THE FIRST EDITION: IT IS REAL!
OCTOBER 2020
NEWSLETTER
R&R 2.0 Series Designing your PTO: Personal Time Off is GREAT!
3 Ways to Build Your Courage
Job search and Networking success with these easy steps
Remote Work Challenges in the COVID-19 Era
Remote work is wonderful. But it's not without challenges
WELCOME to the First
Issue !
Publisher’s Note Young Engineers can take some ownership by improving in these five areas
WELCOME
to the First Issue! Engineering is a growth-oriented profession, and many young engineers devote time to reading and implementing career advice they find on blogs and other mediums. We have compiled this newsletter of the best career articles we’ve found and thought we’d share within our network. We hope you find this as beneficial as we did. Feel free to leave some comments here and we look forward to hearing your thoughts. CONTRIBUTORS Thanks to Pete Atherton, Nader Mowlaee for their great advice.
October Edition 2020 ASSOCIATE EDITORS Kyle Cheerangie Omar Al-Sahili Andre Henry GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andrea Herdocia
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Publisher’s Note
W
elcome to the first issue of the
publication is created by young professionals for young professionals in the AEC industry. The articles here have been curated from the multitudes of online media to save
I graduated with a degree in civil engineering and went to work as a part-time entry level engineer at the end of the Great Recession in 2011. I was not doing well in my early career and at my ninety-day review, after expecting to be offered a full-time position, instead I was told there were still things I
you time, by delivering the best career advice we could find. We hope you enjoy (and use) the advice from each writer. Personally, the early mistakes I
needed to work on before I would be offered a fulltime job. I found out later that I was actually on the verge of being fired. That was crushing. I just felt
made as an engineer forced me to seek advice and perspectives from as many sources as possible. This first article is the part of my career story from entry level engineer to where I am today and I outline 5 key areas young professionals can focus on today, to improve their own careers.
like a bad engineer. I needed to improve or risk putting my future in jeopardy. Instead of blaming my employer, I sat in silence on my drive back home that Friday and thought hard about what I was doing wrong, where I'd end up if I continued and what I needed to improve on.
ENGNR Newsletter. This monthly
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As a young engineer I occasionally spent time doing the wrong things. My eagerness caused me to accept tasks and work with unconfirmed assumptions. This led to repeated work and disappointment from my managers. My focus was on activity, not results. Keeping a journal can help you learn where you are spending much of your time and where your time does not contribute to the results you want.
The best leaders can perform the necessary task and delegate or eliminate the unnecessary. Everyone can learn to get better at this. For example, I have seen new engineers spend weeks creating
reports with multiple iterations for comment and changes, when a simple tech memo would suffice. Young engineers typically experience challenges like this one (including me) and most managers don't have the heart to say, "Stop! This is not what I want." Young Engineers can take some ownership of the results by improving in these five areas: Allocating time effectively Thinking of results, not just activity Producing results through strengths Pursuing excellence in your work Making decisions the right way
Author:
Kyle Cheerangie
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R.R 2.0 Series DESIGNING YOUR PTO
P
ersonal Time Off is Great! It’s a chance to get away, to disconnect from work, and even have some rest and relaxation. Taken routinely, PTO is an effective strategy to reduce work stress…but it will not cure or help you avoid burnout by itself. For that, we need to design ourselves a more frequent form of PTO, a daily “Personal TimeOut”. Creating and maintaining “margin” in our day, and using it strategically, is the only way to effectively reverse and avoid burnout and live the full life we
desire. This is especially true for those of us who are high-achievers and often consumed by the demands of work and life.
MASTERING OUR TIME Business is both pervasive and invasive. Allowed to persist, busyness chokes out and overruns much of what we desire in life. If we want to master our lives, we need to resolve our busyness. The first step is to take ownership and regain control of our time. When we control our time, we can control our destiny.
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TAKING CONTROL For many of us, we may need to start saying “no” to things we say yes to now or have in the past. We may have to “defend” the need for some “me” time. We may also be taking control not knowing what the outcome will be.
As I explain in my book, Reversing Burnout. How to Immediately Engage Top Talent and Grow! A Blueprint for Professionals and Business Owners, many of us have invested so much in our careers that it has become our identity. As we progress in life this becomes even more problematic as the gaps between “what we do”, “who we are”, and our life purpose drives discontent. These gaps also impact our ability to lead and inspire others.
“ If we want to truly succeed, we also need a renewed sense of urgency about our time.” We never stop getting older. The fact is, our days are numbered on this earth and we have no real control of when our time will be up. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, and this should be our motivation to take action beginning today! Time is our greatest asset in terms of achieving At one point we may have known what we wanted out of work and life, but have since lost touch, track, and clarity. Even if we have “checked the boxes” of the goals that previously drove us, most high-achievers reach a point where we can feel disconnected, discontented, frustrated, and even resentful – especially if we are in or headed toward the burnoutdisengagement cycle.
VALUES AND URGENCY Taking control is a values-based decision because we need to value both ourselves and our time – possibly in new ways.
our goals and realizing our impact, but we can’t take it for granted. We know that we don’t want to miss out any longer and that we may need a course correction. But here’s the reality: We will never discover the things we value most and begin to track toward the full life we desire and our greater purpose until we slow down.
MARGIN Creating and maintaining margin is an essential component to slowing down and being able to master our time. “Margin” is quiet time and personal “white space,” away from devices and distractions. To be effective, margin time needs to be sufficient in length and consistent in frequency. The target Page 5
for most of us should be 30 to 60 minutes per day at
we have been feeling burned-out, disengaged, and
least 5 days per week. Margin is not just about time to rest and relax, it’s foundational to the R&R 2.0 process.
feeling like we are missing out.
R&R 2.0 PTO and the “Rest and Relaxation 2.0” of our past can help us address some of the demands and stresses of work and life, but it needs to be updated and expanded if we are going to take on burnout and position us to win over the long-term. Rest and relaxation alone only address being physically or emotionally exhausted as a result of a temporary season or event. On the other hand, burnout is a chronic condition that layers frustration and loss, and even resentment and despair, on top of physical and emotional exhaustion. Reversing and avoiding burnout requires a deeper, more strategic, and more consistent approach. Once established, margin is the daily “Personal Time-Out” we need to begin to restore ourselves if
This time to routinely decompress, rest, pray, meditate, listen, think, contemplate, read, journal, and reflect allows for clarity and positions us for Restoration. Once restored, this time is then repurposed for the next elements of the process which include Rediscovery, Retargeting, and Revitalization toward the life we desire.
Author:
Pete Atherton
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3 Ways to Build Your Courage Muscles for Job Search
Encourage Yourself
Y
our job search and networking success depend heavily on how courageous you are. It calls for reaching out to strangers and starting conversations with them without any assurance that they’ll like or even listen to you. Yet, it’s important to have courage because you have to take these job search actions regardless of your fear of rejection. That means you can’t give up just after a few attempts. That’s why building your courage muscles during the job search phase is crucial and becomes your leading differentiating factor among competing candidates. Here’s how you can get it done:
1. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF It’s not uncommon to tell yourself that everything’s fine when it’s actually quite the opposite. The truth is that if you don’t take action, your job search won’t move forward. Instead, face the truth and become self-aware. Practice self-awareness during your job search by writing down your key plans and priorities for your career. Consider keeping a record of strengths you can learn from others and weaknesses you can work on, including fine-tuning your interview skills or organizing your daily job search routine. Page 7
building a network. Send out at least twenty By becoming self-aware, you can evaluate your growth over time and push your job search forward.
2. BUILD A STRONG, WEALTHY AND HEALTHY NETWORK
connection invites per day, and always personalize the invitation message by clearly mentioning why you’re reaching out. Your new circle of friends on LinkedIn will naturally help you level-up your networking game and take the next step towards going out and meeting new people.
3. DO THINGS THAT SCARE YOU Fight any fears you may have by participating in activities or tasks that scare you. That means moving past the standard canned emails and cover letters and picking up the phone and cold-calling recruiters. Build a network of people who are stronger, wealthier and healthier than you. Find people who are in the positions you aspire to have and master the skills you seek.
Also, directly messaging hiring managers during the job search phase is ideal for standing out in the crowd. Don’t procrastinate. Attend networking events and talk to recruiters on the spot.
For example, if you’re looking to make a career move as a software engineer, consider joining a local tech meetup to find individuals in these roles and ask for advice. You may even find people who are wealthier or healthier than you or possess stronger skills in common places or events, such as the gym, a festival or a sporting event.
Engage in new conversations, answer people’s questions and handle conflicts professionally. Practice talking about yourself and talking about yourself becomes effortless. By doing more of these tasks and activities, you can also boost your selfconfidence and you will fast-forward your job hunt.
The goal is to get out, ask questions and build a genuine network with people whom you can learn from. LinkedIn is a great tool that allows professionals to establish and build their brand. Begin by making a list of companies you would love to join. Keep it short, five to ten companies are sufficient to start Page 8
Often when we do something for the first time, we
move your career forward. By building your
realize that it wasn’t that scary after all; that it was mostly an illusion our mind was playing in our head. While job searching, it’s common to find yourself in a spot where you feel scared or insecure.
courage muscles, you can accelerate your job search for success.
There are several ways you can overcome that feeling, and one is by actually practicing overcoming your fears. You must fight your fears and eliminate them. As soon as you rip off the bandage, the pain will be gone. If you’re scared of calling recruiters, just go ahead and call a recruiter from an opposite industry.
Take matters into your own hands by targeting employers directly, and if you’re not sure about your interviewing skills, call or meet with anyone from the same or another industry and talk about your skills with them.
Practice telling your career story and how you came to be the person you are today.
Call and introduce yourself, ask if they have any positions that match your skills. Do this once or twice to practice and get rid of your fear.
FINAL THOUGHTS Taking your job search to the next level requires taking action to develop the courage you need to
Then share your goals for the future and expand on how you’re planning to hit those goals. This will require you to have a certain level of self-awareness and if you don’t have that, it’s likely that you’ll make some career moves that you’ll regret in the future.
Author:
Nader Mowlaee
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Remote Work Challenges in the COVID-19 Era WFH! (WORKING FROM HOME) new lifestyle that forced itself on us whether we liked it or not. Usually, our reaction to change or new lifestyles is “Hate at first sights”, especially when you are working on the same thing for a long time. In the case of work from home, it seems that the opposite has happened.
A
No soul-crushing commute, no uncomfortable business clothes, no rushing between conference rooms and meetings, more time spent with your family; all that is great, but not without its disadvantages. If you ask two people what they think about WFH you seldom get the same answer because it’s not a
The vast majority favored the new WFH lifestyle, after many thought that it might not be possible,
simple black and white type of question and might suit some people more than others.
and now, with several states and cities starting to open up and the “cubicle life” looming over our heads, there seems to be a silent rebellion from the masses.
This article summarizes some of the most common challenges we struggle with WFH and some advice on how to overcome these challenges. Page 10
The circumstances for each person are different. it
1. OVERWORKING Some might simply say, if they weren’t WFH they would have been stuck in traffic now, so it’s fine to work more! But it seems like the WORK NEVER ENDS! However, the biggest hurdle that managers have with remote working is making sure their employees stay productive and billable. On the employee side, they worry about their bosses thinking they aren’t working or being productive, and in most times the result will be that employees work more hours to compensate. Throughout my reading I got introduced to a concept called: the wheel of life, designed by Paul J. Meyer founder of the Success Motivation Institute. The concept is to look at your life like a pie, segmented into different categories as shown in the wheel below, slicing a bigger cut for your Career would result in giving up on something else, so it’s up to you to determine what you are willing to sacrifice.
THE WHEEL OF LIFE Mental and Education
Family and Home
is up to you the individual to find the perfect balance for their wheel of life. HOW TO AVOID OVERWORKING It is hard to disconnect when there is no barrier between your work and your personal life. You tend to have that urge to check your email one last time, add one more thing to the report. This leads to you staying up all night jumping from one email to another. It is best to set up physical boundaries for your workspace as much as possible to help to disengage; dedicate a room in the house for work (an office), if you don’t have the luxury of having an office room, always place your laptop and work cellphone out of your sight, when the workday is over. Schedule appointments after your “work” day, to force you to move away from your desk.
GO OUTSIDE! Playing with your kids in the yard can recharge everyone and help you better focus on your work. If your kids are self-sufficient, bring your office outside, and work at a table while they play. They can burn off energy, and you will get that muchneeded fresh air. Don't hesitate to establish and honor a specified
Wellness and Fitness
Spiritual and Ethical
Profession al Career
Social & Cultural
stop time to your boss and coworkers is paramount to creating that space to disengage. Many people function better by setting deadlines for themselves, this practice encourages productivity and efficient time management.
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2. NOT GETTING DISTRACTED
3. STAYING MOTIVATED TO WORK
This is one of the toughest challenges when everyone is home. Whether it is playing with the dog who is excited to see you or schooling your kids and amusing them when they get bored, the list never ends. All is important but when can you organize that chaos and make it bearable.
For some, not having people around them working, or not having their manager pass by and check on them might cause them to be demotivated and consequently lose focus and productivity. HOW TO STAY MOTIVATED TO WORK
So, what to do? We compiled advice from just several home workers and summarized the best practices that will help you and home manage through these unprecedented times CREATE A PLAN FOR YOUR DAY, plan your day as if you are going to the office, and share with everyone so you are all on the same page, for example; what time you will be having a conference call, or if you have any deadlines you need to meet that day, etc. Scheduling your daily tasks will bring a well needed organization to your day. Involving the entire family unit in those plans will give clarity and lessen unexpected distractions.
A praised tool to help you prioritize work and to focus your energy on getting the most important things done first is The Eisenhower Matrix.
USE VISUAL AIDS, just like the ones you use in a hotel room, you can make a “do not disturb” door hanger, or a “In a meeting” hanger, and more! DEAL
WITH WHAT YOU GET OFFERED,
with the
flexibility of working home sometimes that doesn’t mean you need to start at 8:00 AM and finish at 5:00 PM, if working in the morning is practically impossible work out a schedule where you start later in the day or wake up early before your kids to get as much work done. No matter when or where you work, always make your time Count!
Another strategy to help you stay productive is to EAT THE FROG!
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What that means is to rank your tasks by the most
of remote work, some precautions can be taken to
complicated and energy consuming to the least. Schedule and attack the most complicated tasks first. Schedule the less complicated tasks later during the day as your levels of energy and focus tends to wear off. Another effective practice is to schedule your
minimize the potential inefficiency and provide greater peace of mind.
breaks before doing energy consuming tasks.
▪ Have a mobile hotspot device ready in case of WIFI outage. Most mobile services offer hotspots from your phone, however, a separate highspeed WIFI device could also
CREATE A FOCUS ZONE No one is productive with Netflix on in the background. As discussed earlier, remote working does come with the temptation and distractions. Remote working requires a dedicated space within your home where you feel most productive.
You will find the following tips helpful in avoiding technological pitfalls:
be purchased for a more reliable connection and to avoid dealing with any data restrictions some providers have on their services.
“A focus zone within your home is as much a state of mind as a physical space—it’s a mindset you step into when it's time to work”. A lot has been written about the importance of bringing the natural world into your remote working space, however, you should also look to incorporate all the things that put you in a working mindset and create an office atmosphere. Whatever you would do to your desk in an office, do in your remote working space. It may be your home, but this is your place of work within your home.
4. TECHNOLOGY FAILURES No matter how much you think you are prepared for your upcoming conference call; it seems there is always a technology hiccup that rears its ugly head. While these challenges seem to be the necessary evil
▪ Write down and save on your cellphone contacts the phone number of both the home internet provider customer service and the IT support. Call them as soon as you have any hiccups to help you troubleshoot and solve the problem. ▪ Having a backup laptop, or a tablet/iPad is always a viable option to get you through a workday or make that call in meeting until your work laptop is fixed. Page 13
STAYING SOCIAL Interacting with coworkers and clients is one of best aspects of many jobs. While, we are all here to work, a positive work environment is just as important and has a significant impact on each person’s attitude and productivity.
Keep in mind that virtual communication could be tricky, and many emails could be misinterpreted and could be simply clarified by a phone call or video call if needed.
A couple of ways some groups can help keep that social connection between the coworkers are: “Weekly follow-up meetings” not only discussing work plans for the week, but also talking about possible weekend events and other nonwork-related topics will be a great way to break the work monotony and create some normality to the workday. The age-old tradition of “Happy Hour” should still be practiced. The importance of maintaining a social connection with those we work cannot be overstated. It brings a much-needed balance to the work-life equation, and in the absence of true social contact, the ability to convene virtually on a lighter note may be the glue that keeps the corporate fabric together.
LACK OF COMMUTATION AND STAY OUT OF THE LOOP Yes, you are working virtually now, but it doesn’t mean you should disappear from your coworkers. Ensure that emails are answered promptly, take work calls as needed, and engage with clients and coworkers via video conferencing options like Zoom or WebEx.
If your company uses Microsoft Teams or Skype, interact with your coworkers throughout the day via messaging the same way you would in the office. You want to make sure your boss and workers know they can reach you and that you are reliable. Plus, it is important to maintain these professional relationships.
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Remember this is the new normal for everyone, and everyone should go that extra step to help each other go through this tougher. You probably won’t be the only one with a child yelling somewhere in your house.
That said, you should plan in advance to reduce any interruptions, whether that means working with your partner to reserve “do-not-disturb” times or scheduling your children's screen time during your calls and meetings.
Author:
Omar Al-Sahili
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