TECC 94: Certification Questions – Special Q&A Series from Engineering Management Institute and the WPI MBA Program 2 of 6

This podcast is the second of six special Q&A Series which airs every first Friday of the month in addition to our regular episodes through May 2016. In this episode we will be discussing certification questions. I answer more questions from our listeners asking for career advice.  Here Is the Summary of the Certification Questions - Special Q&a Series From Engineering Management Institute and the WPI MBA Program 2 of 6: Question: How are engineers generally different from other people in terms of leadership, management, or work style? – Christopher from California Answer: Engineers are different because they need to be both technically and people savvy. Develop these important core skills and implement/use them at work. Question: What do you think about studying engineering online? Also is it detrimental, as an engineering student, to get your bachelor's degree in one engineering discipline but pursue a graduate degree in a different engineering discipline? – Terrance from Louisiana Answer: Online degrees can be great as long as you have some level of people interaction (calls/routine meetings) Many engineers change discipline from undergrad and then get an MS in the chosen discipline. Get the degree in the discipline you want, get a job, see if you like it, and then decide which Master's Degree to pursue. Question: How do you turn a cold/ sales call into a potential client or even a life long business relationship, even a friendship? – Alan from Roanoke, Virginia Answer: Make a call with the intent to give value, every time, and that will turn into a client eventually or refer you to others that will be your potential engineering clients Question: How is the best way to become an EIT and then and PE in USA? and why it is important if I want to work in USA? – Bernardo from Peru Answer: It depends on your discipline, but in most cases, it is important for credibility and resume purposes, even if you don't do design. Check the state by state requirements for PE. Take FE exam, work a few years and take the PE exam. (Check out NCEES.org) Question: As an engineer if I do an MBA what kind of difference will it MAKE in my engineering career? – Usman Ghani from Manama Answer: Determine if you want to be in the technical side or management side of Engineering. An MBA can be an absolutely dynamic combination to an Engineering degree, bringing you a lot of management/business skills you’ll need in your engineering career. Understand if a Master's degree is required in your discipline for you to realize more career opportunities Question: Although I want to work as a Structural engineer, the only reason that I follow this opportunity in Bahrain was because I believed that with site experience I could easily work as a structural engineer. What do you think about it and what steps should I do in order to follow my dream and become a structural engineer? – Yannis from Bahrain Answer: If you can’t get the ideal job, a good place to start is one that will get you the experience that you can transfer to your ideal job. Field experience is always a bonus. In the Take Action Today segment of the show, I give some advice on questions you can ask yourself that will essentially help you make better decisions in your engineering career. "The way to get ahead is to start now. If you start now, you will know a lot next year that you don’t know now and that you would not have known next year if you had waited.” ~ William Feather