Building Momentum in Your Career During a Transition

It's easy to get discouraged or burned out when going through a career change and it's important to have the necessary resources to manage your career during this time. 


At Forbes an article by Glenn Llopis recommends just the needed tools to regain momentum and propel yourself forward in your career. 


"These 5 forgotten resources will help you get back on track and give you the jump start you need to reclaim your career momentum":


1. Establish Distinction--"Package what distinguishes you from others."


2. Network Wisely--"Networking wisely means knowing how you plan to enable your distinctions to build new relationships, generate leads and get discovered."


Read the entire article, along with the final 3 resources here. 

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week

We're presenting a new feature here at the Daily Leap: a video of the week. The video we share will present news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.


In this video Guy Kawasaki, the author of Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions provides simple career advice about "enchanting your boss":

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!


1. Why You Need to Have Fun to Be Successful
"Once I started my business, I believed more than ever that there is a great job out there for all of us. That being said, it’s not always easy to find."


2. 5 Things to Do While You're Unemployed 
"Considering your career is a marathon, not a sprint, a class can bolster your technical skills and keep them sharp. It shows you’re serious about your industry and that you invest in yourself."


3. Graduates: Kick-Start Your Career in 3 Easy Steps
"If you're a new grad and need a job or want to upgrade from your position at the local coffee shop, here are three ways to kick-start your career."

4. 6 Ways a Career Coach Can Help Boost Your Career
"You want to think of a Career Coach just like a gymnastics or baseball coach.  They are there to help you develop your skills, give you feedback to “up your game” and help you to be the success you know you can be."


5. 30 Tips for a More Successful Job Interview 
"Pay attention to all of the senses that involve you, the candidate, as you prepare for your interview presentation: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch."

Green Jobs Series: Careers in Electric Vehicles [Installment Three]

Manufacturing jobs in the electric vehicle industry include various assemblers, machine tool operators, machinists, and industrial production managers. Many of the occupations involved in manufacturing electric vehicles are also involved in the manufacture of vehicle charging stations, which are necessary for most types of plug-in hybrid vehicles and all types of battery-electric vehicles. This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series describes some of the most common jobs in manufacturing.

Occupations in Manufacturing

Manufacturing workers usually work in large automotive assembly plants. These plants are usually quite noisy because they are filled with robotic devices, powerful machines, and hydraulic lifts. Safety conditions in assembly plants have improved considerably over the past several decades. However, manufacturing workers might use machinery or chemicals that require special handling.

Job Duties

Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers build products such as electric motors, computers, electronic control devices, and sensing equipment. Some of these components may be too small or fragile for human assembly, so they are assembled by automated systems. Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers fit together the parts of larger components or controlling automated systems that are used for smaller pieces.

Electromechanical equipment assemblers use a variety of tools to build and assemble electromechanical components used in electric vehicles, such as gasoline engines, electric motors, and generators.

Engine and other machine assemblers construct and assemble engines used in automobiles. They put together the gasoline-powered engines that are present in hybrid cars and may be responsible for other components as well.

Team assemblers work on a variety of manufacturing tasks. They may work on a traditional assembly line or in a so-called “lean” manufacturing system, in which they may rotate between several different types of assembly work. These workers are usually on a team that completes the final assembly of a vehicle.

Computer-controlled machine tool operators use machines to fabricate metal and plastic components of vehicles. To set up the machine for certain operations, they download a program and fix the appropriate tools into the machine. After positioning the piece that is being worked on, computer-controlled machine tool operators start the machine.

Machinists use machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, and grinders, to produce precision metal parts. Producing large quantities of a single part may be partially or fully automated, and machinists are responsible for monitoring the machines and the quality of the output. Machinists are also responsible for producing small batches or making one-of-a-kind parts for prototypes or testing. If many more pieces are needed, they are often mass-produced using computer-controlled machines.

Industrial production managers plan, direct, and coordinate the production activities required to manufacture vehicles and vehicle components. Depending on the size of a manufacturing plant, industrial production managers may oversee the entire plant or just one area of it.

Education and Training

Manufacturing workers have a variety of skill levels. Most assembly positions require short-term on-the-job training to familiarize workers with production processes and with any equipment they use. Experienced assemblers may be promoted to supervisory positions after several years of working on the assembly line.

Computer-controlled machine tool operators are usually trained on the job. Machinists require more training, and they often learn their trade through an apprenticeship that lasts 3 to 5 years. Industrial production managers usually have at least a bachelor’s degree, typically in an engineering discipline, such as mechanical or industrial engineering, and several years of experience working in the automobile manufacturing industry.

Earnings

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not have wage data specific to the electric vehicle industry. The table shows wages for selected manufacturing occupations in the transportation equipment manufacturing industry group for May 2010. The wages shown are median annual wages for the United States as a whole; wages vary by employer and location.

Occupation	Median annual wage
Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers	$29,470
Electromechanical equipment assemblers	$32,430
Engine and other machine assemblers	$47,440
Team assemblers	$32,500
Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic	$35,580
Machinists	$40,810
Industrial production managers	$91,460

For more detailed information on manufacturing occupations in the electric vehicle industry, follow the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Next Wednesday's electric vehicle industry series installment: Occupations in Electric Vehicle Maintenance

Green Jobs Series: Careers in Electric Vehicles [Installment Two]

Workers who design and develop electric automobile technology include engineers, engineering technicians, and drafters; software developers; and industrial designers. This installment of The Daily Leap's green job series describes some of the most common jobs in design and development.

Occupations in Design and Development

Design and develop work is the link between scientific research and commercial applications. It takes place in offices, laboratories, or industrial plants, where teams of engineers, designers, scientists, and industrial production managers collaborate to create new processes or devices for the manufacture of electric vehicles—or to improve existing ones.

Job Duties

Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry to design or improve equipment or to devise processes for manufacturing chemicals and products. Because the batteries of electric vehicles store power through chemical processes, chemical engineers are responsible for developing new battery designs and improving current battery technologies. They are also vital in designing equipment and processes for large-scale manufacturing and in planning and testing the methods of battery manufacturing.

Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacture of electrical components. They are responsible for designing the electrical circuitry that allows a gas engine to charge the battery and distribute the electricity from the battery to the electric motor. Electrical engineers also might work on the heating and air-conditioning systems, vehicle lighting, and visual displays.

Electronics engineers design, develop, and test electronic components and systems for vehicles. These engineers are primarily focused on the control systems and additional electronic components for the vehicle.

Industrial engineers determine the most effective ways to use the basic factors of production—people, machines, materials, information, and energy—to manufacture vehicles. Because many electric vehicles require original manufacturing plans, industrial engineers design innovative manufacturing processes and retool plants that formerly made different models of cars.

Materials engineers are involved in the development, processing, and testing of materials used in electric vehicles. Materials engineers may also incorporate environmentally friendly materials that are derived from plant-based materials or recycled materials.

Mechanical engineers design, develop, and test the tools, engines, machines, and other mechanical devices in electric vehicles. These devices may be components of electric vehicles, or machines that are used in the manufacture or repair of these vehicles. These engineers may focus on engines, electric motors, or other mechanical devices, such as transmissions, drivetrains, or steering systems.

Mechanical engineering technicians assist engineers with solving technical problems in research, development, manufacturing, construction, inspection, and maintenance. They may also help engineers or scientists to make prototypes of newly designed equipment or assist with computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) equipment.

Mechanical drafters prepare detailed drawings, or visual guidelines, that show how to assemble machinery and mechanical devices. Most drafters use CADD systems to prepare drawings.

Software developers design and create software that controls the on-board computers in hybrid and electric vehicles, which produce and distribute the proper amount of electricity or gasoline to power the vehicle in given conditions, as well as when to use the engine to recharge the battery.

Commercial and industrial designers are responsible for the style, function, quality, and safety of vehicles. The designers prepare sketches or diagrams, usually with the aid of computers, and work with engineers and other designers to improve a design.

Education and Training

Engineers typically enter the electric vehicle industry with a bachelor’s degree or higher in engineering. However, some positions require previous experience or an advanced degree. Entry-level engineers may begin their career as an assistant to a more senior engineer until they develop the skills needed to work independently. Engineers are also expected to complete continuing education courses to keep up with rapidly changing technology.

Engineers are usually required to be certified in specific systems and technologies, depending on the systems used by a particular manufacturer. Licensure as a professional engineer (PE) is highly desired by employers and is often required for anything higher than an entry-level position.

Engineering technicians and drafters usually have an associate’s degree or certification from a community college or a technical school. Technicians and drafters participate in on-the-job training and are closely supervised by engineers.

Software developers typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related discipline, combined with experience in computer programming and software design.

Commercial and industrial designers also typically have at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering or industrial design, and they usually receive some on-the-job training.

Earnings

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not have wage data specific to the electric vehicle industry. The table shows wages for selected engineers, mechanical engineering technicians, drafters, software developers, and commercial and industrial designers in the transportation equipment manufacturing industry group for May 2010. The wages shown are median annual wages for the United States as a whole; wages vary by employer and location.

Occupation	Median annual wage
Chemical engineers	$97,480
Electrical engineers	$87,580
Electronics engineers, except computer	$100,450
Industrial engineers	$77,160
Materials engineers	$89,000
Mechanical engineers	$81,290
Mechanical engineering technicians	$52,950
Mechanical drafters	$53,840
Software developers, applications	$94,680
Commercial and industrial designers	$67,790

For more detailed information on design and development occupations in the electric vehicle industry, follow the Occupational Outlook Handbook link.

Thursday's electric vehicle industry series installment: Occupations in Manufacturing

More on Making Effective Use of Your Networks

As a follow up to the video on networking by Keith Ferrazzi (shared yesterday), here are some tips on making the most of your connections from an article by career coach Miriam Salpeter.


The article suggests contacting members of your network before applying for a job because "Many organizations prioritize applicants referred by employees. Some companies even give bonuses to employees who suggest candidates who are hired, so some networking contacts may have a financial incentive to pass along your information."


It is important to "be sure to follow up with contacts who help you and let them know you appreciate their efforts."


You can read the full article here. 

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week

We're presenting a new feature here at the Daily Leap: a video of the week. The video we share will present news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.


Today's featured video features Keith Ferrazzi, the author of Never Eat Alone, and provides advice on being more effective at those networking events.