Career Planner Feb08

CAREER PLANNER
FOR THE ENGINEERING TEAM

CAREER PLANNER
General Version
Copyright Engineers Australia February 2008
ISBN 1 875698 84 1
Revised Edition 2 July 2003
Revised Edition 3 July 2004
Revised Edition 31 January 2008
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
WHO THE PLANNER IS FOR 2
A QUICK TOUR 2
ACCESS TO THE CONTENTS 3
ROAD MAP TO THE CAREER PLANNER 4
THE CAREER PLANNER
You and Your Skills
WHY ITS IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS 7
ATTRIBUTES EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR 8
IDENTIFYING YOUR MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS 9
IDENTIFYING SOURCES OF SATISFACTION IN YOUR LIFE 10
IDENTIFYING CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS 11
IDENTIFYING NEGATIVE INFLUENCES AND HOW TO COUNTERACT THEM 12
Particular Skills Which Can Enhance Your Career
EFFECTIVE WRITING 13
REPORT WRITING 16
EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS 19
RUNNING MEETINGS 23
TIME MANAGEMENT 25
MANAGING CONFLICT 28
Your Current Role
DESCRIBING YOUR CURRENT ROLE 31
DESCRIBING YOUR CURRENT PERFORMANCE 33
IDENTIFYING STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS 34
360-DEGREE FEEDBACK 35
Using Competency Standards To Help Plan Your Future
DEFINING THE ENGINEERING TEAM 37
HOW YOUR EMPLOYER MIGHT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE 40
A THUMBNAIL SKETCH OF THE COMPETENCY STANDARDS 41
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DEMONSTRATING THE
COMPETENCY STANDARDS OF ENGINEERING PRACTITIONERS 41
CONTENTS
Standards to which Competencies Must be Demonstrated
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS 43
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGISTS 45
ENGINEERING OFFICERS 46
Working With Others
WHY TEAM SKILLS ARE IMPORTANT 47
HOW DO YOU WORK IN A TEAM? 49
TEAM ROLES QUESTIONNAIRE 50
SCORING 52
Onward and Upward
HOW YOUR PRESENT POSITION COULD CHANGE OVER THE NEXT 3 TO 5 YEARS 53
YOUR CAREER OPTIONS 55
THINKING ABOUT CAREER OPTIONS FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW 58
HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE RSUM 59
A SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW 60
INTRODUCTION
CAREER PLANNER FOR THE ENGINEERING TEAM Revised Edition 31 January 2008 2
INTRODUCTION
WHO THE PLANNER IS FOR
The Career Planner is primarily for recently graduated engineers who have not yet achieved Chartered
Membership Status. However, if you have already achieved Chartered Membership status you will still fnd many
parts of the Career Planner useful.
If you are a recently graduated engineer it will help you to:
achieve Chartered Membership Status and registration on the appropriate National Register
plan the next steps in your career
If you already have Chartered Membership Status it will help you to:
plan the next steps in your career
keep your Curriculum Vitae (CV) up to date
keep records of your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to meet ongoing requirements of your
Chartered Membership Status and registration on the appropriate National Register
provide practical advice to young engineers about their careers
No matter what stage you are at in your career, you can always beneft from thinking about your past
experience and training to help decide where you are heading.
A QUICK TOUR
As you will see from the Road Map on page 4, this document will provide practical advice on analysing your
skills and managing your career.
It will also help you and your employer plan your future training and career development by providing a focus
for discussions about:
your work performance
agreed job-related goals
immediate training needs
promotion opportunities and new assignments to broaden your experience
If you are at the stage where you have a mentor - a person who can help you with confdential advice on your
career development - the Career Planner will also be an excellent focus for discussions between the two of you.
ACCESS TO THE CONTENTS
The Career Planner is designed to beneft you and your career development. But it is also intended that you
use it to beneft the organisation to which you belong. Your employer has a direct interest in your use of the
publication.
It will also contain information that needs to be publicly accessible as evidence of meeting professional
obligations for example, for the National Professional Engineers Register (NPER) and National Engineering
Technologists Register (NETR) and Engineers Australias policy on Continuing Professional Development.
A suggested set of conditions governing access to information in the various sections is outlined in the Road
Map and summarised below:

Section Conditions of access
CAREER PLANNER
Will contain some of your personal information.
Could be useful in discussions with your mentor or
team-development activities.

(Note: You may also need to provide extracts from your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) record if required by
Engineers Australia audit to substantiate your summary CPD claim)

ROAD MAP TO THE CAREER PLANNER

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CAREER PLANNER
YOU AND YOUR SKILLS
WHY ITS IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS
Research into career patterns clearly shows that some people have much greater success than others in
obtaining the type of work they want.
One common factor in their success is that they have worked hard to develop an excellent understanding of
their strengths and limitations as well as what they want to achieve in life. These people have also worked hard
at identifying how they can contribute to the success of a particular organisation. This is why these steps should
be a top priority in your career planning.
Whether you are aiming at an improved job within your career organisation or another one, it is clear that you
need to undertake some regular self analysis of your strengths and weaknesses and how you can be more
productive in the workplace for example, through additional training or gaining more experience in a new
area.
Take a moment now to look at the accompanying graph showing the most successful
and least successful methods for obtaining a new position.
The fve most effective methods
1. Identify what you have to offer,
where to offer it, then network
yourself.
2. Use Yellow Pages in a group
and phone any potential
employers.
3. Use Yellow Pages by self and
phone any potential employers.
4. Door-knock on any employer.
5. Ask people for leads.
The fve least effective methods
5. Use private employment
agencies.
4. Answer local newspaper ads.
3. Answer ads in professional
journals.
2. Mail out resumes.
1. Use the internet.
Source: Based on data cited in Bolles, R.N What Color Is Your Parachute? Ten-Speed Press. 2002 edition, pages 42-52.
o
Percentage of Iob Hunters who succeed using this method
o zo jo qo yo 6o o 8o go oo
As you can see from the graph, when you decide to
look for a promotion or a new position, the most
effective methods include developing a thorough
knowledge of your own strengths and weaknesses
and then focusing on your strengths. The fve most
effective methods all require you to market yourself by
communicating directly with others.
To do this you must have confdence in your product
yourself.
This section of the Career Planner is designed to help
you achieve this; to get to know yourself even better
and to use this knowledge effectively. In particular, the
activities will help you to:
identify the kinds of attributes that employers
look for
identify your most important skills, particularly
those you enjoy most
identify things which have given you
satisfaction in life
identify ways in which you can transfer your
skills and previous achievements to new
situations.
Note: You might fnd it helpful to make copies of the
various checklists in the Career Planner
ATTRIBUTES EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
There are some attributes that employers commonly
look for. You might fnd it useful to work through the
following checklist to help build up a general profle of
how you feel you measure up at the moment.
Although the emphasis will vary from position to
position, this will be a useful bench mark for looking
at your attributes in more detail, including strengths
as well as those areas that you believe will need
attention. The list is not exhaustive but provides a
good start to self assessment.
My current rating of how I measure up
(5 = Very high, 1 = Very low)
Relevant education & training
technical
non-technical
(eg. business & management)
Relevant experience
Personal achievements

Personal attributes
honesty
reliability
punctuality
sense of humour
tact
conscientiousness
imagination
fexibility
ability to handle change
confdence
loyalty
commitment
initiative
innovativeness
energy
ability to handle pressure
Interpersonal skills & attributes
friendliness
team spirit
co-operativeness
sensitivity to others
leadership
tolerance
effective communications
ability to resolve confict
Practical competencies
writing and speaking
dealing with the public
computer literacy
attention to detail
ability to supervise others
Attention to physical appearance
personal grooming and dress
walking, sitting & standing properly
Personal interests & activities supporting
the above

IDENTIFYING YOUR MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS
All positions and careers require skills. Once you have demonstrated or mastered a skill in one situation you can
easily transfer it from one position to another.
If you work through the activities in this section, you should be able to provide, in three or four sentences for
example, at a performance appraisal interview, or an interview for a new position an answer to the question:
What are your strongest skIIIs?
(Dont answer this just yet wait until you have worked through this section but this is about how little
space you should need to provide a succinct, quality answer)
If you tend to think more graphically, another way to think about the outcome of the activities in this section is
to visualise your career being based on a series of building blocks consisting of your strongest skills:
After Bolles, 2001, p.83
My favourite
and strongest skill is:
My second favourite
and strongest skill is:
My third:
My forth: My fth: My sixth:
IDENTIFYING THINGS WHICH HAVE GIVEN YOU SATISFACTION IN LIFE
Note: This activity is very suitable as a group activity, perhaps during a team meeting, or as a basis for discussion
with your mentor.
Think back to achievements and occasions in non work-related aspects of your life, at any age, which gave you
a lot of satisfaction. You might remember the frst time you played really well in your favourite sports team, or
when you mastered a tune on a musical instrument, or
Briefy describe three achievements or occasions
other than during paid work which gave you
particular satisfaction
Why did they give you this sense of satisfaction?
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.

Are there any common threads in these memories? List any strengths you displayed that you would feel
comfortable mentioning in an interview for a position that you particularly want.
As you think about and plan your career, try to allow for these types of situations to occur regularly so that you
have both a successful career and a happy lifestyle. But remember: things that gave you satisfaction at one time
may not always have the same effect again!

IDENTIFYING CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS
You will already have large and small achievements in your career. You might have improved a document-
tracking system within your offce. You might be the only woman to have become a design engineer in your
organisation. Perhaps you were a member of a team that helped deliver a construction project on time and on
budget.
As you focus on career-related achievements, analyse the individual factors as well as the organisational ones
which helped or hindered you in your achievements. On the table below, fll in three achievements that were
important to you and also the factors which helped or hindered in each.
Negative Infuences Positive Infuences

ACHIEVEMENT 1:
ACHIEVEMENT 2:
ACHIEVEMENT 3:
Now you not only have a list of achievements, but
you can analyse the factors which led to that success.
These factors can be re-created, or built on, to help
ensure future success. Those negative infuences on
the left side might be reduced, since you can easily
recognise them.
Note: If you wish to discuss this analysis, a colleague,
mentor or supervisor may be able to provide another
perspective on the factors which you have identifed,
and can help you develop ways to deal with them.
IDENTIFYING NEGATIVE INFLUENCES
AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM
Really knowing yourself involves admitting the
negatives, such as a lack of a particular skill with data,
people or things, or a personality trait which drags you
down.
At this stage, you should not only list the negatives
but what you propose to do about them as well.
This could include:
further reading
discussion with a mentor
taking a training program
delegating tasks
changing a system.
You will probably need to set some priorities, rather
than dealing with everything at once. Use your
organisations performance appraisal system (if there
is one) to feed in information about training needs or
structural and procedural changes: its possible that
there are others in the same position as you.
Remember, you have a large number of skills and
some areas to work on accentuate the positive!

Problem What I can do about it
What are your strongest skIIIs?
Now, go back to the question on page 3 in this section and complete your answer. It is suggested that you
photocopy that page or write in pencil so you can change it over time!
PARTICULAR SKILLS WHICH CAN
ENHANCE YOUR CAREER
Research clearly demonstrates that improvements in two core skill areas can have a dramatic effect on personal
productivity and effectiveness:
communication skills
time management skills
Some attention is given to them here because of their importance. However, you are urged to obtain further
information from the many appropriate sources available.
EFFECTIVE WRITING
No matter how good your technical skills, you also need to be an effective writer and communicator.
There are several key areas in which improvements can have a major impact on your effectiveness as a writer.
1. AnaIyse your audIence
One of the keys to effective writing is to think carefully about:
why you are writing and
who you are writing for
Technical writers have not accomplished their purpose if only the facts have been presented and they have no
impact on the people receiving them. In order to write with clarity, impact and power, it is essential not only to
master the skills of effective writing, but also to have an understanding of your audience.
The key questions regarding the background of your readers are these:
Why does your audience need to read your writing?
What does your audience hope to learn?
What action will the audience take as a result of the information?
Your writing approach needs to be appropriate for different audiences depending on why they are reading your
writing and what they need to do with it. For example, here are some strategies you might consider to vary your
writing for four different audiences:
High level decision makers: executives and managers
state the purpose of the task
give a moderate amount of information to set the stage
explain the alternatives under consideration
provide supportive documentation for the alternative selected
describe in action terms the next steps to be taken or recommended.
Experts and academics
include details such as theoretical calculations, observations and measurements
you can use shorthand techniques such as abbreviations, formulae, mathematical equations, etc.
include inferences, conclusions and recommendations.
Technicians and operators
include some background information and defnitions
usually there is no need for a detailed account of your theoretical calculations, observations and
measurements.
The general community audience
provide any background information needed to make sense of the material
strive to achieve a clear, uncluttered style, avoid jargon
use shorter sentences and graphics where possible
provide explanations of unfamiliar terms, perhaps in footnotes, a glossary or appendix.
2. OrganIse your Ideas and InformatIon
Good writers organise their ideas and information before they start. A writing plan saves time and produces a
more effective document. Here are two techniques for developing a plan:
Random list based on the need to write a document about the installation of pipes
Ideas wheel

3. StrategIes to Improve your wrItIng
Here are some general tips that apply to most documents in an engineering environment.
Concise expression
Always strive to achieve a clear, uncluttered style. Keep your writing relatively jargon free and use shorter
sentences to help understanding. It does not mean leaving out necessary detail, but rather using words that
make it easier for the reader to understand your written message. Similarly, many phrases can easily be replaced
by single words. For example, why not use now instead of at this particular point in time or work instead of
the capacity in which you are employed?
Sentence length
To help reduce sentence length, try these strategies:
sort out the different ideas
include only one or two ideas in each sentence
consider placing qualifcations of these ideas in separate sentences
consider placing explanations of these ideas in separate sentences.
Paragraphs
A good paragraph:
is an orderly arrangement of sentences that develop a single main idea
is free of information that does not contribute to that idea
should average 80 words or less in reports
should average 60 words or less in letters and memos (because of their page layout).
General readability
Two factors affect the readability or diffculty level of a piece of writing:
the type of words used
the number of words per sentence
There are several techniques for measuring the readability of your writing, such as the Fog Index. If you are
using a recent version of Microsoft Word, you will fnd it in the grammar check component. If you do fnd that
you have a heavy vocabulary, aim to shorten your sentence length.
REPORT WRITING
Writing a report is one of the most common documents required in an engineers work. Improving your skills in
this area will help increase your overall effectiveness in the workplace.
Reports can range from environmental impact studies hundreds of pages long and with a large and diverse
audience in mind to a one-page memo report designed for an audience of one. There is no one standard
report format which will serve all of your needs. While there are conventions to ensure clarity and ease of
reading, many of these conventions are fexible. What to include and where, will depend to a large degree on
the formality of your report, your audience and purpose.
The formal report
There are four main parts to the extended formal report:
Elements Usual contents and characteristics
1. Prefatory elements
Letter of transmittal and preface .................
Title page ................................................................
Abstract or ..............................................................
Executive summary ............................................
Table of contents
List of illustrations
Glossary and list of symbols
Scope, purpose, background, acknowledgments
descriptive, authors, organisation, who for, date
summary, framework, key words, usually <250 words
main results, conclusions, recommendations
2. Main elements
Introduction ...........................................................
Body ..........................................................................
Ending ......................................................................
background, purpose, scope of the report, limitations
longest section, logical fow of facts & discussion,
clear headings & subheadings for signposting
results, conclusions, qualifcations, recommendations
(specifc, clear, realistic, strong), implications
3. Supplementary elements
Appendices............................................................. supporting documentation, key points in main text
4. Documentation
Footnotes
Bibliography ..........................................................
list all documents used, apply an accepted style:
e.g. Kinsky, Roger. Applied Heat: An Introduction to
Thermodynamics. 2nd ed. Sydney: McGraw-Hill, 1981.
or
Kinsky, R. (1981) Applied Heat: An Introduction to Thermodynamics.
Sydney. McGraw-Hill. 2nd ed.
or
Harris, R.D. and Learmont, J. Writing for Technical Professionals.
Journal of Advanced Communication. 22.1
(1993): 456-77.
Here are some examples of other types of reports and possible contents:
Progress report
Summary: Brief synopsis of progress achieved and its effect upon schedule
Background: The situation and events leading up to the report
Progress: 1. Planned work
2. Work done
3. Problems
4. Schedule
Plans: Work plans and schedule adjustments
Back up: Detailed data supporting the Work done section
Test report
Summary: Briefy states the purpose, main fndings, and outcome
Background: Describes the purpose and scope of the tests
Tests: 1. Equipment and materials
2. Test methods, often step by step
3. Test results
4. Analysis, interpretation of results
Outcome (conclusions): A brief statement of test results and what they are interpreted to mean
Back up (attachments): Separate sheets containing data
Semi-formal proposal
Summary: Synopsis of the problem or situation, proposed solution and recommended
action
Background: The circumstances; what needs to be resolved or improved
Proposal details: 1. Objective criteria for an acceptable solution
2. Proposed solution the most suitable one
3. Other solutions alternative solutions
4. Evaluation analysis of all solutions in light of established criteria
Outcome: Recommended action
Back up: Supporting data

Formal investigation report
Letter of transmittal
Title page
Summary: Statement of purpose, main fndings and outcomes
Table of Contents
Background (introduction): Describes the problem or situation, and purpose and scope of Investigation
Investigation: 1. Approach what was done
2. Findings what was found out
3. Suggestions ways for improving or correcting the situation
4. Evaluation analysis of suggestions
Outcome: 1. Conclusions restates major fndings and suggestions
2. Recommendations make clear which is key recommendation
Back Up: Supporting data: calculations, analyses, tables, drawings etc.
Note: The CER Example Registry is a compilation of CERs from a variety of engineering disciplines, industry sectors
and occupational categories. We recommend you view this document before you begin writing your frst CER to
give you an idea of what is required.

EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS
Throughout your engineering career, you will almost certainly need to make oral presentations of various kinds,
for example:
providing a verbal tender to a prospective group of clients
presenting a technical paper at a conference
providing a technical briefng for management
providing a marketing presentation
Unlike speeches which are often an end in themselves, presenting always has a particular purpose in mind: to
persuade, to inform, to sell. It has an emphasis on decision and action, on results:
Situation Purpose
presenting tender to persuade
presenting conference paper to inform
thank you to entertain
marketing presentation to sell

Effective presenters always plan carefully. They address a number of key questions and steps well beforehand:
What is the purpose of my presentation?
What do I want the audience to do as a result of my presentation?
Who is my audience? What do they know already and what do they expect?
Where will I be making the presentation?
What visual aids will I need? Do they work?
How long will my presentation be?
Have I confrmed my presentation?

Organising & outlining your material
Whether your presentation is ten minutes long and delivered to your supervisor only, or is an hour long and is
presented to sixty people, it must have a shape. The following is a common format for technical presentations:
Introduction
getting the talk started: optional anecdote
your credentials if necessary
courtesies/acknowledgments
presentation objective: tell them what you are going to tell them
Body
A logical string of headlines:
1
2
3
Optional summary
Conclusion
take action: make proposal/make recommendation/seek order etc
close the talk
discussion/questions and answers
fnal summary and close: Tell them what you have told them
DElIVERING THE PRESENTATION
Overcoming fear
For many people, speaking in public is their number one fear! Some common fears are:
Ill dry up
Ill make a joke and no one will laugh
Ill lose my place and sound stupid
There will be a technical hitch
Ill be asked questions Im unable to answer
But if you have planned properly you can overcome any of these problems:
If I dry up, I have my notes at hand. Besides I can always keep a full text at the ready which I can read in an
emergency
I dont need to make a joke
I have numbered my pages and used headings. I know my material. If I lose my place I need only take a
deep breath and pause while I turn my cards over
I have prepared thoroughly and the chance of any mistake is unlikely, and at worst is likely only to be
noticed by me
I am an expert in this feld. It is highly unlikely that I will be unable to answer questions and if I cant this
does not refect badly on me
Preparation and rehearsal are the best ways to overcome nerves!
Some common presentation pitfalls to avoid
speaking too fast (extremely common due to nerves)
fddling with ties, ears, belts, pens
shuffing paper
pacing back and forward endlessly
talking to the white board or to a spot at the back of the room rather than maintaining eye contact with
the audience
turning back to the audience
jingling coins or keys in the pocket
over-using phrases, for example, OK or So
To read or not to read?
How much detail should you have in front of you? To a large extent this will depend on both your purpose
and your degree of nervousness. There are a number of possibilities:
The fully scripted text
In most situations it is best not to read a paper word for word. You might have a full draft copy with you as a
safety net, but that is what it should remain. If you do decide to read your paper (through nerves, or because you
are following the conventions of a conference presentation) here are some tips:
Say a few words to the audience before you commence, to establish the context and rapport
Highlight key words so you can fnd where you are after having looked at the audience
Use a large font
Ensure you can pronounce awkward words
Have visual aids prepared
Arrange for someone else to be reading a copy of your paper and inserting the aids as required.
Speaking to a manuscript
Some people like to have a detailed manuscript in front of them but only speak to their notes. You must be very
confdent with your material and must highlight it in such a way that you can fnd your way to key trigger
words.
Prompt cards
These have several advantages provided you carefully select key trigger words and phrases:
you can easily add or delete from your talk
it reduces the amount of shuffed paper
ensures you will spend most of your time addressing the audience, not a page
Visual aids as notes
This technique is suitable for technical presentations where the visual aids contain a great deal of data. In effect,
the visual aids, serve as your prompt. There are some important points to watch:
ensure that you really need the aids and that they are relevant. Overuse of visual aids can be distracting
better to use a few but use them well.
if using overhead transparencies, use at least a 14 point font size, preferably sans serif such as Helvetica.
Keep the number of words to an absolute minimum per transparency.
use short pieces of videotape to punctuate your presentation if appropriate but always ensure that you
have the material cued and ready.
whiteboards can be useful for informal presentations, less suitable formal briefngs and marketing
presentations. Check that the pen colours are readable from a distance.
if handing out written material, make it brief (otherwise it may distract your audience). Lengthier
material should be given out at the end of the presentation to take away.
three dimensional objects, models and demonstrations can make a presentation memorable but
remember to rehearse.
RUNNING MEETINGS
Meetings, bloody meetings. Who hasnt had this thought at times? But it is possible to conduct meetings
which leave you and others feeling that time has been well spent not wasted. Within the workplace, effective
meetings can play a vital role in:
maintaining effcient two-way information fow
improving staff morale and motivation
improving decision making and creative problem solving to improve a companys competitive edge.
Meetings can include:
decision making meetings annual general meetings
information giving meetings weekly section meetings
problem-solving meetings shareholders meetings
reporting meetings union meetings
All of them require a planned, structured approach to make them successful.
1. Why an effective agenda is important
Good meetings require preparation. An effective agenda is a key step in preparation to avoid long-winded and
unproductive meetings. It is not merely a list of topics although it is commonly thought of in those terms. It
is an important document which describes the purposes, terms of discussion, the relative importance of items
under review and what should come out of the meeting. The following is an example of an effective agenda:
Note that business arising is set out
Reports have been distributed before-
hand and items for discussion noted
Items requiring discussion are
placed centrally
Any other business deleted since
items should have been informed
earlier and placed on agenda

AGENDA
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING
13 July 6.30 - 8.30 pm
1. Apologies
2. Approval of minutes
3. Business arising: - response from CLient
- Meeting with project manager
4. Accountants Report - items for discussion market
5. Directors REport - itmes for discussion marketd
6. Funding submissions - discussion of ideas
7. Approval of revised building project proposal
8. Correspondence - request to provide workshops
2. The Chairpersons role in creating effective meetings
The other key element in effective meetings is the role played by the chairperson. An effective chairperson:
sets clear objectives (in conjunction with the group if necessary)
ensures early preparation and distribution of the agenda
ensures adherence to the agenda
monitors participation of all present and elicits responses from all to ensure that one or two people do
not dominate
compares and contrasts viewpoints
ensures information is recorded and analysed appropriately
generates alternatives
explores reactions and feelings
manages confict between participants
keeps the decision-making process on track
summarises discussion, decisions and clarifes action to be taken
ensures that minutes are distributed and follow up action is taken
3. Handling confict in meetings
Confict is a fact of life in some meetings. Not all confict is destructive, however, and its effects can be
channelled and minimised by an effective chairperson who:
acknowledges deadlines
involves everyone (changing the dynamic when a meeting has reached deadlock)
allows time for people to think
arranges a break
refers items to a sub-committee
protects the group from early deadlines.
acknowledges feelings, articulates differences & shows understanding

TIME MANAGEMENT
Improving your time management skills is one of the single most important ways in which you can dramatically
improve your productivity.
Recent research has found that highly effective time managers share a number of common characteristics.
Models of success have been found to be individuals who:
were unusually productive
This was defned in terms of quality as well as quantity. Those who were selected as models did what
they did very well. Excellence was an easily recognisable hallmark of their productivity.
refected values compatible with time-proven principles
Foremost among the principles refected were Integrity, Contribution, and Balance. Individuals who
excelled in one area at the expense of family, friends, or effective resource management did not qualify as
highly effective time managers.
were reasonably calm and happy
Calmness and happiness were recognised as the result of a life congruent with inner values. Of course,
some stress is a natural part of any life. But no amount of productivity compensated for a life flled with
tension, anxiety and unhappiness.
1. The Quadrants of Time Management
One powerful way of thinking about managing time more effectively is the idea of Time Quadrants
1
based on:
(a) the importance of tasks in relation to the key areas of your work and personal life and
(b) the urgency of those tasks.
Over reliance on daily planning and to do lists tend to keep us focused only on urgent activities rather than on
important ones. Many important things those things that lead us to our objectives and give meaning to our
lives dont demand our attention. However, it is because they arent urgent that they are precisely the things
we must act upon.
The four quadrants are shown on the next page. Highly successful people are generally those who are effective
Quadrant 2 managers who focus on important tasks, not simply urgent ones.
1.
Adapted from Merrill and Merrill, Connections.

Urgent Not urgent
Important
Quadrant 1
crises
pressing problems
deadline-driven projects, meetings
Quadrant 2
preparation
prevention
values clarifcation
planning
relationship building
empowerment
Not Important
Quadrant 3
interruptions, some phone calls
some mail, some reports
some meetings
many pressing matters
many popular activities
Quadrant 4
trivia, busywork
escape activities
junk mail
some phone calls
time wasters

Quadrant 1
represents activities that are both urgent and important
we need to spend time in quadrant 1 so we can manage, produce and bring our experience and
judgement to bear in responding to many needs and challenges
but many important activities become urgent through procrastination or because we dont do enough
planning and prevention
Quadrant 2 (the Quadrant of Quality)
activities that are important but not urgent
long-range planning, anticipate and prevent problems, empower others, prepare for important meetings
ignoring this quadrant feeds and enlarges quadrant 1, creates stress, burnout and deeper crises
investing more time in quadrant 2 reduces quadrant 1
quadrant 2 doesnt act on us; we must act on it
Quadrant 3
phantom of quadrant 1
includes things that are urgent but not important
noise of urgency creates an illusion of importance
actual activities, if theyre important at all, are only important to someone else
spend a lot of time in quadrant 3 meeting others priorities and expectations
Quadrant 4
activities that are not urgent and not important
we often escape to quadrant 4 for survival after being tossed around in quadrants 1 & 3
reading pulp novels, mindless TV, gossiping

2. Ten things that effective time managers do
1. Keep their core values clearly in mind.
2. Evaluate and limit activities and commitments based on those core values.
3. Free themselves to act rather than being acted upon.
4. Think ahead, prepare and organise.
5. Honour commitments to self and others.
6. Accurately determine the achievable.
7. Focus efforts and energy.
8. Continually increase personal capacity.
9. Are sensitive to others and communicate effectively.
10. Carefully select and use a few personalised tools
(e.g. an electronic organiser and/or a diary with a week per page).
3. Keeping a daily to do list
Although we need to continually remind ourselves about important long-term objectives, a daily TO DO list is
still an important part of effective time management. Here are some tips:
Plan your time on a daily basis (remembering to also spend time less frequently but regularly on
longerterm planning).
list all the activities that you need and want to do for the day. Dont forget the tasks that are left
over from the previous day. Update your list at the same time each day.
Estimate the time it will take you to complete each task (allow extra time if you are likely to be
interrupted by the telephone, visitors or other unscheduled interruptions). A common mistake is to
underestimate the time activities will take.
Attend to your body clock when you plan your day. If, for instance, more phone calls seem to come
in between 4.00 and 5.00 pm, then schedule tasks that you can easily stop and start for this time
of day.
Give yourself a buffer zone so that when unexpected tasks crop up or you fall behind you can cope with
set backs. As a rough guide you should schedule 60% of your time for planned activities and 40% for
unexpected tasks and socialising.
Write up your TO DO list.
MANAGING CONFLICT
In most workplaces there is usually some form of confict at one time or another. But knowing how to handle
this confict constructively is what can distinguish you from others. There are several important things you need
to know and particular skills you can acquire to enhance your performance in the workplace.
There are fve broad styles in handling confict. They can be summarised as follows:
STYlE CHARACTERISTIC BEHAVIOUR USER JUSTIFICATION
Avoidance Non confrontational. Ignores or passes over
issues. Denies issues are a problem.
Differences too minor or too great to resolve.
Attempts might damage relationships or
create even greater problems.
Accommodating Agreeable, non-assertive behaviour. Co-
operative even at the expense of personal
goals.
Not worth risking damage to relationships or
general disharmony.
Win-lose/
competing
Confrontational, assertive and aggressive.
Must win at any cost.
Survival of the fttest. Must prove superiority.
Most ethically or professionally correct.
Compromising Important all parties achieve basic
goals and maintain good relationships.
Aggressive but co-operative.
No one person or idea is perfect. There is
more than one good way to do anything. You
must give in order to get.
Problem solving/
collaborative/
win-win
Needs of both parties are legitimate
and important. High respect for mutual
support. Assertive and cooperative.
When parties will openly discuss issues, a
mutually benefcial solution can be found
without any one making a major concession.
Different styles can be adopted according to the situation. Although you may have your own preferred style, you
need to understand that you can adopt a different and more appropriate style for different circumstances.
Some examples of situations when different styles are appropriate are provided here:
Avoiding Is appropriate when:
the issue is low priority, not worth time and effort
you need to collect more information
any other choice will produce negative results
it is more appropriate for others to manage the situation
you need to reduce tensions, cool down, regain perspective
you perceive there is no chance of satisfying concerns, when you have low power or when it will be
diffcult to change situations.
Accommodating Is appropriate when:
investment isnt high
you need to maintain a climate of co-operation
continued confict will damage your cause
preserving harmony is important
the issue is much more important to the other person (build goodwill)
when you realise you are wrong
Caution: Accommodating too often can deprive you of infuence, respect and recognition.
Competing (win-lose) is appropriate when:
there is confict where other parties will not co-operate and attempt to capitalise on your attempts to
be collaborative
unpopular decisions have to be made and implemented at work and you are certain your decision is
correct
your investment in the outcome is high, (it is important to be assertive)
you need to protect yourself against people who take advantage of non-competitive behaviour
Compromising is appropriate when:
expediency becomes a priority; time is running out; competitive/collaborative modes have failed
you need temporary solutions to confict
bargaining in the industrial relations arena
the potential damage of more assertive modes is not worth it.
Caution: Not recommended as an opening mode as it limits creativity in the resolution process.
Collaborating/problem-solving/win-win is appropriate when:
your investment in the situation is high but you also value the other partys viewpoint and relationship
both sets of concerns are too important to be compromised
you desire the participation of all parties (consensus)
you need to gain commitment to a consensus decision
you need to work through hard feelings which have been interfering with an interpersonal relationship
Caution: Overuse of collaboration and consensus can mean you want to minimise risk by shedding responsibility
or postponing a decision.
The collaborative/problem-solving approach
Because this approach is a particularly important one when the stakes are high, it is worthwhile looking at
some of the key steps that can help achieve a positive outcome for all concerned:
Step 1: Acknowledge there is a problem
Many people get stuck from the start because they refuse to even acknowledge or believe that a confict may
exist. Therefore, although obvious, it is important for the parties to mutually acknowledge that a confict does
exist.
Sometimes this is not always possible because one party may not wish to make an acknowledgment at the
time you want to.
When acknowledging a confict, keep in mind the following points:
communicate openly about your feelings about, and perceptions of, the issues involved in the confict
use I language, for example, I feel..., My perception is rather than you language such as
You are being totally unreasonable
try to listen carefully to and understand the other persons feelings about the confict
focus on the issues and behaviour, not the others personality
do not be demanding: constructive change will be more achievable through
careful negotiation. When you acknowledge that a confict exists, you are
taking the position of the negotiator.
Step 2: Choose an appropriate time and place
Once the parties to a confict acknowledge that it exists they should choose a convenient time and place to
discuss it. Often this will depend on the instigator of the confict resolution but aim to fnd a comfortable
location, preferably on neutral ground. Allow plenty of time, particularly if the issues are complex or feelings
have been high. Remember: conficts can be worsened if the wrong time and place are chosen for their
resolution.
Step 3: Identify the problem
Identifying the problem and issues can be tricky. It is important that you defne the problem constructively so
that it gives you, and the other party to the confict, a better chance of resolving it constructively. Here are some
hints to help you constructively identify the problem:
deal with one issue at a time if necessary, break it down into smaller issues if that makes things easier
to deal with
start with those issues that may be easier to resolve.
Step 4: Deal with outcomes
At this stage you will probably be faced with a number of different outcomes as a result of working through the
frst three steps. These will probably be one of the following:
discovery of a single, mutually agreed, confict issue, or
discovery of other issues not previously suspected, or
discovery that the negative feelings you were having were mistakenly attributed to your relationship
with the other person rather than the situational problems that had arisen between you.
Step 5: Negotiate
Lasting and constructive resolution of relational conficts can be achieved better through negotiation rather
than bargaining. Bargaining involves stating your own position and then trying to get the best deal in relation
to this. Often this means that there is no regard to the loss incurred by the other side or how they are affected.
In effect you create a win-lose situation and the relationship issues are ignored. In negotiation, both people try
to improve the relationship as well as resolve the confict. In negotiation there is generally a realisation that it
is better to co-operate with the other for the sake of future communication. Negotiation involves both parties
being willing to discuss the issues in depth rather than merely state a position. Both are prepared to give up
something so that both win.
One important negotiating skill is problem solving using the following steps:
defne the issue carefully and clearly
establish criteria for making a choice or decision
generate as many options as possible for resolving the situation (without comment or criticism at this
stage)
evaluate the possibilities against the criteria
select a solution and double check that this is acceptable to all
Step 6: Reach agreement
At the end of negotiation, you will be able to come to a common understanding of your joint position.
Sometimes it may even be a good idea to write this down but generally you can agree verbally. The agreement
could include such things as:
the agreed position to be adopted
who will do what and when
how you will act differently from now on
what will happen if something goes wrong in the future
how you can both go on improving your relationship
an agreed date on which you will check to see if anything further needs to be done
YOUR CURRENT ROLE
THIS SECTION WILL HELP YOU TO
describe your current role in ways which can guide your career planning
review your own performance
use Competency Standards and in planning your career and personal development
prepare thoroughly for a performance appraisal or job interview.
One of the outcomes of this section will be information which can be included in an annual summary or self
appraisal.
DESCRIBING YOUR CURRENT ROLE
The chart on the next page describes some major areas of work in an engineering environment. Look through
these work areas. Tick where appropriate on the chart to build up a profle of your current role.
If you have time, provide a brief description of your main responsibilities.
The topics in the table on page 32 are derived from the elective competencies and this table can be used to help
you decide which two elective competencies you will demonstrate in your Engineering Practice Report.
One of the benefts of this analysis is that it will help you to begin thinking about areas in which you believe
you need additional or different professional experience.
Tick where appropriate on the chart to build up a profle of your current role.
For areas where you believe you need further development, describe the kinds of development you
feel would be most appropriate (e.g. job rotation, training, coaching etc)
Broad types of professional work
The main
part of my
work
An
important
part of my
work
A minor
part of my
work
Not really
relevant to
me
I would like
additional
development
in this area
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
e.g. contributes to business strategies;
develops client relationships; manages
implementation of business plan, manages
resources & information; monitors business
performance
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
e.g. integrates project with business
directions; manages project design & plan;
scopes project; manages people & other
resources; manages quality safety/risk/costs/
progress; fnalises project
OPERATIONS
e.g. plans & manages operations; manages
assets/people/ environmental performance;
measures & documents operation/system
MATERIAlS / COMPONENTS / SYSTEMS
e.g. determines requirements; designs and
develops materials/ components/systems;
defnes & manages processes for use of
materials/components/systems; manages
recovery/reuse/disposal
ENVIRONMENTAl MANAGEMENT
e.g. determines & reviews existing
environmental conditions; identifes
stakeholders expectations; develops & ranks
management strategies for sustainable
development; implements, monitors &
evaluates strategies
INVESTIGATION & REPORTING
e.g. respond to/identify problems; plans &
carries out investigation; draws conclusions
& make recommendations
RESEARCH AND DEVElOPMENT AND
COMMERCIAlISATION
e.g. identifes opportunities for Research &
Development (R & D), identifes commercial
opportunities for the outcomes and plans
and designs the research
SOURCE AND ESTIMATE MATERIAlS
e.g. defnes requirements, estimates the
material required and identifes appropriate
sources to access the material
CHANGE AND TECHNICAl DEVElOPMENT
e.g. implements technical developments and
acts as a catalyst in the implementation of
technical innovation so that improvements in
products and services are achieved
TECHNICAl SAlES AND PROMOTION
e.g. identifes opportunities for the sale of
technical products/systems and provides
technical product information to internal and
external clients

DESCRIBING YOUR CURRENT PERFORMANCE
If you are a recently graduated engineer or are preparing for Chartered Status, it is strongly recommended that in
addition to using this section to summarise your work performance, you record your ongoing work experience in
a separate document, for example; in your CPD log.
Describe your successes over the past 12-18 months in quantitative terms.
(Consider key result areas such as contribution to output, productivity, marketing, funding, people, image, proft and impact).

What features of your present position provide you with the most job satisfaction?

What features of your present position provide you with the least job satisfaction?

What were the main fndings at your last performance review? What action have you taken in the light of that
review?
Finding Action taken

IDENTIFYING STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
Looking at your performance, what are the main strengths and limitations of your present job?
How well do you ft in your present position?

The kinds of development activities I believe are best at this stage for my further development
(discuss these with your mentor or manager if appropriate):

360-DEGREE FEEDBACK
Mentors are excellent sources of guidance, but ultimately they provide only one-persons view. To get a richer
perspective of what development you may need, you can get feedback from a range of people.
360-degree feedback is a process of getting structured feedback from a group of people with whom you work
(typically your line-managers, peers, clients and your direct-report staff). 360-degree feedback is sometimes
referred to as multi-rated appraisals, multi-scource feedback or 360-degree profling.
The feedback is gained by using questionnaires that are designed to elicit feedback on particular desirable
behaviours and competencies. Feedback can include ratings against questions or statements and can also
include comments and suggestions.
The feedback is specifcally to help an individual determine areas they need to develop. In some organisations it
is also used as part of a performance appraisal process a cause of much debate.
HOW CAN 360-DEGREE FEEDBACK BENEFIT YOU?
It is important that you continually develop your behaviours and competencies to better match your ever
changing organisational and labour market needs.
Your organisation faces rapidly changing internal and external needs. You will be better placed to keep pace
with change if you continually receive the right type of feedback that you can act upon.
Your feedback needs a wider horizon that at your workplace. Changes in your industry and profession have
far reaching implications to local, domestic and international demands for your skills. You should always be
scanning the further horizons as well your own backyard.

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USING 360-DEGREE FEEDBACK FOR DEVElOPMENT
If you are unaware of it, check to see if your organisation has a 360-degree program and ask if you can be
included.
If 360-degree feedback is not part of your organisations normal agenda, you can implement your program
yourself.
It is not recommended that you create your own questionnaires good questionnaires usually come from
years of development. There are however a number of self-administered programs available that will provide
objective questionnaires with instructions for their use. A quick search on the net will reveal these sources.
As the identity of those who provide feedback should not be revealed (to get their most unencumbered
feedback), you will need to employ the services of somebody to administer your program. Your mentor or HR
offcer could be an ideal person for this role! Certainly many aspects of your feedback should be discussed with
both of these people.
Using a quality 360-degree process will give you the following advantages:
Feedback from a range of people at different levels provides diversity
Contributors provide honest feedback through their confdentiality
Feedback is structured to enable you to focus on development issues
Your intention to professionally self-improve is demonstrated to all.
USING COMPETENCY STANDARDS
TO HELP PLAN YOUR FUTURE
Engineers Australia has developed National Competency Standards for the Engineering Team
DEFINING THE ENGINEERING TEAM
The Engineering Team includes a variety of occupations and specialisations. This Career Planner is concerned
with the three principal categories of membership with Engineers Australia.
These categories are: Professional Engineer, Engineering Technologist and Engineering Offcer (also known as
Engineering Associate).
Professional Engineers
The benchmark Stage 1 qualifcation for Professional Engineers is an accredited four year Bachelor of
Engineering degree or recognised alternative. This includes the reliable functioning of all materials and
technologies used; their integration to form a complete and self-consistent system; and all interactions
between the technical system and the environment in which it functions. The latter includes understanding
the requirements of clients and of society as a whole; working to optimise social, environmental and economic
outcomes over the lifetime of the product or program; interacting effectively with the other disciplines,
professions and people involved; and ensuring that the engineering contribution is properly integrated into the
totality of the undertaking. Professional engineers are responsible for interpreting technological possibilities to
society, business and government; and for ensuring as far as possible that policy decisions are properly informed
by such possibilities and consequences, and that costs, risks and limitations are properly understood as the
desirable outcomes.
Professional engineers at the level of Stage 2 competency are not expected to have taken full charge of major
projects or interactions on this scale; but they are expected to have demonstrated a propensity to do so and to
have taken every opportunity to exercise it.
The work of professional engineers is predominantly intellectual in nature. In the technical domain, they are
primarily concerned with the advancement of technologies and with the development of new technologies
and their applications through innovation, creativity and change. They may conduct research concerned with
advancing the science of engineering and with developing new engineering principles and technologies.
Alternatively, they may contribute to continual improvement in the practice of engineering, and in devising and
updating the Codes and Standards that govern it.
Professional engineers have a particular responsibility for ensuring that all aspects of a project are soundly
based in theory and fundamental principle, and for understanding clearly how new developments relate to
established practice and experience and to other disciplines with which they may interact. One hallmark of a
professional is the capacity to break new ground in an informed and responsible way.
Professional engineers may lead or manage teams appropriate to these activities, and may establish their own
companies or move into senior management roles in engineering and related enterprises.

Engineering Technologists
The benchmark Stage 1 qualifcation for Engineering Technologists is an accredited three year Bachelor of
Engineering Technology degree or recognised alternative.
Engineering technologists normally operate within a relatively well-defned technical environment, and
undertake a wide range of functions and responsibilities. They are typically specialists in a particular feld of
engineering technology and their expertise lies in familiarity with its current state of development and its
most recent applications. Within their specialist feld, their expertise may be at a high level, and fully equivalent
to that of a professional engineer; but they are not expected to exercise the same breadth of perspective as a
professional engineer, or carry the same wide-ranging responsibilities for stakeholder interactions, for system
integration, and for synthesising overall approaches to complex situations and complex engineering problems.
The work of engineering technologists combines the need for a strong grasp of practical situations and
applications, with the intellectual challenge of keeping abreast of leading-edge developments in their
particular feld. For this purpose they need a strong understanding of scientifc and engineering principles
and a well-developed capacity for analysis. The work of technologists is most often concerned with applying
current and emerging technologies, often in new contexts; or, to the application of established principles in the
development of new practice. They may contribute to the advancement of particular technologies as well.
Some engineering technologist qualifcations include an emphasis on technical management as well as
a grounding in a particular area of technology. Technical management is seen as an appropriate feld of
specialisation in itself, and many technologists build their career paths in this direction. Examples of such
specialisation include product development for manufacturing,
manufacturing management, mine management, and management and maintenance of processing plants,
complex building services, or testing laboratories.
Persons may also be recognised as engineering technologists who hold degrees in felds related to engineering,
and who have developed expertise and experience in applying their knowledge in conjunction with engineering
work. Examples might be in geology and geotechnics, information technology and software development,
mining, biomedical technology, optical communications, renewable energy systems, agriculture, and so on.
The competencies of engineering technologists equip them to approve and certify many technical operations
such as calibration and testing regimes, compliance with performance-based criteria for fre safety, and design
of components and subsystems and of installations such as building services in circumstances that do not call
for signifcant new development. Such certifcation should be fully acceptable in the public domain and should
not require further endorsement by other practitioners perceived to be more highly qualifed.
Engineering technologists may lead or manage teams appropriate to these activities. Some may establish their
own companies or may move into senior management roles in engineering and related enterprises, employing
professional engineers and other specialists where appropriate.

Engineering Offcers
The benchmark Stage 1 qualifcation for engineering offcers is the two-year Advanced Diploma of Engineering,
classifed at Level 6 (AQF-6) under the Australian Qualifcations Framework.
Engineering offcers focus mainly on practical applications. They may be expert in installing, testing and
monitoring equipment and systems, in the operation and maintenance of advanced plant, and in managing
or supervising tradespeople in these activities. They may be expert in selecting equipment and components to
meet given specifcations, and in assembling these to form systems customised to particular projects.
Engineering offcers are often required to be closely familiar with Standards and Codes of Practice, and to
become expert in their interpretation and application to a wide variety of situations. Many develop very
extensive experience of practical installations, and will be more knowledgeable than a professional engineer or
technologist on detailed aspects that can contribute very greatly to safety, cost or effectiveness in operation.
In other instances, offcers may develop high levels of expertise in aspects of design and development processes.
These might include, for example, the use of advanced software to perform detailed design of structures,
mechanical components and systems, manufacturing or process plant, electrical and electronic equipment,
information and communications systems, and so on. Other examples might be in the construction of
experimental or prototype equipment. Again, experienced operators in these areas often develop detailed
practical knowledge and experience complementing the broader or more theoretical knowledge of others.
Offcers need a good grounding in engineering science and the principles underlying their feld of expertise, to
ensure that their knowledge is portable across different applications and situations. Context-specifc training
and experience in a particular job are not suffcient to guarantee generic competency. Given a good knowledge
base, however, offcers may build further on this through high levels of training in particular contexts and in
relation to particular equipment. Aircraft maintenance is an excellent example.
The competencies of engineering offcers equip them to certify the quality of engineering work and the
condition of equipment and systems in defned circumstances, laid down in recognised standards and codes
of practice. Such certifcation should be fully acceptable in the public domain and should not require further
endorsement by other practitioners perceived to be more highly qualifed.
Engineering offcers may lead or manage teams appropriate to these activities. Some may establish their own
companies or may move into senior management roles in engineering and related enterprises, employing
professional engineers and other specialists where appropriate.

The Competency standards provide a key resource which can help you and your manager to:
review your present level of professional practice; and
identify those areas on which you need to focus for your future career development.
This section provides a broad overview of the National Competency Standards and general advice on how they
can be used to help plan your future development. The section will also be useful if you are preparing for or
considering Chartered Membership Status.
If you are a recently-graduated engineer and wish to
achieve Chartered Status...
...use the Competency Standards to:
identify those areas in which you need
additional experience or professional
development
help write your Career Episode Reports (CERs)

If you are an experienced engineer ...use the Competency Standards to:
identify other areas in which you would like to
obtain additional experience or professional
development
help with your Engineering Practice Report
HOW YOUR WORKPLACE MIGHT PROVIDE ASSISTANCE
In addition to the steps for individuals to achieve Chartered Status, Engineers Australia also makes provision
for engineering organisations to have their own internal Professional Development Programs endorsed. This
can expedite progress towards Chartered Membership Status because there is greater involvement of the
organisation in assessing the progress of graduate engineers. Details are available from your local Division of
Engineers Australia.
You should also contact Engineers Australia to ensure that you have the most up to date information available
on achieving Chartered Membership Status.

A THUMBNAIL SKETCH OF THE COMPETENCY STANDARDS
The competency standards are expressed in particular ways, as shown in this example:
where
Units are the broad areas of professional performance major subdivisions of competency
Elements are what is done in the workplace
Defning Activities provide evidence of competent professional performance, i.e. what can be observed or
measured
The requirements for meeting the competency standards that apply to you are outlined in the Charted Status
Applicants Handbook if:
you are a graduate member of Engineers Australia and are applying to become a Chartered Member
you want to register on the National Professional Engineers Register (NPER) or National Engineering
Technologists Register (NETR).
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MEETING THE COMPETENCY STANDARDS
OF AN ENGINEERING PRACTIONER
all three Core Units
(and all elements):
plus two Elective Units
(incl. reqd no. of elements):
Engineering Practice
Engineering Planning and Design
Self Management in the Engineering
Workplace
Engineering Business Management
Project Management
Engineering Operations
Materials / Components / Systems
Environmental Management
Investigation and Reporting
Research and Development and
Commercialisation
Source and Estimate Materials
Change and Technical Development
Technical Sales and Promotion

Note: The stage 2 competencies are provided in full in the Chartered Status Handbook.

UNIT C1: ENGINEERING PRACTICE
ElEMENT: C1.1 PRESENTS AND DEVElOPS A PROFESSIONAl IMAGE
a. Practises in a feld of engineering, in accordance with the Code of Ethics, as a signifcant
part of normal work duties.
b. Demonstrates use of appropriate engineering techniques and tools.
c. Produces outcomes that require innovative thought and intellectual rigour.
d. Publishes the outcomes of innovation in reports or professional papers.
e. Achieves recognition for engineering expertise from colleagues and clients.
f. Identifes opportunities to solve problems through applying engineering knowledge.
g. Demonstrates and awareness of environmental/community/political issues that would
beneft from an engineering input.
UNIT
ElEMENT
DEFINING
ACTIVITIES
If you have not already done so, it would be worthwhile at this point thinking about which two of the Elective
Units are most applicable to your own work. Please take advantage of the table provided on page 32 for this
purpose.
The competency standards provide a very useful checklist to help you identify areas where you believe you will
need additional work experience or perhaps access to continuing professional.
If you are a graduate engineer/technologist/offcer and wish to achieve Chartered Membership Status and/or
registered on the national registers (NPER/NETR), use the competency standards as a checklist against your
record of experience. This will make the task of writing your Career Episode Reports much easier. (The following
pages detail the Standards at which the competencies must be met for the 3 occupational levels.)
STANDARDS TO WHICH COMPETENCIES
MUST BE DEMONSTRATED
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS
Professional Engineers are responsible for engineering projects and programs in the most far-reaching
sense, for bringing knowledge to bear from multiple sources to develop solutions to complex problems
and issues, for ensuring that technical and non-technical considerations are properly integrated, and for
managing risk.
Professional Engineers must demonstrate Stage 2 competencies in relation to projects, activities and
situations that involve some or all of the following:
Knowledge and understanding
A knowledge background equivalent to an accredited four-year Bachelor of Engineering degree or
recognised alternative, with in-depth knowledge across one or more broad felds of engineering.
Ability to tackle technically challenging problems and work from frst principles to make reliable
predictions of outcomes.
Ability to ensure that all aspects of a project are soundly based in theory and fundamental principles and
to recognise results, calculations, or proposals that may be ill-founded, identify the source and nature of
the problem and take appropriate action.
Understanding how new developments relate to established theory and practice and to other disciplines
with which they may interact.
Expertise
Ability to address issues and problems that have no obvious solution and require originality in analysis.
Infrequently encountered issues and problems, outside those encompassed by standards and codes of
practice for professional engineering.
Development of new engineering principles and technologies including use of new materials, techniques
or processes or of existing materials, techniques or processes in innovative ways.
Innovation, creativity, and change, and capacity to break new ground in an informed and responsible way.
Engagement with wide-ranging or conficting technical, engineering and other issues, and resolution of
signifcant problems arising from interactions between such issues.
Interaction with diverse groups of stakeholders with widely varying needs.
Use of diverse resources including people, money, equipment, materials and technologies.
Integration of all functional elements to form a complete and self-consistent system.
Disciplined, holistic approach to complex situations and problems and to the conduct of complex
activities.
Disciplined and systematic approach to design and synthesis on a substantial scale.
Ability to conceptualise alternative approaches, comprehend and defne the risks and benefts of each,
use informed professional judgement to select an optimum that is deliverable in practice, justify and
defend selection.
Participation in research or research-and-development teams.
Responsibility for outcomes
Signifcant consequences in a range of contexts.
Interactions between the technical system and the environment in which it operates, and integration of
social, environmental, and economic outcomes over the lifetime of the product or program.
Interacting effectively with other disciplines and professions and ensuring that the engineering
contribution is properly integrated into the totality of the project or enterprise.
Interpreting technological possibilities to society, business, and government, and ensuring that policy
decisions are properly informed by technological considerations.
Working with clients or non-technical stakeholders to ensure that their objectives are properly refected
in a technical brief or specifcation.
Management roles
Professional Engineers may lead or manage teams appropriate to these activities and may move into
senior management roles in engineering and related enterprises. In these management roles,
Professional Engineers should clearly conceptualise risk across all facets of engineering, i.e:
Identifying, assessing and managing risk, both of a technical kind and in relation to clients, users, the
community and the environment.
Ensuring that technological costs, risks and limitations are properly understood as well as desirable
outcomes.
Recognising limits to own knowledge and seeking advice, or undertaking research, to supplement own
knowledge and experience.
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGISTS
Engineering Technologists specialise in the theory and practice of a particular branch of engineering
technology or engineering-related technology, and in its application, adaptation and management in a
variety of contexts.
Engineering Technologists must demonstrate Stage 2 competencies in relation to projects, activities and
A knowledge background equivalent to an accredited three-year Bachelor of Engineering Technology
degree or recognised alternative.
Thorough understanding of the theoretical and/or experimental basis of the technology suffcient to
keep pace with or actively contribute to its advancement.
Understanding of engineering and technical principles suffcient to manage interactions between the
technology and other parts of an overall technical system.
Expertise
Application of the technology in a variety of situations and contexts.
Adaptation of the technology to varied or new applications or situations.
Familiarity with standards and codes of practice relating to the technology, and ability to contribute to
their progressive improvement based on understanding of both theoretical and practical factors.
Design of equipment or installations utilising the particular technology.
Management of a range of technical functions and personnel on a signifcant scale in an engineering
or engineering-related context such as manufacturing, software development, mining, construction,
building services, precision testing, plant operation etc.
Knowledge and competence in a scientifc or technological feld other than engineering, together with
well-developed expertise in its application in close conjunction with engineering work.
Exercise of ingenuity, originality and innovation in adapting the technology to new applications and
developing new practices for its use. Contribution to the advancement of relevant codes and standards.
Participation in research or research-and-development teams concerned with advancing the technology
or developing new technologies that relate to it.
Responsibility for Outcomes
Inspection, approval and certifcation of designs, tests, installations or engineering work utilising the
technology, in circumstances where the technology is agreed to be suitable for the purpose in question.
Certifcation of compliance with performance-based criteria by equipment or installations utilising the
technology.
Ability to communicate the signifcance of the technology and its use in a particular context to other
technical and non-technical stakeholders in a project.
Ability to recognise fundamental properties and limitations of the technology, identify circumstances
that suggest a signifcant problem, and take appropriate action.
Assessment, communication and management of technical risk associated with equipment or
installations utilising the technology.
Recognising limits to own knowledge and seeking advice to supplement own knowledge and experience.
Management roles
Engineering Technologists may lead or manage teams appropriate to these activities. Some may move
into senior management roles in engineering and related enterprises, employing professional engineers
and other specialists where appropriate.
ENGINEERING OFFICERS
Engineering Offcers focus on the practical implementation of engineering work or the conduct of
engineering operations, and in the application of recognised standards and codes of practice in familiar
and unfamiliar situations.
Engineering Offcers must demonstrate Stage 2 competencies in relation to projects, activities and
A knowledge background equivalent to a two-year Advanced Diploma of Engineering, classifed at Level 6
(AQF-6) or recognised alternative.
Theoretical knowledge suffcient to appreciate the detailed functioning of plant and equipment,
its practical scope and limitations, and the salient features of its interaction with the operating
environment.
Detailed understanding of performance of equipment and components against technical specifcations.
Analytical skills suffcient to quantify familiar and unfamiliar operating situations and to recognise when
accepted methods of solution are likely to prove inadequate in a given situation.
Expertise
Close familiarity with standards and codes of practice relating to a recognised feld of engineering and
expertise in their interpretation and application to a wide variety of situations.
Specifying the components, equipment or system required to meet a given objective in compliance with
the relevant standards and codes.
Selecting and combining available components to form systems meeting given specifcations.
Installing, commissioning, maintaining, repairing and modifying plant and equipment to given
specifcations and/or in accordance with recognised standards and codes.
Testing and fault diagnosis in complex plant and systems in accordance with accepted procedures.
Utilising advanced software or other design aids to perform detailed design of critical elements and/or
complex systems.
High levels of training, and periodic updates and upgrades, in specifc plant, equipment, systems or
techniques.
Contribution to the advancement of technologies, practices, codes and standards in the light of practical
experience and theoretical understanding.
Participation in research or R&D teams, as experts in the construction of research equipment or
otherwise.
Responsibility for Outcomes
Supervision of tradespeople in appropriate aspects of the above functions.
Responsibility for the safe operation of complex plant under agreed guidelines.
Inspection and certifcation of work in compliance with recognised standards and codes.
Exercise of engineering judgement within the limits of accepted practice, and knowledge of when and
how to seek or employ additional advice or expertise.
Understanding of risk associated with normal engineering operations. Recognition of limits of
applicability, detection of unlikely results and appropriate corrective action.
Recognising limits to own knowledge and calling in other expertise as necessary.
Management roles
Engineering Offcers may lead or manage teams conducting these activities. Some may move into senior
management roles in engineering and related enterprises, employing professional engineers and other
specialists where appropriate.

WORKING WITH OTHERS
WHY TEAM SKILLS ARE IMPORTANT
The self-assessment in the last section provides an important base for your career planning.
However, high-quality performance in teams is increasingly demanded in todays world of work.
This particularly applies in many engineering organisations where effective multi-disciplinary teams
are critical to success. A glance through some job advertisements brings home this point.
An important aspect of your employment is therefore your ability to be a good contributor to a team. You need
to be aware of this in your career planning and make sure you gain appropriate experience working in teams.
This section will help you to:
recognise the importance of team skills in an engineering work environment
analyse your own team skills and the roles you are likely to play best as a team member
recognise some of the qualities that make effective work teams
recognise the need to incorporate experience with teams in your career planning.
To build a comprehensive picture of yourself also requires the assessment of yourself by others. This could
provide some surprises and might help to explain misunderstandings. Successful teamwork requires knowing
your own skills and also how others perceive you. Even when something appears to be clear, perceptions can
differ as shown in the accompanying illustrations!

Find out how others see you because things are not always as they seem.
HOW DO YOU WORK IN A TEAM?
Work teams are not just groups of people who work together. They have specifc responsibilities and a
commitment to achieving certain outcomes in the best possible way.
In his book Team Roles at Work, Meredith Belbin describes a number of different team roles, which refer to the
ways in which people behave, contribute and interrelate with others at work (not the functions or tasks which
they perform). Effective teams have a good mix of these roles.
You may recognise yourself and your colleagues in the following list!
Look carefully through the descriptions. Without analysing them too closely, describe in two sentences what
qualities you believe you bring to a team. (Later on, you will have a chance to undertake a more thorough
analysis of yourself as a team member).
Originator* Creative, imaginative, unorthodox. Solves diffcult problems.
Resource Investigator Extrovert, enthusiastic, communicative. Explores opportunities.
Develops contacts.
Coordinator Mature, confdent, a good chairperson. Clarifes goals,
encourages contributions, promotes decision-making, delegates well.
Shaper Challenging, dynamic, exerts a strong infuence on the way the team operates.
Thrives on pressure. Has the drive and courage to overcome obstacles.
Monitor evaluator Sober, strategic and discerning, plays the devils advocate. Sees all options.
Judges accurately.
Teamworker Cooperative, mild, perceptive and diplomatic. Listens, maintains group harmony,
averts friction, calms the waters.
Implementer Disciplined, reliable, conservative and effcient. Turns ideas into practical actions.
Completer Painstaking, conscientious, anxious. Searches out errors and omissions.
Delivers on time.
My current assessment of what roles I believe I play best in a team:
These are what you bring to a team. However, you should be aware that a balance of qualities is needed in most
teams to make them work effectively. For example, a team consisting entirely of Shapers or Coordinators would
be a disaster!
Good Team Leaders understand the nature of leadership and the qualities it requires. Without necessarily
having all these qualities, they recognise them in others and draw suitable people into the team.
Now, take the opportunity to analyse your own team skills in more detail.

*Belbin actually uses the term Plant to describe this role.
TEAM ROLES QUESTIONNAIRE
Adapted from Belbin, R. M. Management Teams:Why they
succeed or fail. London: Heinemann 1981
Instructions
Seven situations are described here. For each of
the seven situations, you have ten votes. After each
situation, eight responses (a-h) are given.
You must spread your ten votes for each situation
over the eight responses given, so that the number
of votes for any response indicates how true it is
for you in that situation, and for the group or team
you have in mind.
You may spread the votes over as many responses
as you like for each situation. You may give most
of the votes to one answer, or one vote to many
answers. The total votes for any item must add to
10.
There are no right answers the more truthfully
you answer, the more useful the questionnaire will
be for you.
Take one situation at a time. Without spending too
much time on the task, mark the responses to that
situation which are true for you some of the time.
Then spread your ten votes over the answers so
that the truer the answer, the greater the number
votes. Since you might behave slightly differently in
different groups, keep one particular team in mind
when you answer the questions.
For example
Situation 1 Situation 2
a. a.
b. b.
c. c.
d. d.
e. e.
f. f.
g. g.
h. h.

The team I am referring to is
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Situation 1.
I believe that what I can contribute to this team is...
a. I can quickly see and take advantage of new
opportunities
b. I can work well with a very wide range of
people
c. Producing ideas is one of my natural assets
d. I am able to draw people out whenever I detect
they have something of value to contribute to
the group
e. My capacity to follow through has much to do
with my personal effectiveness
f. I am ready to face temporary unpopularity if it
leads to worthwhile results in the end
g. I can usually sense what is realistic and likely to
work
h. I can offer a reasoned case for alternative
courses of action without introducing bias or
prejudice
Situation 2.
If I have a possible shortcoming working in this team
or group, it could be that...
a. I am not at ease unless meetings are well-
structured and controlled and generally
well-conducted
b. I am inclined to be too generous towards
others who have a valid viewpoint that has not
been given a proper airing
c. I have a tendency to talk too much once the
group gets on to new ideas
d. My objective outlook makes it diffcult for me
to join in readily and enthusiastically with
colleagues
e. I am sometimes seen as forceful and autocratic
if there is something that needs doing
f. I fnd it hard to lead from the front, perhaps
because I am over-responsive to group
atmosphere
g. I am apt to get too caught up in the ideas
that occur to me, and so lose sight of what is
happening
h. My colleagues tend to see me as worrying
unnecessarily over detail and the possibility
that things might go wrong
2
4
2
2
4
6
10 VOTES
10 VOTES
Situation 3.
When involved in a group project...
a. I have an aptitude for infuencing people
without pressuring them
b. My general vigilance prevents careless mistakes
and omissions being made
c. I am ready to press for action to make sure that
we do not waste time or lose sight of the main
objective
d. I can be counted on to contribute something
original
e. I am always ready to back a good suggestion in
the common interest
f. I am keen to look for the latest in new ideas
and developments
g. I believe my capacity for judgement can help to
bring about the right decisions
h. I can be relied upon to see that all essential
work is organised
Situation 4.
My characteristic approach to work in this group is
that...
a. I have a quiet interest in getting to know
colleagues better
b. I am not reluctant to challenge the views of
others or to hold a minority view myself
c. I can usually fnd a line of argument to refute
unsound propositions
d. I think I have a talent for making things work
once a plan has to be put into operation
e. I have a tendency to avoid the obvious and
come out with the unexpected
f. I bring a touch of perfectionism to any job I
undertake
g. I am ready to make use of contacts outside the
group itself
h. While I am interested in all views I have no
hesitation in making up my mind once a
decision has to be made
Situation 5.
I gain satisfaction in a group task because...
a. I enjoy analysing situations and weighing up all
the possible choices
b. I am interested in fnding practical solutions to
problems
c. I like to feel I am fostering good working
relationships
d. I can have a strong infuence on decisions
e. I can meet people who may have something
new to offer
f. I can get people to agree on a necessary course
of action
g. I feel in my element where I can give a task my
full attention
h. I like to fnd a feld that stretches my
imagination
Situation 6.
If I were suddenly face with a diffcult task with
limited time and unfamiliar people...
a. I would feel like retiring to a corner to devise
a way out of the impasse before developing a
line
b. I would be ready to work with the person who
showed the most positive approach
c. I would fnd some way of reducing the size
of the task by establishing what different
individuals might best contribute
d. My natural sense of urgency would help to
ensure that we did not fall behind schedule
e. I believe I would keep cool and maintain my
capacity to think straight
f. I would retain a steadiness of purpose in spite
of the pressures
Situation 7.
With reference to the problems to which I am subject
in working in groups...
a. I am apt to show my impatience with those
who are obstructing progress
b. Others may criticise me for being too analytical
and insuffciently intuitive
c. My desire to ensure that work is properly done
can hold up proceedings
d. I tend to get bored rather easily and rely on one
or two stimulating members to spark me off
e. I fnd it diffcult to get started unless goals are
clear
f. I am sometimes poor at explaining and
clarifying the complex points that occur to me
g. I am conscious of demanding from others the
things that I cannot do myself
h. I hesitate to get my points across when I run up
against real opposition
g. I would be prepared to take a positive lead if I
felt the group was making no progress
h. I would open up discussions with a view
to stimulating new thoughts and getting
something moving
SCORING
First transfer your scores from the questionnaire to the appropriate box below.
Check that the scores in each row add up to 10.
1a 1b 1c 1d 1e 1f 1g 1h
2a 2b 2c 2d 2e 2f 2g 2h
3a 3b 3c 3d 3e 3f 3g 3h
4a 4b 4c 4d 4e 4f 4g 4h
5a 5b 5c 5d 5e 5f 5g 5h
6a 6b 6c 6d 6e 6f 6g 6h
7a 7b 7c 7d 7e 7f 7g 7h

Then transfer your scores from the grid above to the equivalently labelled boxes in the grid below. Sum the
scores in each column to give a score for each of eight styles.
1d 1f 1e 1g 1h 1c 1a 1b
2b 2e 2h 2a 2d 2g 2c 2f
3a 3c 3b 3h 3g 3d 3f 3e
4h 4b 4f 4d 4c 4e 4g 4a
5f 5d 5g 5b 5a 5h 5e 5c
6c 6g 6d 6f 6e 6a 6h 6b
7g 7a 7c 7e 7b 7f 7d 7h

As a result of this activity, you should now have a clearer idea of the sorts of roles you currently tend to play in
a team. However, be aware that you can learn to play different roles depending on the needs of the particular
team you are working with.
If you havent already done so, you should also start planning to include working in a team as a key part of your
professional development.

SUM
C
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I
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ONWARD AND UPWARD
If you have worked conscientiously through the previous sections, you might already be considering promotion
or even changing positions.
If you do, you will need to consider the external environment as well as what you have to offer. Labour markets
are affected by technological change, government policies and changing values and consumption patterns
in society. You can keep up-to-date with labour market trends and the performance of individual companies
through reading the business section of major newspapers, companies annual reports and professional
journals such as Engineers Australia. A good way of fnding out whats happening in your industry is networking
with other people attending events at your local Engineers Australia division.
HOW YOUR PRESENT POSITION COULD CHANGE
OVER THE NEXT 3 TO 5 YEARS
Obviously you are not in control of external developments that might affect your current position.
But sometimes these sorts of changes present opportunities as well as threats.
Take a simple example:
External change Possible opportunities
Your organisation a semi government authority
has recently been privatised and many of its
functions have been put out to contract rather
than being done in house.
The chance to be more actively involved in
the design of tenders and the management of
contracts.
Opportunities to develop and conduct training
programs for contractors and contract managers.

Take a few minutes now to think about some of the major trends that might affect your position in the next
three to fve years. But also think of the ways in which these might present opportunities. Use the table on the
next page to summarise your results.
External changes such as new technologies present opportunities as well as threats.

Areas of likely External Change Possible Opportunities
Technological developments:
Industry factors ownership, structure and

organisation of your workplace:
Industrial relations, market developments and

competitors:
Institutional factors the economy, social and

political change:

YOUR CAREER OPTIONS
Think about at least three options for your future career. Consider whether you want to:
continue your present role gain experience in other areas
achieve a promotion change the emphasis in your present job
diversify or change completely change employer

Using the following tables, list the three options that really appeal to you. For each one:
1. List the personal strengths and limitations you would bring to that position.
2. List the external forces that could operate for and against you obtaining that position.
3. Describe actions you could take to maximise the positive personal and external factors and minimise the
negative factors in obtaining that position.
(An alternative way of doing this sort of analysis is provided immediately after the third table).
Option 1:
Five personal strengths you would bring
to the position
Five personal limitations that might operate against
you obtaining the position
External forces that could assist you to
obtain the position
External forces that could operate against you
obtaining the position
Actions you could take to maximise the positives and minimise the negatives:
Option 2:
to the position
obtain the position
Option 3:
to the position
obtain the position
THINKING ABOUT CAREER OPTIONS FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW
An alternative way of thinking about future career options is to simply ask yourself this question:
Whose posItIon wouId I reaIIy IIke to have?
What features of the position appeal to you?
What would you need to do to have a position like that?
You might decide that your next job should be with a new organisation. How should you go about fnding it?
Remember the graph in the early part of the Introduction to the Career Planner? It showed that the most
effective ways of succeeding in your search involve thoroughly knowing yourself, researching employers, and
then making direct contact. There is no need to wait for advertised vacancies.
When you make contact, you must have an up-to-date rsum and a covering letter addressed to the person in
the company with the authority to employ you.
Once you have a clear understanding of your skills and what you have to offer, you can create a more powerful
rsum or curriculum vitae. This is your marketing tool for future career opportunities.
While the following information gives some hints about rsums and interviews, it is very brief. When you
seriously start searching for a job, you should refer to some of the many books on the topic such as:
Bolles, R. E What Color is your Parachute? Berkeley: Ten Speed Press
(An excellent, very readable standard that is revised annually)

HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE
RSUM
The aim of your rsum (or curriculum vitae) is to
convince the employer that you should be interviewed
for the position. In this sense, it is a marketing
brochure with you as the product.
Your rsum should be a stand-alone document, no
more than three to fve A4 pages long, containing
personal data, educational qualifcations and a career
history.
There are different types of rsum but, certainly
in the early years of your career, the most
straightforward is the chronological rsum, which
details your employment experience from the most
recent to the earliest times.
The following are some of the characteristics of an
effective rsum:
describe achievements, not just job titles
Project X was completed 2 weeks ahead of
schedule with savings of $200,000 in preference
to I have been highly successful as a Project
Manager;
give greater emphasis and detail of your
achievements over the last few years or two or
three positions rather than to earlier job history;
keep paragraphs to three or four lines and
space them well. This helps the reader pick
out the main facts and assimilate a number of
points quickly
begin sentences with direct action words, eg
Designed ...; Built ...; Organised This has the
effect of assigning credit for achievements
and strengthens the whole credibility of the
document
claim only completed degrees, list other studies
but be honest regarding your progress
use plain, simple language and uncomplicated
layout.
What you are aiming for is a rsum that describes
you and your accomplishments in your own words.
You may need to attempt several drafts before you
have one that satisfes you. Try to involve somebody
else in reviewing your drafts so that you will have the
beneft of a fresh, constructive mind.
Turn back to the previous section where you described
some of your achievements. Use one of these to write
as an example for your rsum. You could write in
sentences or in point form:
WRITE A COVERING lETTER
Always send your rsum with a covering letter
indicating why it is being sent. This could be in
relation to an advertised vacancy. Keep your covering
letter brief and to the point and make sure you fnd
out the name of the person who has the authority to
employ you so that you can address the covering letter
personally.
Your letter can highlight key features of your
experience which are most relevant to that
organisation.
Make sure that your letter requests a response,
such as I look forward to hearing from you or I
will telephone you in the next week to discuss this
proposal.
Where a position has advertised selection criteria,
you will need to make a statement, in no more than
2-3 pages, of your claim to the position against each
of the criteria. Where formal criteria are not being
used, your letter could contain information about job
requirements inferred from the advertisement.
Keep a record of your correspondence, what you sent,
dates, what replies you have received and when follow
up action should be taken.
A SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW
Whenever you are being interviewed for a new
position, research and preparation are essential.
Stage 1: Research and Preparation
Essential elements of your preparation should include:
Good self-knowledge remember the graph
of effective job-hunting methods!
Career knowledge know relevant facts about
your recent positions and relate information
about your present and recent employers;
Organisational knowledge read newspapers,
annual reports etc to learn about the
organisations background and achievements.
Job knowledge research the job; jot down
any questions you wish to ask; try to fnd out
something about the climate and morale of the
organisation.
Stage 2: The interview
Your objectives for a successful interview are to:
establish rapport;
identify what the employer needs
provide evidence that you have the skills to help
the organisation solve their problems.
In essence, there are three areas to concentrate on in
explaining your potential contribution:
your technical competence relevance of your
training and work experience to performing the
duties of the position;
your motivation the level of commitment,
drive and enthusiasm you would bring to the
position; and
your compatibility your personal style and
approach and how that would complement the
existing team.
The basic questions usually asked in a job interview
can be reduced to fve. Prepare answers for at least
these:
Why do you want to work here?
What can you do for us?
What kind of a person are you?
What distinguishes you from the others who
can also do the job?
Can we afford you?
In addition to responding to questions though,
remember to ask questions to gain further
information about the organisation and the position.
Other points to remember about the interview:
be smartly and appropriately dressed;
make use of positive and frequent eye contact;
in a bad interview, use the opportunity for fnal
summing up to restate your strong points;
be consistent and logical in your answers and
with your rsum;
in a stress interview, remain cool;
never criticise previous employers; and
if you dont understand a question, ask for
clarifcation. A counter question is better than a
fuzzy answer.
If you have been interviewed for a position outside
your current organisation, always write a thank-you
note the same evening. Not only is this courteous, it
might help the interviewer remember you on another
occasion!
Some organisations supplement the interview with
psychological testing and simulated situations. If you
want the job, you should be prepared to participate
in all forms of selection. (The Myers Briggs Type
Indicators* is a commonly-used method for analysing
individuals characteristics).
Opportunities to enhance your presentation are
available as part of your career development program.
These may take the form of short workshops with
an emphasis on role playing, to give you practice in
presentation and feedback on both interviewee and
interviewer performance. Video replay is a powerful
tool to help you refect on your interview style.
*These indicators can only be administered by accredited
trainers.

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FOR THE ENGINEERING TEAM

Industry factors ownership, structure and

Industrial relations, market developments and

Institutional factors the economy, social and

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