Career Progression and Life LessonsYour Future Is In Your Hands!

Presented by With grateful acknowledgement to:

Peter Godfrey Glenn Morris

National Deputy President Managing Director – Australia

Engineers Australia Group Director

Meinhardt

Four Critical Success Principles

• “Passion” Principle• Career Phases• Work/Life Balance• The Right Skills

PRINCIPLE #1 : “Passion” Principle

• “Passion” and success go together

• Pursue engineering because you love the idea of being an engineer.

• Build your skills and back your judgement.

PRINCIPLE #2 – Career , Life PhasesPROFESSIONAL

CAREER• Graduate Engineer• Supervising Engineer• Operations Manager• Area Manager• Divisional Manager• National Team Leader• Various Project/Mgt

Roles• Consultant/Snr Manager• Director

FAMILY• 22: Married (Melb)• 28: 1st child (Syd)• 30: 2nd child (Bne,

Sunshine Coast, Bne)

• 40+: Lose parents & grandparents (Melb, Hbt, Melb)

• 50+: Children grown, completed uni. & starting careers. (Melb)

SHADOW CAREER

• Sunshine Coast Chair

• Tasmanian Civil Chair• Tas President/Civil

College Board Chair/Congress

• Councillor• National President

PRINCIPLE #2 – Career , Life PhasesPERSONAL LESSONS• Take up opportunities. Change role, location, industry.

Great upside, but be prepared for the downside too.• Pursue further education: formal (MBA, etc), CPD

(technical, conferences)• Time is visco-elastic. But manage it, and yourself, wisely.• Listen and consult. There are at least two sides to a story.• Think strategically. But also consider the impact on the

detail.• Be objective and open to ideas. From people at all

levels.• Care. About the business & people (clients, employees,

suppliers and other stakeholders).

PRINCIPLE #2 – Career , Life Phases

LEARN FROM BOTH GOOD & BAD BOSSES.• Bob M: Wheeler and dealer, but had issues with ethics.• John B: Instilled “ownership” of the business. Hands off

style, unless you stuffed up!• John L: Too detailed and controlling; OK for junior

levels but log-jammed the business when a senior manager.

• Laurie F: Networker, visionary, listener and decision maker. Felt the “aura”.

• Brad T: Brilliant mind, highly analytical but also outside the box thinking.

PRINCIPLE #2 – Career , Life Phases

LEARN FROM BOTH GOOD & BAD BOSSES.• Peter J: Ultimate business brain. Exudes people skills and

communicates at all levels.• Jim P: Marketing guru, public profile for self and business.• Glen C: Change manager, charismatic but unstable & ruthless.• Walter G: High level strategic thinker but understands the

detail. A force of nature.• Roger O: Focused, strategic and action oriented. A builder of

businesses.• Matt T: Commercial acumen, but pigeon-holes people. A

decision maker but can shoot from the hip.

PRINCIPLE #2 – Career , Life Phases

UNDERSTAND CORPORATE CULTURE.• Boral (toughminded)• Readymix (quality & business improvement)• CCC (Project management control)• William Adams / Caterpillar (customer focus)• Brambles (risk averse)• Coffey (specialist focus)

ABOVE ALL – Think of yourself as an “incorporated entity” and build your brand

PRINCIPLE # 3 – Gain Work / Life Experience and BalanceWHAT WORKS FOR ME:•Family•Shadow career with Engineers Australia•Continue with sports – hockey, tennis, skiing, bushwalking

These are the life threads that provide stability and a sense of self.

PRINCIPLE # 4 – Develop the Right SkillsKey Skills• Communication, Communication, Communication!!• (Listening / Written / Verbal / Non verbal)

Other Skills (Non-Engineering Areas)• Facilitation, Business Management, Team Leadership,

Project Management, Sales & Marketing

How?• Push your employer; and/or• Do it yourself anyway!

SUMMARY: PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS1. Be Passionate about Engineering as a Career2. Plan your Career as a series of 3 – 7 years Career

and Life Phases / Milestones3. Pursue your Career with Work / Life Balance4. Develop the Right Skills ( people, business,

technical)

PURSUE YOUR CAREER AND ENJOY!

ENGINEERS CAN SHAPE THE FUTURE

NEIL ARMSTRONG JIMMY CARTER

ROWAN ATKINSONLEONARDO DA VINCI

LEONID BREZHNEV JACK WELCH