So you are a Graduate Engineer….. And as a Graduate Engineer you are now ready for the challenges ahead in the ‘real world’ of engineering. Saying that, you are still probably hearing those little voices in your head reminding you that:

“I have just climbed the top of one enormous mountain and now you are telling me that it is all about to start again….. To make it worse, I have no idea of the terrain I am about to encounter on this next expedition?!?!”

The reality is that these little voices are the same little voices that have haunted you as you have taken all other steps forward in your life to date…… Let’s think about it for a minute…… Starting high school? Starting University? Your first Grand Final in sport? Your first girlfriend (or boyfriend)? The list goes on….. Each and every time we come up with ways to succeed….. Why? Because we are engineers….. maybe?!? Actually, the only difference is that now you are an engineer and you have become even more logical in your problem solving and how you approach life in general….. Don’t feel too impressed with yourself because this is both a massive STRENGTH and a minor WEAKNESS.

So we are here to play on your logic and enjoyment of mathematics by giving you yet another EQUATION….. This equation could be considered to be the secret of success as you move from graduate engineer to professional engineer.

RESULTS = A x B x C

Where: (A) = Real Work x (B) = Professional Development x (C) = Reflection

What we are saying is that RESULTS is as simple a formula as ABC….. Because results are reliant on 3 distinct components….. But the trick is that without one or more of these components switched on we will set ourselves up for failure.

Yes…… RESULTS = taking action multiplied by continuing to learn new things multiplied by reflecting on our results and being mentored and sharing with other colleagues. All are CRITICAL elements of SUCCESS.

(A) Congratulations you have your first real job as a graduate engineer. But in the same breath please let us remind you that RESULTS is not just about getting out there and DOING. It is about an ongoing dedication to learning and reflecting on what you have DONE.

(B) You may be fortunate enough to have joined an organisation that has resources for professional development (maybe even being part of the Engineers Australia Professional Development Program and combined with supporting professional development resources). Some 344 different Organisations are on an Engineers Australia PDP and most of these also invest in graduates Continuing Professional Development (CPD). This is all of critical importance because an organisation needs to develop engineers of tomorrow to ensure the overall development of capability within their organisation into the future.

Are you one of the engineers of tomorrow? Do you have what it takes to lead the profession and the companies involved into a bright new age? If so then you have no time to waste. You need to seek out what is on offer by way of one of the many development programs in Australia such as The Graduate Program in Engineering delivered by Engineering Education Australia.

(C) Reflection and finding colleagues and mentors is the next part of the equation, because you need to start to find out more about what you are doing right and what you could be doing better as well as what professional development is available to you (first from your organisation and second from outside of your organisation). You’ll never know unless you ask, and once you do an entire world will be opened up to you. Are you prepared for that? Are you ready to make decisions that will shape the world and its future in ways you never could have imagined? If so you’ll need to develop your skills and become the best of the best. The world is waiting for you….. Are you ready to meet it?

You have probably seen the movie, ‘Meet the Parents’ and if so, you will have a smile on your face about now….. Well, sorry to disappoint you, this conversation is not about Gaylord Focker and his funny adventures with the in-laws. Rather it is about parenting and being parented and how this applies to our professional development. Saying that, you could probably say that Mr Focker got a pretty good dose of professional development from his father-in-law during ‘Meet the Parents’.

So let us now focus on how parents encourage and enhance learning for their children…… And that is ok, if you are not a parent as you can reflect on your upbringing because chances are that you are in the position that you are in today because of the fine example you were set for the love of learning.

Let us take reading as an example.

Reading is great at any time of the day, however, it is particularly special at bed time. Yes at bed time. Once every day. The frequency is at least once every day. We read to our child. We read they gradually get better. How can they not get better? After all, they do it every day. Same place, same time, same fun of reading a book. But it is not just the same book and same pictures and same words every night. We move onto bigger and more complex books, more comprehensive dialogue, counting objects, remembering names of characters, spotting little details and more. It is continuous learning guided by a loving parent.

By spending precious moments reading with our child we watch our little ones blossom in front of our very eyes.

Let us take time to reflect on this. As parents we adopt a habit of professional development for our children. They love it and we love it. We all see, feel and hear the benefit.

At Engineering Education Australia, we are always discussing our lives and how they relate back to professional development. Yes, it sounds a bit strange but it is true….. So how about you take the time to think about what your equivalent to reading every night to a child is in your professional lives? Are you alive and learning or are you stuck in a rut, or even worse, are you fading?

So no matter where you are with your professional development, today is the day to reflect on how you can apply the simple approach of parenting to your professional development. Give yourself the gift of professional development in the same way that children are given the gift of parents reading to them.