Having a career instead of just a job takes ongoing attention and is always a work in progress. If you're thinking about transitioning to a new career path, you must constantly be on the lookout for opportunities to leverage the experience you have in new ways. If you're just starting out, be aware that career planning doesn't stop once you've signed on the dotted line. Stay informed about what's happening in your field, keep up with new techniques and discoveries, and see how advances and changes in other fields will influence the work that you do.

Keep Your Resume Fresh
Even if you're not actively hunting for a new job, keep your resume current and up-to-date.

• Having your most current information in hand and ready to go means that should a great opportunity come along, you are ready to move on it immediately.

• Adding information on new skills mastered, notable accomplishments, new or expanded job duties, and recent certifications as you go also ensures that your resume is as complete as possible. It's not always easy to remember accomplishments days, months, or even years later.

• For engineers looking to shift into a new industry, a fresh resume that shifts the focus from field to function can highlight how the experience you have gained elsewhere can be applied to a new position you are seeking.

Create a Work Portfolio
Make a point of gathering job descriptions, performance appraisals and reviews so you can see how you have changed and developed from job to job, and year to year. Also collect any documents that are evidence of achievements and positive feedback. This may be letters of referral or a recommendation from your superior, notes of praise from colleagues, mentions in trade publications or samples of your work.

• Your work portfolio will help you craft a better resume and give you context to present your work and personal development more effectively during interviews.

• Reviewing this material regularly may also illustrate to you potential career directions when and if you decide a change in direction is in order.

• Having examples of your recent achievements will help not only during a job search but during performance reviews at your current position as well.

Continuing Education
Success in the engineering field means keeping your skills sharp and your knowledge current with recent technological trends. A great way to ensure that you're up on the latest news, processes, and innovations is by looking into continuing education options like online classes, seminars, and conferences.

Keep Up With News
By virtue of the type of work they do, engineers are often working with an industry's newest discoveries and improvements so it's important to continue your news and trade publication reading. Keep abreast of what's happening, not only in your own company but with the competition as well.

Networking
We've already discussed how important networking is in all stages of your career but it's well worth mentioning again. Professional and trade association memberships, participation in mentoring programs and volunteer opportunities will enable you to build a vital and valuable series of connections that will expand your knowledge, extend your career potential and keep you informed of the latest news and innovations from your engineering colleagues.