Terri Taylor
Staff Engineer
Honeywell International Inc

Q: When you first started your career - what was the biggest lesson learned on the job?

A: Well, let me see if I can remember back that far... I guess the biggest lesson learned was how important it was to ask questions. At the time, I was afraid of appearing stupid if I didn't understand everything about an assignment. After all, I was a recent graduate and had a degree to prove my smarts. It took me a while to realize that it was a bigger mistake not to ask for clarification right away. Today, as a supervisor, I expect questions and feedback from my staff - it projects confidence and initiative in the work to be done. When the questions begin - I get a much better feeling that the job is understood.

Q: What is the underlying foundation for career success today?

A: It may sound trite, but we all make mistakes. We are judged not by our mistakes, but by the way we respond when a mistake comes to light. Digging in and doing everything in your power to correct a mistake is what people remember. If you leave a mess for others to clean up - well that gets remembered, too. I'd like to believe that I have cleaned up my messes.

Q: How do you keep up-to-date within your industry?

A: I mostly use personal contacts, publications and on-line communities.

Q: What advice would you give a recent engineering graduate looking for work?

A: You have to make your resume stand out. And I don't mean fancy paper and color printing - it's all on-line these days. Right now I am getting 100 applicants for every job posting I have open. A successful candidate takes the time to read the job requisition and address the specific skills that are being sought in their resume & cover letter. I am looking for the person who fits the job description I wrote and I have lots of choices. These days it is simple to tailor your resume for a specific job - take the time to do it!

Personal contacts are also essential. If someone I knew and respected approached me with a resume and said, " I know this person and her capabilities, she would fit in well here." That person gets a much higher weighting than an unknown applicant. She is much more likely to get an interview. One way to get these personal contacts is become involved with your local ASME section.

Q: Has your involvement in ASME changed or influenced your career path?

A: I have benefited from ASME in 2 ways. First - the personal contacts that I have made outside my company. It would be almost non-existent without my ASME activities. These days I have lots of colleagues I can call on around town.

Second, I acquired leadership experience/skills in a non-threatening environment. With the different roles I played in the section I gained experience in persuasion, delegation, team building, motivation, strategic planning, and tactical execution to name a few. I was given the opportunity to prove myself in arena where the consequences of failure are not so harsh. It is an excellent opportunity to practice leadership skills. If you can learn to motivate volunteers, motivating paid employees is a whole lot less complicated.