The following is a summary of Session 27 of my podcast, The Engineering Career Coach (TECC) Podcast with Anthony Fasano, PE. I will summarize the main points in this post; you can also listen to the show through the player below or by subscribing on iTunes. I offer a career-changing tip at the end of each podcast session.

In this session of the TECC Podcast, I will go into detail on the following six actions that you can take to stand out as an engineer:

1. Give Maximum Value – To stand out as an engineer, you must give a tremendous amount of value to your clients. Serve them in every way possible and make it easy for them to succeed. Communicate clearly and often with them and they will be loyal clients.
2. Don’t Always Follow Typical Design Mentality – There isn’t necessarily a right way to design something or solve an engineering problem. There are usually multiple solutions. When creating engineering designs, be smart and creative and consider all new options. For example, instead of using standard pavement, you might choose porous pavement.
3. Niche Yourself – Select a specific technical niche and become an expert in it. This is a way to really stand out in your career, yet so many engineers don’t do it. For example, become an expert in the design of concrete bridges, and then aim to be the best in that field. Write papers and speak as often as possible to raise your level of knowledge and credibility.
4. Go Against the Corporate Mentality – Don’t subscribe to the corporate mentality of climbing the ladder and kicking people off. Instead, push people up.
5. Speak Often – Get out and speak in front of audiences on your topics of technical expertise. Speak in front of clients, colleagues, professional-association groups, etc. This will boost your credibility and confidence while improving your communication skills.
6. Meet New People – Attend networking events and make it a point not to talk to people you know! This is very uncomfortable, but it will push you to meet new people and expand your network.

Have you found this post useful? What have you done to stand out as an engineer?

Anthony Fasano, PE, author of Engineer Your Own Success, found success as an engineer at a very early age and now writes and podcasts to help other engineers do the same. Visit Anthony’s website at EngineeringCareerCoach.com for free engineering career advice and other resources.