Transitioning to the Workplace

1
Transitioning to the Workplace

• John Mackinnon
• Vice President, Engineering
• AMEC NSS

2
Outline

• My background
• The first few years
• Considerations in the work place
• Interpersonal skills
• Life long learning
• Random thoughts

3
My background

• Education
• Bachelors in Math. Eng. - Queens
• Masters in Chem. Eng. - McGill
• Ph. D. in Mech. Eng - Waterloo
• Why I went to graduate school
• realised how little I understood
• Why I chose industry
• understand applications
• environment

4
My background (cont.)

• 1992 - 1994
• small consulting company in Nuclear industry
• computer code development, analysis
• 1994-2002
• Ontario Hydro/OPG
• Section Manager - 1998
• Department Manager - 1999
• Support to nuclear power stations RD, code,
  analysis, industry and regulatory involvement
• Responsible for new grad program, UNENE

5
My background (cont.)

• 2002 - 2009
• Private consultancy company in Nuclear industry
  (growth from 150 to 450)
• Business Director - 2002
• VP, Engineering - 2006
• Responsible for training delivery
• Why I chose career path
• increase awareness and sphere of influence
• opportunity to mentor and have positive impact on
  peoples careers and lives

6
The first few years

• Interview and resumes
• I review hundreds of resumes every year
• must be clear and well organised
• highlight at start what you bring
• specifics on what you have done - dont
  exaggerate
• interviews
• come prepared - e.g., know the company and
  industry
• answer questions considering how it is relevant
  to the position
• convince your interviewers you know your
  technical stuff
• sell yourself
• interpersonal skills and communication

7
The first few years

• Find out what you do and dont like
• First few years are the rocket fuel
• form basis for knowledge and can set ones career
  trajectory
• Be willing to invest your own time to learn, read
  and expand your knowledge
• Give thought to how you want your career to
  develop, and revisit
• take charge of your career

8
The first few years

• Establish yourself in at least 1 technical area
  but consider broadening your self to work in more
  than 1 area
• Look for/accept opportunities that allow you to
  become known to others outside your immediate
  work group, including other managers
• Conduct yourself appropriately - people are
  watching (more later)

9
The first few years

• Mentors
• dont need to be supervisor, more senior, even in
  same company
• relationship needs to work and be
  natural/comfortable
• characteristics
• respect
• compassion
• judgement
• honesty
• available
• wants to help
• discreet

10
Considerations in the work place

• Always ask if you do not know
• be able to explain things in concise, simple
  terms
• Always do the honorable thing
• Come prepared to meetings
• Treat everyone with respect
• Say thank you
• When seeking help - come with proposed solutions,
  not just problems

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Considerations in the work place

• Appearance
• Grapevine/gossip
• Seek opportunities - ask how you can help
• develop a reputation as someone who says yes
• Email and following up
• Wait 24 hours before you react
• Understand what commitments/expectations are and
  update supervisor (client) along the way - no
  surprises

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Considerations in the work place

• Try and learn what the small stuff is
• Pick your battles
• Organisation
• keep good notes
• keep good to do list
• meet your committed dates

13
Interpersonal skills

• Learn what is important to others
• important to understand what supervisor wants
• Understand it is very difficult to change how
  others act/think
• you can only control how you react
• Watch how others act in situations
• learn by example and counterexample
• ask to go to meetings with senior people

14
Life long learning

• Keep up technical skills
• Find out where additional/new information can be
  found
• library, journals, reports, presentations,
  training materials
• Invest your own time
• Consider benefit of graduate courses/degrees
• Prepare yourself for next position - you cannot
  control timing but can control your readiness

15
Random thoughts

• Learn from mistakes
• dont deny - stand up and admit
• accept it can shake your confidence but persevere
• Stretch yourself
• be prepared to work outside your comfort zone
• there will be times when it seems insurmountable
  - ask for feedback/support
• Work/life balance
• consider how comfortable you are in letting your
  work/career define who you are
• lifestyle will impact you later in life

16
Almost final thought

• Have fun

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Final thought

• Greatest factors in
• workplace effectiveness
• client satisfaction
• career advancement/opportunities
• communication interpersonal skills