7 Ways to Move Up the Ladder with a STEM Degree, Part 1

7 Ways to Move Up the Ladder with a STEM Degree, Part 1 7 Ways to Move Up the Ladder with a STEM Degree, Part 1 7 Ways to Move Up the Ladder with a STEM Degree, Part 1When it comes to your engineering career, youve done everything right. You got that hard-earned degree. You snagged the job. Youve worked and sweated. Youve proven yourself to your firm. Now, you want to take the next step into management.Just one problem How do you show your bosses that youre ready and able to take on the role?The good news is that making this transition is bedrngnis as challenging as it may seem. About half of all workers with college STEM training are now working in non-STEM jobs, particularly finance, business and management, according to a recent report from the Pew Research Center. There is a path to follow here.Heres what you can do to set yourself apart, gain leadership skills, and move up the ladder 1. Have a planToo many professionals fall into the trap of complacency when it comes to their careers. Before you know it, 20 years have gone by and youre not where you thought you would be. Thats why developing a plan is an important first step to any long-term goal.If management is an area youre interested in, its a good idea to say, Im in this place right now. I would like to end up over there in five years. What do I have to do right now in order to be prepared when the time comes? says engineering career strategist Terry Suffredini.For You 5 Reasons for Engineers to Give Back2. Get trainingManagement involves a different skillset than what youve likely been employing in your engineering position.Its a totally different animal being in management. For the average technical person whos a left-brained, analytical thinker, its not a natural transition.Terry Suffredini, engineering career strategistIts a totally different animal being in management. Oftentimes youre not doing the day-to-day technical stuff anymore, Suffredini says. For the average technical person whos a le ft-brained, analytical thinker, its not a natural transition. So you need to be prepared for it.Training doesnt necessarily mean going back to school to get your MBA. You can study on your own, through reading, taking zugnglich courses, or participating in leadership seminars. Another option would be to find a mentor whos in the field. Talk to people in engineering management positions, find out what their daily work involves, and develop those unique skills.3. Hone your people skillsA major component of management is, not surprisingly, being able to manage people. If youre not a people person, its time to become one. That means its important to work on your interpersonal and communication skills.Management and leadership really come down to people. If you think because youre good at something technically, youre going to be a good manager, thats not necessarily the case. Once you get into management, you have to delegate. You have to manage teams. You have to deal with confrontation s. You have to call clients and run meetings. If youre not comfortable doing that, its going to be difficult to be successful as a manager, says Anthony Fasano, bestselling author, speaker, and founder of the Engineering Management Institute.One thing you can do to hone these skills is find opportunities for public speaking. It shows your firm youre a good communicator and able to lead discussions. Its also a skill many engineers dont have, which means youll stand out all the more.Part 2 outlines ways 4-7 to move up the career ladder with a STEM degree.Tim Sprinkle is an independent author.Read More12 Skills You Need to Advance an Engineering CareerInterviewing Basics for Engineers