the best minds in STEM education with best practices in entrepreneurship? One striking result is the forthcoming USA Science & Engineering Festival, whose special events will blanket the country in October and culminate in a two-day exhibition bash on Washington, D.C.’s National Mall.

Biomedical Engineering Needs Substantial Funding Increase, According to IEEE EMBS President

Substantially increased funding is needed for the United States to maintain its global leadership in biomedical engineering, according to the head of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS).

Tech Digest: October

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, just starting your career, or getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help at every stage of your professional life.

FE Exam to Begin Move to Computer-Based Format

The 8-hour, 180-question Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam is about to undergo some major changes. NCEES is set to begin the process of converting FE and Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exams from paper and pencil to computer-based testing (CBT).

World Bytes: The Wide-Ranging Benefits of NASA

Engineering Hall of Fame: General Stoner and the 24-Hour Circuits

Make a Great First Impression – in Person and Online – By Marketing Yourself Remarkably

Career connections are increasingly made via online social networking sites, eclipsing the traditional face-to-face events. Be prepared to share your information in a short and persuasive card format that will give new contacts some important information about you, and directs them to where they can learn more about you.

Employment Meltdown Solution: Technology + Talent + Teamwork = Jobs

In October 2007, the world began experiencing a financial market collapse. The Financial Times estimates that since the beginning of the 2009 U.S. stimulus program, about 400,000 public service jobs have been added to the economy, but about 2.7 million private-sector jobs were lost. As a result, the U.S. unemployment rate has remained stubbornly high. What can we do to reverse the trend?

Needed: Support for Professional Science Master's Degrees

One of the most important innovations in graduate science education is now well under way at American universities: the professional science master's degree (PSM). At last count, and following remarkably rapid growth over the past two years, more than 200 of these innovative graduate degrees are now available at close to 100 North American universities.

Are We Beginning To See The Light?

Americans are convinced that math and science skills are crucial for the future, with strong majorities who say there will be more jobs and college opportunities for students with those skills, according to a new Public Agenda survey. But while there's broad support from parents and the general public for K-12 national standards, more than half of parents say the math and science their child is getting in school is "fine as it is."

FE Other Disciplines Module: not the easy option

NCEES published an article in its August 2010 Licensure Exchange that reveals interesting — and perhaps surprising — results for the FE Other Disciplines module from 2005-2010.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, if you're just starting your career, or if you're getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help you at every stage of your professional life.

The Engineer's Pledge

As advocates for the engineering profession and believers in the power and creativity of engineering, WGBH decided to create the Engineer’s Pledge — a call for engineers, supporters, students, teachers and counselors to uphold the reputation of engineering and help support the livelihood of the field.

Home Stretch for the 111th Congress

With approximately eight weeks left until the General Election, the next two months should be among the most active of the year in Washington as lawmakers rush to finish work on priorities in time to tell their voters.

Tech Digest: September

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology.

IEEE Day: 7 October 2010

IEEE Day is a global event planned for 7 October 2010, in recognition of IEEE members — past, present and future.

Plans Outlined for Carbon Capture and Storage

In mid-August, a federal task force outlined a plan to overcome barriers to widespread, cost-effective deployment of carbon capture and storage technologies within 10 years.

Your Engineering Heritage: The IEEE Archives

World Bytes: Scouts of America 100th Anniversary

Backscatter: The “Inconceivable” Consequences of Failure

If an engineering project is very large and/or complex, was costly to produce and deploy, is expensive to maintain, and has been operating successfully without failure, does it follow that, inevitabley, something bad will happen? In the case of the BP oil rig disaster, it did.

When Time Remaining Is Not Time Remaining

Software engineer Ed Joyce takes a humorous look at the computer interfaces that have evolved from a simple flashing cursor into a maybe-it’s-on/maybe-it’s-off cacophony of video and audio, touch screens, and voice commands, among other interactive media. Computer geeks may gush giddy over these rich interfaces, but the final products often leave end users feeling exhausted and emotionally drained.

Develop Leadership Skills Through Volunteering

Leadership skills include planning projects, managing time, motivating individuals, giving feedback and building teams. Many employers consider these skills — often termed soft skills — more important than experience or college education in defining successful business leaders.

Determining How Your Employer Measures Your Performance

If you haven't taken the time to discuss and find out what your manager and other upper-level superiors consider important or the performance required for a promotion, you could be wasting a lot of time and energy.

A Dozen Reasons Why You Should Obtain Your P.E. License

Many engineers obtain their professional engineer (P.E.) license because it is a specific job requirement. Many others choose not to obtain a P.E. license because it is not a direct job requirement. Meanwhile, there are compelling considerations for becoming a licensed professional engineer that are larger than the immediate minimal requirements of a current job.

IEEE-USA Toolkit

Whether you're a student, if you're just starting your career, or if you're getting close to retirement, IEEE has a wealth of resources to help you at every stage of your professional life.

The Supreme Court’s Bilski Decision Leaves Questions Unanswered

Many had hoped that the Supreme Court's Bilski decision would clarify exactly what is and is not patentable. However, the Court's decision left much unresolved.

Electric Vehicles on the Rise: What Does That Mean for the Engineering Community?

Even before the first wave of electric vehicles rolls out of dealers' showrooms, a great deal of work is already under way to make it possible for roads — and the electric grid — to handle them.

Can Local Networks of Experts Help Boost Diversity in Science and Engineering?

According to a recent interim report from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), local networks of experts can show communities how to bring more women and minorities to careers in science and engineering.

Engineers’ Roles in Auto-Safety Assessments Drawing National Attention

Mounting reports of sudden, unintended vehicle acceleration have generated national media attention and attracted congressional scrutiny. One of the questions emerging from this exposure is the adequacy of the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's (NHTSA) technical capabilities.

DBIS – Reliable Science on Local TV News

IEEE-USA has been a partner in the Discoveries and Breakthroughs Inside Science (DBIS) program since 2005.

Tech Digest: August

A roundup of news and notable developments in electrical engineering and computer or information technology reported during late June and July 2010.

World Bytes: The Measure of a Person

Your Engineering Heritage: Up for the Count

Four Ways to Broaden Your Job Search for Results

When facing a job change, it’s easy to get caught up thinking there is only one way to find work — by applying online. However, studies have shown that when it comes to achieving results, online job shopping isn’t as effective as other strategies.

Asking for a Raise is Easier than You Think, Even in Bad Times

Do you feel underpaid and deserving of a higher salary? Are you thinking about asking for a raise, but unsure how to go about it? Do you cringe at the thought of approaching your boss? This article provides guidelines for making the task less intimidating — and hopefully getting you the raise you want and deserve.

The Jobless Recovery — Are We There Yet?

Since the last business peak, 8.4 million jobs have been lost in the United States. In May, there were 15 million unemployed. The official unemployment rate ignores workers who have given up looking for work, those with part-time jobs who can’t find full-time jobs, and workers who settled for work they found outside their skill set. The numbers are discouraging, but are we headed in the right direction?