FEBRUARY 2001

A Message From the Editor:

Perhaps one of the most frequent New Year’s resolutions I hear is "I’m going to get more organized." Yet, like so many other New Year’s resolutions, this one is cast off within weeks of our turning to that new calendar page. In today’s hectic work environment, it’s never too late to make organizational skills a priority and to find — and practice — ways to manage our time more effectively.

This month, IEEE-USA Today’s Engineer offers some recommendations about making the most of the limited time we have. By practicing simple but effective time management techniques, professionals will be able to accommodate the many demands on their work time without sacrificing everything else to meet deadlines and reach goals. Along with our feature about time management skills, Todd Yuzuriha sheds some light on how focusing on results may insulate us from the current downward trend we’re seeing in the technology business sector.

This issue also gives you a glimpse at the intriguing results of a pair of IEEE-USA surveys conducted to delve into the issues faced by older engineers in today’s workforce. As George McClure’s feature suggests, age may play a role in career opportunities and outcomes as well as career success, but not all of the associated trends are as negative as some may believe. Be sure to check out Mr. McClure’s full-length report, if you’re interested in the detailed survey findings; we provide a link to the full report in our excerpted feature.

While you’re here, visit our History and Heritage page. Frederik Nebeker’s enlightening piece about "engineers who would be writers" blows a hole or two in the "engineers-can’t-communicate" stereotype. Of course, you could then put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and let those words of wisdom flow yourself! Submit them to Today’s Engineer and we’ll gladly do our part to get you started on your way to your own Pulitzer!

— Catherine S. McGowan
Managing Editor
todaysengineer@ieee.org