Whether you’re just starting out in your professional career or have several years of experience under your belt, a little career advice from seasoned pros from time to time can help keep you inspired and motivated. So we asked several of our A/E/C professionals to share thoughts and career advice that helped get them where they are today. Here’s what they had to say.
Follow Your Passion
I received some advice from a college professor that stuck with me. He advised never to pick a job based on money alone. Instead, he said that it’s important to follow your passion — pick a company to work for based on what provides you with the ability to do what you love to do. He also advised that it’s really important to focus on finding a company with a corporate culture that suits your personality. If you’ve got those two things covered, the money will come. – Charles Sun, Construction Director in Kansas City
Find a Mentor
I’ve always thought it really important to try to follow in the footsteps of successful people. You can do this by identifying people you aspire to emulate and then not being afraid to ask them to mentor you. More often than not, they’ll be flattered that you asked and happy to act as a career mentor. Also, there’s no such thing as too many mentors. Have more than one for sure, and make certain your team of mentors is diverse. The more points of view you have, the more rounded your career advice and guidance will be. – Leslie Duke, Senior Vice President and Regional Office Manager in Houston
Ask Questions
Don’t be scared to ask questions. That’s the first thing I remember learning when I started as an intern, and it’s absolutely the best advice I can give young engineers who want to learn. There was a time when I worried that I might be asking too many questions during my internship, but looking back, I now know that was probably one of the smartest things that I did. And really, there’s no such thing as too many questions! Although you can learn a ton from books and by doing research, there’s nothing that comes close to learning from others who have experience in whatever it is you’re learning to do. – Daniel Sierra, Assistant Electrical Engineer in Kansas City
Relationships Matter
Building strong relationships — with peers, mentors and clients — is important in any career. But relationships aren’t built through emails, text messages and instant messages: It’s important to have face time. Visit co-workers at their desk instead of sending them an email or instant message, and practice calling your clients instead of emailing them. It’s really important to not rely on only electronic communications (in work as well as in your personal life). So, do yourself a favor and resolve to have conversations in person on a regular basis — and do your best to make it happen even if it requires travel. – Adrienne Bash, Senior Civil Engineer in Houston
Be Where You Are
It’s important to be present and not distracted when you’re interacting with someone. If you’re in a situation where you’re giving someone your time, make sure you give them your undivided attention. Don’t be focused on what you’re going to say next instead of listening to them, and unless it’s an outright emergency, do all you can to refrain from taking a phone call or returning an email or text during a meeting regardless of your title or position. – Leslie Duke
Pick Your Path
I’m continually inspired by a quote from Henry Ford that reads: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” This quote is posted outside the office of our group president and is a great daily reminder to us that we can take complete charge to make it a win, whatever it is that we are working toward. – Ben Caldwell, Electrical Department Manager in Kansas City
Be Prepared
My best advice is to be prepared, especially when it comes to giving presentations in front of a prospective customer or audience at a conference. Preparation leads to confidence, which leads to the ability to perform well, no matter the occasion. – Daniel Sierra
Deal with Problems Immediately
I love tackling the most difficult things first and getting them out of the way. My advice is to always identify the item on your to-do list that you dread the most and do it first. Every day. – Leslie Duke
Well, there you have it. Advice from several pros on how to get the most out of your career. What do you think? What about you? What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
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The post The Best Career Advice I Ever Received appeared first on The Burns & McDonnell Careers Blog.