becoming a professional ieee-usa annual meeting scottsdale, arizona 2 september 2007 janet rochester

Becoming a ProfessionalBecoming a ProfessionalIEEE-USA Annual MeetingIEEE-USA Annual Meeting

Scottsdale, ArizonaScottsdale, Arizona2 September 20072 September 2007

Janet RochesterJanet Rochester

ThesisThesis

A person who demonstrates the A person who demonstrates the characteristics of a professional will have characteristics of a professional will have more and better career opportunities, better more and better career opportunities, better working relations up and down the working relations up and down the company, and overall, a more satisfying company, and overall, a more satisfying careercareer

Professional –Professional –A Word With Many MeaningsA Word With Many Meanings

• Professional / amateurProfessional / amateur• Professional / non-professionalProfessional / non-professional• Professional / unprofessionalProfessional / unprofessional• What does it mean to be a “professional” What does it mean to be a “professional”

engineer employee in industry?engineer employee in industry?– It is not just games with wordsIt is not just games with words

Six Characteristics of a Profession:Six Characteristics of a Profession:

• Theory, skills, educationTheory, skills, education• Authority, autonomyAuthority, autonomy• Community sanction, including licensing Community sanction, including licensing

and certificationand certification• EthicsEthics• Culture, associationsCulture, associations• Service orientationService orientation

Application for EngineersApplication for Engineersin Industryin Industry

• Theory, skills, education must be Theory, skills, education must be maintainedmaintained– Technical SkillsTechnical Skills

• SubjectsSubjects• ToolsTools• SkillsSkills

– Non-technical skillsNon-technical skills• Team LeadershipTeam Leadership• Project ManagementProject Management


Authority:Authority: If you have authority, you also If you have authority, you also have responsibilityhave responsibility

Autonomy:Autonomy: You have a sense of your self in You have a sense of your self in relation to your workrelation to your work


• Community, sanction, including licensing Community, sanction, including licensing and certificationand certification– Professional registration increases Professional registration increases

career opportunitiescareer opportunities– Society trusts engineers – we have to Society trusts engineers – we have to

demonstrate that we are trustworthydemonstrate that we are trustworthy


• EthicsEthics– ProfessionProfession - IEEE Code of Ethics- IEEE Code of Ethics– CompanyCompany - Standards, Code of Conduct- Standards, Code of Conduct– PersonalPersonal - Your own ethics- Your own ethics


• Culture, associationsCulture, associations– Culture results from shared experience Culture results from shared experience

through education and workthrough education and work– Associations provide resources for Associations provide resources for

information, education and mutual information, education and mutual supportsupport


• Service OrientationService Orientation– You are serving the public directly or indirectly – You are serving the public directly or indirectly –

keep the end user in mindkeep the end user in mind– Volunteer your talentsVolunteer your talents

““What you do for money gives you a living,What you do for money gives you a living,

What you do for others gives you a life.”What you do for others gives you a life.”

Arthur AsheArthur Ashe

ConclusionConclusion

• Accepting and demonstrating these Accepting and demonstrating these characteristics will:characteristics will:– Enhance your careerEnhance your career– Improve the working environmentImprove the working environment– Enhance your professionEnhance your profession

becoming a professional ieee-usa annual meeting scottsdale, arizona 2 september 2007 janet rochester

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