By Mina Dezz from IronRingGirls
Like many people out there, we’re trying to find our path in life and our careers. Throughout the process of figuring it all out, we come across so many questions.
What major should I study? What job should I get? Do I like what I do? Am I making enough money? Should I change my profession? Is this worth it?
We also go through many ups and downs to get to where we want to be.
That exam was brutal. Oh wow, I graduated! Ugh, this job’s hard. I’m learning so much! When will I make more money? Omg a promotion! And it goes on and on.
We all have such unique lives and personalities, but there are a few common things that we can all follow to get to where we want to be.
I graduated in 2014 from Civil Engineering with a minor in business from the University of Toronto. When I started my career, I knew little to nothing about what I wanted to do. I just started working for a company and took it day by day. Now I work in residential construction, building custom homes and I’ve never been happier with my job.
I’ve learned 5 lessons in my years of experience that no one ever taught me in a classroom. These 5 lessons have helped me get to where I want to be, and I know they will help you too.
- YOUR EFFORTS WILL GET YOU FURTHER THAN YOUR IQ
Focus on putting effort into learning and asking questions. You might not know a lot at the beginning of your career, and that’s okay. It’s important to know that with effort you can grow and become successful. You can learn skills and get good at them. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you don’t belong.
In a field like engineering, most people are professional and supportive. In the odd time that you interact with someone that gives you a hard time, either speak up about it or go somewhere they appreciate you.
- YOUR INNER CONFIDENCE IS WHAT WILL KEEP YOU
Inner confidence means you are confident in your personality and mindset to push through. No one can take this confidence away from you if it stems from a place deep inside. There might be many times when you need to rely on yourself to make things better. By this I don’t mean you have to solve all problems on your own. I mean you get our there and find help, ask questions, and research until you find a solution.
- HARMONY BETWEEN WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE WILL MAKE SURE YOU DON’T BURN OUT
Harmony means setting aside time for work, relationships, and yourself. Make sure you can integrate them all in your life so that in a few years you look back and regret nothing. Spend time on your career while taking care of yourself and enjoying the company of your family and friends.
- YOU’LL BE SURPRISED HOW MUCH YOU CAN GET DONE ONCE YOU’RE ORGANIZED.
Plan your days ahead of time. When you control what you do with your time, not only will you be more productive, but you’ll also plan time to relax.
- SOCIAL SKILLS ARE NECESSARY IN ENGINEERING (AND LIFE IN GENERAL).
Learn to communicate with different kinds of people. The better you can get your message across, the further you’ll go in your career. Whether you’re presenting to a classroom, talking about your ideas to your manager, or managing a group of people. Social skills are something you learn with experience, especially because they’re not taught in the classroom.
A combination of your technical skills and non-technical skills with your unique character is the best recipe for success!
To read more on how to succeed beyond the classroom, get your copy of “School & Life” for engineering students.
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