There may come a point in your career when you feel it’s time to move forward and explore new opportunities. Whether you want to assume management responsibilities, learn skills in a new area, or climb up the ladder, it’s important that you understand what steps you need to take to further your career. Read on for our advice on how to do this in the engineering industry.
Think like a business leader
As an engineer, you’ll be used to the technical aspects of your job. However, as you develop into a more senior role within engineering, you’ll need to show that you possess strong business acumen and that you can think strategically. Alongside this, you should be able to understand the financial costs associated with your projects and how this can affect business decisions.
By thinking like a business leader, you’ll start to adopt a mind-set that goes beyond the day-to-day workings of your role and focuses more on the bigger picture. This will enable you to do your job more effectively and is great practise if you want to advance to more senior positions in the future.
Develop in new areas
With new trends constantly emerging in the market, it’s important that you’re keeping on top of what’s happening in the industry and are developing in these areas. You can stay ahead of the curve by seeking out opportunities to work on new projects and to learn new technologies.
This could be done in your current workplace, by taking an online course outside of work or by tapping into your network for opportunities of peer-to-peer learning. Remember, it’s not always what you know, but who you know too. So, take advice from your industry peers and use their knowledge to fuel your own.
Think outside the box
To succeed in the engineering sector, you need to be innovative and have the ability to think outside the box. Doing so can help you to put forward new ideas which will paint you in a positive light with your employer and ensure overall success for the business.
Alongside this, while you might specialise in a certain area, if you want to advance your career in engineering, you’ll need to have a strong understand of other disciplines within the sector.
Be a team player
It’s very rare in today’s world that you’ll ever work entirely on your own. The ability to work well as part of a team is a highly sought-after ability. It might sound straightforward, but consider the range of personalities you meet at work. Not everyone can get along, but being able to in a professional sense is extremely important.
Support your colleagues and work harmoniously with your team to achieve great things. If possible, share your own knowledge with junior members of staff and offer them guidance. This is great management experience and shows that you’re passionate about your career.
Build on your soft skills
Part of being a team player is having a good set of soft skills. Strong written and verbal communication is highly valued in engineering, especially if you want to advance to a management position. You need to feel confident about giving presentations, talking to customers and working with external agencies.
People skills are vital amongst senior members of staff. If you want to be successful, you should build upon your soft skills and ensure that you’re a great communicator and listener, and that you’re compassionate with your staff.
In summary
Overall, in order to advance your career in engineering, you’ll need to take a proactive approach and ensure that you’re thinking strategically and outside the box. Alongside this, you should develop on your soft skills, especially when it comes to working well as part of a team. By listening to our advice, you’ll be able to take the leap into the next exciting stage of your career.
CV-Library is the UK’s leading independent job board, advertising a range of roles, from engineering positions, to marketing. It also owns an array of other career sites, including Engineering Jobs.
