Black Collegian Career Center

Corporate recruiters have a keen eye for spotting the most talented and ambitious engineering students. Promising engineering graduates are those possessing academic excellence, strong faculty references, realistic career goals, leadership qualities, and commendable work experience.

In short, premier corporations (such as those that advertise in THE BLACK COLLEGIAN) seek to hire "cream of the crop" graduates: collegians who are smart, have specific goals, and are willing to take some risks.

This article spotlights a few accomplished engineering graduates who offer practical career advice to collegians "coming up the ranks." Because of their accomplishments, these graduates may inspire those willing "to follow."

Before discussing their specific advice, allow me to offer some career guidance based on a decade of recruiting engineers and other technical professionals for well-known national and international corporations.

The Importance of Goal Setting

Launching a successful engineering career begins with laying a good educational foundation and setting appropriate goals for professional development. Here are five goals especially worth considering.

1. Distinguish yourself as someone who stands "head and shoulders" above the crowd. In the classroom, strive to attain the best grades possible and to favorably impress your professors, counselors, and classmates. You never know whom you might ask to recommend you for a job one day.

Outside the classroom, take active leadership roles in sports, student government, and social organizations. By doing so, you become well-rounded and confident dealing with a variety of people. These traits are important for anyone aspiring to become a manager some day.

2. Align yourself with a mentor who can promote your career success. This mentor can be a college professor who takes special interest in your career, a former student who has a good professional track record, or an industry professional.

Whomever you choose, make certain that they stay abreast of milestones in your professional development. As time and opportunity permit, they can be good "sounding boards" for discussing career options and any special problems you may encounter.

3. Get a job with an industry leader offering a clear career track for advancement. The size of the company is not as important as its reputation and its support of young professionals who want to reach their potential. As dedicated as you may be in helping your employer succeed, the company should similarly be committed to promoting your career advancement.

Look beyond initial dollars and consider long-term opportunity. The best place to work may not necessarily be with the company that offers the highest starting salary. Why work for a firm that pays top dollar to attract talented graduates who soon become stymied in their career growth?

Quality internships and co-op work experiences allow you to examine closely those companies offering the career track most amenable to your professional objectives.

4. Make yourself as marketable as possible. Marketability begins with establishing a good work record and reputation as a junior engineer. Be the best at what you can do. Let your work reflect precision, timely project completion, and unswerving dedication to quality customer service.

Similarly, strive to get, when possible, the appropriate licensing and certification (such as Engineer-in-Training) that will elevate you in the ranks of your profession. Not only will certification enhance your earning potential, but it will also put you on a different competitive playing field.

5. Maximize your career options. Graduate school may not be something you're seriously considering now, but do not rule it out altogether. An advanced degree opens many opportunities, including those in college teaching or research.

To broaden your employment options, volunteer for projects that involve travel--perhaps even a stint overseas. Acquiring firsthand knowledge of business operations in a different culture will definitely give you a competitive edge in future job hunting.

Another way to maximize your options is to network carefully. Networking can be accomplished through active participation in industry associations, fraternities and sororities, and your college alumni association.

Staying in touch with engineering classmates and professors can also pay good networking dividends. If you're perceived as a "rising star" in the industry, you will be mentioned by name in influential circles when key staffing needs are discussed.

Advice from Former Students

What career advice would successful young engineers offer collegians preparing to enter the profession? Five well-established engineers offer their advice.

Scott Deering works as a research engineer and project leader for AlliedSignal, Inc., in Morristown, NJ. He received two degrees from M.I.T., a B.S. in Materials Science in 1989 and a Ph.D. in Materials Engineering in 1996.

Before Deering's current position, he worked for Bell Communications Research and AT&T Bell Laboratories in various project leadership roles.

His advice to engineering collegians is to "take advantage of every co-op and internship opportunity that you can, focusing on cutting-edge research in a major field of study."

To those academically inclined, he advises publishing journal articles or working for patents wherever and whenever possible. This exposure looks great on a resume and definitely expands technical expertise to build upon.

"Jobs today focus on each employee's value to the bottom line," Deering mentions. "For that reason, it's important to favorably impact the bottom line in terms of innovation, ideas, quality work, and professional accomplishments."

More specifically, "try to establish a good match between the company's needs and your strengths--whether research and development, product support, or whatever," he advises. By clearly presenting your strengths, you are more likely to impress an employer with the total spectrum of your personal assets.

Another key piece of advice Deering offers is developing good leadership skills, "accomplished by volunteering to lead efforts within your engineering program--including those of peers and technicians. The second way is to work closely with good leaders among peers, industrial supervisors, and professors to emulate their behavior.

"The third way is educating yourself through reading extensively, attending classes and seminars, and researching other resources. A successful engineering career isn't built overnight.

"You must be willing to invest time and money in your development," Deering stresses.

Jesse Comer is currently employed as Principal Engineer for IPAC, Inc., manufacturers of precision air conditioning for computer rooms, telecommunications sites, etc.

He earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tuskegee University and next year expects to receive his M.B.A. in Organizational Management from the University of Rochester.

"I made it through the ranks by hard work, determination, and a vision of where I wanted to be within ten years," Comer explains. He is particularly proud of being promoted from Engineer I to Principal Engineer within five years.

He advises students to get focused early through practical work experience. "Impressive co-op or internship work can be the deciding factor when companies narrow finalists. Furthermore, that same experience can be worth thousands of dollars four years later," Comer notes.

It's also important to have role models who imprint their leadership qualities on aspiring young professionals. "Role models are essential in every stage of your career," he emphasizes. "They teach and afford you opportunities to discover new and innovative methods for problem solving and facing common situations. Role models can provide a road map into the future if their advice is taken judiciously."

What would Comer do differently in preparing for his first job after graduation? "I would definitely find out more about the area I'm planning to call 'home,' by getting information from the Chamber of Commerce and other sources. After working eight to ten hours a day, you need to be able to relax and have a life outside of work. Eventually your social life affects your professional life," he concludes.

Phyllis Kirk is another graduate of Tuskegee Institute. After receiving her degree in Chemical Engineering in 1987, she worked as a project engineer in a pulp and paper mill, where she advanced to Pulp Engineer.

To broaden her experience within the chemical engineering field, Kirk left the paper industry and worked with AMOCO Chemical. She started as a production engineer and took on added responsibilities, including first-line supervision, process improvements, design, and various cost reduction projects. Since 1993, she has worked as Technical Engineer, reporting to the plant manager.

"One of the most important preparatory tools that a collegian can obtain (second to good grades) is practical experience in a technical field," Kirk says. To prospective employers, experience demonstrates development of interpersonal skills, in addition to "book smarts."

She mentions something else: Quality work experience through co-ops and internships is certainly important on a resume and for earning good money later. It also helps in your adjusting to different work environments, such as the corporate office, research lab, and manufacturing plant.

For those searching for the ideal first job, Kirk offers two points of advice: First, research the field you intend to major in and look at the long-range employment demand well after you take your first job. "The 'hot' field you choose today may be flooded with graduates four or five years from now."

Second, don't limit your options with preconceived notions of where you want to live and work, how much your starting salary has to be, and what your first job description must look like. She explains, "It's easier making certain types of demands after you have gotten your first job and proven your abilities."

In mentoring young African-American women of various ages, Kirk finds it rewarding to see them develop their careers without self-imposed limitations. "To take advantage of every opportunity, you must be versatile and unafraid to step into unfamiliar territory," she says.

Virginia John works as Project Manager in the Worldwide Process Fulfillment Re-engineering Department at IBM. Her job duties center on applying project management techniques to develop and execute supply assessment processes worldwide for IBM projects.

Previously she worked three years at Hewlett-Packard as a Solutions Integration Specialist responsible for technical support of the company's manufacturing databases, LAN, personal computers, and peripherals.

John received her B.S. in Mathematics from M.I.T. in 1991, and her M.S. in Engineering Management from Stanford this past December.

Being goal-oriented is a main key to her success. In her words: "I recommend that you create a 'roadmap' of 'places' you would like to visit, create a list of 'things' you need for the trip, and start collecting them. Be amenable to change, because along the way you may learn about 'destinations' that meet your professional objectives better than those you now have."

Some important things that John has amassed are academic honors and leadership positions in many professional societies, including the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the National Society of Black Engineers.

Support from people who are special in her life and who contribute to her inner strength, especially her family, has propelled her along her career path. "It's crucial to surround yourself with positive people who believe in you. There will be times your goals seem too difficult to accomplish or too far out of reach. You need people who will give you sound advice, support, and alternatives to consider," she mentions.

Another key piece of advice of hers is to be open to--and prepared for--outstanding opportunities. In practical terms, collegians preparing for their first job should be positive about their strengths and appropriately aggressive in job hunting.

"If you do not believe in yourself and market yourself enthusiastically, how do you expect others to believe in you?" she asks.

Marketing your skills includes working closely with college placement counselors in developing job search strategies, being persistent in contacting corporate recruiters, and "shadowing" professional engineers whose mentoring influence can open doors of opportunity.

Thane Gauthier is employed at Applied Materials, Inc., a Fortune 500 provider of manufacturing equipment to the semiconductor industry in Santa Clara, CA.

He is also a M.I.T. alumnus, having received his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering in 1994. Following that, he received his M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford in 1996.

Born and raised in Opelousas, LA, Gauthier knows firsthand what it takes to successfully compete with collegians from large cities and advanced academic settings. He says, "Making it up the ranks involves knowing where 'the ranks' lead you. Too many people who say they want to be entrepreneurs or business executives fail to do two things: 1) to learn what particular skills it will take to achieve those goals, and 2) to take the time and effort to learn those skills."

His learning curve began with a summer program in Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science at M.I.T. after his high school junior year. That experience taught him the importance of networking to build quality professional relationships. This insight carried over into his undergraduate and graduate school internships.

"I would advise interns to set up meetings with as many full-time employees, in as many different roles within the company as possible (even as high up as the president and CEO). The key is not to waste anyone's time: prepare specific questions, research their background and position, and act as their peer when talking to them.

"If you act like an intern, you will get treated like one. Be professional, but be unafraid to speak up and share your opinions with the people you work with," he says.

How can engineering students acquire a competitive edge in seeking their first job? It's important, first of all, to know what you're competing for and whom you're competing against, Gauthier points out.

Specifically, start with a long-range, ten-year career scenario and work your way backwards. By doing so, you focus on the specific goals it takes to reach those objectives.

"Focusing on specific goals gives you a competitive edge when seeking your first job because you can discuss specific examples of skill development with an interviewer--rather than talk about things you might do, if given the opportunity," he adds.

Developing leadership skills is important for impressing prospective employers. Participating in student government and organizations like the National Society of Black Engineers is beneficial--but so is involvement in nontraditional leadership opportunities.

Gauthier elaborates this way: "Being a member of ten organizations is probably not as good as being a leader of one. The new workforce requires self-starters with demonstrated drive to succeed."

Focus. Drive. Skill development. Persistence. All the young engineers quoted have displayed these traits in their academic and professional careers. Having learned valuable lessons from their peers and mentors, they have become inspiring role models.

For all, may their ultimate attainments match that inspiration and aspiration that drew each of them to engineering as a rewarding, lifelong vocation.