TECC 272: Turning the “Great Resignation” Into the “Great Transformation”

In this episode, we talk to Sonja Price, a top career strategist, salary advisor, and leadership coach for mid-level corporate professionals, about career strategies for engineers considering a transition in their engineering careers. She also talks about how engineers can turn the “Great Resignation” into the “Great Transformation” to advance their careers. Engineering Quotes: Here Are Some of the Key Points Discussed About Turning the “Great Resignation” Into the “Great Transformation”: It is always a good time to progress in your career. Think of your career as a comprehensive strategy. Have a career roadmap in place, take serious actions, and track your progress in achieving your long-term career goals. The job market is hot now because of the pandemic. If you are thinking of making a transition in your career, now is the time to do it. Changing jobs or moving to a new organization are some of the best and easiest ways to make more money. Currently, half of the engineering workforce is considering changing or doing something different. The great resignation has contributed to resignation rates going up from 10% to 15% compared to before the pandemic. The talent shortage and higher resignation rates of the great resignation have caused many people to take on more tasks to fill the holes in the firms and contribute to a 21% increase in burnout. Most people are happier working from home. Not needing to get ready and commute to work saves around two hours every day. Most people save between $3,000 and $8,000 per year by not eating out as frequently, needing less gas, and less vehicle maintenance. With all the opportunities that are now available, be sure to position yourself correctly for the roles you want to have. Make sure you have the correct information in your resume and on LinkedIn so that someone can make a quick assessment about you for the role they are hiring for. Do a skills analysis on yourself when looking to transition in your career. Look at the job descriptions and see if you have the experience they are looking for. If you do not have the experience, try to position yourself to show that you have a similar experience. Find ways to leverage your past work experience so that you reframe it in a meaningful and relevant way for the role you want to apply for. If you do not take on stretch roles, you will never grow your skill set. If you see certain skill set requirements that you do not have in most of the job opportunities you are looking at, maybe it is a skill set you should acquire before applying for the jobs. The great resignation should be viewed as the great transformation. Your happiness and career satisfaction are your responsibility. To change your current state into a great transformation, you must get serious and make an inventory of your career how it is now, and how you want it to be. Look for areas where you are, or are not, feeling satisfied. Think about what must change for you to get a greater feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment moving forward in your career. To accelerate your career success in your current organization, make sure that the right people are aware of the results you are producing for the organization. When a position becomes available, they should already be thinking about you to fill the position. It is a lot easier to accelerate your career in other organizations. You can make significantly more money by going to a new company than waiting to get your annual raise. Learn to think of your career as a consultant. Approach things from a comprehensive viewpoint, but always keep your eye on the end goal. Make a backward engineering plan of how you will make your career steps happen. Find out which skill sets you need to develop to get the opportunities and have continual progression. More in This Episode…