MAY - JUNE 2001
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Illustration:
StockArt.com/Phil Bliss
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Your Career Path: Jumping Onto
the Fast Track
by
John Hoschette
If you want your
career to advance quickly, you have to become a member of the
"fast-track" crowd. These engineers are acutely aware that
working long hours is just not enough anymore. In today’s workplace,
those long hours are now a minimum requirement for simply keeping a job. The
avenues to fast tracking lie in another direction — one that requires
new types of skills.
Dress and Act the
Part
The old saying still
holds true today: dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
Although many companies now accept casual attire, dress codes still
exist. When meeting with customers, for example, the dress code is
formal business attire. And because most managers meet with customers,
they wear this traditional attire more often. This unconsciously signals
us to the notion that managers dress up. Fast trackers dress like their
supervisors. In turn, supervisors tend to promote people who act and
dress like they do.
Maintain
Balance
While climbing the ladder of success, it’s easy to lose
perspective. Work can quickly consume you, leaving little time for a
personal life. Balance is good for both your career and your life
outside of work. Take some time outside of work for fun!
If
you’re planning to take the fast track, factor in a stress relief
plan. It’s necessary for your survival. Daily or periodic exercise
is an excellent way to reduce stress. Join a health club or, if you’re
lucky enough to work for a company with an exercise facility, take
advantage of it. |
Select Your
Supervisor
Try to choose your
supervisor instead of being chosen by one. Whenever you can, select a
supervisor who is a mover and a shaker. As these managers move up, they
take the talent with them. Your career plan should include promotions
that mirror your supervisor’s promotions.
Consider this strategy
when
choosing your supervisor: average-performing supervisors tend to give
average raises. A supervisor who has held the same position for 15 years
has probably been passed over for promotions, possibly several times.
These managers have reached the highest rung on their career ladder and have a tendency not
to promote. They aren’t going anywhere, so why should anyone else?
Sign Up for Special
Projects
Whenever possible,
choose projects that offer visibility. Projects that take you to a remote site or relegate
you to an isolated lab are not the choices of the fast tracker. Pick
projects that will give you visibility with upper management or get
involved on your supervisor’s pet project. Then, once you’re on a project team, do everything you can to make the project successful.
There’s an
appropriate time both to join and leave projects. The beginning of the
project offers increased visibility when upper management is involved to
ensure the project gets started on the right foot. Get off the project
before it ends, or at least have your next project lined up. Waiting
until a project is complete before lining up your next one can kill your
career. The good assignments are usually given to those who volunteered
for the project in advance, when several openings were available.
Don’t Fail to
Plan
All ambitious,
upwardly mobile engineers must have a career plan, whether pursuing the
fast track or not. That plan should include defined goals, actions to
complete, and deadlines for completion. Remember, failing to plan is
simply planning to fail!
John A. Hoschette
is a senior staff engineer with Lockheed Martin. He is
the author of Career Advancement and Survival for
Engineers, and co-owner of the CTS Group, which provides career and
technical training for engineers.( ctsgroup2@aol.com)
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