Given Anything Back Lately?
Publication: Leadership and Management in Engineering
Volume 6, Issue 1
Given anything back lately?
Throughout my career, I have frequently heard engineers explain why they do not actively participate in professional societies or why they once did, but dropped out. Typical explanations include:
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I didn’t get anything out of it.
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Costs too much.
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Too busy.
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Same old same old.
Often times, these engineers share these thoughts while sitting in their offices. They are surrounded by bookshelves and files containing engineering journals, technical magazines, conference proceedings, and manuals of practice. The vast majority of these useful products were prepared by volunteer members of professional societies (not paid staff or compensated consultants) such as NSPE, ASCE, ASME, APWA, AIChE, and IEEE.
Sometimes the “I get nothing out of this” person is actually at a professional society meeting. They pay the fee, eat the meal, benefit from the presentation, and go home. They seem oblivious to the volunteer investment needed to plan, conduct, and follow up on the event. The dollars they paid were a small part of the event’s total “cost.”
Volunteers volunteer for various reasons. I believe that giving something back is one of them. Volunteers motivated by the “giving something back” objective realize that, starting with their engineering education and continuing to the present, they have been able to easily access and effectively use useful products and materials produced largely by volunteers.
English philosopher and statesman Francis Bacon challenged us with these words: “I hold every man a debtor to his profession; from that which man has a course to seek countenance and profit, so ought they of duty to endeavor themselves, by way of amends, to be a help and ornament there unto.” A little formal for today, but we get the idea. Another Englishman, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, more bluntly reminded us of our giving responsibilities when he said, “We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”
One must navigate a vessel to fully appreciate navigation and write a book to fully appreciate the publication process. Similarly, I believe that one must volunteer to fully appreciate the cost and benefits of volunteering; cost in terms of time and energy, and benefits, of which one is the satisfaction of giving something to others. Another benefit of volunteering is meeting, working with, and building lifelong relationships with leaders of our professions and communities.
Back to the title of this essay: “Given Anything Back Lately?” If your answer is “yes,” thank you. If not or never, please consider the thoughts I shared. You have much to give and still have time to make at least a partial payment on your debt.
—Stuart G. Walesh
(This article was written by management and leadership consultant Stuart G. Walesh, Ph.D., P.E., Hon.M.ASCE ([email protected]) and is similar to essays in his book, Managing and Leading: 52 Lessons Learned for Engineers, ASCE Press, 2004, www.pubs.asce.org, or (800) 548-2723. The author can be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].)
News from the committee on career development
The Committee on Career Development (CCD) is responsible for developing programs, tools, and providing education opportunities that will enhance the development of civil engineers in their profession. A few of the items that have been developed by the committee include two brochures focusing on career paths and mentoring
Career Paths Brochure
Have you ever wondered if you are on the right career path or wonder if you are just flying by the seat of your pants? Individual career paths are personal endeavors, but are there times you wonder if the path you are on will lead you to your ultimate goal? The Committee on Career Development has taken the time to help with many of these questions. A career paths brochure has been created to help guide professionals from the beginning stages of their careers, through midcareer progressions, and on to advanced career stages.
Depending on the path that interests you there are various progressions that occur and will vary from a person on an education path to a person on a construction path. All paths require some basic elements to move forward, including a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, and gaining professional experience that will enable one to qualify and meet the requirements needed for the Professional Engineer (PE) exam. Use of the ASCE published document, “The Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century” as a guideline is also helpful.
Paths outlined in the brochure include the following:1532-6748(2006)6:1(40)/asset/5a4a9865-d8b1-4eb1-9b08-59309277738e/assets/images/d1.jpg)
If you are interested in the “Career Paths” brochure it is available online at http://www.asce.org/pdf/careerpathfinal.pdf. No matter what stage you are in with your career, the brochure can offer insight as you move forward or even change career directions. It is also a great tool for those wondering what a career in civil engineering is all about.
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Government
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Education
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Consulting
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Industry
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Construction
If you are interested in the “Career Paths” brochure it is available online at http://www.asce.org/pdf/careerpathfinal.pdf. No matter what stage you are in with your career, the brochure can offer insight as you move forward or even change career directions. It is also a great tool for those wondering what a career in civil engineering is all about.Mentoring Brochure
Another brochure available from the CCD focuses on mentoring. This brochure provides information for individuals seeking to be a mentor or for groups\employers looking to design a mentoring program. The brochure discusses suggested guidelines for employers, mentors, and protégés, and is a useful tool in developing your own mentoring techniques. A mentor-protégé role can vary from the standpoint of a seasoned colleague offering guidance to a student or recent graduate starting their career, to a junior employee providing insight into new technology to a senior professional.
In formulating mentoring strategies, think back to those that have helped you through your career, whether it was insight on career opportunities, help with learning something new, or even guidance on balancing professional and personal aspirations. Those that took the time to listen and offer support and guidance have likely helped make a difference in where you are now in your career.1532-6748(2006)6:1(40)/asset/c818dc61-225e-4a79-815a-42653aab6f9c/assets/images/d2.jpg)
The mentoring brochure is available online at ⟨http://www.asce.org/files/pdf/Mentoring04broch-split.pdf⟩. Other resources are also available to ASCE members in the career development area of ASCE’s Web site, ⟨http://www.asce.org/professional/careers/⟩.
—Jennifer Gora
(Jennifer Gora, P.E., is a member of ASCE’s Committee on Career Development and can be reached at [email protected].)
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Leadership and Management in Engineering
Volume 6 • Issue 1 • January 2006
Pages: 40 - 41
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Published online: Jan 1, 2006
Published in print: Jan 2006
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Metrics & Citations
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