You And Your Job
You and Your Job: Pursuing Early Internships
Traditionally, student engineering internships are undertaken after completion of third-year undergraduate coursework, but earlier internships can provide benefits both to students and to companies The importance of internships to students and companies has been discussed in earlier articles [1–3] and…
Enhancing Communication in Engineering Teams
Clear communication among team members is important for a successful engineering project. Tips for avoiding pitfalls are outlined here In the fast-paced world of engineering, mastering communication and conflict resolution is essential for team success and project efficiency. Engineering teams…
Owning Your Career: Transitioning From a Technical Role
Making the decision to change career paths from a technical role to a more managerial one can be difficult. Here are some considerations to take into account As a technically trained chemical engineer, career opportunities are very broad with respect…
Why Innovation Operations are Critical
The future of the CPI depends on sound innovation. The guidance provided here will help organizations to shape an effective innovation strategy that can give them a competitive edge You would be hard-pressed to find a company in the chemical…
Owning Your Career: Taking a Hard Look at ‘Soft’ Skills
A personal development strategy helps to set engineers up for success in their personal and professional lives As chemical engineers, we have been trained to be data-driven, fact-based problem-solvers. This focus serves us well when we are tackling difficult technical…
Industry Mentors: An Integral Part of Education
An experienced engineer who mentors young engineers and a student mentee share their perspectives Mentors provide critical support and guidance to students pursuing an engineering education, and complement coursework aimed at readying a new engineer for the workforce. Mentorships can…
Engineering Internships: A Win for Students and Companies
Insights to the benefits of internships for both students and the employing companies are discussed Internships have become an important part of the professional landscape. Both students and companies in the chemical process industries (CPI) benefit from the relationship. For…
U.S. Patent Rights: Think Twice Before Disclosing Your Invention
These cautionary tales provide insight that can lead to best practices for scientists who are seeking patents for their inventions Publish or perish is a maxim in the scientific community, where scientists are encouraged to share their work quickly and…
Career Guidelines for Young Engineers
A senior engineer reflects on his career and shares his experience and wisdom with the next generation of engineers While all engineering degrees are inherently valuable and flexible when it comes to career options, the engineering sphere has never been…
Outsourcing and Offshoring Engineering and Fabrication Activities
Follow these tips to get the most out of these high-risk, high-reward, third-party arrangements Outsourcing is the subcontracting of a business function to an outside entity. The concept of outsourcing was first articulated by David Ricardo, an English economist in…