Founding co-host Chris Gammell returns to The Engineering Commons to talk about the importance of interdisciplinary skills with Adam, Carmen and Jeff.
Knowledge of heat transfer is useful in circuit design, acknowledges Carmen.
As part of a required engineering class, sixteen Harvard students designed a smoker for cooking the “perfect” beef brisket.
Chris’ educational site, Contextual Electronics, is preparing to start its third year of operation.
To avoid software versioning problems, the Contextual Electronics team uses Vagrant, a software program that automates the creation and configuration of virtual development environments.
Chris continues his work with SupplyFrame to develop parts.io, an online electronics search engine.
Networking through meetups (like the group Chris founded in Cleveland) is important for maintaining industry contacts and staying abreast of technical trends.
As the proud owner of a new Wilson II 3D printer, Chris is developing some new technical skills. He hopes to use the printer for enclosure design and fixturing.
Jeff theorizes that ongoing reductions in engineering staff, along with automation of specialized tasks, is forcing many engineers into develop a greater range of interdisciplinary skills.
The rate of business formation has been declining in the US over the past decade; Chris notes he has nonetheless seen an increasing number of small engineering firms.
Foreseeing economic downturns in his first job, Chris actively developed new skills to improve his employability in other technical fields.
Being a worry wart, Jeff wonders if advances in artificial intelligence will relegate engineers to providing technical guidance, rather than implementing technology directly.
Adam notes a nearly mandatory requirement for professional engineering (PE) licenses has led to an “apprenticeship” arrangement in civil engineering.
Carmen recalls Jeff Keyzer’s description of “T-shaped” employees during a past episode of The Amp Hour, which is also described in the Valve new employee handbook (pdf).
Having a support group can be a great advantage in trying to learn new skills, notes Chris.
Chris comments on the importance of sharing engineering stories, as is done on The Amp Hour, Spark Gap, and Embedded podcasts, as well as The Engineering Commons.
Thanks to vxla for use of the photo titled “IC 100 at Chicago Union Station.” Opening music by John Trimble, and concluding theme music by Paul Stevenson.
Adam, Brian and Jeff discuss highlights and back stories from episodes of The Engineering Commons podcast released in 2015.
Brian started work the Monday after he graduated from college, and now wishes he had taken a little time off before beginning his professional career.
Listener Joel suggests we invite Karl Stephan to participate in a conversation about engineering ethics. Dr. Stephan joined us for an episode titled “Ethics” back in 2012, but we hope to have him appear again in a 2016 episode of The Engineering Commons.
Joel also suggests an episode on patent, trademark, and copyright law, which might add to the discussion we had with Dave Gevers in a 2012 episode titled “Patents.”
Listener Peter suggests we include an occasional book review; Brian recommends the bestselling Neal Stephenson book Seveneves to our listening audience.
Several guests have been suggested by listener Alex… thanks, Alex!
A second listener Peter suggests we offer a “War Story of the Week.” Do you have an engineering “war story” you want to share? Bang the “Contact” link above and send it our direction!
Multiple episode topics have been suggested by listener Frederick; thank you for the ideas!
Based on our survey data from a couple of years back, Adam estimates about a third of our listeners are located in Europe.
Listener Mike suggest we answer questions from our podcast audience during future episodes. Good idea, Mike!
We’ve received a request from listener Merrill that we add our podcast to the Stitcher service. How many other listeners think this is a good idea?
In “Ideas Without Words,” we talked with Bob Schmidt about communicating and generating engineering concepts using graphical tools alone.
Herb Roberts shared his stories of developing a jet engine for the F22 fighter in “Vectored Thrust.”
In mid-February’s episode “Creative Diversity” , we talked with Kathryn Jablokow about creativity along Kirton’s Adaption-Innovation continuum.
Elecia White joined us to discuss embedded systems in an episode titled “Remote Host Toast.”
Brian highly recommends the “Embedded” podcast Elecia produces with her husband, Chris.
Pros and cons of pursuing a graduate engineering degree were covered in the episode “Grad School.”
We talked about tools we enjoyed using, whether engineering related or not, in “Tools of the Trade.”
Brian continues to taunt chemical engineers, hoping one will rise to the challenge and agree to discuss chemical engineering with us on a future episode.
Mechanical engineer Jim Heilman returns to The Engineering Commons to cover questions engineers should ask before relocating to advance their careers.
Adam moved for his current job, but had to abandon the high-speed internet connection he enjoyed at his previous residence.
Our guest for this episode is Jim Heilman, a mechanical engineer who spent two decades in industry before becoming a plastics industry recruiter for Discovery Personnel.
Although many relocations take place for the sake of career advancement, Jim notes an increasing trend toward changing residences to be closer to family members.
With increasing pressure on businesses to deliver profits, and with individuals needing to cover medical, educational, and household expenses, everyone is taking a closer look at the details in relocation packages.
While some employers will increase their salary offer to induce a reluctant candidate to relocate, many employers are loath to “buy” an employee’s loyalty.
No matter how attractive a job offer might seem, it’s important to gather familial consensus before agreeing to a cross-country move.
While more senior engineers may be offered substantial relocation packages, younger engineers are more likely to be offered smaller, one-time cash payments to cover relocation expenses.
Very few employers are willing to buy homes to help with relocation, even though this was once a common practice.
During the height of the Great Recession, Jim says candidates “dug their heels in” and absolutely refused to relocate.
Many employers require relocated employees to pay back a pro-rated portion of their company-paid moving expenses if they don’t remain with the firm for at least a year (or two).
Whereas companies at one time were quite rigid in what they would offer for relocation, most firms are now open to negotiating relocation terms.
Since housing is the largest expense for most families, one should investigate housing costs before getting too deep into negotiating a job move.
Our guest notes that most employers are not keen on employees who fly or drive “home” to a different residence on the weekends.
Engineers who repeatedly change jobs every year or two may eventually find it difficult to find employment, regardless of their skill level.
It’s not unusual, says Jim, for an engineer to be fired when their employer discovers they are looking for a new job.
Brian suggests young engineers always accept calls from recruiters, as the recruiter may be able to help secure new employment when it’s needed.
Jim once dealt with a candidate who waited until very late in the relocation process to request help moving his snake collection.
It’s crucial to talk with one’s family before initiating a job change that will require the family to relocate.
Founding co-host Chris Gammell returns to The Engineering Commons to talk about the importance of interdisciplinary skills with Adam, Carmen and Jeff.
