5 Lessons Learned in the First 30 Days as an Engineer

Yay! I secured my first job right out of college and moved across the country ready to begin my career as an Embedded Software Engineer. While many would see this as an accomplishment (I do and I am proud), it only made me recognize that this was only the beginning and there was more work to be done. As I began working my first few days, I found myself in a state of confusion where I had to ask myself..."Ok what now?".

There is not enough conversation about transitioning into the professional industry from the collegiate space where much of the discussion and preparation is for securing that first job out of college. But what must young professionals do once they secure the job? How do they continue to build their network? How do they become more visible to Senior leadership? These are all the questions and more that arose to me. I decided to put in the extra effort to seek these answers.

That being said, I took it upon myself to schedule 15-30min Networking/Tag-Ups/Coffee Chats sessions with about 30+ of the Black and Minority Leadership within my company to get an understanding of the corporate world and receive a true and honest insight on how they advanced their careers and become successful. I chose to begin my conversations with minority individuals in senior leadership and higher positions than myself because I feel that representation matters and it is truly inspiring to know that these individuals are breaking barriers for up-and-coming engineers like myself.

Enough with the build-up, in this article I will be sharing some of the advice and "game" that was told to me in my network sessions. I feel that I have a responsibility to share and pass down knowledge to the younger generation that looks up to me as well. Thank you to everyone that I spoke to and will continue to build that relationship with. Since this month I was only able to get in about 12 out of the 30+ people (more for next month) and they will be listed below so feel free to connect with them and network with them as well. Though they are very busy and their time is valuable to me, I am happy that they were able to share their time and provide me with some "game".

1. Network! Network! Network! ??

Make sure when people mention your name it is associated with something positive

This is powerful because you cannot be in every room so it is important that you represent yourself as someone who brings value and represents something positive. Networking was the overarching principle that was stated by almost every person I have had a discussion with. You will only go as far as your network and the people that you surround yourself with in the company. It is important to know that what you are doing now is not new. Someone has been in your shoes before. So it is your job to take their journey, learn from their mistakes and be better.

Essentially, "Eat the fish and spit out the bones".

It is essential that especially early in your career you learn and meet different people in different industries as you begin to discover what you actually want to do and determine your career path.

2. Understand Company Politics and How to Leverage it. ??

It is not enough to just be good at your job. You must be willing to put your name out there and show that the work that you are doing is having a business impact on the company in a positive manner.

The advice I received is to make sure that the hard work that you are doing is being recognized by the team lead more than the functional manager. So you have to figure out who the main guy is on your program and make sure that person sees your impact on whatever project or program you are working on. Know where you are in the organization and figure out who's your Boss's Boss. Make sure you know what you bring to the table and be able to communicate that. Additionally, make sure you are aware of the promotion process at your company and that your manager is aware of the goals that you have for your career.

3. Jack of All Trades vs Mastery ??

Often people get comfortable in their roles and this limits their growth. Do not fall into this trap! Be curious and take risks. Continue learning!

It is important that you master your technical foundation in the early years of your career because that will help you as you move up and have to defend or challenge different proposals/ideas/initiatives that you come across. I was also advised to be a Jack of all trades and a sponge of knowledge across many different disciplines. Now, those two pieces of advice may sound contradictory, however, I interpreted this as being able to find a balance of mastery in your discipline and retaining a sense of curiosity in exploring other industries.

Be willing to explore different aspects of your industry (hardware, software, system, program management, etc..).

4. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) ???

ERGs are the best way to translate the leadership experience you engaged with at the collegiate level into the professional industry and continue to have an impact on society.

Employee Resource Groups are one of the easiest ways to network and be exposed to a variety of opportunities. I was advised to join an ERG because of the impact, value, and potential for immediate leadership opportunities that may open doors for you in the future. At my company, I am a part of the African American Task Group led by Christopher Miller where I am already being recruited... decisions coming soon??.

5. Be Patient ?

Be a sponge. Soak in as much knowledge as possible and learn from the people that are more experienced than you are. Get on your grind and let the hard work be noticed.

Your career is just beginning! You will be pushed and pulled in so many different directions as you continue your career. The important thing is that you find what you are passionate about and pursue it.

Doing all these things and you will have a long career in whatever industry you choose.

Special thanks to the individuals I spoke to this month as I began my career as an Associate Embedded Software Engineer:

Juan Salgado , Marcus Souter, MBA, MSCIS , John Russell , Kevin Hogan (NG Fellow), John Anthony , Arik Brown , Latesha Taylor , LaKeisha Souter , Preston Frazier , Vince Holmes Sr. , Bernadeau Charles , Christopher Miller , Raul Dominguez Mercado

I have a few more sessions scheduled and maybe I write another article to share their insight! Excited about the future :)