31 Oct 6 Ways to Set Yourself Apart
I recently spoke to BYU’s ASCE Student Chapter during their weekly meeting. I decided to talk to them about the different ways that they can set themselves apart in school, work, life, and beyond. I also gave them some practical tips as they begin to transition from school to a career. The following is a summary of what I covered.
Here are 6 Ways to Set Yourself Apart:
There are so many ways that you can set yourself apart in school, work, life and beyond. However, these 6 ways are some that I have seen with continuity through each aspect. Included with each of the following 6 ways to set yourself apart, I have provided a few bullet points which show how I have seen these applied in school, work, life and beyond. There may be other ways that these apply to each person individually, so take them with a grain of salt and apply them as needed.
#1 – Ask Questions…
It is very important to not only ask questions, but to ask good questions. There is a huge difference between asking a question just to get an answer, versus asking a question for understanding. In any relationship, business or personal, it is by asking questions that we understand expectations, tasks, and concepts.
- School… For understanding, not just answers
- Work… For understanding and for expectations from client/boss
- Life… Listen and understand the other person’s point of view
- Beyond… Find mentors and good resources to continue growing
In your career and life, it is important to never shy away from asking questions because it is more important for us to look beyond and understand the concepts instead of just getting an solution.
#2 – Look Beyond…
It is worth the additional time that it may take to take a step back to look at the big picture and make sure that there isn’t something that we are not seeing. One of my professors used to say that “there is more than one way to skin a squirrel” (not a cat because he didn’t want to offend cat lovers). We need to think outside the box to resolve issues and apply our previous knowledge.
- School… Homework and apply knowledge
- Work… Think outside the box, look at the big picture to resolve issues
- Life… Live, learn, love
- Beyond… How will your choices shape your future?
The engineering profession and our own lives are shaped by our involvement in them. In order make the biggest impact we need to look beyond ourselves and get involved beyond our typical duties.
#3 – Get Involved…
There are so many ways to get involved in professional organizations such as ASCE, NCSEA, ITE, EERI, etc. There are committees that volunteer to run these organizations, but if that isn’t your style then you can always attend and support the event, seminars, or dinner meetings. Beyond these professional organizations, you can get involved in your community as well. There are always opportunities to serve in the community, church and even your own family. If you have kids then be involved in their lives
- School… ASCE, SEAU, ITE, EERI, BYU Intramurals, Etc.
- Work… ASCE, SEAU, ITE, EERI, Etc.
- Life… Serve your family, church and community
- Beyond… Serve something bigger than yourself
Getting involved in professional organizations specifically will not only help develop yourself and build the profession, but it can help you to connect with people.
#4 – Connect…
I strongly believe that we are better engineers, better spouses/parents/siblings, and better human beings as we take the time to make meaningful connections. How much easier are the school or work projects when you have already developed a relationship with your team? Connecting with others can make a difference on a project, but also when you are looking for a job your connections can make all the difference.
- School… Network, make friends, be social, visit firms
- Work… Network inside and outside the office to build true connections
- Life… Be present with those you are with
- Beyond… Make meaningful connections daily
In all of the connections that we make, we must stand by our word. Don’t flake. Don’t back out. Be committed.
#5 – Be Committed…
I could go on and on about the importance of being committed, but I can just say this: if you are not committed to your schooling, work projects, your family, then what are you committed to? What is taking a higher priority than these things?
I like to live by the philosophy of finishing through on anything that I commit to… no matter the expense. I am committed to my wife but I am also committed to finishing my work projects, so I might wake up at 3:00AM so that I can get my projects done and then still spend time with my wife at night. This is just one extreme example in my life of the the pattern that I established for the responsibilities that I commit to. This shows that there is always a way to finish what you started, you just need to figure out your priorities.
- School… Take responsibility for your learning
- Work… Take ownership, show dedication, win big
- Life… Be 110% committed
- Beyond… Finish what you start, don’t back out, keep your word
In order to make an impact on a company and in life, you need to be able to keep your word and do what you say you will do. Always be the person who is 110% committed to your relationships. Always be the person that takes ownership of projects. Always be the captain that is willing to “go down with the ship”. Realize that you can wave the white flag at anytime to get help on things at work and in life… You just need to be humble enough to realize it.
#6 – Be Humble…
When I got out of school, I felt like I only learned 10% of what I needed to know when I started to work at a structural engineering firm. Now, I feel similar but I think that I only know 0.01% of what I could know as it relates to structural engineering. While I don’t know it all, but I know where to find the answers.
Day after day working as an engineer I learn more and more, but I realize that I do not know everything and I can’t do everything. Being humble enough to realize what you know and don’t know is just as important as realizing what you can and cannot do. It is never a bad thing to admit fault or deficiency, and then work to improve in those areas.
- School… Know that you have A LOT to learn
- Work… The more that you know, the more you know that you don’t know
- Life… Admit fault and forgive those who have wronged you
- Beyond… Remember God’s hand in all things
Whether you are just embarking on your journey to become an engineer, or you are well on your way, it is so important to be able constantly improve based on your own evaluations and the constructive feedback from others. THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM TO IMPROVE AND GROW! Don’t let milestones like a BS/MS degree, PE license or SE license make your drive to continuously improve yourself come to a halt. The moment that you stop improving is the moment that your skills and knowledge begin to decay.
What ways can you apply these 6 concepts to set yourself apart in school, work, life and beyond?
Make a comment with your thoughts down below.
Stay tuned…
The rest of my presentation at BYU covered some practical tips, however there is never enough time to cover everything that I want to cover. I will proceed to discuss some of the following topics over the course of the next few days and weeks. Stay up to date with the latest posts by subscribing to my newsletter as noted below. You don’t want to miss these next posts!
- Internship Value
- Career Fairs
- Job Hunt
- The Follow-up
- Negotiating Offers
- Your 1st Job
Subscribe to my newsletter to receive notifications for new ‘Secrets for the Modern Engineer’. I will notify you of new posts on the website, as well as other updates to help you further your career.
Keep on keepin’ on.
Life’s a garden… Dig it!
If you have any additional topics or subtopics that you would like me to cover, please contact me at josh@thehipsterengineer.com
No Comments