| Unwritten Laws |
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LAW #1: Regard your personal integrity as one of your most important assets.
In the end run, there is hardly anything more important that your own self-respect, and this alone should provide ample incentive to maintain the highest standards for honesty and sincerity of which you are capable. But apart from all considerations of ethics and morals, there are sound business reasons for conscientiously guarding the integrity of your character. The integrity to which we refer is easily described: if you have high personal integrity, you are honest, morally sound, trustworthy, responsible and sincere. The priceless and inevitable reward for uncompromising integrity is confidence: the confidence of superiors, associates, subordinates and outsiders. All transactions are enormously simplifies and facilitated when your word is as good as your bond and your motives are above question.
LAW #2: Cultivate the habit of seeking other peoples' opinions and recommendations.
Particularly as a beginning engineer, you cannot hope to know all you must about your field and your employer's business. Therefore you must ask for help from others; routinely seek out those who are "in the know". |
Relating to Your Co-Workers
The saying goes, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Being the new person in any situation, especially the workplace, is often awkward but it provides you with the opportunity to develop a good reputation within your group and company that will carry through your entire career. Keep in mind it is likely your co-workers have been together for some time and they will look cautiously at anyone new to the team. From the first time you are introduced they will be evaluating you. So as the new member of the group, you need to demonstrate your desire and ability to be a valuable new addition. There are several courses of action you can employ to ensure you make a good impression. A number of these items have already been discussed and are reiterated in later sections:
- Get to know the people in your group, - Learn their names and job duties. It is ok to ask them about where they went to school and some of their job experiences. Always keep it on a professional level. Never ask about their personal life.
- Be someone that can be counted on - That means not only being at work everyday and being on time, but also following through on all of your commitments. Your word means everything.
- Offer to help the other engineers and volunteer for jobs and tasks - This not only demonstrates your willingness to be a team player, but it aides you in learning the system and your development as an engineer.
- Ask pertinent questions - Developing as an engineer means learning as you work. There might be times when you are stumped. It is acceptable to ask your co-workers questions. The key, however, is to attempt to find the answer first by yourself. This provides you with more insight to the problem. When you finally ask the question, it demonstrates your knowledge of the work. Asking too many questions gives the impression you can't think for yourself.
- Don't be a know it all - In the workplace the emphasis is on contributing to the group and ultimately the product you are working on. That means contributing as part of a team. As an entry-level engineer you bring to the table the sum of your technical education. You lack the experience and the practical application of that knowledge. The best approach for you during your first few months is to learn. Share your opinions and suggestions when you are asked. Don't act like you are the smartest one in the group and have all the answers. It is the quickest way to damage your reputation.
- Learn to work with different types of people - Today's workplace is a diverse mixture of personalities, gender, religions, races, nationalities and cultures. Take the time to understand the people you work with, their likes and dislikes, their approach to the job and any other traits that distinguish them. Be very mindful that what might be acceptable behavior to you might offend someone else. So pay attention to what you do and say and learn to appreciate the differences in the people you work with. In the end you do have two things in common, you are all engineers and you work for the same company.
  (transcript) - Getting it built.... - Noah Loren, Detroit Diesel
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