Finding a Career, Company, and then finding your way in “The Matrix” Pursue your dream but wherever life takes you enjoy the journey - in the end you will discover it was better than the dream. 

Disclaimer The following material is not comprehensive, authoritative, or intensively researched. It is simply reflections on what I have learned over my career and life experiences.

Talking Points Place a high value on your career path. What is the right career (i.e., field) for you? Now that you have chosen a career, what is the right type of company (the culture) for you? Once you have decided on a career path and type of company, you are ready to choose a set of companies. Don’t wait for the companies on your list to come to you. So how do you separate yourself from the crowd approaching the very same list of companies? So you finally got an Interview, now what? Navigating Your Way in the Matrix

Place a high value on your career path Family Storytime My son the economist My wife’s cousin

What is the right career (i. e. , field) for you What is the right career (i.e., field) for you? Will you enjoy doing this for 40+ hours per week for the next 40+ years? What interested you as a child and are you good at it? Hopefully, a field in electrical engineering (digital electronics, control, power, communications, bioengineering, etc.). Ultimately, strive for excellence in and enjoy whatever you do. Mike Rowe: Learning from dirty jobs (20 minutes, 10:30 to 12:30) Explains Why Following Your Passion Is Dumb (5 minutes).

Now that you have chosen a career, what is the right type of company (the culture) for you? Here are a few questions to ask yourself. “I generally instructed them on the general idea of what I wanted carried out, and when I came across an assistant who was in any way ingenious, I sometimes refused to help him out in his experiments, telling him to see if he could not work it out himself, so as to encourage him.” Thomas Edison Did you chose engineering for the money, to help others, to help the environment, to make stuff, or for another reason? My parents wanted a lawyer and an engineer and I was the youngest. Nick Offerman Makes the Case for Making Stuff How do you react to being challenged (ex. PDR Demonstration)? Did you want additional instructional material/guidance (i.e., structure of working environment) Did you accept the challenge, shy away, or freeze (i.e., employer’s expectations) Did you enjoy working as part of a team or would you have preferred to work alone (i.e., project or support role within the company)

Once you have decided on a career path and type of company, you are ready to choose a set of companies. Talk to family, friends, and your peers. Job fairs can help here.

Don’t wait for the companies on your list to come to you. Look for internships at each company My first summer job in electronics - Listen Scientific Take any job or internship offered The key is simply to get in the door

how To separate yourself from the crowd Fortunately or unfortunately everyone is looking for different things on your Cover Letter and Resume. Fortunately, One item (e.g., GPA) that disqualifies you from one job may not make a difference to another employer. Unfortunately, Because you do not know exactly what a specific company is looking for and can therefore not craft the best cover letter and resume for everyone. What will get one company’s attention will never be seen by another. Written versus Bullet point cover letter (do they even look at the cover letter)? Introductory paragraph on the Resume (are you better without it or is this the main hiring criteria).

how To separate yourself from the crowd Continued So what will get their attention? Class work / GPA Club Leadership / Participation Competitions Accomplishments outside of the University Internship (sample careers), Internship (build resume), Internship (none of the above) Note: Internships cost the company money, time, and resources.

So you finally got an Interview, now what? Look at the interview from the company’s perspective. They are hiring you not the other way around. You are costing them a fortune and you better be able to prove you are worth it. Mock interviews Job fairs More Interviews… My selected interview experiences Burroughs JPL (Design a method to distribute S/C time, Vacuum tube heater voltage)

Navigating Your Way in the Matrix Navigating the three dimensional maze (line, project, technical excellence) Project path Working with or in spite of your bosses. Support your manager even in adversity. What if he/she is crazy, corrupt, lazy, fill-in-the-blank? Do not jump over the chain of command. Pushing/Finding the boundaries (until they push back) The word “You”

Final Thought… Do not be the guy who lives in his office all day. Pursue your dream but wherever life takes you enjoy the journey - in the end you will discover it was better than the dream. Jennifer – Producer of Children’s Television at Disney