Managing a career takes time, knowledge, interest and some skill. As engineers we are likely to be deficient in all four areas. Unfortunately, for most of us, our supervisors and managers are also engineers and therefore deficient in these same areas. Even where this is not the case, we are unlikely to treat our supervisors as partners in the enterprise of managing our own careers. As a result all too many engineers drift through their careers reaching their goals, if they do, as much through chance as through planning and skill.

This presentation uses simple models to talk about what companies want from their technical professionals (which is not necessarily what they say they want). It is intended to help you think about areas where your company's needs overlap with your skills and interests. It is intended to help you recognize the issue if the area of overlap is too small. Finally it is intended to help you understand how to grow in ways that both you and your company will find valuable.