5 Minors for Mechanical Engineers

5 Minors for Mechanical Engineers 5 Minors for Mechanical Engineers 5 Minors for Mechanical EngineersYou major in mechanical engineering and are excited to learn the ins and outsbut there are other skills that can be a strong complement to that invaluable degree, and they may not be so obvious. With this in mind, here are a few minors for mechanical engineers to consider.Data ScienceImage seewhatmitchseeBig data is hot right now and knowledge of data analytics can be a potential boost to job performance for a ME, says Alexis Abramson, prof of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Case Western Reserve University. We are collecting mora data on everyday life, she says. What used to be dealing with hundreds of pieces of data is now seemingly endless. By being able to use this data to inform their design process and their understanding of failure, the lifetime of engineered devices can be improved. You used to have an engineer with years of experience to make a call on an invention but now you also have years of data to run analyses.BusinessAbramson is quick to remind that you cant usually just hide in your workand a business minor is a great way to improve interaction skills and relating to the selling of a product you might even create. Were talking about the professional softer skills you need to pick up somewhere, she says, Here you can talk about real world problemsthe market, competition, a key in for-profit settings. Also, in business classes youre practicing presentation skills and theres often an emphasis on team projects which is coveted in the job market.The HumanitiesThis covers more than one minor, but Abramson likes the humanities because they often force you to improve critical thinking skills and are another place to further develop conversation skills. Many humanities minors can fit the bill but she does see English and History as two standouts. Its helpful to write papers on a topic that isnt actually a technical report, she says. You learn to h ave an argument and clearly articulate it. Exactly what could help you in defending your product when you have to find a way to appeal beyond just the numbers.Image seewhatmitchseePsychologyA key factor in a successful product? Understanding the mentality of the potential user. A psychology minor could be just the ticket, says Ryan Towles, an undergraduate academic advisor for Michigan Technological Universitys mechanical engineering school. We have some students who get really interested in human factors and its often involving operating machines, Towles says. Theyre interested in how people react with controls, how do they look at signals with an interface. And it allows them to understand how the human brain relates. But it also can assist when you get ahead on the corporate ladder. In a management position it can help you get a sense of how that employee is doing and what will motivate them, Towles says.Electrical EngineeringAnd, just in case you dont want to stray from engineer ing for even a minor, Towles likes electrical as a leg up in many areas. It just has so many things it crosses over to, he says. Youre talking robotics, aerospace, hydroelectric, and more. Having that background will give you the advantage of speaking that language better, and also help with fitting into that fabric.Eric Butterman is an independent writer.In business classes youre practicing presentation skills and theres often an emphasis on team projects which is coveted in the job market. Prof. Alexis Abramson, Case Western Reserve University

This is how baby boomers and Millennials differ with work ethic

This is how baby boomers and Millennials differ with work ethicThis is how baby boomers and Millennials differ with work ethicBaby Boomers sometimes believe Millennials are entitled and lazy, but this couldnt be further from the truth.Millennials have entered a professional world where their realities are wildly different from the ones Boomers knew. They prioritize things that dont make sense to Boomers because their environment has different demands.For example, Millennials expect to be fired or let go regularly, so they want work that is directly in line with their own career equity, which are the skills and experiences that help them improve their career prospects. They know their time is limited, so they dont invest in doing things outside their own path. Boomers, however, are used to working hard for a company in exchange for long-term investment in skills development and for security, like a retirement fund or pension.But employment security and long-term investment no longer e xist in the modern working world.So what are Millennials working for?Having worked extensively with Millennials at my companies, Ive found they often work incredibly hard. But first, they need to feel like what theyre working toward aligns with their own goals and aspirations. Specifically, I hired a lot of freshly graduated art history students to work as account representatives at Lofty.com. I ensured upon hiring them that I knew what they wanted to build in their careers, and ensure that their role within Lofty would amount to that end. This created a management-employee partnership. They worked hard for my company because they felt they were getting something out of it that benefitted them.This may sound foreign to Boomers. They come from a world where they were expected to pay their dues by working hard on whatever the company needed, with the expectation that the company would reward them over in the long-term. Now, Millennials will work hard when they are given opportunities that help them provide for themselves without any kind of deal.In order to bridge this generational divide, we have to update the old bargain in a way that Boomers can understand and Millennials can use. That means understanding where both sides are coming from in order to make the best possible deal.But first, lets talk a little further about where Boomers are coming from.Baby Boomers have certain expectations of young employees based on their own experienceBoomers entered a company and were expected to pay their dues in order to move forward. The understanding was if they worked hard for the company for several years, and the company benefited from their work, theyd be rewarded with pay raises and promotions. If they stayed with the company long enough, theyd have a pension and a 401K.This was the bargain struck between an employee and company in the old days you work hard and in exchange, well give you security and stability.Now, Boomers expect Millennials to work for the same ba rgain. They think Millennials want to progress too fast and arent paying their dues, which comes off as lazy. Boomers also assume Millennials are flighty and dont stay in their roles with any kind of commitment. What Boomers dont realize is the other end of the deal they had, the end thats supposed to be a payoff for the employee, isnt there anymore.Its a whole new world out there, and Boomers have to recognize that if theyre going to successfully manage MillennialsThey also have to understand what Millennials actually want.Because Millennials dont expect to stay with a company for the long term, their interest is in what can benefit them now.This doesnt come from an inability to commit. Its the result of massive turnover rates, an unstable economy, and a more competitive business environment.What Millennials are learning from their work experience is they will inevitably get fired, let go, shut down, or need to look elsewhere for personal growth. They expect to leave a position in a very short amount of time, so they want to get paid competitively and want to take on more responsibility quickly. They treat work as a way to build their own professional equity and skill set as future bargaining chips so when its time to move on, theyre prepared.Professional services companies like consulting firms, investment banks and law firms have already found a way to tap into this mindset by offering skills development and mentorship. In some ways, theyre preparing their staff to move on to other companies, but theyre also getting an intense level of hard work from Millennials in the meantime. In some cases, the employee feels invested and stays long-term.Tech companies also understand the benefit of this investment and fight to recruit then keep Millennial talent. For example, Google also currently sends employees to conferences and boot camps to improve their skills. This is another way to tap into Millennial aspirations for a mutual benefit. The team feels like theyre getting skills they can apply anywhere, and the company gets a return on their investment.While this is one example of what a new bargain could look like, its not the only one.There are other ways to tap into a Millennials aspirations, but they dont come from mind-reading.Boomers managing Millennials need to understand their employment relationship is going to be short, so they have to cut to the point. Conversations around what the employee wants from a job need to happen as early as the interview in order to continue motivating throughout the working relationship.Some questions to ask includeWhat does the employee want from us?What are we providing the employee in exchange?What does the employee want in the long term? The short-term?What do they want from their career?What kinds of goals do they have outside of work?Once a Boomer has answers to a few of these, they can abflug to craft a mutually beneficial working relationship with their Millennial staff. This means having regular conversations between employee and employer about what each side wants from the role going forward and how the two can help each other in the best way.One thing I do at Codex Protocol is have monthly meetings with each employee. We dont talk about their projects or what theyve accomplished. I limit the conversations strictly to what they want going forward and how I can help them achieve that. Ive noticed in my Millennial employees, they work the hardest when Ive given them chances to do work, achieve goals, and build their resume toward what they want long term.Theres a way to build mutually beneficial relationships between generations, and it comes from compromise on both sides. When given tasks that make them feel like theyre building toward something, Millennials will work to help Boomers businesses grow. Bridging the communication gap between these two generations can lead to greater outcomes on all sides, and maybe we can finally put a stop to all those think pieces about Mil lennial work ethic.Mark Lurie is theFounder CEO at Codex Protocol.This article was originally published on Quora.com.This is how baby boomers and Millennials differ with work ethicBaby Boomers sometimes believe Millennials are entitled and lazy, but this couldnt be further from the truth.Millennials have entered a professional world where their realities are wildly different from the ones Boomers knew. They prioritize things that dont make sense to Boomers because their environment has different demands.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreFor example, Millennials expect to be fired or let go regularly, so they want work that is directly in line with their own career equity, which are the skills and experiences that help them improve their career prospects. They know their time is limited, so they dont invest in doing things outside their own path. Boomers, however, are used to wor king hard for a company in exchange for long-term investment in skills development and for security, like a retirement fund or pension.But employment security and long-term investment no longer exist in the modern working world.So what are Millennials working for?Having worked extensively with Millennials at my companies, Ive found they often work incredibly hard. But first, they need to feel like what theyre working toward aligns with their own goals and aspirations. Specifically, I hired a lot of freshly graduated art history students to work as account representatives at Lofty.com. I ensured upon hiring them that I knew what they wanted to build in their careers, and ensure that their role within Lofty would amount to that end. This created a management-employee partnership. They worked hard for my company because they felt they were getting something out of it that benefitted them.This may sound foreign to Boomers. They come from a world where they were expected to pay their due s by working hard on whatever the company needed, with the expectation that the company would reward them over in the long-term. Now, Millennials will work hard when they are given opportunities that help them provide for themselves without any kind of deal.In order to bridge this generational divide, we have to update the old bargain in a way that Boomers can understand and Millennials can use. That means understanding where both sides are coming from in order to make the best possible deal.But first, lets talk a little further about where Boomers are coming from.Baby Boomers have certain expectations of young employees based on their own experienceBoomers entered a company and were expected to pay their dues in order to move forward. The understanding was if they worked hard for the company for several years, and the company benefited from their work, theyd be rewarded with pay raises and promotions. If they stayed with the company long enough, theyd have a pension and a 401K.This was the bargain struck between an employee and company in the old days you work hard and in exchange, well give you security and stability.Now, Boomers expect Millennials to work for the same bargain. They think Millennials want to progress too fast and arent paying their dues, which comes off as lazy. Boomers also assume Millennials are flighty and dont stay in their roles with any kind of commitment. What Boomers dont realize is the other end of the deal they had, the end thats supposed to be a payoff for the employee, isnt there anymore.Its a whole new world out there, and Boomers have to recognize that if theyre going to successfully manage MillennialsThey also have to understand what Millennials actually want.Because Millennials dont expect to stay with a company for the long term, their interest is in what can benefit them now.This doesnt come from an inability to commit. Its the result of massive turnover rates, an unstable economy, and a more competitive business environmen t.What Millennials are learning from their work experience is they will inevitably get fired, let go, shut down, or need to look elsewhere for personal growth. They expect to leave a position in a very short amount of time, so they want to get paid competitively and want to take on more responsibility quickly. They treat work as a way to build their own professional equity and skill set as future bargaining chips so when its time to move on, theyre prepared.Professional services companies like consulting firms, investment banks and law firms have already found a way to tap into this mindset by offering skills development and mentorship. In some ways, theyre preparing their staff to move on to other companies, but theyre also getting an intense level of hard work from Millennials in the meantime. In some cases, the employee feels invested and stays long-term.Tech companies also understand the benefit of this investment and fight to recruit then keep Millennial talent. For example, Go ogle also currently sends employees to conferences and boot camps to improve their skills. This is another way to tap into Millennial aspirations for a mutual benefit. The team feels like theyre getting skills they can apply anywhere, and the company gets a return on their investment.While this is one example of what a new bargain could look like, its not the only one.There are other ways to tap into a Millennials aspirations, but they dont come from mind-reading.Boomers managing Millennials need to understand their employment relationship is going to be short, so they have to cut to the point. Conversations around what the employee wants from a job need to happen as early as the interview in order to continue motivating throughout the working relationship.Some questions to ask includeWhat does the employee want from us?What are we providing the employee in exchange?What does the employee want in the long term? The short-term?What do they want from their career?What kinds of goals d o they have outside of work?Once a Boomer has answers to a few of these, they can start to craft a mutually beneficial working relationship with their Millennial staff. This means having regular conversations between employee and employer about what each side wants from the role going forward and how the two can help each other in the best way.One thing I do at Codex Protocol is have monthly meetings with each employee. We dont talk about their projects or what theyve accomplished. I limit the conversations strictly to what they want going forward and how I can help them achieve that. Ive noticed in my Millennial employees, they work the hardest when Ive given them chances to do work, achieve goals, and build their resume toward what they want long term.Theres a way to build mutually beneficial relationships between generations, and it comes from compromise on both sides. When given tasks that make them feel like theyre building toward something, Millennials will work to help Boomer s businesses grow. Bridging the communication gap between these two generations can lead to greater outcomes on all sides, and maybe we can finally put a stop to all those think pieces about Millennial work ethic.Mark Lurie is theFounder CEO at Codex Protocol.This article was originally published on Quora.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Tattoos wont keep you from getting a job, research suggests

Tattoos wont keep you from getting a job, research suggestsTattoos wont keep you from getting a job, research suggestsRoll up your sleeves, the taboo of showing your tattoos in the office may finally be changing. Researchers from theUniversity of Miami and the University of Western Australia surveyed 2,000 American adults from all 50 states and found that having a tattoo was not significantly associated with employment or earnings discrimination. Job seekers with inked skin were just as likely, and in some cases, more likely to gain employment than job seekers without tattoos.Not only did we find no net effect of tattoos on earnings, but some evidence emerged of a slight, yet positive, effect of tattoos on labor supply and, for men at least, on employment status, the study concluded.Tattoos have no significant effect on wages or getting the jobThis is good news for the70% of Millennials who say they hide their tattoos beneath clothing.The long-held stigmas associated with having tatt oos, and pspeciesicularly visible ones, may be eroding, especially among younger individuals who view body art as a natural and common form of personal expression, Michael French, one of the authors of the study, said in a statement.Maybe more employers are recognizing that the majority of good candidates are bound to have an inked tattoo somewhere on their body. There is strength in numbers. Twenty percent of American adults and 40% of Millennials now has a tattoo. With so many inked brethren in the office, more of us feel free to let our inked art peek through our suits and blouses without consequence.Supervisors who discriminate against tattooed workers will likely find themselves at a competitive disadvantage for the most qualified employees, French said.