How to get better at what you do? (To earn more!)
Discussion
Evening, some advice form the experts please!
I'm 27, and after a bit of a false start and a couple of rubbish jobs / a redundancy after leaving Uni at the peak of recession, I'm now a year into a proper 'career' job. Its a company I am comfortable in, that I know from previous placement there, doing a job I enjoy. Its nearby, its good hours, etc. I've had a little pay rise based on good performance, and I'm 'in demand' from the senior guys who I get on with.
Of course there a but - the pays not great. Bit less than UK average, about what bigger companies with proper Grad schemes might be offering people 5 yrs younger than me. Which is fine, but I'm trying to be pro-active about how I can maximise the opportunity I have to set me up for long term. I bought my first house very shortly after starting this job, and 1 year into a 3 yr fixed rate term on my mortgage, that's my sort of 'immediate' future where I doubt I'll be leaving or moving anywhere.
My actual role is as a Design Engineer, for a commercial vehicle manufacturer. This has quite a broad scope as the company is not huge, which means there's chances to get into different types of work.
What can I do to make sure I don't stagnate, and in basic terms, maximise my earning potential? Whether that be within the company I am now, or in the future, elsewhere?
(I'm old/wise enough to know that if I really was purely money driven I should have never chased a subject I enjoy, and should have just done something dull, easy and well paid, but I'm not that type of character, more fool me!).
What about professional qualifications? On the one hand, you hear that if you don't want to hit a ceiling, you need the letters after your name, but on the other hand, once your in the job you want to do, its how good you are, not how many exams or reports you've written...?
Also, I wondered about how might one predict what kind of skills are going to be desired in the future - I recall a relative who works in another field has explained one day how ten years ago, when young lads were starting out, picking the right software packages to be proficient at will have made massive difference to their earning potential within the little sub-genre of what he does. Whether this means giving me the perfect CV for an 'in demand' role in 3 or 5 years time, or enabling me to go contracting, I don't know yet...
I'm really pleased with how things have worked out last year, and I don't want to just 'stroll' along, I want to push myself. Luckily I think I finally have an employer/boss who I get on with and I think would support me.
I guess some of this falls under the umbrella of professional development, which is something that exists in books, and training manuals, but not in the real world as much as I have experienced thus far.
Any suggestion?
I'm 27, and after a bit of a false start and a couple of rubbish jobs / a redundancy after leaving Uni at the peak of recession, I'm now a year into a proper 'career' job. Its a company I am comfortable in, that I know from previous placement there, doing a job I enjoy. Its nearby, its good hours, etc. I've had a little pay rise based on good performance, and I'm 'in demand' from the senior guys who I get on with.
Of course there a but - the pays not great. Bit less than UK average, about what bigger companies with proper Grad schemes might be offering people 5 yrs younger than me. Which is fine, but I'm trying to be pro-active about how I can maximise the opportunity I have to set me up for long term. I bought my first house very shortly after starting this job, and 1 year into a 3 yr fixed rate term on my mortgage, that's my sort of 'immediate' future where I doubt I'll be leaving or moving anywhere.
My actual role is as a Design Engineer, for a commercial vehicle manufacturer. This has quite a broad scope as the company is not huge, which means there's chances to get into different types of work.
What can I do to make sure I don't stagnate, and in basic terms, maximise my earning potential? Whether that be within the company I am now, or in the future, elsewhere?
(I'm old/wise enough to know that if I really was purely money driven I should have never chased a subject I enjoy, and should have just done something dull, easy and well paid, but I'm not that type of character, more fool me!).
What about professional qualifications? On the one hand, you hear that if you don't want to hit a ceiling, you need the letters after your name, but on the other hand, once your in the job you want to do, its how good you are, not how many exams or reports you've written...?
Also, I wondered about how might one predict what kind of skills are going to be desired in the future - I recall a relative who works in another field has explained one day how ten years ago, when young lads were starting out, picking the right software packages to be proficient at will have made massive difference to their earning potential within the little sub-genre of what he does. Whether this means giving me the perfect CV for an 'in demand' role in 3 or 5 years time, or enabling me to go contracting, I don't know yet...
I'm really pleased with how things have worked out last year, and I don't want to just 'stroll' along, I want to push myself. Luckily I think I finally have an employer/boss who I get on with and I think would support me.
I guess some of this falls under the umbrella of professional development, which is something that exists in books, and training manuals, but not in the real world as much as I have experienced thus far.
Any suggestion?
Firstly, great to hear a good news story. As to your query; I'd firstly suggest talking to those at the top of the organisation and ask them about where the company is going and what do you need to do to assist them with that trajectory with regards to your own training and development. I'd also be tempted to ask if a senior guy could mentor you.
Another option is to scour the job ads for those roles you aspire to and see what they're demanding as essential competencies and use that to determine what courses to do or professional bodies to be a member of.
Hope that helps a little. Good luck!
Another option is to scour the job ads for those roles you aspire to and see what they're demanding as essential competencies and use that to determine what courses to do or professional bodies to be a member of.
Hope that helps a little. Good luck!
My opinion isn't rooted in anywhere near the level of experience as rog's but as you are a designer might I suggest a choice of acquiring demonstrable management skills and, if you're that kind of personality, broadening to being a "big picture" guy. For me, a design guy who can grow beyond the traditional design/project/sales partisan sniping is worth his weight in gold. A design guy who can interface with the client's non-technical staff and understand context doubly so.
We have an excellent example in my current company who is often assigned as design attaché to sales visits and clients love him. Technical heel-dragging is minimised when he is present. I'm sure you can see how this can be monetised long-term. Trouble is my example is still enough of a design guy to not badger for pay rises on the back of management's frequent endorsements of his indispensability.
We have an excellent example in my current company who is often assigned as design attaché to sales visits and clients love him. Technical heel-dragging is minimised when he is present. I'm sure you can see how this can be monetised long-term. Trouble is my example is still enough of a design guy to not badger for pay rises on the back of management's frequent endorsements of his indispensability.
Edited by MotorcyclesFish on Wednesday 16th January 07:06
Simon,
Good advice above - this seems to be the only bit of PH where you can often say that!
There are a number of strands to it. Rog007 has highlighted the support you can almost certainly get from your employee. I suspect they'll be delighted to be asked - although make sure you focus the conversation on what you can do for them better, rather than "I'm working on a plan to get out".
The advice to be more "big picture" is good. That's the route I went down. It seemed an opportunity as not all techies are great in front of customers.
A key decision is what do you want to do? Do you want to remain engineering focused or would you (at some point) consider a move into a different area? For example, if you did want to broaden into business then a business qualification might be useful.
I'd certainly look at getting professional qualifications. The IMechE (other institutions are available
) website has a lot of info and can provide a lot of support on CPD to help you progress. Connecting with your local region should get you some potential support.
Feel free to PM me, happy to chat.
Gary
Good advice above - this seems to be the only bit of PH where you can often say that!
There are a number of strands to it. Rog007 has highlighted the support you can almost certainly get from your employee. I suspect they'll be delighted to be asked - although make sure you focus the conversation on what you can do for them better, rather than "I'm working on a plan to get out".
The advice to be more "big picture" is good. That's the route I went down. It seemed an opportunity as not all techies are great in front of customers.
A key decision is what do you want to do? Do you want to remain engineering focused or would you (at some point) consider a move into a different area? For example, if you did want to broaden into business then a business qualification might be useful.
I'd certainly look at getting professional qualifications. The IMechE (other institutions are available
) website has a lot of info and can provide a lot of support on CPD to help you progress. Connecting with your local region should get you some potential support.Feel free to PM me, happy to chat.
Gary
Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff