surf's up: what engineers really do

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IEEE ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT REVIEW, VOL. 34, NO. 3, THIRD QUARTER 2006 163 Surf’s Up: What Engineers Really Do —LINDA KOSMIN LANGFORD EMR Contributing Editor IEEE DOI 10.1109/EMR.2006.880533 ENGINEERING responsibilities can still be both absorbing and challenging. One can look to the Web to learn how other professional engineers have developed strategies for minimizing mundane work assignments in favor of more interesting technical projects. The Internet offers access to shared career profiles. Many shed light on ways others have overcome outsourcing and downsizing shifts, now that there is less promise for long-term job security. Furthermore, there are sites that emphasize continuing education opportunities. Others explain ways to reap the benefits of P.E. licensure. The following are examples of Web resources that offer guidance to newcomers and practicing professionals, as they strive to keep on top of today’s changing engineering roles. Core Information Competencies Redefined: A Study of the Information Education of Engineers http://www.arl.org/diversity/ leading/issue11/popinglin.html Written by an academic librarian, this study delves into the information seeking habits of engineers. It examines how engineers acquire and glean knowledge from literature sources and from interactions with customers, vendors, and colleagues. Also, it reviews research findings published elsewhere. There are summaries of chronological, social, and economic influences on the information competencies of engineers. A link leads to a separate page with useful bibliographic references. Graduating Engineer Online http://www.graduatingengineer .com/careerprofiles/index.html While the primary focus of this site is to provide guidance to engineers entering the profession, employed engineers can also benefit from resourceful information found here. Summaries of interviews with working engineers offer insights into what those professionals really do during a typical work week. Posted biographical sketches include responses to inquiries about length of employment, inter- and intra-departmental teamwork experiences, skills needed to foster harmony among associates, and strategies for making prudent career path choices. There is input for most

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Page 1: Surf's up: what engineers really do

IEEE ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT REVIEW, VOL. 34, NO. 3, THIRD QUARTER 2006 163

Surf’s Up: What EngineersReally Do

—LINDA KOSMIN LANGFORD

EMR Contributing Editor

IEEE DOI 10.1109/EMR.2006.880533

ENGINEERING responsibilitiescan still be both absorbingand challenging. One canlook to the Web to learn howother professional engineershave developed strategies forminimizing mundane workassignments in favor of moreinteresting technical projects.The Internet offers access toshared career profiles. Manyshed light on ways others haveovercome outsourcing anddownsizing shifts, now that thereis less promise for long-term jobsecurity. Furthermore, there aresites that emphasize continuingeducation opportunities. Othersexplain ways to reap the benefitsof P.E. licensure. The followingare examples of Web resourcesthat offer guidance to newcomersand practicing professionals,as they strive to keep on topof today’s changing engineeringroles.

Core InformationCompetencies Redefined:A Study of the InformationEducation of Engineershttp://www.arl.org/diversity/leading/issue11/popinglin.htmlWritten by an academic librarian,this study delves into theinformation seeking habits ofengineers. It examines how

engineers acquire and gleanknowledge from literaturesources and from interactionswith customers, vendors, andcolleagues. Also, it reviewsresearch findings publishedelsewhere. There are summariesof chronological, social, andeconomic influences on theinformation competencies ofengineers. A link leads to aseparate page with usefulbibliographic references.

Graduating Engineer Onlinehttp://www.graduatingengineer.com/careerprofiles/index.htmlWhile the primary focus ofthis site is to provide guidanceto engineers entering theprofession, employed engineerscan also benefit from resourcefulinformation found here.Summaries of interviews withworking engineers offer insightsinto what those professionalsreally do during a typical workweek. Posted biographicalsketches include responsesto inquiries about lengthof employment, inter- andintra-departmental teamworkexperiences, skills neededto foster harmony amongassociates, and strategies formaking prudent career pathchoices. There is input for most

Page 2: Surf's up: what engineers really do

164 IEEE ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT REVIEW, VOL. 34, NO. 3, THIRD QUARTER 2006

engineering disciplines and somerelated endeavors. Also, the siteprovides open access to full-textarticles. For instance, there is anarticle about female engineersthat reflects work experiences inindustry vs. the government

Greatest EngineeringAchievements ofthe 20th Centuryhttp://www.greatachievements.org/Content of this Website isbased on selections fromthe printed book entitled ACentury of Innovation: TwentyEngineering AchievementsThat Transformed Our Lives(National Academies Press, c2003). Each featured topic beginswith a detailed historical outlineexplaining subject-pertinentaccomplishments through theages. Timeless are followed bymore detailed explanations withemphasis is on applications, use,and future challenges. Also, thereare specific career profiles aboutindustry leaders. Examples ofbroad subject areas addressedare electricity, electronics, modesof transportation, mass media,energy resources, biomedicaland health-related imagingtechnologies, communicationchannels including the Internet,and creature comforts likeair conditioning, heating,refrigeration and waterresources.

NASA Quest: WhatNASA People Dohttp://questdb.arc.nasa.gov/bio_search.htmLinks are provided to over900 descriptive biographicalprofiles for NASA engineers andscientists. To view on screen theentire directory of biographicalentries, leave all of the fieldsblank on this search enginepage and click the Find Recordsbutton at lower left. This willproduce a complete directoryalphabetized by surnames. Eachentry will indicate the NASAemployee’s area of interest, jobfunction, and work location. Clickon any of the adjacent GO linksto connect to the Web page forthat individual. Career profilesvary in length. Most includea digital image of the worker.Accompanying text often providesdetails about the person’s pastand present career journey,education, key competencies,current NASA job responsibilitiesincluding positives and negativeaspects, personal data, insightsabout role models, profile updateinformation, and links to anyachieved NASA chat discussionforum postings.

National Council ofExaminers for Engineeringand Surveying (NCEES)http://www.engineeringlicence.com/aboutncees/sitemap.phpEmphasis here is on designingstandardized tests for licensing

engineering professionalpractices. The aim is to fosteruniform work standards acrossgeographical boundaries,promote ethical businessconduct, and facilitate careermobility. Detailed information isprovided about the Fundamentalsof Engineering (FE) exam andfurther steps required to fullyachieve licensed ProfessionalEngineer (PE) status. In thecareer profiles found at thissite, contributors summarizecurrent and past professionalwork assignments, academicachievements, professionalawards, interactions withsupervisors, and vocationaladvantages of having licensure.

Sloan Career CornerstoneCenter:http://careercornerstone.orgThis informative resourcesfocuses on all aspects and levelsof science and technology thatrelate to career path alternatives.There are over 400 professionalprofiles maintained here.Engineers, mathematicians, andscientists share occupationalexperiences and workplacewisdom by means of text andshort videos. Many includedescriptions of typical workdays.Site visitors have free onlineand email access to monthlynewsletters.