Good Luck :)

Professional Engineer - the non-technical aspects

Dear Reader,

I am writing this to you as a young professional to guide you. Some of this stuff I've figured out on my own, some was told to me by other people. Most of these lesson's I've had to learn the hard way, by making mistakes. There are so many unwritten rules, which I've decided to write down, to make life easier for you. You will probably not agree with everything that I have to say and that is good: Each person has his own style and his own way. So use it, don't use it, but at least think about it. Most of the "rules" will probably fade away once you get to know the people that you work with, but when you deal with strangers, try to keep them in mind.

general professional behavior

• There is no such thing as being fashionably late at work. Always be on time. This applies to work in general, meetings and appointments. Keep the person you are meeting's phone number with you (in case you get lost) and phone if you can't be there on time.
• Dress formally, or at least professionally. Nobody wants to see parts of your underwear at work. Ladies - work is definitely not the place to try to look sexy. People (and this includes both men and women) will respect you much more if you are dressed in a conservative, but professional way (nobody is saying you can't be fashionable :). You may not be the type of person who judges the book by its cover, but 90% of the world is (whether you like it or not) - at least when meeting you for the first time. So unless you have a super-charming personality combined with 20 years of technical knowledge, being well groomed is for sure the easiest way to gain people's respect. Being well groomed means having polished shoes, clean finger nails (short cut if you are a guy), using deodorant, showering every day, flossing at least once a week (really, your breath will smell bad without you knowing it if you don't do this) and using a _subtle_ perfume if any.
• Don't answer your cell phone when you are speaking to a superior. Only in highly exceptional circumstances is this allowed and then with a polite "I'm sorry, I really need to take this call" apology.
• Switch your cell phone to silent in meetings. Don't answer it until you've left the room - and only if it is urgent. You can always phone them back later.
• If you have an appointment with somebody, you have the right to be in his/her office at the agreed time. No need to hide shyly outside the door if the person is busy talking to somebody else. If they need more time, they will ask you to wait outside a couple of minutes.
• Our company has an open door policy. This means that if somebody's office door is open, you can go inside - even if the other person is on the phone or talking to somebody else. Anything personal or confidential should be discussed behind closed doors. This might not be the same for the company where you're working. Figure it out. Don't be too shy - it shows a lack of self confidence.
• Always be polite. Say thank you and please and never swear at work.
• Keep your personal life private. There is no harm in telling people that you are going to St Lucia for the long weekend, but telling them that you had a fight with your boyfriend / girlfriend is generally considered unprofessional - that is unless the colleague is also your friend. On the same note, there is no need to explain to your boss why you need to go to the doctor or why you are taking leave (if you don't want to volunteer this information). Simply state that you need to do this.
• The official working language is English - at least where I am working. Don't speak in any other language unless you are sure that all the people present understand. Even if you are having a non-work related conversation. If you don't follow this rule, it would simply make the people that you are excluding dislike and disrespect you.

e-mail

• Your preferred way of communicating with people is 1. face to face, 2. by telephone, 3. via e-mail. For methods 1 and 2, send a follow-up e-mail. This works best if you also tell the person that you are going to do this. Your follow-up e-mail would start something like this: "Just to confirm our discussion, the following…" and is Cc'd to the project manager so that people are obliged to keep their verbal commitments to you. If you are asking a favor, always use method 1, or in rare cases method 2 of communicating.
• Professional e-mails are started off with "Dear Mr. John Doe" and ended with "Kind Regards" and your signature (full names, position, company, and phone numbers). If you e-mail somebody you don't know (which is of course only in the case where for some reason you cannot meet them in person or phone them), use their full names and last name as well as title (Dr. Ms. or Mr.). You'll be able to judge by their response if it's ok to switch to a first name basis.
• Think before you send out an e-mail. Would it be ok with you if this e-mail got forwarded to the rest of your group, including your boss? Never send out an angry e-mail - conflict is best resolved in person. Do a spell check. Make sure all the attachments are there. If you are unsure of the other person's response to what you have to say, rather visit him/her in person or communicate by phone.
• Never ever press reply to all if an e-mail has been sent out to a large group of people (unless, of course, all of them are interested in your response, which is rarely the case).
• CAPITAL LETTERS ARE FOR SHOUTING, so don't use them unless you want to shout and you should not be shouting at people in writing (or ever, if that is possible).
• Don't use Bcc. It breaks people's trust in you.
• Use a read receipt if a response to the e-mail message is urgent.
• Never decline a read receipt - that is if the computer is asking you for one. It simply means that the mail is important. The other person will know that you've declined it when they never receive it.
• Use an exclamation mark only if the e-mail is very urgent. If you use them too often, people won't respond to them any more.
• Don't send e-mails without a subject.

The People

• Respect other people. You may come from a very sheltered environment where everyone has the same religious and cultural background as you. You will probably be working with a more diverse group of people. Being vegetarian or having other religious views or holidays than you is something that you should fundamentally accept and respect. You would not want for anyone at work to challenge your religious / cultural background; therefore you should not challenge that of your colleagues.
• Give other people the credit they deserve - congratulate them on work well done or coming up with a brilliant plan. Never steal somebody else's moment. Everybody (your superiors, subordinates and peers) will appreciate this and respect you for it.
• Communicate with your superiors. If something is getting to you, tell them. No need to resign because of something that is bothering you at work. If you do, the day you resign they should know exactly why. Managers on average want to help you, but they cannot do that if they don't know what the problem is.
• Never forget the people involved. Nobody works well when you think that they are incompetent or stupid. So even if you think this, don't let the other person know. Try to figure out what motivates people - usually it is a combination of carrot and stick (praise for good work and punishment for bad work).
• Never forget the people involved. There is often a hidden agenda. If somebody acts in a strange way and doesn't want to buy into your brilliant idea, it's usually because they have things on their agendas which you don't understand. Try to imagine why they think, feel and act the way they do. Try to imagine being them.
• Remember people's names and use them when you are talking to them. Names are important. Also remember little things like a son who is going to play a rugby match, etc. and ask about it later. You will achieve much more if you also know the people you are working with on a personal level. From your side, volunteer non-confidential personal information - for example which soccer team you support, what hobbies you have, etc. This way you give other people the opportunity to get to know you better in a personal but professional way.

General and very important

• Always do what you said you would when you said you would. Really, always do what you said you would when you said you would (I'm trying to type stuff twice if I think it's really important). I have a terrible memory, so I keep a little book for this. If you are unable to deliver on time, you usually know it in advance. Send out a warning (or phone) as soon as possible. This is probably one of the most important principles in order to gain other people's trust.
• Vent at home. I think I need to say it twice more for emphasis. Don't vent at work. Venting should be done at home. If you are angry or upset with somebody or if you think that somebody you work with is an idiot, tell your girlfriend / boyfriend or your mom or dad or a close close friend whom you trust. Never ever ever tell another colleague. If, on the other hand, you have a constructive piece of criticism, this should be done directly to the person, face to face and in private. I think this is probably the only piece of advice where you cannot disagree with me. If you belittle another person while he/she is not there, you only loose credibility yourself. This also applies to your personal life, by the way.

Other ways to impress

• Pay attention to detail. Print out your documents and check that the date is correct, that you've got the correct headings, headers and footers, that you haven't made any copy-paste mistakes and that it fits nicely onto the paper for printing before you submit any assignment. Never misspell somebody's name.
• Arrive before your boss and leave after him - at least for the first six months of work. You have no idea how much this impresses.
• Learn to blind-type. I still find it amazing how in this century you find people who cannot do this. Being able to blind-type is as important as being able to speak nowadays. Typing-tutor 15 mins a day will get you there in three months (Google it).

Other wise pieces of advice

• In your first few months, you will sit like an idiot through most meetings, not understanding what people are talking about. Then, when you have been working for about six months, you run the great risk of saying too much, simply because you want to impress other people by the fact that you at least know something - which is very tempting after the first six months of silence. Don't do that. Unless you can add value by what you are saying, don't say it. If somebody else can make the same contribution as you can in a meeting, let them make it and give them credit for it. Your words will weigh so much more if you use less of them - so speak up when you have a brilliant plan which nobody else has thought about. People will respect you for this much more than if you just babble nonsense.
• Cut yourself some slack. Multiply the time you think any task will take you by Pi (3.14). If you think something will take you a week, promise the result in three weeks. It usually takes you longer than you thought it would. This way, if you promise something you think would take you one week in three weeks' time and actually deliver it in two weeks, you are a hero. On the other hand, if you promised it in one week and something happens that you can only deliver in two weeks, you are labeled unreliable.
• Cut yourself some slack. Say no. If somebody is pushing you into a corner to commit to something and you know that you can't do it, just say no. This is ten times better than promising something and not delivering.
• Cut other people some slack. Everybody makes mistakes, including you. Don't unnecessarily expose another person for his/her mistakes. Rather try to help them correct it in private. People will respect you a whole lot more for doing this, than the credit you'll get for pointing out an error.
• Expand your vocabulary. Ladies, this applies to you more strongly. Try to use thinking rather than feeling words at work. For example - telling a manager that he/she treated you unfairly will have much more effect than saying that they made you feel sad. Learn to use professional language. This includes sentences such as "would you be so kind as to" or "please find attached" or "your support in this project is highly appreciated". Professional letters (not e-mails) are started off with some addresses, the date and a one sentence subject. Ask your secretary about this.
• Ladies, try to speak slowly and in a low pitched voice. Don't get too excited in a meeting and start babbling at a fast pace and high pitch. It irritates people (this also applies to some guys).
• Secretaries are great. They can help you with a zillion things and save you from numerous embarrassing moments. Be nice to them. Buying a flower once a year is acceptable (provided you already have a good relationship).
• Don't ever think that you are better than somebody else because of your qualifications. Trust me, those people who have been around for years and years know a lot more than you do. You should respect them for that and humbly ask their advice about your projects. Also, there are some brilliant people around who might not have had the same opportunities as you have and don't have any academic qualifications. This doesn't make them any less smart.
  
• Be friendly - even when you're speaking on the phone. People will respond more positively to you if you like them.
• Continue to live a healthy life. Exercise regularly, takes breaks, relax, don't stress too much, eat healthy food and take your vitamins. A sharp mind and a happy soul need a healthy body to live in.
• Don't loose perspective. The first six months of work is usually a bit depressing. You've lost the freedom of being a student and you've lost having goals set by society (achieving good grades in school, passing matric, getting your degree, etc.). Now the goals are up to you, no longer by society or your parents. Define success for yourself. Try to imagine what you would be thinking about one day when you are 93 years old, sitting on your balcony, thinking back about your life. For me, it would be the following three things: The people that I love - my family and friends. How I treated them and how I made them feel. Secondly, the opportunities I've had in my life and what I've done with them. Finally, the people that I've worked with (since i will be spending 8 hours a day, so a third of my life with them) - how did I treat them? Did I make them realize their own potential and encourage them to grow, or did I break them?
• Then finally, my advice to you is this: Live life fully. Break the rules wisely when needed. Laugh often and much. Love deeply. Be truly happy and cry with all your heart. And never regret anything that made you smile. Good luck in the big big world out there. What matters in the end are the people :)