EngineerHer

I know it can seem overwhelming to start with to move towards a career you enjoy, love and provides you with the financial and other resources to actually live your life.

That’s why I’ve put together a six step process to get you through the journey. Or at least on the journey, because, spoiler alert: this isn’t necessarily a linear journey, nor is it one that you do once and then never again.

The process is relatively simple:

• Know yourself
• Reconcile the past
• Find your joy
• Use your knowledge
• The path forward
• The cauldron

And we’ll go through the steps one by one in this brief post.

1. Know yourself

Understanding who you are is the foundation of any successful career. Reflect on your strengths, weaknesses, values, and passions. Self-awareness allows you to make informed decisions and align your career path with your true self. Take personality assessments, seek feedback from peers, and spend time in introspection to gain a clear picture of your identity.

Here is where you get in touch with your core beliefs and values. Maybe there are things you grew up with and no longer apply. Or maybe your life has changed since “eating as cheaply as possible” was a core value of yours. Maybe as you grow in your career you have more choice in the type of organisation you work for. It’s worthwhile getting to know what you want, as well as what you need, so you can take advantage of opportunities as they come up!

2. Reconcile the past

Your past experiences, both positive and negative, shape who you are today. Acknowledge and learn from them. Whether it’s overcoming challenges or celebrating achievements, reconciling with your past helps you move forward with confidence. Embrace your journey and use it as a stepping stone to future success.

I’m going to be extremely honest here. We have a tendency, in engineering in general, but women in engineering in particular, to focus on where we need to improve. We need to look at where we performed brilliantly as well! Whether it’s reacting to a situation or pulling through a massive project – face up to the times you did really well, as well as the times when you did not so well.

3. Find your joy

Identify what brings you joy and fulfilment in your work. This could be solving complex problems, collaborating with a team, or innovating new solutions. Pursuing what you love not only enhances your job satisfaction but also drives you to excel. Make a list of activities that energize you and seek opportunities that align with these passions.

You are categorically allowed to find joy in your work. OK, it won’t be joyous all the time!! But you can look for what you enjoy doing at work and then moving your role more towards that. Yes, even if you are a junior or less-experienced engineer!

4. Use your knowledge

Leverage your education, skills, and experiences to advance your career. Stay updated with the latest trends and technologies in engineering. Continuous learning and professional development are key to staying relevant and competitive. Attend workshops, enroll in courses, and participate in industry conferences to expand your knowledge base.

And here’s something else, I bet you didn’t think of: just because you gained this knowledge outside of the workplace, doesn’t mean you can’t use it in the workplace! Seriously. Just because you learned about flux capacitors in Back to the Future (yeah, I know, showing my age) and that then led you to learn more about flux (which has nothing to do with time travel) – that doesn’t negate the knowledge. It’s still knowledge you hold. And I can guarantee you have skills and talents that you don’t use in work because you don’t consider them useful. Use this knowledge to develop your next role.

5. The path forward

Set clear, achievable goals for your career. Develop a strategic plan that outlines the steps needed to reach these goals. This includes networking, seeking mentorship, and gaining relevant experience. Regularly review and adjust your plan as needed to stay on track. Remember, the path to success is not always linear, so be adaptable and open to new opportunities.

Now, this plan can look forward to your end of career, that’s no problem. But the really detailed bit? Needs to be focused on the next 18months to 2 years. Why? Because this is the time frame where you can take concrete steps based on your current environment. Life changes so much in two years. So, spend the time and get very clear on what steps you are taking in the next 18 – 24 months to further your career in the direction you want to go.

6. The cauldron

This one is different. I bet half, if not most, of the people reading this are not familiar with cauldrons as tools. From good old Dictionary.com: a large kettle or boiler. And I use it here specifically. Because this process, as I warned you at the start, isn’t a one-and-done effort. This is going to be continual throughout your career. So we need to set checkpoints in place for it.

I do this in line with the bank holiday weekends in Ireland. Four times a year, we get an extra Monday off (well we get more than that off, but here are the four I use): first Monday in February; first Monday in May; first Monday in August; first Monday in November. Four times a year I sit down and revisit some of this work. I don’t usually cover it all in one weekend, but sometimes I do. The point is, I sit and remind myself what the overall goals are, spend time considering whether those goals are still relevant and whether I’m still on the right path for me. It’s important, trust me!

Conclusion

Embrace the challenges and uncertainties that come your way. Use them as opportunities to grow and innovate. Cultivate resilience and a problem-solving mindset. This is the go-getter attitude we’re all encouraged to think about.

But honestly, if we work the bare 40 hours a week of a full time role (I can hear the laughter now!), we spend almost a quarter of our weeks in our work. So, it might as well be something we can at least tolerate, rather than actively hate. Put the effort in, make it a conscious, mindful part of your life and you’ll be amazed the difference it can make!